Apparatus and method for user configuration and reporting of virtual services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10397407-B1
Application number	US-201414578609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Apr 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

Various example implementations are directed to circuits, apparatuses, and methods for providing virtual computing services. According to an example embodiment, an apparatus includes a set of computing servers configured to provide a respective set of virtual servers for each of a plurality of accounts. The set of virtual servers for at least one of the accounts includes a voice-over-IP (VoIP) server. The apparatus also includes a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the set of computing servers. For each of the plurality of accounts, the processing circuit provides a graphical user interface (GUI) including a mechanism for an authorized user of the account to select options for reporting usage of the respective set of virtual servers. The processing circuit also monitors use of the respective set of virtual servers for the account and generates invoices for use of the respective set of virtual servers according to the selected options.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a set of computing servers configured and arranged to provide a respective set of virtual servers for each of a plurality of accounts, wherein each respective set of virtual servers is uniquely associated with one of the plurality of accounts in accordance with virtual server subscription settings included in an account settings file of the respective account, the respective set of virtual servers for at least one of the accounts including a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) server; and
for each of the plurality of accounts, a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the set of computing servers and configured and arranged to
remotely connect to and run a software-implemented application on a computer associated with the account and through which an end user for the account provisions virtual resources, wherein the software-implemented application enables the end user to run programs from user-customized software scripts that specify computing resources for services including use of file servers, email servers, web hosting, and virtual VoIP-meeting services;
select options for reporting use of the respective set of virtual servers including usage of the services by a set of users of the respective account, responsive to input by an authorized user of the account via a graphical user interface (GUI);
monitor use of the respective set of virtual servers and the usage of the services provided for the respective account; and
generate reports, according to the selected options, for use of the respective set of virtual servers and the services based on the usage by the set of users of the respective account.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the report is generated based on the usage and according to the subscription settings of the account and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to, responsive to input via the GUI, add and remove users of the set of virtual servers for the account, to map domain names associated with the respective account to internet protocol (IP) addresses of the respective set of virtual servers according to a respective set of mapping criteria indicated in the virtual server subscription settings associated with the respective account, and to select the respective set of mapping criteria associated with the respective account, responsive to input by the authorized user of the account via the GUI.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to, responsive to input via the GUI, configure virtual servers to be provided for each user of the set of virtual servers for the account, wherein the respective set of mapping criteria include at least one criteria selected from the group consisting of operating status of the virtual servers, processing load of the virtual servers, network traffic conditions, quality of service requirements, geographical location of an end-user submitting a domain name server (DNS) query, permissions of the end user, date or time of the DNS query, type of virtual server associated with the domain name, and number of servers associated with the domain name.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the subscription settings of the account include users or customers to be provided service by respective virtual servers, user permissions, usage limits for virtual server, service rates, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to, responsive to input via the GUI, adjust service rates for each user set of virtual servers for the account.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured and arranged to, for each of the plurality of accounts, generate a report for all use of the set of virtual servers provided for the account by the set of computing servers according to the selected options, wherein the software-implemented application enables the end user to run programs from user-customized software scripts that specify computing resources for services including remote computing services, VoIP-call routing and load balancing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to, responsive to input via the GUI, generate a report indicating respective use of the virtual servers and the services by an individual one of the users, wherein the software-implemented application enables the end user to run programs from user-customized software scripts that specify computing resources for switch board services in which the processing circuit operating for the account serves or acts as PBX (private branch exchange) switch board.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to, responsive to input via the GUI, generate a report indicating respective use of the virtual servers and the services by a subset of the users of the respective account, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to, responsive to input via the GUI, adjust service rates for each of the set of virtual servers of the account.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of accounts includes a respective plurality of third-party customers which pay for use of virtual services of a service provider via the respective account, and the set of computing servers are configured and arranged to provide each of the plurality of third-party customers a respective subset of the corresponding set of virtual servers for the account.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to, responsive to input via the GUI, define the plurality of third-party customers and adjust service rates for individual ones of the plurality of third-party customers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit is configured and arranged to, for each of the plurality of accounts
generate a single report for all use of the set of virtual servers provided for the account by the set of computing servers according to an account-level service rate indicated in the selected options; and
for each of one of more third-party customers of the account, generate a respective report for use of the set of virtual servers by the third-party customer according to a respective customer-level service rate indicated in the selected options.

11. A method, comprising:
using a set of computing servers, providing a respective set of virtual servers for each of a plurality of accounts, wherein each respective set of virtual servers is uniquely associated with one of the plurality of accounts in accordance with virtual server subscription settings included in an account settings file of the respective account, and wherein the subscription settings specify third-party customers to be provided services by the individual virtual servers, the respective set of virtual servers for at least one of the accounts including a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) server, the services including use of file servers, email servers, web hosting, and virtual VoIP-meeting services; and
for each of the plurality of accounts
mapping domain names associated with the account to internet protocol (IP) addresses of the respective set of virtual servers according to a respective set of mapping criteria indicated in the virtual server subscription settings, wherein the set of mapping criteria includes at least one criteria selected from the group consisting of operating status of the virtual servers, processing load of the virtual servers, network traffic conditions, quality of service requirements, geographical location of an end-user submitting a domain name server (DNS) query, permissions of the end user, date or time of the DNS query, type of virtual server associated with the domain name, and number of servers associated w

Assignees

• 8X8 Inc

Inventors

• Britt Timothy
• Martin Bryan
• Peters Christopher

Classifications

• H04M7/0084 Primary

  Network monitoring; Error detection; Error recovery; Network testing · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title