Framework, architecture, method and system for reducing latency of business operations of an enterprise

• US 20020107957A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Battas, Gregory, Zargham, Bahman
• Granted Patent: US 6,954,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A framework, architecture, system and method are provided for reducing business transaction latencies thereby enabling an enterprise to run as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE). The present invention enables the enterprise to integrate its services, applications and data in real time. An enterprise running as a ZLE has a uniform global view of its past and current business transactions, including its customer interactions, internal business operations, supply chain management and more; and this uniform global view can be obtained from anywhere across the enterprise and be used for real-time decision making. Namely, an enterprise equipped to run as a ZLE is capable of integrating, in real time, its enterprise-wide data, applications, business transactions, operations and values. Consequently, an enterprise conducting its business as a ZLE exhibits superior management of its resources, operations and customer care.

Claims

1. A zero latency enterprise (ZLE) framework in an information technology infrastructure of an enterprise that conducts business transactions in relation to which the enterprise experiences a plurality of events occurring in sites across the enterprise, the ZLE framework comprising:

enterprise applications installed in relation to respective sites across the enterprise;

enterprise application platform configured for enterprise applications integration and propagation of indicia of the events across the enterprise, in real time;

dynamic central repository configured for real-time loads, extractions, updates and queries, the dynamic central repository aggregating information related, in real time, to the plurality of events, a real-time access to the dynamic central repository being correspondingly available to the enterprise applications so that a real time coherent view of the aggregated information is available to the enterprise applications from across the enterprise via the dynamic central repository;

a server executing and monitoring transactions related to the business transactions, the dynamic central repository being operatively connected to the server so that the business transactions can be conducted across the enterprise with reduced latencies.

2. The ZLE framework of claim 1 enabling the enterprise to run as a ZLE.

3. The ZLE framework of claim 1 being extensible and available and enabling the enterprise to become extensible and available.

4. A zero latency enterprise (ZLE) framework in an information technology infrastructure of an enterprise that conducts business transactions in relation to which the enterprise experiences a plurality of events occurring in sites across the enterprise, the ZLE framework comprising:

enterprise applications installed in relation to respective sites across the enterprise;

enterprise application integration technology configured as a platform for integrating the enterprise applications and propagating indicia of the events across the enterprise, in real time;

dynamic central repository configured as a dynamic real-time operational data store (ODS) with a relational database management system (RDBMS) for real-time loads, extractions, updates and queries, the dynamic central repository aggregating information related, in real time, to the plurality of events, a real-time access to the dynamic central repository being correspondingly available to the enterprise applications so that a real time coherent view of the aggregated information is available to the enterprise applications from across the enterprise via the dynamic central repository;

ZLE services coupled to the dynamic central repository and operatively connected with the enterprise applications;

clip-on applications tightly coupled to the ZLE services; and

a server executing and monitoring transactions related to the business transactions, the server being operatively connected to the dynamic central repository so that the business transactions can be conducted across the enterprise with reduced latencies.

5. The ZLE framework of claim 4 enabling the enterprise to run as a ZLE.

6. The ZLE framework of claim 4 being extensible and available and enabling the enterprise to become extensible and available.

7. The ZLE framework of claim 4 defining a multilevel architecture with a hub, wherein the dynamic central repository and ZLE services reside on top of the server at the hub, and the enterprise applications are loosely coupled to the hub and communicating therewith via adapters.

59. The ZLE framework of claim 4 being used as an integrated uniform multi-channel customer relationship manager.

60. The ZLE framework of claim 4 being used as an integrated internal business operation optimization and enterprise-wide view mechanism.

61. The ZLE framework of claim 4 being used as an integrated supply chian management and optimization mechanism.

62. The ZLE framework of claim 4 being used as a dashboard for viewing, in real-time, a global status of any information relevant to the enterprise business.

8. A system in an information technology infrastructure of an enterprise that conducts business transactions in relation to which the enterprise experiences a plurality of events occurring in sites across the enterprise, the system for enabling the enterprise to run as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE), the system comprising:

enterprise applications installed in relation to respective sites across the enterprise;

a ZLE core configured with

enterprise applications integration and propagation of information related to the events across the enterprise,

dynamic central repository configured with dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management access to which being correspondingly available to the enterprise applications and through which a real time coherent view of the information is available to the enterprise applications from across the enterprise,

ZLE services coupled with the dynamic central repository and operatively connected with the enterprise applications,

transaction processing and monitoring relative to the dynamic central repository so that the business transactions can be conducted across the enterprise with reduced latencies;

clip-on applications tightly coupled to the ZLE core; and

data mining and analysis technology operatively connected to the dynamic central repository.

9. The system of claim 8 enabling the enterprise to run as a ZLE.

10. The system of claim 8 being extensible and available and enabling the enterprise to become extensible and available.

11. The system of claim 8 having a multilevel architecture in which the enterprise applications and loosely coupled to the ZLE core via corresponding adapters.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the information is associated with indicia of the events, the system being configured for capturing and processing the indicia in real time.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is configured for real-time recognition of the events, and wherein the system is configured for gathering the information related with the events from the sites across the enterprise.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the information includes real-time event data, business transaction state data, and lookup data.

15. The system of claim 8 in which the dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management is implemented at the ZLE core in an operational data store (ODS) with a relational data base management system (RDBMS).

16. The system of claim 15 in which the ODS with the RDBMS is optimized for the enterprise application integration as well as real-time loads, extractions, updates and queries.

17. The system of claim 15 in which the information can be indexed by customer identification rather than by time.

18. The system of claim 8 in which the dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management is configured for dynamic data caching, historical data caching, message storage and state engine, and real-time data warehousing.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the message storage is configured for use in publish and subscribe operations.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the state engine is configured for maintaining real-time synchronization with the business transactions, the state engine supporting workflow management and allowing state tracking of ongoing business transactions.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the state tracking of ongoing business transactions includes tracking of a value through production and delivery by the enterprise, and wherein the system allows the enterprise to produce and deliver the value more efficiently.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the real-time data warehousing provides data to data marts and to the data mining and analysis.

23. The system of claim 8 wherein the dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management reduces data dependency between the enterprise applications.

24. The system of claim 8 to which new enterprise application can be added, wherein the dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management provides a historic account of events that can be used by the newly added enterprise application.

25. The system of claim 8 in which the transaction processing and monitoring at the ZLE core is implemented in a server environment that includes a server or a server cluster.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the ODS with the RDBMS is cluster aware.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the server environment is configured for real-time transaction management.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the server environment is configured for fault tolerance, parallel processing, support of concurrent transaction processing and monitoring of transactions flow through the system.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein server environment provides an application server environment as a common, standard-based framework for interfacing with the enterprise applications, thereby proving transactional integrity.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the server environment provides a higher level of system extensibility, system availability and data integrity.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the server environment resides on a NonStop™

Hymalaya™

server cluster platform based on Tuxedo Corba or Java technologies for optimized interoperability.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the server environment resides on an AlphaServer™

server cluster platform running True64™

UNIX operating system based on Tuxedo Corba or Java technologies for optimized interoperability.

33. The system of claim 25 in which the ZLE services at the ZLE core reside on top of a parallel processing platform for the transaction processing and monitoring of the server environment.

34. The system of claim 8 in which the ZLE services at the ZLE core include a rules service, a workflow service, a message transformation service, a parallel message routing and parallel database insertion service, an event capture service, and an extraction, transformation and load service.

35. The system of claim 8, wherein there is synergy between the ZLE services such that the ZLE services can operate as one.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management is implemented in an operational data store (ODS) with a relational database management system (RDBMS), and wherein the parallel message routing and database insertion service provides content based routing and facilitates use of the ODS with the RDBMS as a centralized message store and queuing system for efficient publish and subscribe message operations.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the parallel message routing and database insertion service is configured for routing via components of the ZLE core rather than moving messages directly between the enterprise applications, the parallel message routing and database insertion service being further configured for loading large volumes of messages on the dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management at the ZLE core.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the rules service is configured to apply a rule that is most applicable and to create a corresponding answer, in real time relative to the occurrence of an event, the application of the rules being uniform across the enterprise.

39. The system of claim 34 further including a user interface, wherein the rules service enables creation and modification of business rules via the user interface.

40. The system of claim 34 in which the rules service creates an enterprise-wide uniform rule-driven platform for flow of any business transaction information.

41. The system of claim 34 further comprising an inference-based rules engine, wherein the clip-on applications include an interaction manager around which the inference-based rules engine is wrapped, the inference-based rules engine being configured to find, in real time, a rule that is most appropriate regardless of the complexity of the rule or the size of rules set, the inference-based rules engine being further configured for non-sequential and non-iterative capability.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the interaction manager includes middleware configured for parallel execution and connectivity automation rather than building point-to-point links between the enterprise applications.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein the rules service is configured for aggregating rules by the dynamic central repository at the ZLE core.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein the dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management is implemented at the ZLE core with a state engine, and wherein the workflow service is configured to leverage the state engine for managing the flow and processing of the business transactions via the system and to provide a real-time view of ongoing business transactions state from across the enterprise.

45. The system of claim 34, wherein the message transformation service at the ZLE core is configured for mapping differences in message syntax, semantics and values in order to assimilate diverse data between disparate message sources and destinations.

46. The system of claim 34, wherein the extraction, transformation and load service at the ZLE core is configured for bulk data handling capability.

47. The system of claim 34, wherein the event capture service is configured for capturing events from across the enterprise in real time.

48. The system of claim 8 in which the ZLE core is a virtual hub for the clip-on applications that are served by its ZLE services.

49. The system of claim 8, wherein the business transactions are associated with enterprise business wherein the clip-on applications are configured for supplementing the ZLE services in providing a business-level functionality that leverages the ZLE core and customizes it for the enterprise business.

50. The system of claim 34, wherein the clip-on applications are configured for providing real time fraud detection that uses the rules service at the ZLE core.

51. The system of claim 8, wherein the clip-on applications include an interaction manager, a narrowcaster, a campaign manager and a customer data manager.

52. The system of claim 34, wherein the dynamic real-time data warehouse and database management at the ZLE core is implemented in an operational data store (ODS) with a relational database management system (RDBMS), and wherein the data mining and analysis is configured for retrieving bulk data from the ODS and leveraging the bulk data for a rule-based analysis and enterprise intelligence, the data mining and analysis being capable of creating models that can be delivered to the ZLE core and ODS and, as feedback, to any of the ZLE services or clip-on applications.

53. The system of claim 8 further comprising a docking capability for docking additional enterprise applications.

54. The system of claim 8 further comprising adapters through which the enterprise applications, being loosely coupled and logically connected to the ZLE core, can interface with each other via the ZLE core.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein each of the adapters is configured for interfaced solutions or integrated solutions.

56. The system of claim 8 configured to enable integration, in real time, of enterprise-wide information, enterprise applications, business transactions and values.

57. A system in an information technology infrastructure of an enterprise that conducts business transactions in relation to which the enterprise experiences a plurality of events occurring in sites across the enterprise, the system for enabling the enterprise to run as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE), the system comprising:

means for instantiating enterprise applications installed in relation to respective sites across the enterprise;

a ZLE core configured with

means for instantiating enterprise applications integration and propagation of information related to the events across the enterprise,

means for central dynamic real-time warehousing and database management access to which being correspondingly available to the enterprise applications and through which a real time coherent view of the information is available to the enterprise applications from across the enterprise,

means for instantiating ZLE services coupled with the means for central dynamic real-time warehousing and database management and operatively connected with the enterprise applications,

means for transaction processing and monitoring relative to the central dynamic real-time warehousing and database management so that the business transactions can be conducted across the enterprise with reduced latencies;

means for instantiating clip-on applications which are tightly coupled to the ZLE core;

means for data mining and analysis that is operatively connected to the means for dynamic central warehousing; and

means for feeding back to the ZLE services results of the data mining and analysis and of data queries.

58. A method for reducing latencies of business transactions conducted by an enterprise in an information technology (IT) infrastructure of the enterprise in relation to which the enterprise t5 experiences a plurality of events occurring at sites across the enterprise, the reduced latencies for enabling the enterprise to run as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE), the method comprising:

instantiating enterprise applications installed in relation to respective sites across the enterprise;

at a ZLE core within the IT infrastructure

instantiating enterprise applications integration and propagation of information related to the events across the enterprise,

creating dynamic central repository configured with central dynamic real-time warehousing and database management access to which being correspondingly available to the enterprise applications and through which a real time coherent view of the information is available to the enterprise applications from across the enterprise,

instantiating ZLE services that are coupled with the dynamic central repository and are operatively connected with the enterprise applications,

creating transaction processing and monitoring relative to the dynamic central repository so that the business transactions can be conducted across the enterprise with reduced latencies;

instantiating clip-on applications which are tightly coupled to the ZLE core; and

instantiating data mining and analysis that is operatively connected to the dynamic central repository and providing feedback to the ZLE services.