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NORTHERN
Storage Chargeback |
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Usability
The process of creating a chargeback system is streamlined into a three
step process of establishing costs, identifying cost centres, and
linking the two in a Chargeback Job.
- Define Billing Classes that accurately match the real cost of
providing storage resources.
- Identify cost centres; users, user groups, paths (folders,
shares, logical drives, etc.).
- Associate your pre-defined Billing Classes with the cost centres
identified to create your organization specific Chargeback Jobs.
- Wizard-driven configuration and job definition tools make the
creation and management of advanced chargeback systems
straightforward.
Automation
Northern Storage Chargeback's automation features ensure a smooth and
low maintenance system of internal billing and cost reporting.
- Once created, your Chargeback Jobs are self-managing; storage is
metered and costs are calculated all according to your rules, but
without the need for your involvement.
- Extensive scheduling features offer daily, weekly, monthly,
quarterly or annual invoices and reports.
- Automatic notifications; receive e-mail or popup notification on
Chargeback Job completion.
Output Formats
The flexibility to export cost-related data to various file formats or
printable matter enables you to augment an existing system of internal
billing with storage usage and cost data.
- Generate XLS and CSV output to integrate with your billing and
financial applications.
- Usage, costs and trend statistics are exported to an MS SQL
database, facilitating enterprise-wide integration.
Multiple Data Sources
A chargeback system can be based on different types of storage use;
using information drawn from Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Exchange and
Northern Quota Server 2003.
- Define cost centres as disk objects in Windows (drives or
folders).
- Base costs on Quota Server quota size.
- Don't simply base costs on files and file size, include
Microsoft Exchange mailboxes (user or user group) in your chargeback
system.
Flexible Pricing Models
Northern Storage Chargeback provides the flexibility to match
organization specific costs to organization specific cost centres.
- Implement tiered pricing models that mimic the underlying costs
of supplying a certain data storage system.
- Create Billing Classes that reflect the running costs of
different kinds of storage, or service levels (SLAs).
- Usage costs can be calculated on different cost centres; by
user, user group, path (share, folder, logical drive, etc.).
- Generate invoices and cost reports per customer, department,
etc.
Trending
Northern Storage Chargeback is not just a methodology for distributing
existing storage costs. The second key application of this solution is
the identification of future needs.
- Generate reports that demonstrate different cost patterns within
your network; identify the fastest growing cost centre, etc.
- Generate historical trend reports to measure the impact of
chargeback, quota or user-involvement policies.
- Extrapolate historical data to establish cost projections and
accurately determine necessary budgets.
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