Abstract: Techniques for processing application data are described. The techniques include transmitting packets of application data to a data management server. The data management server maintains rules that dictate where the packets go as well as what actions are taken in response to the packets. Based on the rules, the data management server transmits the packets to destinations that may perform various actions. The actions performed by destinations may include logging data received from the applications, or performing other actions such as notifying an administrator or other entity of a particular event, or the like. The described architecture decouples functions such as logging, notification, and the like from the applications for which they are performed, which provides benefits such as improved scalability, as well as removing the need for application developers to build such functionality directly into the applications.

Abstract: An approach is disclosed for metering usage of cloud computing services at a feature level. In one embodiment, a metering application receives feature status information indicating which features of a cloud computing service are enabled through an event-driven process, in which events are generated and reported to the metering application when features are enabled or disabled, as well as a polling process, in which the metering application periodically queries the statuses of features. Feature status information gathered by the metering application is persisted in a database as collective feature statuses, with each collective feature status being associated with an interval of time during which feature statuses are unchanged. The feature status information obtained and persisted in the database may then be used to, for example, determine licensing fees based on feature usage or report feature usage to facilitate quantitative studies of the usefulness of features.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein provide a messaging protocol for a distributed system. In one embodiment, each message constructed according to the messaging protocol includes a field for a list of globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) of nodes that should not reply to the message. A new node joining the system sends a message requesting system state information and including an empty GUID list, indicating that all nodes receiving the message should reply. In normal operation, the system's state information is synchronized among all nodes at regular intervals by exchanging messages indicating local state changes at each node, and including GUID list fields specifying all other nodes' GUIDs so that no nodes reply. A node which identifies messages that should have been received from another node but are missing transmits a message requesting the missing messages, with a GUID list including all nodes other than the other node that sent the missing messages.

Abstract: Techniques for processing application data are described. The techniques include transmitting packets of application data to a data management server. The data management server maintains rules that dictate where the packets go as well as what actions are taken in response to the packets. Based on the rules, the data management server transmits the packets to destinations that may perform various actions. The actions performed by destinations may include logging data received from the applications, or performing other actions such as notifying an administrator or other entity of a particular event, or the like. The described architecture decouples functions such as logging, notification, and the like from the applications for which they are performed, which provides benefits such as improved scalability, as well as removing the need for application developers to build such functionality directly into the applications.

Abstract: An approach is disclosed for metering usage of cloud computing services at a feature level. In one embodiment, a metering application receives feature status information indicating which features of a cloud computing service are enabled through an event-driven process, in which events are generated and reported to the metering application when features are enabled or disabled, as well as a polling process, in which the metering application periodically queries the statuses of features. Feature status information gathered by the metering application is persisted in a database as collective feature statuses, with each collective feature status being associated with an interval of time during which feature statuses are unchanged. The feature status information obtained and persisted in the database may then be used to, for example, determine licensing fees based on feature usage or report feature usage to facilitate quantitative studies of the usefulness of features.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein provide a messaging protocol for a distributed system. In one embodiment, each message constructed according to the messaging protocol includes a field for a list of globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) of nodes that should not reply to the message. A new node joining the system sends a message requesting system state information and including an empty GUID list, indicating that all nodes receiving the message should reply. In normal operation, the system's state information is synchronized among all nodes at regular intervals by exchanging messages indicating local state changes at each node, and including GUID list fields specifying all other nodes' GUIDs so that no nodes reply. A node which identifies messages that should have been received from another node but are missing transmits a message requesting the missing messages, with a GUID list including all nodes other than the other node that sent the missing messages.

Abstract: Techniques for processing application data are described. The techniques include transmitting packets of application data to a data management server. The data management server maintains rules that dictate where the packets go as well as what actions are taken in response to the packets. Based on the rules, the data management server transmits the packets to destinations that may perform various actions. The actions performed by destinations may include logging data received from the applications, or performing other actions such as notifying an administrator or other entity of a particular event, or the like. The described architecture decouples functions such as logging, notification, and the like from the applications for which they are performed, which provides benefits such as improved scalability, as well as removing the need for application developers to build such functionality directly into the applications.

Abstract: Techniques for processing application data are described. The techniques include transmitting packets of application data to a data management server. The data management server maintains rules that dictate where the packets go as well as what actions are taken in response to the packets. Based on the rules, the data management server transmits the packets to destinations that may perform various actions. The actions performed by destinations may include logging data received from the applications, or performing other actions such as notifying an administrator or other entity of a particular event, or the like. The described architecture decouples functions such as logging, notification, and the like from the applications for which they are performed, which provides benefits such as improved scalability, as well as removing the need for application developers to build such functionality directly into the applications.