PACKAGING AND DISTRIBUTING SERVICE ELEMENTS

• US 20090012832A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: GREENSTEIN, Paul G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A service element is defined and represented by a data structure. It includes one or more components and/or one or more other service elements. A service element providing a complete function is a service offering. Management of service elements and/or service offerings is facilitated by a Service Development Tool. In different aspects, the management includes various tasks associated with creating, modifying and deleting service elements, establishing relationships, error checking and optimization. In a further aspect, service elements are packaged and distributed to enable customers to deliver the service elements. Additionally, the hosting of software packages is facilitated.

Claims

1. A system for providing service elements, said system comprising:

a computer-implemented service element development tool for facilitating;

defining by a service element designer one or more service elements of a service to be constructed, said one or more service elements representing an in-house or outsourced service and providing a design specification usable in constructing the service, each service element being represented by a data structure comprising a set of information to manage the service element, the data structure including a cost matrix setting forth a combined cost of time and materials for the service element, a list of functional prerequisites, a composition, a development plan, a deployment plan, integration properties and a customization specification for the service element, the functional prerequisites comprising a list of other service elements required for the service element to function, the composition comprising a list of components included in the service element and quantity of each component, the development plan comprising a functional specification, design, and test plan for the service element, the deployment plan comprising a specification for service element deployment, the integration properties defining a relationship between the service element and other service elements to be possibly integrated into the service element and being at least one of a compatible integration, a standard integration, a manual integration, or a prohibited integration, and the customization specification defining one or more service element customization characteristics for a particular customer, wherein compatible integration comprises a list of at least one other service element that the service element is compatible with, standard integration comprises a list of at least one other service element that the service element integrates with by parametric integration, manual integration comprises a list of at least one other service element that the service element integrates with by programmable integration, and prohibited integration comprises a list of at least one other service element with which the service element is mutually exclusive;

selecting whether to package a service element design, a service element implementation, or both a service element design and a service element implementation, and if selecting to package the service element design, then copying the service element'"'"'s data structure for packaging as the service element design, and if selecting to package the service element implementation, then implementing the service element prior to packaging, the implementing employing the service element'"'"'s data structure, including referencing the cost matrix, functional prerequisites, composition, development plan, deployment plan, integration properties and customization specification for the service element;

packaging by the service element designer at least a portion of the one or more service elements into a package usable in constructing the service, the package being at least one of a design package or an implementation package, and comprising at least a portion of the service element'"'"'s data structure; and

distributing by the service element designer the package to enable the service provider to subsequently construct and deliver the service to a customer using the at least a portion of the one or more service elements included in the package.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said packaging facilitated by the computer-implemented service element development tool comprises:

obtaining at least some data of the at least a portion of one or more service elements from a storage medium; and

providing the at least some data on a medium for distribution.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the medium comprises the internet.

4. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code logic to facilitate developing service elements, said computer-readable program code logic when executing within a computing environment facilitating performing the following;

defining by a service element designer one or more service elements of a service to be constructed, said one or more service elements representing an in-house or outsourced service and providing a design specification usable in constructing the service, each service element being represented by a data structure comprising a set of information to manage the service element, the data structure including a cost matrix setting forth a combined cost of time and materials for the service element, a list of functional prerequisites, a composition, a development plan, a deployment plan, integration properties and a customization specification for the service element, the functional prerequisites comprising a list of other service elements required for the service element to function, the composition comprising a list of components included in the service element and quantity of each component, the development plan comprising a functional specification, design, and test plan for the service element, the deployment plan comprising a specification for service element deployment, the integration properties defining a relationship between the service element and other service elements to be possibly integrated into the service element and being at least one of a compatible integration, a standard integration, a manual integration, or a prohibited integration, and the customization specification defining one or more service element customization characteristics for a particular customer, wherein compatible integration comprises a list of at least one other service element that the service element is compatible with, standard integration comprises a list of at least one other service element that the service element integrates with by parametric integration, manual integration comprises a list of at least one other service element that the service element integrates with by programmable integration, and prohibited integration comprises a list of at least one other service element with which the service element is mutually exclusive;

selecting whether to package a service element design, a service element implementation, or both a service element design and a service element implementation, and if selecting to package the service element design, then copying the service element'"'"'s data structure for packaging as the service element design, and if selecting to package the service element implementation, then implementing the service element prior to packaging, the implementing employing the service element'"'"'s data structure, including referencing the cost matrix, functional prerequisites, composition, development plan, deployment plan, integration properties and customization specification for the service element;

packaging by the service element designer at least a portion of the one or more service elements into a package usable in constructing the service, the package being at least one of a design package or an implementation package, and comprising at least a portion of the service element'"'"'s data structure; and

distributing by the service element designer the package to enable the service provider to subsequently construct and deliver the service to a customer using the at least a portion of the one or more service elements included in the package.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 4, wherein said packaging comprises:

obtaining at least some data of the at least a portion of one or more service elements from a storage medium; and

providing the at least some data on a medium for distribution.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 4, wherein the medium comprises the internet.