Method and System for Integration of Systems Management with Project and Portfolio Management

• US 20100274621A1
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathur, Sumeet, Diwakar, Kiran P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,607,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method for scheduling an information technology (IT) project includes receiving a project request at an interface and determining one or more tasks associated with the project request. The method also includes identifying one or more hardware components coupled to a network operable to perform each of the one or more tasks and retrieving a schedule for each of the identified hardware components. The method further includes selecting a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks scheduling each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling an information technology (IT) project, comprising:

receiving a project request at an interface;

determining, by a processor, one or more tasks associated with the project request;

identifying one or more hardware components coupled to a network operable to perform each of the one or more tasks;

retrieving a schedule for each of the identified hardware components;

selecting a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks; and

scheduling each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more tasks associated with the project request comprises retrieving a project profile, the project profile defining the tasks associated with the project request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of the identified hardware components, retrieving utilization data, the utilization data indicating utilization metrics of one or more hardware components at a first time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the utilization data comprises predicted utilization metrics, the predicted utilization metrics comprising forecasted utilization metrics at a second time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the project request specifies a utilization metric required for each of the one or more tasks; and

selecting a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises selecting a hardware component that has the capacity to perform a task based on the required utilization metric for the task.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises updating a schedule for each of the hardware components.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current utilization metric for each of the identified hardware components;

determining a threshold utilization metric for each of the identified hardware components;

determining a required utilization metric for each of the one or more tasks; and

wherein selecting a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises selecting a component that has capacity to perform the task.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more persons needed to perform each of the one or more tasks;

determining an availability of each of the one or more persons needed to perform each of the one or more tasks; and

wherein scheduling each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks, comprises scheduling each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks when each of the one or more persons needed to perform each of the one or more tasks is available.

9. A system for scheduling an information technology (IT) project, comprising:

an interface configured to receive a project request;

a processor coupled to the interface, the processor configured to;

determine one or more tasks associated with the project request;

identify one or more hardware components coupled to a network operable to perform each of the one or more tasks;

retrieve a schedule for each of the identified hardware components;

select a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks; and

schedule each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a processor configured to determine one or more tasks associated with the project request comprises a processor configured to retrieve a project profile, the project profile defining the tasks associated with the project request.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to, for each of the identified hardware components, retrieve utilization data, the utilization data indicating utilization metrics of one or more hardware components at a first time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the utilization data comprises predicted utilization metrics, the predicted utilization metrics comprising forecasted utilization metrics at a second time.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the project request specifies a utilization metric required for each of the one or more tasks; and

a processor configured to select a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises a processor configured to select a hardware component that has the capacity to perform a task based on the required utilization metric for the task.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein a processor configured to schedule each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises a processor configured to update a schedule for each of the hardware components.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a current utilization metric for each of the identified hardware components;

determine a threshold utilization metric for each of the identified hardware components;

determine a required utilization metric for each of the one or more tasks; and

wherein selecting a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises selecting a component that has capacity to perform the task.

16. A computer readable medium comprising software for scheduling an information technology (IT) project, the software comprising computer code such that when executed is operable to:

receive a project request;

determine one or more tasks associated with the project request;

identify one or more hardware components coupled to a network operable to perform each of the one or more tasks;

retrieve a schedule for each of the identified hardware components;

select a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks; and

schedule each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein determining one or more tasks associated with the project request comprises retrieving a project profile, the project profile defining the tasks associated with the project request.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the code is further operable to, for each of the identified hardware components, retrieve utilization data, the utilization data indicating utilization metrics of one or more hardware components at a first time.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein:

the project request specifies a utilization metric required for each of the one or more tasks; and

the code operable to select a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises code operable to select a hardware component that has the capacity to perform a task based on the required utilization metric for the task.

20. The medium of claim 16, wherein code operable to schedule each of the selected hardware components to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises code operable to update a schedule for each of the hardware components.

21. The medium of claim 16, wherein the code is further operable to:

determine a current utilization metric for each of the identified hardware components;

determine a threshold utilization metric for each of the identified hardware components;

determine a required utilization metric for each of the one or more tasks; and

wherein selecting a hardware component to perform each of the one or more tasks comprises selecting a component that has capacity to perform the task.