Powertag: Manufacturing And Support System Method And Apparatus For Multi-Computer Solutions

• US 20080255872A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Yardumian, Edward, Adams, Mark A., Mashayekhi, Victor V.R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A solutions-based computer system manufacturing process includes assembling computer and storage system components for creation of a given solution-based product as a function of a customer order or plan. The process further includes assigning a solution identifier to the solution-based product. The solution identifier includes a solution type and a unique identifier within the solution type.

Claims

1. A method of implementing solutions-based system support comprising:

inputting a solution identifier particular for a solution-based system;

responsive to the input of the solution identifier, outputting custom web support services as a function of the solution identifier, wherein the outputting is performed by the manufacturer;

linking the solution identifier to a configuration of systems and software, the configuration being updated to reflect a customer'"'"'s changing installed solution, wherein the customer may possess multiple such identifiers to reflect multiple installed solutions for providing users of the identifier customized data based upon the identifier and about specific offerings and entitlements available to the customers, and wherein the linking is performed by the manufacturer;

providing the solutions-based system to the customer, wherein the providing is performed after the solution identifier is linked to the configuration of systems and software;

subsequent to the providing the solutions-based system to the customer, receiving a request for on-line support from the customer, wherein the request includes the solution identifier, and wherein the receiving is performed by the manufacturer; and

providing custom support services to the customer as a function of the solution identifier including dynamically generated web pages defining types of services, wherein the generating is performed by the manufacturer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the custom web support services includes dynamically generating web pages particular to the specific solution-based system.

3. The method of claim 2, further wherein dynamically generating the web pages includes constructing respective web pages using information obtained from at least one of a documentation system, a file library system, and a knowledge base system, as a function of the solution identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, further wherein each of the documentation system, the file library system, and the knowledge base system includes at least one of a server system, storage system, management system, and corresponding software for a respective documentation, file library, and knowledge base system.

5. The method of claim 2, further wherein the dynamically generated web pages are a function of the type of support service being requested, including at least one selected from sales, on-line support, on-line documentation, phone-based technical support, on site service, update, upgrade, entitlement, and training.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the support service includes a software update specific to a cluster configuration.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the update service includes a firmware update to a component of the solutions-based system, the method further comprising identifying service tags of other systems within the solutions-based system having a need for firmware upgrades as a function of the firmware update to the component.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a scope of work and any products required for use in an upgrading of the solutions-based product as a function of the solution identifier.

9. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one storage accessible by said processor, said storage including program code processable by said processor for implementing a solutions-based computer system manufacturing process, the manufacturing process including assembling computer system components for creation of a given solution-based product as a function of at least one of a customer order and a customer plan, and assigning a solution identifier to the solution-based product, wherein the solution identifier includes a solution type and a unique identifier within the solution type;

the solution identifier being linked to a configuration of systems and software, the configuration being updated to reflect a customer'"'"'s changing installed solution, wherein there is only one solution identifier assigned to the configuration, and wherein the solution identifier is used by a manufacturer to provide on-line support of the solution-based product to the customer, wherein the customer may possess multiple such identifiers to reflect multiple installed solutions for providing users of the identifier customized data based upon the identifier and about specific offerings and entitlements available to the customer, and wherein the solution identifier is provided by the customer to the manufacturer in a request for on-line support;

the solutions-based product being provided to the customer after the solution identifier is linked to the configuration of systems and software;

subsequently, a request for on-line support being received from the customer, wherein the request includes the solution identifier, and wherein the receiving is performed by the manufacturer; and

custom support services being provided to the customer as a function of the solution identifier including dynamically generated web pages defining types of services, wherein the generating is performed by the manufacturer.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the solution-based product includes at least one component forming an integral part of a larger solution with complex interdependencies.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the solution-based product includes at least one of a storage area network (SAN), network attached storage (NAS), storage domain management (SDM) product, storage virtualization product, server cluster, and e-commerce configuration product.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the solutions-based product further includes component forming an integral part of a larger solution with complex interdependencies.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein assigning the solution identifier further includes associating service tags of the components of a respective system solution with the solution identifier.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further wherein:

said at least one storage is further for storing a table of associated service tags, the table being indexed according to the solution identifier.