ADAPTIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT

• US 20110213635A1
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McHan, Samuel R. JR., Wicher, Christopher H. L., Hutson, William E., Medicke, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work

Abstract

Information technology solution alternatives for an enterprise organization are evaluated within an automated architectural framework based upon one or more information technology evaluation metrics. An automated incremental solution deployment strategy is created based upon the evaluated plurality of information technology solution alternatives. An information technology solution is selected from the set of information technology solution alternatives for deployment based upon the automated incremental solution deployment strategy.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

evaluating a plurality of information technology solution alternatives for an enterprise organization within an automated architectural framework based upon at least one information technology evaluation metric;

creating an automated incremental solution deployment strategy based upon the evaluated plurality of information technology solution alternatives; and

selecting an information technology solution from the plurality of information technology solution alternatives for deployment based upon the automated incremental solution deployment strategy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a technology-independent component and a technology-dependent component within the automated architectural framework.

3. The method of claim 2, where evaluating the plurality of information technology solution alternatives for the enterprise organization within the automated architectural framework based upon at least one information technology evaluation metric comprises evaluating the at least one information technology evaluation metric based upon at least one of the technology-independent component and the technology-dependent component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing at least one test scenario against the plurality of information technology solution alternatives for the enterprise organization within the automated architectural framework to differentiate the plurality of information technology solution alternatives; and

where selecting the information technology solution comprises selecting the information technology solution based upon the differentiated plurality of information technology solution alternatives.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying common components capable of supporting at least a portion of the plurality of information technology solution alternatives;

constructing the common components; and

where selecting the information technology solution comprises selecting the information technology solution based upon evaluation of the constructed common components.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one of a predicted problem and an actual problem, where the predicted problem is based upon further evaluation of the plurality of information technology solution alternatives for the enterprise organization within the automated architectural framework and the actual problem is based upon evaluation of a deployment of the selected information technology solution.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing at least one of the predicted problem and the actual problem as feedback and updating the plurality of information technology solution alternatives based upon the feedback.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory configured to store an automated architectural framework; and

at least one processor programmed to execute;

a knowledge acquisition module configured to;

evaluate a plurality of information technology solution alternatives for an enterprise organization within the automated architectural framework based upon at least one information technology evaluation metric; and

a construction automation module configured to;

create an automated incremental solution deployment strategy based upon the evaluated plurality of information technology solution alternatives; and

select an information technology solution from the plurality of information technology solution alternatives for deployment based upon the automated incremental solution deployment strategy.

9. The system of claim 8, where the at least one processor is further programmed to execute a deployment automation module configured to deploy the selected information technology solution.

10. The system of claim 8, where the knowledge acquisition module is further configured to generate a technology-independent component and a technology-dependent component within the automated architectural framework.

11. The system of claim 10, where the knowledge acquisition module is further configured to evaluate the at least one information technology evaluation metric based upon at least one of the technology-independent component and the technology-dependent component.

12. The system of claim 8, where:

the knowledge acquisition module is further configured to generate at least one test scenario associated with the at least one information technology evaluation metric; and

the construction automation module is further configured to;

execute the at least one test scenario against the plurality of information technology solution alternatives within the automated architectural framework to differentiate the plurality of information technology solution alternatives; and

select the selected information technology solution based upon the differentiated plurality of information technology solution alternatives.

13. The system of claim 8, where:

the construction automation module is further configured to;

identify common components capable of supporting at least a portion of the plurality of information technology solution alternatives;

construct the common components; and

in being configured to select the information technology solution, the construction automation module is configured to select the information technology solution based upon evaluation of the constructed common components.

14. The system of claim 8, where the at least one processor is further configured to execute a support and problem determination automation module configured to identify at least one of a predicted problem and an actual problem, where the predicted problem is based upon further evaluation of the plurality of information technology solution alternatives within the automated architectural framework and the actual problem is based upon evaluation of the deployed information technology solution.

15. The system of claim 14, where the support and problem determination automation module is further adapted to provide at least one of the predicted problem and the actual problem as feedback and wherein the knowledge acquisition module is further adapted to update the plurality of information technology solution alternatives based upon the feedback.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer useable storage medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

evaluate a plurality of information technology solution alternatives for an enterprise organization within an automated architectural framework based upon at least one information technology evaluation metric;

create an automated incremental solution deployment strategy based upon the evaluated plurality of information technology solution alternatives; and

select an information technology solution from the plurality of information technology solution alternatives for deployment based upon the automated incremental solution deployment strategy.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, where the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to generate a technology-independent component and a technology-dependent component within the automated architectural framework.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, where, in causing the computer to evaluate a plurality of information technology solution alternatives for an enterprise organization within an automated architectural framework based upon at least one information technology evaluation metric, the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to evaluate the at least one information technology evaluation metric based upon at least one of the technology-independent component and the technology-dependent component.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, where the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to:

execute at least one test scenario against the plurality of information technology solution alternatives for the enterprise organization within the automated architectural framework to differentiate the plurality of information technology solution alternatives; and

where, in causing the computer to select the information technology solution, the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to select the information technology solution based upon the differentiated plurality of information technology solution alternatives.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, where:

the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to;

identify common components capable of supporting at least a portion of the plurality of information technology solution alternatives; and

construct the common components; and

in causing the computer to select the information technology solution, the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to select the information technology solution based upon evaluation of the constructed common components.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, where the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to identify at least one of a predicted problem and an actual problem, where the predicted problem is based upon further evaluation of the plurality of information technology solution alternatives within the automated architectural framework and the actual problem is based upon evaluation of a deployment of the selected information technology solution.