Business systems management solution for end-to-end event management

• US 20040237077A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cole, David William, Northway, Tedrick Neal, Terry, Chris Edward, Kitchens, Otto Vaughn, Peterson, Paul David, Nawratil, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer program product for implementing a business systems management solution for end-to-end event management. The present invention realizes a number of business systems management functionalities, including defining event databases and means for event monitoring and correlating a customer'"'"'s business functions by using an enterprise view focused on a system of applications, operating systems, connections, and physical components. Together these components make up a business system as defined by the customer. As such, a business system can cross technology platforms, physical space, and comprise multiple applications, or a business system could be limited to a single platform, location, and application. Components that comprise the business system and enterprise-level event management structure are defined, created, and modified to align the Information Technology with the business system'"'"'s processes and to aid in the management of the information technology with respect to the business system.

Claims

1. A data processing system-based method for managing events in a business system having components, the method comprising:

receiving a set of business system operational constraints;

determining relationships among the components;

identifying at least one potential impact of at least one component on an ability of the business system to fulfill at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints;

defining an enterprise-level business system event management structure that includes a plurality of event management substructures, wherein the event management substructures are selected and organized into the enterprise-level business system event management structure in a manner anticipated to fulfill the set of business system operational constraints, and wherein the plurality of event management substructures include monitors that monitor for events;

detecting an event using at least one of the monitors; and

assessing a potential impact of the event at an enterprise level based upon the identified at least one potential impact of at least one component on an ability of the business system to fulfill the at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints and based upon the determined relationships among the components.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining data warehouse and configuration databases; and

creating the data warehouse and configuration databases.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

storing event data and component data in the data warehouse and configuration databases.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying business metrics for the business system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the business metrics measure performance of business processes.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the business metrics guide in defining the plurality of event management substructures.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the business metrics are at least one of a number of escalations, a number of process improvements, a number of process non-compliances, a percentage of failures, and a percentage of reassigned requests.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

organizing data acquired from the plurality of event management substructures for presentation to a customer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the components include at least one of hardware, software, infrastructure, networks, data, databases, processes, and procedures.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessing step includes:

determining at least one of an availability, a state, a performance level, a capacity, a trend, and a model for the at least one component.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining costing for the enterprise-level business system event management structure.

12. A distributed data processing system in a business system having components, the data processing system comprising a set of individual data processing systems containing at least one individual data processing system, wherein the at least one individual data processing system includes:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes at least a portion of a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit includes at least one processor and the set of individual data processing systems collectively execute the set of instructions to receive a set of business system operational constraints;

determine relationships among the components;

identify at least one potential impact of at least one component on an ability of the business system to fulfill at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints;

define an enterprise-level business system event management structure that includes a plurality of event management substructures, wherein the event management substructures are selected and organized into the enterprise-level business system event management structure in a manner anticipated to fulfill the set of business system operational constraints, and wherein the plurality of event management substructures include monitors that monitor for events;

detect an event using at least one of the monitors; and

assess a potential impact of the event at an enterprise level based upon the identified at least one potential impact of at least one component on an ability of the business system to fulfill the at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints and based upon the determined relationships among the components.

13. A data processing system for managing events in a business system having components, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a set of business system operational constraints;

determining means for determining relationships among the components;

identifying means for identifying at least one potential impact of at least one component on an ability of the business system to fulfill at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints;

defining means for defining an enterprise-level business system event management structure that includes a plurality of event management substructures, wherein the event management substructures are selected and organized into the enterprise-level business system event management structure in a manner anticipated to fulfill the set of business system operational constraints, and wherein the plurality of event management substructures include monitors that monitor for events;

detecting means for detecting an event using at least one of the monitors; and

assessing means for assessing a potential impact of the event at an enterprise level based upon the identified at least one potential impact of at least one component on an ability of the business system to fulfill the at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints and based upon the determined relationships among the components.

14. The data processing system of claim 13 further comprising:

defining means for defining data warehouse and configuration databases; and

creating means for creating the data warehouse and configuration databases.

15. The data processing system of claim 14 further comprising:

storing means for storing event data and component data in the data warehouse and configuration databases.

16. The data processing system of claim 13 further comprising:

identifying means for identifying business metrics for the business system.

17. The data processing system of claim 13 further comprising:

organizing means for organizing data acquired from the plurality of event management substructures for presentation to a customer.

18. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the assessing means includes:

determining means for determining at least one of an availability, a state, a performance level, a capacity, a trend, and a model for the at least one component.

19. The data processing system of claim 13 further comprising:

determining means for determining costing for the enterprise-level business system event management structure.

20. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing events in a business system having components, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a set of business system operational constraints;

second instructions for determining relationships among the components;

third instructions for identifying at least one potential impact of at least one component on an ability of the business system to fulfill at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints;

fourth instructions for defining an enterprise-level business system event management structure that includes a plurality of event management substructures, wherein the event management substructures are selected and organized into the enterprise-level business system event management structure in a manner anticipated to fulfill the set of business system operational constraints, and wherein the plurality of event management substructures include monitors that monitor for events;

fifth instructions for detecting an event using at least one of the monitors; and

sixth instructions for assessing a potential impact of the event at an enterprise level based upon the identified at least one potential impact of at least one component on an ability of the business system to fulfill the at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints and based upon the determined relationships among the components.