System management using real time collaboration

• US 20040158629A1
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quartz Auto Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Herbeck, David Gerard, Townsend, Susette Marie
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of improving the response time to IT problems and ensuring that some will respond to a problem. In one embodiment, a management system uses a monitoring system to detect problem conditions with a managed device. When such an event occurs, the managed device sends a message containing a description of the alert to an intelligent agent. In response, the intelligent agent selects an administrator who is both qualified and available to respond to the alert, and then sends an instant message containing the description of the alert to the selected administrator. The administrator may accept responsibility for the alert by sending an instant message acknowledgement back to the intelligent agent. If the intelligent agent does not receive an acknowledgement, it automatically finds another administrator to respond to the alert.

Claims

1. A method of responding to a problem condition, comprising:

detecting a first available candidate to respond to a problem condition; and

assigning responsibility for the problem condition to the first available candidate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning responsibility for the problem condition comprises sending a real time message to the first available candidate.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

waiting for a response from the first available candidate; and

if the response is not received within a selected period;

detecting a second available candidate; and

assigning responsibility for the problem condition to the second available candidate.

4. A method of managing an information technology device, comprising:

receiving an alert from a managed information technology device;

selecting a candidate qualified to respond to the event; and

determining if the candidate is available to respond to the event.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending an instant message to the candidate containing information about the alert.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an instant message from the candidate indicating acceptance of responsibility for the alert.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

assigning responsibility for the alert to the candidate.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

waiting for an instant message from the candidate indicating acceptance of responsibility for the alert; and

if the instant message indicating acceptance is not received within a selected period;

detecting a second candidate qualified to respond to the alert; and

determining if the second candidate is available to respond to the alert.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein determining if the candidate is available to respond to the alert comprises using an availability indication.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting a candidate qualified to respond to the alert comprises:

determining a plurality of qualified candidates; and

choosing one candidate from the plurality of qualified candidates.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining which candidate in the plurality of qualified candidates is located closest to the managed device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether a candidate in the plurality of qualified candidates has resolved a similar alert.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining which candidate in the plurality of qualified candidates has worked on the information technology device most recently.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining which candidate is the most available to respond to the alert.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein choosing one candidate from the plurality of qualified candidates comprises selecting an optimal candidate using an availability score of each candidate in the plurality of qualified candidates, a severity of the alert, and a distance between each candidate in the plurality of qualified candidates and the information technology device.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein the information technology device comprises a computer.

17. A method for assigning responsibility for responding to a fault condition in an information technology device, comprising:

(a) receiving an alert from a monitored information technology device, the alert describing an event in the monitored information technology device;

(b) detecting an available administrator qualified to respond to the event;

(c) sending a first instant message to the available administrator, the instant message referencing the alert and requesting an acknowledgement;

(d) receiving a second instant message from the available administrator, the second instant message containing the acknowledgement from the administrator; and

(e) assigning responsibility for the event to the available administrator.

18. A management system, comprising:

a client device, associated with an available administrator, that communicates a condition in a managed device to the available administrator;

an event processing server that selects the available administrator from a plurality of administrators and communicates the condition to the client device; and

an agent, associated with the managed device, that detects the condition and communicates the condition to the event processing server.

19. The management system of claim 19, wherein the client comprises a pervasive device.

20. The management system of claim 20, wherein the pervasive device comprises a GPS receiver.

21. A computer program product, comprising:

(a) a program which, when executed by a processor, performs a method of responding to a problem condition, the method comprising;

detecting a first available candidate to respond to a problem condition; and

assigning responsibility for the problem condition to the first available candidate.

(b) a signal bearing media bearing the program.

22. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the signal bearing media comprises a transmission medium.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the signal bearing media comprises a non-writable storage media.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein assigning responsibility for the problem condition comprises sending a real time message to the first available candidate.