Method and system for monitoring high availability support system

• US 20080146258A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Nelson, Greg S., Testone, Josh P., O'Neil, Owen
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server

Abstract

A system for monitoring the availability of support members includes an application program (heartbeat application) that runs on a handheld device and an associated program that runs on a heartbeat server. The heartbeat application collects status information of the handheld device. The handheld device periodically transmits the status information to the heartbeat server in a digital data message that has a format adapted to an operation mode of the handheld device. Based on the status information, the availability of the data connection to the handheld device is determined.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

periodically transmitting status information from a handheld device to a server in a digital data message, the digital data message having a format adapted to an operation mode of the handheld device; and

determining availability of a data connection to the handheld device based on the status information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the status information comprises:

transmitting the status information to the server in a Short Message Service (SMS) message format if the handheld device is in a voice operation mode.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the status information comprises:

transmitting the status information to the server in a message format for Internet communications if the handheld device is in a data operation mode.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the status information comprises transmitting at least one item from the following group:

call status, tower information, memory information, battery information, installed software information, firmware information, hardware information, and network information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring the status information transmitted from a plurality of handheld devices; and

creating a map that plots availability data of end users that use the plurality of handheld devices according to the status information.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

reporting statistics of the status information transmitted from the plurality of handheld devices.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the data connection is determined to be available, presenting a support request to the handheld device as an email message.

8. A system comprising:

a plurality of handheld devices, each of the handheld devices periodically transmits status information to a server in a digital data message, the digital data message being adapted to an operation mode of the handheld device; and

a data server coupled to the plurality of handheld devices, the data server monitors and processes the status information for determination of availability of data connections to the plurality of handheld devices.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a call routing server coupled to the data server to route support requests according to the status information.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a data store coupled to the data server to store the status information and to respond to queries on the status information.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the status information comprises at least one item from the following group:

call status, tower information, memory information, battery information, installed software information, firmware information, hardware information, and network information;

12. The system of claim 8 wherein each of the handheld devices transmits the status information to the data server in a Short Message Service (SMS) message format if the handheld device operates in a voice operation mode.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein each of the handheld devices transmits the status information to the data server in a message format for Internet communications if the handheld device is in a data operation mode.

14. A machine-readable medium having instructions, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

periodically receiving status information from a handheld device in a digital data message, the digital data message having a format adapted to an operation mode of the handheld device; and

processing the status information for determination of availability of a data connection to the handheld device.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein receiving the status information comprises:

receiving the status information in a Short Message Service (SMS) message format if the handheld device is in a voice operation mode.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein receiving the status information comprises:

receiving the status information in a message format for Internet communications if the handheld device is in a data operation mode.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein receiving the status information comprises receiving at least one item from the following group:

call status, tower information, memory information, battery information, installed software information, firmware information, hardware information, and network information.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprising:

monitoring the status information transmitted from a plurality of handheld devices; and

creating a map that plots availability data of end users that use the plurality of handheld devices according to the status information.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprising:

reporting statistics of the status information transmitted from the plurality of handheld devices.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprising:

if the data connection is determined to be available, presenting a support request to the handheld device as an email message.