Patent ID: 7778956

Claim:
A computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of instruction executable by a computer, wherein the program of instruction comprises a method of responding to a request for service corresponding to a metered-use computer, the method comprising: receiving an XML request corresponding to use of the metered-use computer; assigning a request identifier; determining a partner identifier defining a supplier of the metered use computer from the XML request; determining a hardware identifier uniquely identifying the metered-use computer from the XML request; determining whether the request is a child request in a batch request associated with a plurality of metered-use computers; maintaining a local cache of a remote database and updating the local cache responsive to a SQL notification that the remote database has changed; processing the XML request using the local cache of the remote database to generate a response; storing and maintaining a record comprising the request identifier, the partner identifier, the hardware identifier, a batch status, and the response; sending the response to the metered-use computer.