METHODS FOR IMPROVED PROVISIONING OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES AND DEVICES THEREOF

• US 20130262684A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wipro Limited
• Original Assignee: Wipro Limited
• Inventors: Kollur, Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0826 for reduction of network costs H04L41/0833 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation

Abstract

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and information technology (IT) resource optimization apparatus that improves the provisioning of IT resources includes obtaining for each of a plurality of users of IT resources, demographic attributes and an entitlement record comprising an indication of an assigned one or more of the IT resources. For each of the demographic attributes, which of one or more of the IT resources assigned to a threshold number of the plurality of users sharing the demographic attribute are identified. For each of the plurality of users, a recommended provisioning profile is generated based on the identified IT resources. For one or more of the plurality of users, provisioning recommendation(s) are determined based on a comparison of the recommended provisioning profile for the one or more users to the entitlement record for the one or more users. The determined provisioning recommendation(s) are output.

Claims

1. A method for improved provisioning of information technology (IT) resources, the method comprising:

obtaining, with an IT resource optimization apparatus, for each of a plurality of users of a plurality of IT resources, a plurality of demographic attributes and an entitlement record comprising at least an indication of an assigned one or more of the plurality of IT resources;

identifying, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, for each of the plurality of demographic attributes, which of one or more of the plurality of IT resources are assigned to a threshold number of the plurality of users sharing the demographic attribute;

generating, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, for each of the plurality of users, a recommended provisioning profile based on the identified one or more of the plurality of IT resources;

determining, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, for one or more of the plurality of users, one or more provisioning recommendations based on a comparison of the recommended provisioning profile for the one or more users to the entitlement record for the one or more users; and

outputting, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, the one or more determined provisioning recommendations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining further comprises obtaining historical usage information for the plurality of IT resources and the identifying further comprises identifying, based on the usage information, one or more of the plurality of IT resources used during a threshold period of time by a threshold number of the plurality of users sharing the demographic attribute.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, whether a change has occurred for at least one of the plurality of demographic attributes or in the entitlement record for at least one of the plurality of users; and

repeating, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, the identifying, generating, determining, and outputting steps, when it is determined that the change has occurred for at least one of the plurality of demographic attributes or in the entitlement record for at least one of the plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the demographic attributes are selected from location, role, function, position, title, or department and the demographic attributes and entitlement record for each of the plurality of users are each associated with a same unique identifier for the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, an indication of one or more of the plurality of IT resources requiring approval prior to assigning to one or more of the plurality of users;

storing, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, the indication of the one or more of the plurality of IT resources in an exclusion list;

determining, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, whether the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users includes one or more IT resources indicated in the exclusion list; and

removing, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, the one or more IT resources from the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users, when it is determined that the obtained entitlement record includes one or more IT resources indicated in the exclusion list.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of IT resources are software applications, the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users further comprises an indication of a version of the one or more of the plurality of software applications that are assigned to the user, and the method further comprises:

obtaining, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, version and compatibility information for each of the plurality of IT resources; and

determining, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, a migration readiness of one of the plurality of users based on the version of the one or more of the plurality of software applications that are assigned to the user and the compatibility information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, a cost for each of the plurality of IT resources; and

determining, with the IT resource optimization apparatus, a total IT resource cost for at least one of the plurality of users or at least one demographic attribute based on the obtained cost and one or more of the entitlement records.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for improved provisioning of information technology (IT) resources comprising machine executable code which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

obtaining for each of a plurality of users of a plurality of IT resources, a plurality of demographic attributes and an entitlement record comprising at least an indication of an assigned one or more of the plurality of IT resources;

identifying for each of the plurality of demographic attributes, which of one or more of the plurality of IT resources are assigned to a threshold number of the plurality of users sharing the demographic attribute;

generating for each of the plurality of users, a recommended provisioning profile based on the identified one or more of the plurality of IT resources;

determining for one or more of the plurality of users, one or more provisioning recommendations based on a comparison of the recommended provisioning profile for the one or more users to the entitlement record for the one or more users; and

outputting the one or more determined provisioning recommendations.

9. The medium of claim 9 wherein the obtaining further comprises obtaining historical usage information for the plurality of IT resources and the identifying further comprises identifying, based on the usage information, one or more of the plurality of IT resources used during a threshold period of time by a threshold number of the plurality of users sharing the demographic attribute.

10. The medium of claim 9 further comprising machine executable code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform steps further comprising:

determining whether a change has occurred in the value for at least one of the plurality of demographic attributes or in the entitlement record for at least one of the plurality of users; and

repeating the identifying, generating, determining, and outputting steps, when it is determined that the change has occurred in the value for at least one of the plurality of demographic attributes or in the entitlement record for at least one of the plurality of users.

11. The medium of claim 9 wherein the demographic attributes are selected from location, role, function, position, title, or department and the demographic attributes and entitlement record for each of the plurality of users are each associated with a same unique identifier for the user.

12. The medium of claim 9 further comprising machine executable code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform steps further comprising:

obtaining an indication of one or more of the plurality of IT resources requiring approval prior to assigning to one or more of the plurality of users;

storing the indication of the one or more of the plurality of IT resources in an exclusion list;

determining whether the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users includes one or more IT resources indicated in the exclusion list; and

removing the one or more IT resources from the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users, when it is determined that the obtained entitlement record includes one or more IT resources indicated in the exclusion list.

13. The medium of claim 9 wherein the plurality of IT resources are software applications, the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users further comprises an indication of a version of the one or more of the plurality of software applications that are assigned to the user, and the medium further comprises machine executable code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform steps further comprising:

obtaining version and compatibility information for each of the plurality of IT resources; and

determining a migration readiness of one of the plurality of users based on the version of the one or more of the plurality of software applications that are assigned to the user and the compatibility information.

14. The medium of claim 9 further comprising machine executable code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform steps further comprising:

obtaining a cost for each of the plurality of IT resources; and

determining a total IT resource cost for at least one of the plurality of users or for a value of at least one demographic attribute based on the obtained cost and one or more of the entitlement records.

15. An information technology (IT) resource optimization apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory, comprising;

obtaining for each of a plurality of users of a plurality of IT resources, a plurality of demographic attributes and an entitlement record comprising at least an indication of an assigned one or more of the plurality of IT resources;

identifying for each of the plurality of demographic attributes, which of one or more of the plurality of IT resources are assigned to a threshold number of the plurality of users sharing the demographic attribute;

generating for each of the plurality of users, a recommended provisioning profile based on the identified one or more of the plurality of IT resources;

determining for one or more of the plurality of users, one or more provisioning recommendations based on a comparison of the recommended provisioning profile for the one or more users to the entitlement record for the one or more users; and

outputting the one or more determined provisioning recommendations.

17. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising:

determining whether a change has occurred in the value for at least one of the plurality of demographic attributes or in the entitlement record for at least one of the plurality of users; and

repeating the identifying, generating, determining, and outputting steps, when it is determined that the change has occurred in the value for at least one of the plurality of demographic attributes or in the entitlement record for at least one of the plurality of users.

16. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the obtaining further comprises obtaining historical usage information for the plurality of IT resources and the identifying further comprises identifying, based on the usage information, one or more of the plurality of IT resources used during a threshold period of time by a threshold number of the plurality of users sharing the demographic attribute.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the demographic attributes are selected from location, role, function, position, title, or department and the demographic attributes and entitlement record for each of the plurality of users are each associated with a same unique identifier for the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising:

obtaining an indication of one or more of the plurality of IT resources requiring approval prior to assigning to one or more of the plurality of users;

storing the indication of the one or more of the plurality of IT resources in an exclusion list;

determining whether the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users includes one or more IT resources indicated in the exclusion list; and

removing the one or more IT resources from the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users, when it is determined that the obtained entitlement record includes one or more IT resources indicated in the exclusion list.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the plurality of IT resources are software applications, the obtained entitlement record for each of the plurality of users further comprises an indication of a version of the one or more of the plurality of software applications that are assigned to the user, and the processor is further configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising:

obtaining version and compatibility information for each of the plurality of IT resources; and

determining a migration readiness of one of the plurality of users based on the version of the one or more of the plurality of software applications that are assigned to the user and the compatibility information.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising:

obtaining a cost for each of the plurality of IT resources; and

determining a total IT resource cost for at least one of the plurality of users or for a value of at least one demographic attribute based on the obtained cost and one or more of the entitlement records.