Service Method For Customer Self-Service And Rapid On-Boarding For Remote Information Technology Infrastructure Monitoring And Management

• US 20110238582A1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sharma, Manu, Shaikh, Hidayatullah Habeebullah, Dasari, Anthony J., Viswanathan, Mahesh, Sailer, Anca, Head, Michael R.
• Application Number:
  US12/729,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238582A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the embodiments of this invention there is a method to initiate remote managed infrastructure services for a customer infrastructure site. The method includes, in response to an inquiry from a potential customer, provisioning the potential customer with a remote managed infrastructure services software client; using the provisioned software client, performing an automated process to detect specifics of a customer information technology infrastructure; in response to the customer confirming the detected specifics of customer information technology infrastructure, configuring a remote managed infrastructure service to monitor and manage all or a subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure.

Claims

1. A method to initiate remote managed infrastructure services for a customer infrastructure site, comprising:

in response to an inquiry from a potential customer, provisioning the potential customer with a remote managed infrastructure services software client;

using the provisioned software client, performing an automated process to detect specifics of a customer information technology infrastructure;

in response to the customer confirming the detected specifics of customer information technology infrastructure, configuring a remote managed infrastructure service to monitor and manage all or a subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure.

2. The method of claim 1, where configuring comprises an initial step of computing a cost to monitor and manage all or a subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure, and prompting the customer to purchase the remote managed infrastructure service.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, in response to the customer agreeing to purchase the remote managed infrastructure service, installing and configuring software needed at the customer infrastructure site to enable the monitoring and managing of all or the subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure.

4. The method of claim 3, where installing and configuring comprises configuring at least a customer infrastructure site firewall to enable the establishment of a virtual private network and network address translations between the remote managed infrastructure service the customer infrastructure site.

5. The method of claim 3, where installing and configuring operates without customer involvement.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code stored thereon or therein, execution of the program code resulting in initiating remote managed infrastructure services for a customer infrastructure site, comprising operations of:

in response to an inquiry from a potential customer, provisioning the potential customer with a remote managed infrastructure services software client;

using the provisioned software client, performing an automated process to detect specifics of a customer information technology infrastructure;

in response to the customer confirming the detected specifics of customer information technology infrastructure, configuring a remote managed infrastructure service to monitor and manage all or a subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, where configuring comprises an initial operation of computing a cost to monitor and manage all or a subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure, and prompting the customer to purchase the remote managed infrastructure service.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 further comprising, in response to the customer agreeing to purchase the remote managed infrastructure service, installing and configuring software needed at the customer infrastructure site to enable the monitoring and managing of all or the subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, where installing and configuring comprises an operation of configuring at least a customer infrastructure site firewall to enable the establishment of a virtual private network and network address translations between the remote managed infrastructure service the customer infrastructure site.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, where installing and configuring operates without customer involvement.

11. A system comprising at least one computer coupled with at least one memory containing computer-executable program code stored thereon or therein, the at least one computer being coupled with a data communications network and the execution of the program code resulting in the system providing remote managed infrastructure services for a customer infrastructure site, comprising:

in response to an inquiry from a potential customer, provisioning the potential customer with a remote managed infrastructure services software client;

using the provisioned software client, performing an automated process to detect specifics of a customer information technology infrastructure;

in response to the customer confirming the detected specifics of customer information technology infrastructure, configuring a remote managed infrastructure service to monitor and manage all or a subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure.

12. The system of claim 11, where configuring comprises an initial operation of computing a cost to monitor and manage all or a subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure, and prompting the customer to purchase the remote managed infrastructure service.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising, in response to the customer agreeing to purchase the remote managed infrastructure service, operations of installing and configuring software needed at the customer infrastructure site to enable the monitoring and managing of all or the subset of the detected and confirmed customer information technology infrastructure.

14. The system of claim 13, where the operations of installing and configuring comprise an operation of configuring at least a customer infrastructure site firewall to enable the establishment of a virtual private network and network address translations between the remote managed infrastructure service the customer infrastructure site.

15. The system of claim 13, where the operations of installing and configuring operate without customer involvement.