System for metering in an on-demand utility environment

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor connected to a memory, a plurality of users and to a web services interface by a network;
• a plurality of instructions stored in the memory, the plurality of instructions configured to perform, by the processor, actions comprising:
• gathering a plurality of usage data from the plurality of users, the plurality of users consuming a plurality of computer resources in an on demand service environment, the on demand service environment providing a plurality of computer services available through the web service interface, wherein each of the plurality of usage data measures a consumption of a computer resource in one of the plurality of computer services;
• sending the usage data to a database through the web services interface;
• processing the usage data into a record having a required information section and an attributes section;
• saving the record into a record table, an attribute table, and a unit of work table, wherein the record table is linked to the attribute table, and the record table is linked to the unit of work table;
• responsive to a flag in a required field of a record, changing a status of the unit of work to a closed status in the unit of work table, and responsive to the status of the particular unit of work changing to the closed status in the unit of work table, identifying a plurality of associated records, wherein an associated record is a record associated with the unit of work;
• aggregating, normalizing, and algebraically composing the plurality of associated records to produce a metric that summarizes a consumption of the computer resource for the unit of work;
• and
• wherein the processor stores the metric with the records in the database, wherein the metric and the records are configured to be stored and retrieved using a schema, and wherein the metric is configured to be used in an accounting, an auditing, a billing, or an optimization process.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer readable medium;
• a plurality of instructions stored in the computer readable medium, the plurality of instructions configured to cause a processor connected to a plurality of users and to a web services interface by a network to:
• gather a plurality of usage data from the plurality of users, the plurality of users consuming a plurality of resources in an on demand service environment, the on demand service environment providing a plurality of services available through the web service interface, wherein each of the plurality of usage data measures a consumption of a computer resource in one of the plurality of computer services;
• and
• send the usage data to a database through the web services interface;
• process the usage data into a record having a required information section and an attributes section, save the record into a record table, an attribute table, and a unit of work table, wherein the record table is linked to the attribute table, and the record table is linked to the unit of work table, and responsive to a flag in a required field of a record, change a status of the unit of work to a closed status in the unit of work table, and responsive to the unit of work's status changing to the closed status in the unit of work table, identify a plurality of associated records, wherein an associated record is a record associated with the unit of work;
• aggregate, normalize, and algebraically compose the plurality of associated records to produce a metric that summarizes a consumption of the computer resource for the unit of work;
• and
• store the metric with the records in the database, wherein the metric and the records are configured to be stored and retrieved using the same schema, and wherein the metric is configured to be used in an accounting, an auditing, a billing, or an optimization process.