Methods and apparatus for analysis of load-balanced multi-site call processing systems

• US 6,633,640 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Maximets, Mila, Foster, Robin H., Flockhart, Andrew Derek, Cohen, Richard Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/495,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.05, 379/265.06, 379/265.07, 379/265.08, 379/265.1, 379/265.11, 379/265.12, 379/266.01, 379/266.05, 379/112.06, 379/112.07, 379/112.08, 379/112.09, 379/112.1
• US Class Current: 379/265.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5234 Uniform load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1302 Relay switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1304 Coordinate switches, crossbar, 4/2 with relays, coupling field
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13164 Traffic (registration, measurement,...)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0091 Congestion or overload control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

A multi-site call processing system includes multiple distributed call center sites, and utilizes a load balancing process to distribute calls among the sites for handling by agents. The system generates a multi-site performance score characterizing the performance of the load balancing process. Adjustments may be made in the load balancing process, such as selection of one type of load balancing over another for use at a particular time, based at least in part on the multi-site performance score. The multi-site performance score may be determined using single-site performance measures such as Average Speed of Answer (ASA) and agent occupancy generated across multiple time intervals. The multi-site performance score as generated for a given interval may be, e.g., a ratio of the maximum and minimum values of a single-site performance measure for that interval. As another example, the multi-site performance score may be in the form of a standard deviation of a set of normalized scores generated for the multiple sites across the specified time intervals. Filtering operations may be applied to the data for one or more selected intervals in order to further improve the ability of the performance measure to distinguish relevant variations in the load balancing process.

Claims

1. A method for use in a multi-site call processing system comprising multiple distributed call center sites, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a multi-site performance score characterizing performance of a load balancing process which determines assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of the multiple distributed call center sites; and

adjusting the load balancing process based at least in part on the multi-site performance score;

wherein the multi-site performance score is computed as a function of a plurality of individual performance measures each associated with a corresponding one of the multiple distributed call center sites of the multi-site call processing system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-site performance score is determined at least in part based on a particular single-site performance measure generated for each of the multiple sites across a plurality of specified time intervals.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the particular single-site performance measure comprises an Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measure.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the particular single-site performance measure comprises an agent occupancy measure.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the multi-site performance score for a given one of the intervals comprises a ratio of a maximum value of the particular single-site performance measure for that interval to a minimum value of the particular single-site performance measure for that interval.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-site performance score comprises a standard deviation of a set of normalized scores generated for the multiple sites across a plurality of specified time intervals.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each of the normalized scores in the set of normalized scores is generated by taking a particular single-site performance measure for a corresponding site and dividing it by a site average computed across all of the sites.

8. The method of claim 6 further including the step of filtering the normalized scores for a given one of the time intervals if a particular measure used to generate the normalized scores for each of the multiple sites is below a threshold designated for all of the multiple sites in that interval.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the filtering step comprises removing normalized scores for the given interval from a computation of the multi-site performance score.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the filtering step comprises setting each of at least a subset of the normalized scores for the given interval to a particular value prior to computation of the multi-site performance score.

11. An apparatus for use in a multi-site call processing system comprising multiple distributed call center sites, the apparatus comprising:

a load balancing element comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the load balancing element being operative to generate a multi-site performance score characterizing performance of a load balancing process which determines assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of the multiple distributed call center sites, wherein the load balancing process is adjusted based at least in part on the multi-site performance score, and wherein the multi-site performance score is computed as a function of a plurality of individual performance measures each associated with a corresponding one of the multiple distributed call center sites of the multi-site call processing system.

12. An article of manufacture containing one or more software programs for use in a multi-site call processing system comprising multiple distributed call center sites, wherein the one or more software programs, when executed in a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

generating a multi-site performance score characterizing performance of a load balancing process which determines assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of the multiple distributed call center sites; and

adjusting the load balancing process based at least in part on the multi-site performance score;

wherein the multi-site performance score is computed as a function of a plurality of individual performance measures each associated with a corresponding one of the multiple distributed call center sites of the multi-site call processing system.

13. A method for use in a call processing system which implements a load balancing process, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a multi-entity performance score characterizing performance of the load balancing process, the load balancing process determining assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of a set of multiple entities; and

adjusting the load balancing process based at least in part on the multi-entity performance score;

wherein the multi-entity performance score is computed as a function of a plurality of individual performance measures each associated with a corresponding entity in a set of multiple entities.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the call processing system comprises multiple distributed call center sites, and the multi-entity performance score characterizes performance of a load balancing process which determines assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of the multiple distributed call center sites.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the call processing system comprises processing entities for multiple skills, and the multi-entity performance score characterizes performance of a load balancing process which determines assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of the processing entities for the multiple skills.

16. An apparatus for use in a call processing system which implements a load balancing process, the apparatus comprising:

a load balancing element comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the load balancing element being operative to generate a multi-entity performance score characterizing performance of the load balancing process, the load balancing process determining assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of a set of multiple entities, wherein the load balancing process is adjusted based at least in part on the multi-entity performance score, and wherein the multi-entity performance score is computed as a function of a plurality of individual performance measures each associated with a corresponding entity in the set of multiple entities.

17. A method for use in a call processing system which implements a load balancing process, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a multi-entity performance score characterizing performance of the load balancing process, the load balancing process determining assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of a set of multiple entities; and

generating a graphical representation of the multi-entity performance score;

wherein the multi-entity performance score is computed as a function of a plurality of individual performance measures each associated with a corresponding entity in a set of multiple entities.

18. A method for use in a multi-site call processing system comprising multiple distributed call center sites, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a multi-site performance score characterizing performance of a load balancing process which determines assignment of incoming calls to particular ones of the multiple distributed call center sites; and

generating a graphical representation of the multi-site performance score;

wherein the multi-site performance score is computed as a function of a plurality of individual performance measures each associated with a corresponding one of the multiple distributed call center sites of the multi-site call processing system.