System and method for providing service level management

• US 20050010574A1
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vaught, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A system and method for providing service level management in a web-based environment are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes intercepting a communication between a web-based environment and a client. The client is identified based, at least in part, on the communication. A web-based application is also identified based, at least in part, on the communication, with the web-based application associated with the web-based environment. The communication is processed using the identified web-based application. A real-time service level is determined for the identified client based, at least in part, on the processing of the communication by the web-based application.

Claims

1. A method for service level processing in a web-based environment comprising:

intercepting a communication between a web-based environment and a client;

identifying the client based, at least in part, on the communication;

identifying a web-based application based, at least in part, on the communication, the web-based application associated with the web-based environment;

processing the communication using the identified web-based application; and

determining a real-time service level for the identified client based, at least in part, on the processing of the communication by the web-based application.

2. The method of claim 1, the client comprising a customer and the method further comprising:

determining a monetary value based on a difference between the determined real-time service level, the difference indicating that the determined real-time service level fails to meet the threshold service level; and

determining a chargeback for the customer based, at least in part, on the monetary value.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating an account balance for the customer based on the chargeback; and

communicating the real-time service level and the account balance to the customer.

4. The method of claim 1, the communication comprising an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from the client to the web-based environment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the client based, at least in part, on the HTTP request comprises extracting a client ID from one of the following:

a form;

a window;

a passport;

or

a private cookie authentication.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein extracting the client ID comprises:

identifying an IP address from the HTTP request; and

comparing the IP address to an IP mask to identify an address of the client.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein extracting the client ID comprises:

implementing a set cookie command prior to incepting the request; and

determining a password from a cookie on the client.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein extracting the client ID comprises extracting the client ID from HTTP post data.

9. The method of claim 1, the service level comprising at least one of the following:

response time;

unsuccessful request;

session failures;

method failures; and

error count.

10. Software for service level management in a web-based environment operable to:

intercept a communication between a web-based environment and a client;

identify the client based, at least in part, on the communication;

identify a web-based application based, at least in part, on the communication, the web-based application associated with the web-based environment;

process the communication using the identified web-based application; and

determine a real-time service level for the identified client based, at least in part, on the processing of the communication by the web-based application.

11. The software of claim 10, the client comprising a customer and the software further operable to:

determine a monetary value based on a difference between the determined real-time service level and a threshold service level, the difference indicating that the determined real-time service level fails to meet the threshold service level; and

determine a chargeback for the customer based, at least in part, on the monetary value.

12. The software of claim 11, further operable to:

update an account balance for the customer based on the chargeback; and

communicate the real-time service level and the account balance to the customer.

13. The software of claim 10, the communication comprising an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from the client to the web-based environment.

14. The software of claim 13, wherein the software operable to identify the client based, at least in part, on the HTTP request comprises software operable to extract a client ID from one of the following:

a form;

a window;

a passport;

or

a private cookie authentication.

15. The software of claim 14, wherein the software operable to extract the client ID comprises software operable to:

identify an IP address from the HTTP request; and

compare the IP address to an IP mask to identify an address of the client.

16. The software of claim 14, wherein the software operable to extract the client ID comprises software operable to:

implement a set cookie command prior to incepting the request; and

determine a password from a cookie on the client.

17. The software of claim 14, wherein the software operable to extract the client ID comprises software operable to extract the client ID from HTTP post data.

18. The software of claim 10, the service level comprising at least one of the following:

response time;

unsuccessful request;

session failures;

method failures; and

error count.

19. A system for service level reporting in a web-based environment comprising:

memory storing one or more web-based applications; and

one or more processors operable to;

intercept a communication between a web-based environment and a client;

identify the client based, at least in part, on the communication;

identify one of the web-based applications based, at least in part, on the communication, the web-based application associated with the web-based environment;

process the communication using the identified web-based application; and

determine a real-time service level for the identified client based, at least in part, on the processing of the communication by the web-based application.

20. The system of claim 19, the client comprising a customer and the one or more processors further operable to:

determine a monetary value based on a difference between the determined real-time service level and a threshold service level, the difference indicating that the determined real-time service level fails to meet the threshold service level; and

determine a chargeback for the customer based, at least in part, on the monetary value.

21. The system of claim 20, the one or more processors further operable to:

update an account balance for the customer based on the chargeback; and

communicate the real-time service level and the account balance to the customer.

22. The system of claim 19, the communication comprising an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from the client to the web-based environment.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more processors operable to identify the client based, at least in part, on the HTTP request comprises one or more processors operable to extract a client ID from one of the following:

a form;

a window;

a passport;

or

a private cookie authentication.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors operable to extract the client ID comprise one or more processors operable to:

identify an IP address from the HTTP request; and

compare the IP address to an IP mask to identify an address of the client.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors operable to extract the client ID comprises one or more processors operable to:

implement a set cookie command prior to incepting the request; and

determine a password from a cookie on the client.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors operable to extract the client ID comprises one or more processors operable to extract the client ID from HTTP post data.

27. The system of claim 19, the service level comprising at least one of the following:

response time;

unsuccessful request;

session failures;

method failures; and

error count.

28. A system for service level processing in a web-based environment comprising:

means for intercepting a communication between a web-based environment and a client;

means for identifying the client based, at least in part, on the communication;

means for identifying a web-based application based, at least in part, on the communication, the web-based application associated with the web-based environment;

means for processing the communication using the identified web-based application; and

means for determining a real-time service level for the identified client based, at least in part, on the processing of the communication by the web-based application.

29. Software for service level management in a web-based environment operable to:

intercept a communication between a web-based environment and a customer;

identify the customer based, at least in part, on the communication;

identify a web-based application based, at least in part, on the communication, the web-based application associated with the web-based environment;

process the communication using the identified web-based application;

determine a real-time service level for the identified customer based, at least in part, on the processing of the communication by the web-based application;

determine a monetary value based on a difference between the determined real-time service level and a threshold service level, the difference indicating that the determined real-time service level fails to meet the threshold service level;

determine a chargeback for the customer based, at least in part, on the monetary value;

update an account balance for the customer based on the chargeback; and

communicate the real-time service level and the account balance to the customer.