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If IT as a Service has a future, real-time insights into usage of IT equipment and software in total – across all types of deployments (Physical and Virtual) and cloud hybrids – is essential.

IT used to start and end with the how and why: How many IT resources are you using? Where? Are you delivering the best possible value to your users?

But today, the business environment has changed, departments/units are analyzing their budgets more carefully and asking: What IT resources are you charging us for? Where do we see these Services? What value do we gain from these services? and if we are not using these resources directly ‘why the £€€$ are we paying’ for them? or words to that effect

A while ago, I was invited to a seminar (with Modular DPS) hosted by 6fusion in which they introduced their new Cloud Metering Solution (see below to download), which provides utility metering for physical and virtual IT infrastructures. This helps organizations understand their IT cost structures, how their resources are being used and helping transition to an IT service provider model.

6fusion’s patent-pending algorithm, the Workload Allocation Cube (WAC), is at the core of Cloud Resource Meter and normalizes the way cloud infrastructure is metered both for suppliers and consumers of cloud computing. 6fusion’s Cloud Resource Meter, allows users to view “real time” WAC consumption information at a glance for the entire system, and view real time and short-term historical data from the Client interface and via the internet.

So whats the Benefit of Cloud Metering.

Key benefits of 6fusion’s Cloud Resource Meter:

• Accurate Cost Projections – Accurately gauge the costs of running in the cloud before deployment and distribute IT costs across internal departments or customers for use of compute resources.
• Metered Reporting – Generate workload meter reports to view compute resource consumption – both historically and in real time, allowing for efficiency checks and any necessary administrative adjustments.
• Efficiently Allocate Compute Resources – Determine optimal hardware requirements and/or efficiency for new and existing projects in public or private clouds.
• Single Pane of Glass – All workloads being metered in your Linux environment, along with those running live in the cloud, can be viewed through a single console.
• Ultimate Flexibility – Meter any workload, including web applications or traditional client/server applications – running on either physical or virtual servers.
• Benchmark Reporting Consumption – Since the Cloud Resource Meter uses the same reporting engine as live workloads in the cloud, reporting consumption data can be easily benchmarked.

For the Business and the End user

The WAC shows the customer the granular resource consumption of every single VM (virtual instance onsite & in the Cloud) under management – instantly. This means:

• It meters the consumption and utilization of infrastructure not just within the enterprise IT space, but also the multi-tenant host market emerging as ‘cloud providers’
• It allows you to calculate and compare the costs of using internal or external services.
• It would allows the end-user to allocate real time actual costs directly to individual Projects (Finance will love it).

The Cloud Resource Meter  is available for the following environments:

• Microsoft Windows
• Linux
• VMware vSphere 4.1 or 5.0 environment

Further information can be obtained on the 6fusion website or visit their Cloud Resource Meter microsite.

If you are an MSP or VAR and would like to know more about how you could utilize the Cloud Resource Meter and use the services of a Cloud Broker allowing you to focus on the business of servicing your clients, talk to Modular DPS.

Modular DPS is an emerging player is the Cloud Broker sector, playing a catalyzing role in the establishment of a commodities market for computing, just like soybeans, metals or corn. to whom I act as an Adviser.