Measured service

In cloud computing, measured service (also known as metered service; hereinafter, the Service) is the essential characteristic that ascertains that cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service. Typically this metering capability is done on a pay-per-use or charge-per-use basis.