Facilitating error checking of service elements

• US 20030195777A1
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, Luu Q., Grunin, Galina, Greenstein, Paul G., Leytes, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards

Abstract

A service element is defined and represented by a data structure. It includes one or more components and/or one or more other service elements. A service element providing a complete function is a service offering. Management of service elements and/or service offerings is facilitated by a Service Development Tool. In different aspects, the management includes various tasks associated with creating, modifying and deleting service elements, establishing relationships, error checking and optimization. In a further aspect, service elements are packaged and distributed to enable customers to deliver the service elements. Additionally, the hosting of software packages is facilitated.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating error checking of service elements, said method comprising:

obtaining a service element to be checked; and

automatically checking the service element for one or more errors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically checking comprises verifying validity of a business case of said service element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said verifying validity comprises comparing one or more aspects of the service element with one or more business rules to determine the validity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more business rules relate to timing of at least one of development and deployment of the service element.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more business rules relate to cost of at least one of development of the service element and the service element.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more business rules relate to profitability.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically checking comprises verifying completeness of the service element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically checking comprises verifying one or more relationships of the service element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically checking comprises performing standardization verification to verify that one or more aspects of a design of the service element are consistent with a design template.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically checking comprises performing standardization verification to verify that a design of the service element is not augmenting a composition of a design template.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically checking is performed by a service development tool.

12. A method of facilitating error checking of service elements, said method comprising:

obtaining a service element to be checked; and

checking validity of one or more business aspects of said service element.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said checking validity comprises comparing one or more aspects of the service element with one or more business rules to determine the validity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said one or more business rules relate to timing of at least one of development and deployment of the service element.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said one or more business rules relate to cost of at least one of development of the service element and the service element.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said one or more business rules relate to profitability.

17. A method of managing development of service elements, said method comprising:

initiating development of a service element; and

automatically verifying, in real-time, a change in development of the service element.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing status in response to the automatically verifying.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said status indicates that development should not continue and identifies a violation of one or more rules of the development.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said violation is related to one or more business rules of developing the service element.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said status indicates that development is progressing satisfactorily.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said automatically verifying occurs each time a change in development is made.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising making one or more decisions relating to development of the service element, in response to the automatically verifying.

24. A system of facilitating error checking of service elements, said system comprising:

a service element to be checked; and

means for automatically checking the service element for one or more errors.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for automatically checking comprises means for verifying validity of a business case of said service element.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said means for verifying validity comprises means for comparing one or more aspects of the service element with one or more business rules to determine the validity.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said one or more business rules relate to timing of at least one of development and deployment of the service element.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said one or more business rules relate to cost of at least one of development of the service element and the service element.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said one or more business rules relate to profitability.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for automatically checking comprises means for verifying completeness of the service element.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for automatically checking comprises means for verifying one or more relationships of the service element.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for automatically checking comprises means for performing standardization verification to verify that one or more aspects of a design of the service element are consistent with a design template.

33. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for automatically checking comprises means for performing standardization verification to verify that a design of the service element is not augmenting a composition of a design template.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for automatically checking is included within a service development tool.

35. A system of facilitating error checking of service elements, said system comprising:

a service element to be checked; and

means for checking validity of one or more business aspects of said service element.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said means for checking validity comprises means for comparing one or more aspects of the service element with one or more business rules to determine the validity.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said one or more business rules relate to timing of at least one of development and deployment of the service element.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein said one or more business rules relate to cost of at least one of development of the service element and the service element.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein said one or more business rules relate to profitability.

40. A system of managing development of service elements, said system comprising:

means for initiating development of a service element; and

means for automatically verifying, in real-time, a change in development of the service element.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising means for providing status in response to the automatically verifying.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein said status indicates that development should not continue and identifies a violation of one or more rules of the development.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein said violation is related to one or more business rules of developing the service element.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein said status indicates that development is progressing satisfactorily.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein said means for automatically verifying performs verification each time a change in development is made.

46. A system of facilitating error checking of service elements, said system comprising:

a service element to be checked; and

a service development tool to automatically check the service element for one or more errors.

47. A system of facilitating error checking of service elements, said system comprising:

a service element to be checked; and

a service development tool to check validity of one or more business aspects of said service element.

48. A system of managing development of service elements, said system comprising:

a service development tool to initiate development of a service element, and to automatically verify, in real-time, a change in development of the service element.

49. At least one program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of facilitating error checking of service elements, said method comprising:

obtaining a service element to be checked; and

automatically checking the service element for one or more errors.

50. The at least one program storage device of claim 49, wherein said automatically checking comprises verifying validity of a business case of said service element.

51. The at least one program storage device of claim 50, wherein said verifying validity comprises comparing one or more aspects of the service element with one or more business rules to determine the validity.

52. The at least one program storage device of claim 51, wherein said one or more business rules relate to timing of at least one of development and deployment of the service element.

53. The at least one program storage device of claim 51, wherein said on e or more business rules relate to cost of at least one of development of the service element and the service element.

54. The at least one program storage device of claim 51, wherein said one or more business rules relate to profitability.

55. The at least one program storage device of claim 49, wherein said automatically checking comprises verifying completeness of the service element.

56. The at least one program storage device of claim 49, wherein said automatically checking comprises verifying one or more relationships of the service element.

57. The at least one program storage device of claim 49, wherein said automatically checking comprises performing standardization verification to verify that one or more aspects of a design of the service element are consistent with a design template.

58. The at least one program storage device of claim 49, wherein said automatically checking comprises performing standardization verification to verify that a design of the service element is not augmenting a composition of a design template.

59. At least one program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of facilitating error checking of service elements, said method comprising:

obtaining a service element to be checked; and

checking validity of one or more business aspects of said service element.

60. The at least one program storage device of claim 59, wherein said checking validity comprises comparing one or more aspects of the service element with one or more business rules to determine the validity.

61. The at least one program storage device of claim 60, wherein said one or more business rules relate to timing of at least one of development and deployment of the service element.

62. The at least one program storage device of claim 60, wherein said one or more business rules relate to cost of at least one of development of the service element and the service element.

63. The at least one program storage device of claim 60, wherein said one or more business rules relate to profitability.

64. At least one program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of managing development of service elements, said method comprising:

initiating development of a service element; and

automatically verifying, in real-time, a change in development of the service element.

65. The at least one program storage device of claim 64, wherein said method further comprises providing status in response to the automatically verifying.

66. The at least one program storage device of claim 65, wherein said status indicates that development should not continue and identifies a violation of one or more rules of the development.

67. The at least one program storage device of claim 66, wherein said violation is related to one or more business rules of developing the service element.

68. The at least one program storage device of claim 65, wherein said status indicates that development is progressing satisfactorily.

69. The at least one program storage device of claim 64, wherein said automatically verifying occurs each time a change in development is made.