Method and framework for service-based remote support delivery

• US 20040039804A1
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Yonkaitis, Milica Tutush, Connelly, Jon Christopher, Carr, Adam Michael, Horn, Kimberly C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In a service-based remote support delivery system, service engineers supported by an analysis server receive incident reports from both personal computers and from unmanned servers within an enterprise. The incidents arise both from user-created reports of problems, from event annunciators that monitor hardware and software to report events as they occur, and from the periodic gathering of configuration data. These incident reports are combined with host information and contact information and are transmitted to the analysis server as the central site for processing. All incidents in large enterprises are first collected and stored on an SPOP node. Both proactive and reactive system monitoring is thus combined into a uniform system.

Claims

1. A framework for managing incident information in an enterprise environment comprising:

one or more nodes;

one or more event annunciators and event handlers on each node arranged to detect events occurring on monitored hardware or software associated with each node;

an incident generator on at least one or more nodes having an interface that can accept event information from the handlers and that generates incident information;

an incident escalator on at least one or more nodes that accepts the incident information from said generators, combines it with host and contact information, and forwards the combined information; and

a response center where the combined information is managed and made available to service personnel.

2. A framework in accordance with claim 1 which further comprises:

one or more nodes within an enterprise where the combined information is accepted and stored and from which such information is sent to the response center.

3. A framework in accordance with claim 2 wherein one or more nodes other than those where the combined information is accepted and stored have a resident incident escalator.

4. A framework in accordance with claim 2 wherein one or more of the nodes within the enterprise where the combined information is accepted and stored has a resident incident escalator.

5. A framework in accordance with claim 2 wherein the one or more of the nodes having a resident incident escalator also has a central event handler arranged to receive the event information from the event annunciators on one or more other nodes.

6. A framework in accordance with claim 2 wherein the one or more nodes where combined information is accepted and stored further comprises:

an incident receiver that receives incoming combined information;

an incident database where the combined information is stored; and

an adapter that sends combined information to the response center.

7. A framework in accordance with claim 6 which further comprises:

an incident parser connected to said incident receiver and used by the receiver to parse the incoming combined information.

8. A framework in accordance with claim 7 which further comprises:

a parser definition that determines and controls the operation of the parser by defining the syntax of the incoming combined information.

9. A framework in accordance with claim 6 which further comprises:

a central event handler arranged to receive event information from host devices;

an incident escalator arranged to receive event or incident information from the central event handler and to generate the combined information for presentation to the incident receiver.

10. A framework in accordance with claim 2 wherein the one or more nodes where the combined information is accepted and stored further comprise:

prewritten diagnostic scripts;

at least some of those scripts defining the gathering of server configuration data;

a mechanism that periodically causes at least some of those scripts defining gathering to be executed on one or more nodes, supplying their data as event information to an incident generator, as incident information to an incident escalator, or as combined information; and

a configuration database at the response center that accepts such configuration data.

11. A framework in accordance with claim 1 wherein the response center further comprises:

an analyst server including a database for combined information and software tools for enabling service personnel to manage and review such information.

12. A framework in accordance with claim 11 which further comprises

a tracker data base containing data gathered-from one or more nodes.

13. A framework in accordance with claim 12 which further includes an

analyzer and report generator connected to the tracker data base.

14. A framework in accordance with claim 11 which further comprises

an arrangement of at least one remote access server program that gives the service personnel direct control access to one or more nodes.

15. A framework in accordance with claim 14 which further comprises

a highly secure network path between said service personnel and a service point of presence node to access a remote access server program on said service node, from which node access giving service personnel direct control access to one or more nodes may be achieved.

16. A framework in accordance with claim 2 wherein

said one or more nodes within the enterprise where combined information is accepted and stored include a management console for users at the enterprise site to gain access to stored combined information.

17. A method of managing incident information in an enterprise environment comprising:

collecting records of events arising from hardware or software indicators of possible abnormalities, and determining by further analysis if such an event is indicative of an incident;

generating incident reports when incidents are detected;

combining reports of incidents with host and contact information, and forwarding the resultant combined information; and

receiving and managing such information at a response center, and making it available to service personnel.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising:

accepting and storing such combined information locally in an incident database established on a node within the enterprise prior to sending it on to a response center.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18 further comprising:

at least some of the time, carrying out the combining step on the same node where the collecting and generating steps are carried out.

20. A method in accordance with claim 18 further comprising:

at least some of the time, carrying out the combining step on the node with the incident database, while the collecting and generating steps for the same information are carried out on other nodes.

21. A method in accordance with claim 18 further comprising:

at least some of the time, carrying out the generating step on a node other than where the collecting and generating steps for the same information are carried out.

22. A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein, on a node having an incident database, the following steps are carried out:

receiving the incoming combined information;

storing such information in the incident database; and

sending the combined information on to the response center.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22 which further comprises:

parsing the incoming information before saving it.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23 which further comprises:

providing a definition of the syntax of the combined information to guide the parser.

25. A method in accordance with claim 22 which further comprises:

receiving event information from host devices; and

carrying out the generating and combining steps on the same node where the event information is received.

26. A method in accordance with claim 18 which further comprise:

gathering node configuration data;

carrying out the generating and combining steps as to this configuration data; and

intercepting and saving this data at a response center in a configuration data base.

27. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein the steps carried out at a response center comprise:

arranging for service personnel to manage and review incoming information.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27 which further comprises gathering configuration data from nodes and saving it in a tracker database at a service center.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28 which further includes:

analyzing and generating reports from the data contained within the tracker data base.

30. A method in accordance with claim 28 which further comprises

giving service personnel at a response center access to nodes from which combined information has been gathered as well as to the gathered information.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30 which further comprises

providing such access over a highly secure network path between said service personnel and a service point of presence node within the enterprise, giving service personnel direct control access to one or more nodes of the enterprise.

32. A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein

providing at an enterprise site user access to stored combined information.