Method and system for providing a linkage between systems management systems and applications

• US 6,820,118 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Leymann, Frank, Roller, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/488,509
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/9, 705/223, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An improved consistency is provided between systems management systems (SMS) and workflow management systems (WFMS) by a linkage between the two. A tight, integrative linkage is provided which is managed and maintained automatically by the application, particular by the WFMS, or alternatively by the SMS. This provides a consistent business process oriented view of the SMS monitored resources, including information technology resources, such as programs, and WFMS monitored resources, including organization resources such as people. This is achieved by either of enhancing the application'"'"'s monitor to include the functionality of the enterprise console; or enhancing the enterprise console to include the functionality of the WFMS'"'"'s process monitor; and profiting from the merged information of both the SMS and the WFMS.

Claims

1. A method for providing an improved consistency between a systems management system (SMS) and a respective distributed application in a workflow management system (WMS) used by a plurality of people, said distributed application operating in a distributed environment in a networked computer system in order to perform a plurality of business processes, each comprising a plurality of activities, the distributed application being monitored, and each error event of hardware or software of the distributed application being handled by an event server of said SMS, said method comprising the steps of:

for each error event, determining impacted business processes and activities within those impacted business processes which are impacted by said error event, including both (1) information on the impact of the error event on organization personnel monitored resources, including staff and people, of said distributed application and (2) information on the impact of the error event on information technology monitored resources, including hardware and software, of said SMS,

displaying error information relating to hardware and/or software resources involved in said impacted business processes together with organzational information relating to organizational resources of said business processes, said organizational information being in turn available to a process monitor of said distributed application and including staff information,

presenting said error information in conjunction with the impacted business processes impacted by said error event for achieving a business processes oriented solution to problems caused by said error event,

providing a communication bridge between said SMS and said WFMS,

involving said event server of said SMS into the communication bridge by involving a process monitor of said WFMS into event handling, and

providing said process monitor with a set of predetermined rules in order to manage the impact of the error event on said impacted business processes.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of,

providing an application programming interface (API) common to said WFMS and said SMS in said process monitor of said WFMS for managing error event handling.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of,

providing said process monitor with a function for automatic error event analysis support related to said impacted business processes.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of,

providing said function for automatic error event analysis support with an end-user interface.

5. A method for providing an improved consistency between a systems management system (SMS) and a respective distributed application in a workflow management system (WMS) used by a plurality of people, said distributed application operating in a distributed environment in a networked computer system in order to perform a plurality of business processes, each comprising a plurality of activities, the distributed application being monitored and each error event of hardware or software of the distributed application being handled by an event server of said SMS, said method comprising the steps of:

for each error event, determining impacted business processes and activities within those impacted business processes which are impacted by said error event, including both (1) information on the impact of the error event on organization personnel monitored resources, including staff and people, of said distributed application and (2) information on the impact of the error event on information technology monitored resources, including hardware and software, of said SMS,

displaying error information relating to hardware and/or software resources involved in said impacted business processes together with organizational information relating to organizational resources of said business processes, said organizational information being in turn available to a process monitor of said distributed application and including staff information,

presenting said error information in conjunction with the impacted business processes impacted by said error event for achieving a business processes oriented solution to problems caused by said error event,

providing a communication bridge between said SMS and said WFMS surprising the steps of by,

involving said event server of said SMS into the communication bridge by involving an enterprise console of said SMS into error event handling, and

providing said enterprise console with a set of predetermined rules in order to manage the impact of the error event on said impacted business processes.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of,

providing an application programming interface (API) common to said SMS and said WFMS in said enterprise console of said SMS for managing WFMS error event handling.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of,

providing said enterprise console with a function for automatic error event analysis support processes.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of,

providing said function for automatic error event analysis support with an end-user interface.