System and method for revenue and authorization management

• US 20040133622A1
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netcracker Technology Solutions Inc (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Convergys Information Management Group, Inc. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Clubb, Ian James, Claridge, Philip Geoffrey, Shusta, Thomas Joseph, Miller, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,742 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system is disclosed for facilitating relationship-centric authorization of transactions in a manner which provides optimum scalability and availability by logically partitioning key servers in conjunction with partitioning a resource associated with a group of consumers across the set of logical servers associated therewith.

Claims

1. A distributed computer system comprising:

a. at least one physical node;

b. at least one logical node;

wherein

each of one or more of said at least one logical node may be mapped to one of said at least one physical node;

said system comprises computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of;

receiving a request for work;

examining said request for work;

determining which of said at least one logical node corresponds with said request (corresponding logical node);

determining which of said at least one physical node said corresponding logical node is associated with (corresponding physical node);

interacting with said corresponding logical node.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

a. at least one of said at least one corresponding physical node comprises a corresponding physical datastore;

b. at least one of said at least one corresponding logical node comprises a corresponding logical datastore.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

at least one corresponding physical node comprises a corresponding physical server;

at least one corresponding logical node comprises a corresponding logical server.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein:

said corresponding logical datastore may be associated with a first predetermined set of data values;

said corresponding logical server may be associated with a second predetermined set of data values;

said step of interacting comprises;

opening said corresponding logical datastore;

obtaining a set of additional information about said request from said database;

determining which of said at least one corresponding physical server and corresponding logical server is associated with a combination of said request and said set of additional information;

routing said request to said corresponding logical server;

allowing said corresponding logical server to access and modify said corresponding logical datastore;

processing said request on said corresponding logical datastore.

5. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said system further comprises computer executable instructions for upgrading said system by performing the steps of:

recognizing at least one additional physical datastore in said system wherein said additional physical datastore is different from said corresponding physical datastore (pre-existing physical datastore);

migrating at least one logical datastore of said set of logical datastores from said pre-existing physical datastore to said additional datastore;

remapping said logical datastore from said pre-existing physical datastore to said additional datastore.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

at least one of said at least one corresponding physical node comprises a corresponding physical server;

at least one of said at least one corresponding logical node comprises a corresponding logical server;

said interacting step comprises routing said request to said corresponding logical server.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said system further comprises computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

a. monitoring a workload allocated to each of said at least one physical server;

b. if said workload, on any of said at least one physical servers, exceeds a predetermined maximum;

adding at least one additional physical server to said system;

remapping at least one of said logical servers across said at least one physical server including said additional physical server so as to redistribute said workload according to a predefined formula.

8. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said system further comprises an application programming interface configured to allow a user to

monitor a workload allocated to each of said at least one physical server;

recognizing at least one additional physical server;

remapping said at least one logical server across said at least one physical server including said additional physical server so as to redistribute said workload.

9. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said system comprises at least two physical servers and further comprises computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

monitoring a workload allocated to each of said corresponding physical servers;

if said workload, on any of said physical servers, exceeds a predetermined maximum, remapping at least one said logical servers so as to redistribute said workload according to a predefined formula.

10. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said system comprises at least two physical servers and further comprises computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

monitoring a workload allocated to each of said corresponding physical servers;

if said workload, on any of said physical servers, individually or in combination, falls below a predetermined minimum,

remapping at least one of said logical servers so as to redistribute said workload according to a predefined formula.

11. A computerized system as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

a. said request comprises a data value;

b. said at least one corresponding logical server is associated with a predetermined group of data values;

c. said system comprises further computer executable instructions for performing the steps of;

obtaining said data value from said request;

matching said data value associated with said request with one of said at least one corresponding logical server wherein said corresponding logical server is associated with said predetermined group of data values which includes said request'"'"'s data value.

12. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said system further comprises computer executable instructions for upgrading said system by performing the steps of:

a. recognizing at least one additional physical server in said system wherein said additional server comprises at least some programming that is different from said pre-existing physical servers;

b. migrating at least one logical server of said set of logical servers from said corresponding physical server to said additional server;

c. remapping said logical server from said corresponding physical server to said additional server.

13. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said system comprises further computer executable instructions for performing the step of:

a. if one of said physical servers fails, remapping said corresponding logical servers across said remaining physical servers according to a predetermined formula.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said predetermined formula comprises distributing said logical servers on a pro-rata basis across said remaining physical servers.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said predetermined formula comprises analyzing a pre-existing workload and capacity on each of said remaining physical servers and distributing said logical servers in such a manner as to balance, as much as possible, said workload across said remaining physical servers.

16. A computerized system as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

a) said request comprises at least one consumer identifier;

b) said at least one logical server is programmed to process a plurality of requests corresponding to a plurality of consumer identifiers;

c) said determining step is based on matching a request with a specific consumer identifier to its corresponding logical server.

17. A computerized system comprising a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for transacting requests over a network comprising at least one physical server wherein said physical server is subdivided into a plurality of logical servers wherein each of said plurality of logical servers is associated with a group of consumer identifiers and wherein said computer executable instructions are configured to route a request, further comprising a consumer identifier, to a logical server whose range of consumer identifiers include said consumer identifier associated with said request.

19. A computerized system as claimed in claim 17 wherein said entity comprises a family.

20. A computerized system as claimed in claim 17 wherein said entity comprises a set of employees from a company.

21. A computerized system as claimed in claim 20 wherein a second set of employees from said company may be associated with a second entity and wherein said second entity may be allocated to a different logical server.

18. A computerized system comprising a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for transacting requests over a network comprising at least one physical server wherein said physical server is subdivided into a plurality of logical servers wherein each of said plurality of logical servers may be associated with at least one entity and wherein said computer executable instructions are configured to route a request, wherein said request is also associated with a particular entity, to a logical server whose range of entities includes said entity associated with said request.

22. A method for distributing a workload, which utilizes a plurality of physical and logical servers, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for work at a processing node;

examining said request for an identifier;

determining a logical server out of said plurality of logical servers which has been configured to accept requests associated with said identifier (selected logical server);

determining a physical server associated with said selected logical server (associated physical server);

routing said request to said associated physical server;

monitoring said plurality of physical servers for said workload to exceed a predetermined maximum on any of said plurality of physical servers;

redistributing a mapping of said logical servers to said physical servers to achieve a workload balanced according to a predetermined formula.