> -----Messaggio originale-----
> Da: Mitch Collinsworth [mailto:mitch AT ccmr.cornell DOT edu] 
> Inviato: giovedì 17 aprile 2003 18.30
> A: Stefano Coletta
> Cc: amanda-users AT amanda DOT org
> Oggetto: Re: Proposal: quota limit on backup clients and groupware
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, 17 Apr 2003, Stefano Coletta wrote:
> 
> > In my case the customer is supposed to pay for a "tape 
> quota"... for 
> > example, 1Gb space for 3 installations. I need a mechanism 
> to control 
> > if the overall storage of customers' servers are 
> hitting/exceeding the 
> > quota they have paid.
> >
> > The 2 goals to achieve are:
> > 1) to be informed about overflows in relation to every purchased 
> > customer quota and even to notify the customer
> > 2) to effectively deny the backup if the client has 
> exceeded his quota
> 
> Interesting.  I am looking at offering amanda backups on a 
> billing basis, too.  My model is not yet decided upon, but I 
> was thinking of something simpler.  Something along the lines 
> of a fixed $x/GB billing rate without any quota or 
> possibility of denying a backup.  That seems fairly easy to 
> implement just by post-processing the logs or e-mail reports.
> Can I ask why you've ruled out doing it this way?  Is it so 
> the customer can have a predictable bill without unexpected surprises?

Yes, that's the point. People does not like surprises of extra bills, worst
if in an automated way! Your idea of pay per use/space is straight and easy
but for a company the variable costs are risky and do not contribute to
build a well-known business plan. But this is my personal opinion.

> The thought of denying a backup worries me.  If the 
> customer's machine implodes and when they come for their 
> backup data to rebuild the machine they hear "Sorry, your 
> backup never happened because you were over quota", I'm just 
> imagining that this would make them far more pissed than 
> getting an unexpectedly large bill and having to tell their 
> staff to take it easy on the disk usage.

In fact the backups are not stopped immediately but after a "warning period"
(see other emails I posted to the list) so that the customer can comfortably
choose to:
1) Reduce their data
2) Extend the quota

> It's your business and certainly your call what model to use. 
>  I'm just curious what led you to this model, mainly because 
> of my interest in offering a similar service to my customers.

I hope to have been clear on my explanation.

Thank you for being interested in.

Stefano Coletta

creator AT mindcreations DOT com
http://www.mindcreations.com