Method and system for implementing a management operations center in a global ecosystem of interrelated services

• US 20020169644A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EKMK Limited Liability Company
• Original Assignee: EKMK Limited Liability Company
• Inventors: Greene, William S.
• Application Number:
  US10/113,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169644A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 : Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing

Abstract

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a Management Operations Center (MOC) tool is presented for implementation in an integration of services from a global ecosystem of interrelated services. The MOC uses specialized services for monitoring and identifying network problems based on rules set up by experts related to a specific enterprise function. With regard to the primary MOC component services, the assessor service initially receives events from a pub/sub bus and applies operations-specified policy to the treatment of those events using a rules agent in a commonly shared rule service. The aggregator service receives event information from the pub/sub bus and from the assessor service which it associates and binds together to produce a work document according to an operation'"'"'s organization of work integration. The aggregator service also provides real-time binding of associated corporate business objects to the document including possibly binding an event to many different documents. The aggregator service contains the templates for documents for, for example, different functional areas/teams and when more than one aggregator services are running simultaneously, different work documents may be provided to different teams. The dispatcher service applies current policy rules to associate work documents and events with specific operators, customer contacts and other service care staff. The dispatcher service also accesses schedules for available personnel and compares ability to do the work and implements priority rules for understanding relative priorities, thus the dispatcher service can bump work in progress for higher priority tasks. And finally, the distributor service handles outbound notifications for the MOC based on decisions from the dispatcher. Each avatar object represents a virtual image of a specific operator'"'"'s or customer contact'"'"'s skills and responsibilities. Operators, provisioners, customer contacts, service support staff and any other management-tasked staff in the customer and network care environment will have an avatar. The avatar service provides the MOC with a skills assessment of care staff including reference to a history of past work, interactions and success ratings. The archive service updates and otherwise modifies work documents for or in storage based on recent experiences. Finally, work rendezvous service associated later arriving processed events with events which initially generated a work stream/task. With this service, different people working on the same route or associated task can learn of the complementary work going on by being notified through work documents about all other references to a common event. When required, the separate work items can be joined into one composite workitem.

These services allow the generation of a virtual “workspace” where all the software services can interact in a server-side, peer-to-peer environment. Process, policy, data objects, events, and virtual representations connecting to people interact to reach a goal established in the work template and milestones. Every human participant sees the total environment through the shared workitem client.

Claims

4-1. The program product recited in claim 35, wherein the enterprise having a plurality of avatars being registered therein, each of the plurality of avatars being defined as information related to at least some of communication, skill, experience, physical location, availability, workload and history of work success based on attributes for a contact.

31. A data processing system implemented program product implemented method for realizing a Management Operations Center (MOC) in an enterprise, the program product comprising:

instructions for receiving an event, wherein the event is related to one of a state change and a problem within the enterprise associated with at least one of an operation, function, policy, process and a component thereof related to the enterprise;

instructions for accessing the event by type of event;

instructions for aggregating the event comprising;

instructions for correlating the event to rules for processing the event, wherein correlation is based on the type of event;

instructions for binding the event to one of a plurality of items based on the rules; and

instructions for binding other information related to an event to the one of a plurality of items based on the rules; and

instructions for dispatching an invitation to a contact, wherein the contact is identified in the other information and the invitation invites the contact to participate in one of a plurality of items based on the rules.

1. A data processing system implemented method for implementing a Management Operations Center (MOC) in an enterprise comprising:

receiving an event, wherein the event is related to one of a state change and a problem within the enterprise associated with at least one of an operation, function, policy, process and a component thereof related to the enterprise;

accessing the event by type of event;

aggregating the event by;

correlating the event to rules for processing the event, wherein correlation is based on the type of event;

binding the event to one of a plurality of items based on the rules; and

binding other information related to an event to the one of a plurality of items based on the rules; and

dispatching an invitation to a contact, wherein the contact is identified in the other information and the invitation invites the contact to participate in one of a plurality of items based on the rules.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprises:

receiving a plurality of subsequent events; and

aggregating each of the plurality of subsequent events by;

analyzing a subsequent event for a relationship with the event, wherein a relationship is based on the rules; and

binding the subsequent event to one of a plurality of items based on a relationship with the event.

3. The method recited in claim 1 further comprises:

rendezvousing one of the plurality of items with an event of the plurality of subsequent events.

4. The method recited in claim 1 further comprises:

rendezvousing one of the plurality of items with another of the plurality of items, resulting in a single item.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein other information related to an event further comprises one of a plurality of avatars, each of said plurality of avatars being defined as information related to at least some of communication, skill, responsibilities, experience, physical location, availability, workload and history of work success, wherein the information is based on attributes for a contact.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein dispatching an invitation to a contact further comprises:

acquiring communication information from the one of a plurality of avatars; and

communicating the invitation to the contact based on the communication information.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the communication information includes instructions for accessing one of a pager, an email account, a cell phone, a PSTN phone, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the event is received on a publication/subscribe bus.

9. The method recited in claim 1, wherein correlating the event to rules for processing the event further comprises:

selecting a rules agent based on the event;

accessing configuration information for the rules agent, wherein the configuration information includes an address of a rules server;

sending a request to the address of the rules server requesting rules for processing the event; and

receiving the rules.

10. The method recited in claim 1 further comprises:

analyzing the item based on the rules; and

determining closure conditions based on analyzing the item with the rules.

11. The method recited in claim 10 further comprises:

archiving the item based on closure conditions having been met.

12. The method recited in claim 11 further comprises:

updating the skill and history of work success information for an avatar based on an occurrence of closure conditions.

13. A method recited in claim 1, wherein accessing the event by type of event further comprises:

determining whether the type of event is a primary event; and

treating the event as a subsequent event based on the event not being a primary event.

14. A method recited in claim 1 further comprises:

publishing the item.

15. A method recited in claim 1, wherein correlating the event to rules for processing the event further comprises:

selecting a rules agent based on the event;

accessing configuration information for the rules agent, wherein the configuration information includes an address of a rules server;

sending a request to the address of the rules server requesting rules for processing the event; and

receiving the rules.

16. A method recited in claim 10, wherein analyzing the item based on the rules further comprises:

detecting a milestone for the event, wherein milestones are defined in the item for processing events; and

firing the rules based on an occurrence of the milestone.

17. A method recited in claim 10, wherein analyzing the item based on the rules further comprises:

detecting a cause of said one of a state change and a problem associated with the operation of one of a telecommunications network, a subnet, an extranet and a component thereof; and

binding to the event at least one of processes for achieving a goal, operations-specified policy for treatment of events, data objects having data information related to the event and a workgroup of a plurality of virtual representative people, each of said virtual representative people having capacity for communication with real people.

18. The method recited in claim 5, wherein dispatching an invitation to a contact further comprises:

sending a request for a contact to participate with a work group, wherein the request is based on some of skill, experience, physical location, availability, workload and history of work success information in an avatar.

19. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the enterprise having a plurality avatars being registered therein, each of the plurality of avatars being defined as information related to at least some of communication, skill, experience, physical location, availability, workload and history of work success based on attributes for a contact.

20. The method recited in claim 5 further comprises:

deploying an avatar service in the MOC, wherein at least one avatar is contained within the avatar service;

registering the avatar with a registrar within the enterprise, wherein registering is performed by the avatar service; and

requesting an enterprise lease for the avatar from the registrar, wherein requesting an enterprise lease is performed by the avatar service.

21. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the one of a plurality of items is one of a plurality of workitems contained in an enterprise workspace.

22. The method recited in claim 21, wherein correlating the event to rules for processing the event further comprises:

associating the event to one of a plurality of work templates for control of a process in the one of a plurality of workitems related to the one of a plurality of work templates within the enterprise workspace.

23. The method recited in claim 21, wherein correlating the event to rules for processing the event further comprises:

creating a workitem within the enterprise workspace by associating the event to one of a plurality of work templates for control of a process in the workitem.

24. The method recited in claim 22, wherein binding other information related to an event to the one of a plurality of items based on the rules further comprises:

binding other information related to an event to the one of a plurality of workitems within the enterprise workspace.

25. The method recited in claim 24, wherein the other information related to the event bound to the one of a plurality of workitems comprises processes for achieving a goal, operations-specified policy for treatment of events, data objects having data information related to the event, other events related to the event and a workgroup of a plurality of virtual representative people, each of said virtual representative people having capacity for communication with real people.

26. The method recited in claim 24, wherein a plurality of workitems for controlling a plurality of processes exists simultaneously in the workspace for parallel processing events.

27. The method recited in claim 25, wherein a plurality of workgroups exists simultaneously within the workspace, and at least some of the plurality of virtual representative people are included in more than one of the plurality of workgroups.

28. The method recited in claim 25, wherein the workitem is visible to each real person represented by the plurality of virtual representative people.

29. The method recited in claim 25 further comprises:

culling a virtual representative person from the workgroup based on communication from a real person represented by the virtual representative person.

30. The method recited in claim 24 further comprises:

receiving a plurality of subsequent events; and

aggregating each of the plurality of subsequent events by;

analyzing a subsequent event for a relationship with the event, wherein a relationship is based on the rules;

binding the subsequent event to one of a plurality of workitems by associating the subsequent event to one of the plurality of work templates related to the one of a plurality of workitems within the enterprise workspace.

32. The program product recited in claim 31 further comprises:

instructions for receiving a plurality of subsequent events; and

instructions for aggregating each of the plurality of subsequent events comprising;

instructions for analyzing a subsequent event for a relationship with the event, wherein a relationship is based on the rules; and

instructions for binding the subsequent event to one of a plurality of items based on a relationship with the event.

33. The program product recited in claim 31 further comprises:

instructions for rendezvousing one of the plurality of items with an event of the plurality of subsequent events.

34. The program product recited in claim 31 further comprises:

instructions for rendezvousing one of the plurality of items with another of the plurality of items, resulting in a single item.

35. The program product recited in claim 31, wherein other information related to an event further comprises one of a plurality of avatars, each of said plurality of avatars being defined as information related to at least some of communication, skill, responsibilities, experience, physical location, availability, workload and history of work success, wherein the information is based on attributes for a contact.

36. The program product recited in claim 35, wherein the instructions for dispatching an invitation to a contact further comprises:

instructions for acquiring communication information from the one of a plurality of avatars; and

instructions for communicating the invitation to the contact based on the communication information.

37. The program product recited in claim 36, wherein the communication information includes instructions for accessing one of a pager, an email account, a cell phone, a PSTN phone, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

38. The program product recited in claim 31, wherein the event is received on a publication/subscribe bus.

39. The program product recited in claim 31, wherein the instructions for correlating the event to rules for processing the event further comprises:

instructions for selecting a rules agent based on the event;

instructions for accessing configuration information for the rules agent, wherein the configuration information includes an address of a rules server;

instructions for sending a request to the address of the rules server requesting rules for processing the event; and

instructions for receiving the rules.

40. The program product recited in claim 31 further comprises:

instructions for analyzing the item based on the rules; and

instructions for determining closure conditions based on analyzing the item with the rules.

41. The program product recited in claim 40 further comprises:

instructions for archiving the item based on closure conditions having been met.

42. The program product recited in claim 41 further comprises:

instructions for updating the skill and history of work success information for an avatar based on an occurrence of closure conditions.

43. A program product recited in claim 31, wherein the instructions for accessing the event by type of event further comprises:

instructions for determining whether the type of event is a primary event; and

instructions for treating the event as a subsequent event based on the event not being a primary event.

44. A program product recited in claim 31 further comprises:

instructions for publishing the item.

45. A program product recited in claim 31, wherein the instructions for correlating the event to rules for processing the event further comprises:

instructions for selecting a rules agent based on the event;

instructions for accessing configuration information for the rules agent, wherein the configuration information includes an address of a rules server;

instructions for sending a request to the address of the rules server requesting rules for processing the event; and

instructions for receiving the rules.

46. A program product recited in claim 40, wherein the instructions for analyzing the item based on the rules further comprises:

instructions for detecting a milestone for the event, wherein milestones are defined in the item for processing events; and

instructions for firing the rules based on an occurrence of the milestone.

47. A program product recited in claim 40, wherein the instructions for analyzing the item based on the rules further comprises:

instructions for detecting a cause of said one of a state change and a problem associated with the operation of one of a telecommunications network, a subnet, an extranet and a component thereof, and

instructions for binding to the event at least one of processes for achieving a goal, operations-specified policy for treatment of events, data objects having data information related to the event and a workgroup of a plurality of virtual representative people, each of said virtual representative people having capacity for communication with real people.

48. The program product recited in claim 35, wherein the instructions for dispatching an invitation to a contact further comprises:

instructions for sending a request for a contact to participate with a work group, wherein the request is based on some of skill, experience, physical location, availability, workload and history of work success information in an avatar.

50. The program product recited in claim 35 further comprises:

instructions for deploying an avatar service in the MOC, wherein at least one avatar is contained within the avatar service;

instructions for registering the avatar with a registrar within the enterprise, wherein registering is performed by the avatar service; and

instructions for requesting an enterprise lease for the avatar from the registrar, wherein requesting an enterprise lease is performed by the avatar service.

51. The program product recited in claim 31 wherein the one of a plurality of items is one of a plurality of workitems contained in an enterprise workspace.

52. The program product recited in claim 51, wherein the instructions for correlating the event to rules for processing the event further comprises:

instructions for associating the event to one of a plurality of work templates for control of a process in the one of a plurality of workitems related to the one of a plurality of work templates within the enterprise workspace.

53. The program product recited in claim 51, wherein the instructions for correlating the event to rules for processing the event further comprises:

instructions for creating a workitem within the enterprise workspace by associating the event to one of a plurality of work templates for control of a process in the workitem.

54. The program product recited in claim 52, wherein the instructions for binding other information related to an event to the one of a plurality of items based on the rules further comprises:

instructions for binding other information related to an event to the one of a plurality of workitems within the enterprise workspace.

55. The program product recited in claim 54, wherein the other information related to the event bound to the one of a plurality of workitems comprises processes for achieving a goal, operations-specified policy for treatment of events, data objects having data information related to the event, other events related to the event and a workgroup of a plurality of virtual representative people, each of said virtual representative people having capacity for communication with real people.

56. The program product recited in claim 54, wherein a plurality of workitems for controlling a plurality of processes exists simultaneously in the workspace for parallel processing events.

57. The program product recited in claim 55, wherein a plurality of workgroups exists simultaneously within the workspace and at least some of the plurality of virtual representative people are included in more than one of the plurality of workgroups.

58. The program product recited in claim 55, wherein the workitem is visible to each real person represented by the plurality of virtual representative people.

59. The program product recited in claim 55 further comprises:

instructions for culling a virtual representative person from the workgroup based on communication from a real person represented by the virtual representative person.

60. The program product recited in claim 54 further comprises:

instructions for receiving a plurality of subsequent events; and

instructions for aggregating each of the plurality of subsequent events comprising;

instructions for analyzing a subsequent event for a relationship with the event, wherein a relationship is based on the rules; and

instructions for binding the subsequent event to one of a plurality of workitems by associating the subsequent event to one of the plurality of work templates related to the one of a plurality of workitems within the enterprise workspace.