Managing performance metrics describing a relationship between a provider and a client

1. A method for managing performance metrics, comprising:

accessing a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value;

receiving a selection of a subset of metrics of the plurality of metrics;

defining a service using the subset of metrics;

determining a plurality of metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

comparing the metric values and the corresponding threshold values; and

evaluating the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison, the evaluation comprising determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a threshold value comprising a minimum value.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

defining the plurality of metrics;

defining the threshold values associated with the metrics; and

storing the metrics and the threshold values in the metric catalog.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

defining an aggregation method associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

storing the aggregation method in the metric catalog;

receiving data associated with the metric;

combining the data in accordance with the aggregation method; and

determining a metric value associated with the metric from the combined data.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

defining a collection procedure associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

storing the collection procedure in the metric catalog; and

collecting data associated with the metric in accordance with the collection procedure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein evaluating the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison comprises:

determining that the performance is satisfactory if the metric values satisfy the threshold values, each threshold value comprising a target value; and

sending a notification if otherwise.

6. A system for managing performance metrics, comprising:

a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value, the metric catalog operable to:

receive a selection of a subset of metrics of the plurality of metrics; and

define a service using the subset of metrics;

a calculator coupled to the metric catalog and operable to determine a plurality of metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics; and

an evaluator couple to the calculator and to the metric catalog and operable to:

retrieve the metric values and the threshold values;

compare the metric values and the corresponding threshold values; and

evaluate the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison, the evaluation comprising determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a threshold value comprising a minimum value.

7. The system of claim 6 , the metric catalog further operable to:

define the plurality of metrics;

define the threshold values associated with the metrics; and

store the metrics and the threshold values.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the metric catalog is further operable to:

define an aggregation method associated with a metric of the subset of metrics; and

store the aggregation method; and

the system comprises an aggregator coupled to the metric catalog and operable to:

receive data associated with the metric;

combine the data in accordance with the aggregation method; and

determine a metric value associated with the metric from the combined data.

9. The system of claim 6 , the metric catalog is further operable to:

define a collection procedure associated with a metric of the subset of metrics; and

store the collection procedure, data associated with the metric being collected in accordance with the collection procedure.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the evaluator is further operable to evaluate the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison by:

determining that the performance is satisfactory if the metric values satisfy the threshold values, each threshold value comprising a target value; and

sending a notification if otherwise.

11. Software for managing performance metrics, the software embodied in a medium and operable to:

access a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value;

receive a selection of a subset of metrics of the plurality of metrics;

define a service using the subset of metrics;

determine a plurality of metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

compare the metric values and the corresponding threshold values; and

evaluate the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison, the evaluation comprising determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a threshold value comprising a minimum value.

12. The software of claim 11 , further operable to:

define the plurality of metrics;

define the threshold values associated with the metrics; and

store the metrics and the threshold values in the metric catalog.

13. The software of claim 11 , further operable to:

define an aggregation method associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

store the aggregation method in the metric catalog;

receive data associated with the metric;

combine the data in accordance with the aggregation method; and

determine a metric value associated with the metric from the combined data.

14. The software of claim 11 , further operable to:

define a collection procedure associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

store the collection procedure in the metric catalog; and

collect data associated with the metric in accordance with the collection procedure.

15. The software of claim 11 , operable to evaluate the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison by:

determining that the performance is satisfactory if the metric values satisfy the threshold values, each threshold value comprising a target value; and

sending a notification if otherwise.

16. A system for managing performance metrics, comprising:

means for accessing a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value;

means for receiving a selection of a subset of metrics from the plurality of metrics;

means for defining a service using the subset of metrics;

means for determining a plurality of metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

means for comparing the metric values and the corresponding threshold values; and

means for evaluating the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison by determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a threshold value comprising a minimum value.

17. A method for managing performance metrics, comprising:

accessing a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value, the threshold values comprising a plurality of target values and a plurality of minimum values;

receiving a selection of a subset of metrics of the plurality of metrics, and defining a service using the subset of metrics;

defining a plurality of aggregation methods, each aggregation method associated with a metric of the subset of metrics, and storing the aggregation methods in the metric catalog;

defining a plurality of collection procedures, each collection procedure associated with a metric of the subset of metrics, and storing the collection procedures in the metric catalog;

collecting data associated with the metric in accordance with the collection procedures, and combining the data in accordance with the aggregation methods;

determining a plurality of metric values from the combined data, the metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics; and

comparing the metric values and the corresponding threshold values, and evaluating the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison by:

determining that the performance is satisfactory if the metric values satisfy the corresponding threshold values comprising target values; and

determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a corresponding threshold value comprising a minimum value.