Managing performance metrics describing a relationship between a provider and a client

• US 6,850,866 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Couchot, John T., Davey, John R., Donovan, Joseph M., Hall, James D., Wetzel, Laura L., Wang, Minzhi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Kamini
• Application Number:
  US10/242,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 702/182, 702/186, 702/187, 702/188, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Managing performance metrics includes accessing a metric catalog comprising a number of metrics, where each metric is associated with a threshold value. A selection of a subset of metrics of the number of metrics is received, and a service is defined using the subset of metrics. Metric values describing performance of the service are determined, where each metric value corresponds to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics. The metric values and the corresponding threshold values are compared, and the performance of the service is evaluated in accordance with the comparison.

Claims

1. A method for managing performance metrics, comprising:

accessing a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value;

receiving a selection of a subset of metrics of the plurality of metrics;

defining a service using the subset of metrics;

determining a plurality of metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

comparing the metric values and the corresponding threshold values; and

evaluating the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison, the evaluation comprising determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a threshold value comprising a minimum value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining the plurality of metrics;

defining the threshold values associated with the metrics; and

storing the metrics and the threshold values in the metric catalog.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining an aggregation method associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

storing the aggregation method in the metric catalog;

receiving data associated with the metric;

combining the data in accordance with the aggregation method; and

determining a metric value associated with the metric from the combined data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a collection procedure associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

storing the collection procedure in the metric catalog; and

collecting data associated with the metric in accordance with the collection procedure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison comprises:

determining that the performance is satisfactory if the metric values satisfy the threshold values, each threshold value comprising a target value; and

sending a notification if otherwise.

6. A system for managing performance metrics, comprising:

a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value, the metric catalog operable to;

receive a selection of a subset of metrics of the plurality of metrics; and

define a service using the subset of metrics;

a calculator coupled to the metric catalog and operable to determine a plurality of metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics; and

an evaluator couple to the calculator and to the metric catalog and operable to;

retrieve the metric values and the threshold values;

compare the metric values and the corresponding threshold values; and

evaluate the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison, the evaluation comprising determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a threshold value comprising a minimum value.

7. The system of claim 6, the metric catalog further operable to:

define the plurality of metrics;

define the threshold values associated with the metrics; and

store the metrics and the threshold values.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the metric catalog is further operable to;

define an aggregation method associated with a metric of the subset of metrics; and

store the aggregation method; and

the system comprises an aggregator coupled to the metric catalog and operable to;

receive data associated with the metric;

combine the data in accordance with the aggregation method; and

determine a metric value associated with the metric from the combined data.

9. The system of claim 6, the metric catalog is further operable to:

define a collection procedure associated with a metric of the subset of metrics; and

store the collection procedure, data associated with the metric being collected in accordance with the collection procedure.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the evaluator is further operable to evaluate the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison by:

determining that the performance is satisfactory if the metric values satisfy the threshold values, each threshold value comprising a target value; and

sending a notification if otherwise.

11. Software for managing performance metrics, the software embodied in a medium and operable to:

access a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value;

receive a selection of a subset of metrics of the plurality of metrics;

define a service using the subset of metrics;

determine a plurality of metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

compare the metric values and the corresponding threshold values; and

evaluate the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison, the evaluation comprising determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a threshold value comprising a minimum value.

12. The software of claim 11, further operable to:

define the plurality of metrics;

define the threshold values associated with the metrics; and

store the metrics and the threshold values in the metric catalog.

13. The software of claim 11, further operable to:

define an aggregation method associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

store the aggregation method in the metric catalog;

receive data associated with the metric;

combine the data in accordance with the aggregation method; and

determine a metric value associated with the metric from the combined data.

14. The software of claim 11, further operable to:

define a collection procedure associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

store the collection procedure in the metric catalog; and

collect data associated with the metric in accordance with the collection procedure.

15. The software of claim 11, operable to evaluate the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison by:

determining that the performance is satisfactory if the metric values satisfy the threshold values, each threshold value comprising a target value; and

sending a notification if otherwise.

16. A system for managing performance metrics, comprising:

means for accessing a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value;

means for receiving a selection of a subset of metrics from the plurality of metrics;

means for defining a service using the subset of metrics;

means for determining a plurality of metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics;

means for comparing the metric values and the corresponding threshold values; and

means for evaluating the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison by determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a threshold value comprising a minimum value.

17. A method for managing performance metrics, comprising:

accessing a metric catalog comprising a plurality of metrics, each metric associated with a threshold value, the threshold values comprising a plurality of target values and a plurality of minimum values;

receiving a selection of a subset of metrics of the plurality of metrics, and defining a service using the subset of metrics;

defining a plurality of aggregation methods, each aggregation method associated with a metric of the subset of metrics, and storing the aggregation methods in the metric catalog;

defining a plurality of collection procedures, each collection procedure associated with a metric of the subset of metrics, and storing the collection procedures in the metric catalog;

collecting data associated with the metric in accordance with the collection procedures, and combining the data in accordance with the aggregation methods;

determining a plurality of metric values from the combined data, the metric values describing performance of the service, each metric value corresponding to a threshold value associated with a metric of the subset of metrics; and

comparing the metric values and the corresponding threshold values, and evaluating the performance of the service in accordance with the comparison by;

determining that the performance is satisfactory if the metric values satisfy the corresponding threshold values comprising target values; and

determining that the performance is not satisfactory if a metric value fails to satisfy a corresponding threshold value comprising a minimum value.