Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting a shortfall condition with respect to a subscription agreement between a publisher and a subscriber, particularly in a network environment. A method, according to one implementation, includes the steps of examining measurable aspects of real-world subscription events between a publisher and a subscriber in a distributed system. The method also includes the step of comparing the measurable aspects with a subscription agreement between the publisher and the subscriber to determine if there is a shortfall with respect to the subscription agreement.