Business intelligence monitor method and system

• US 7,349,862 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognos Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Bailey, Charles, Pollard, Stephen, Miller, Grant, Pignon, Dean, Alder, Mark, Palmer, Simon James, Craig, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Application Number:
  US10/078,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/7
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a business intelligence monitor method and system. Business intelligence indicators are monitored by generating a monitoring repository through selecting functions from a collection of functions, for receiving the business intelligence indicators as inputs. The thresholds for the business intelligence indicators are then established to define the states for the business intelligence indicators. Each state of the business intelligence indicators is assigned an associated priority. The monitoring repository is updated by retrieving a current value for each of the business intelligence indicators from a data source, thereby determining the state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the current value. A report based on the updated monitoring repository is then created.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring business intelligence indicators comprising the steps of:

(i) generating a monitoring repository by;

a) generating an executable function from a plurality of executable functions by an executable function manager;

the generated executable function receiving the business intelligence indicators as inputs, the business intelligence indicators including a state, and a state history;

b) incorporating the business intelligence indicators into indicator groups, the indicator groups having an indicator group state, and an indicator state history;

c) establishing thresholds for each of the business intelligence indicators, the thresholds defining states for the business intelligence indicators, each of the states having an assigned priority according to a status map; and

d) assigning a state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the established state and the assigned priority;

(ii) updating the monitoring repository by;

a) retrieving a current value for each of the business intelligence indicators from a data source through data acquisition, data transformation, or data propagation;

b) assigning the current values to the business intelligence indicators; and

c) determining and comparing the state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the current value;

(iii) creating a report based on the updated monitoring repository.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the state is based on disparate metrics.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indicator group further comprises one or more other indicator groups.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of publishing the report.

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

rolling-up the states of the business intelligence indicators of an indicator group into a group state.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a change of the group state results in an alert.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of executable functions is user defined functions (UDF).

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of executable functions is part of a dynamic linked library.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the report is in HTML format.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the report is published by updating tags in the HTML format report.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a change of the state results in an alert.

12. A business intelligence monitor system comprising:

a manager for generating a monitor repository, the manager comprising;

first a creator for creating business intelligence indicators, the business intelligence indicators including a state and a state history;

a divider for incorporating the business intelligence indicators into indicator groups, the indicator groups having an indicator group state and an indicator state history;

a threshold establisher for establishing thresholds for each of the business intelligence indicators, the thresholds defining states for the business intelligence indicators, each of the states having an assigned priority according to a status map;

defining thresholds of the business intelligence indicators; and

a first state definer for assigning a state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the established state and the assigned priority;

an updater for updating the monitor repository, the updater comprising;

a data retriever for retrieving current value for each of the business intelligence indicators from a data source through data acquisition, data transformation, or data propagation; and

a second state assignor for assigning the current values to the business intelligence indicators; and

a comparator for determining and comparing the state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the current value and a second creator for creating a report based on the updated monitoring repository.

13. The business intelligence monitor system according to claim 12, further comprising a report generator for generating a report.

14. The business intelligence monitor system according to claim 13, wherein the report is in HTML format.

15. The business intelligence monitor system according to claim 14, wherein the report is published by updating tags in the HTML format report.

16. The business intelligence monitor system according to claim 12, further comprising a publisher for publishing the report.

17. The business intelligence monitor system according to claim 12, wherein the state is based on disparate metrics.

18. The business intelligence monitor system according to claim 12, further comprising an upgrader for rolling-up the states of the business intelligence indicators of an indicator group into a group state.

19. The business intelligence monitor system according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of executable functions is user defined functions (UDF).

20. The business intelligence monitor system according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of executable functions is part of a dynamic linked library.

21. A business intelligence monitoring apparatus comprising:

means for generating an executable function from a plurality of executable functions;

the generated function receiving the business intelligence indicators as inputs, the business intelligence indicators including a state, and a state history;

means for incorporating the business intelligence indicators into indicator groups, the indicator groups having an indicator group state, and an indicator state history;

means for establishing thresholds for each of the business intelligence indicators, the thresholds defining states for the business intelligence indicators, each of the states having an assigned priority according to a status map;

means for assigning a state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the established state and the assigned priority;

means for retrieving a current value for each of the business intelligence indicators from a data source;

means for assigning the current values to the business intelligence indicators;

means for determining the state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the current value; and

means for creating a report based on the updated monitoring repository.

22. The business intelligence monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for rolling-up the states of the business intelligence indicators of an indicator group into a group state.

23. The business intelligence monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for publishing the report.

24. The business intelligence monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the state is based on disparate metrics.

25. The business intelligence monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of executable functions is user defined functions (UDF).

26. The business intelligence monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of executable functions is part of a dynamic linked library.

27. The business intelligence monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the report is in HTML format.

28. The business intelligence monitoring apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the report is published by updating tags in the HTML format report.

29. A storage medium readable by a computer encoding computer program for execution by the computer to carry out a method for monitoring business intelligence indicators, the computer program comprising:

code means for generating an executable function from a plurality of executable functions;

the generated function receiving the business intelligence indicators as inputs, the business intelligence indicators including a state, and a state history;

code means for incorporating the business intelligence indicators into indicator groups, the indicator groups having an indicator group state, and an indicator state history;

code means for establishing thresholds for each of the business intelligence indicators, the thresholds defining states for the business intelligence indicators, each of the states having an assigned priority according to a status map;

code means for assigning a state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the established state and the assigned priority;

code means for retrieving a current value for each of the business intelligence indicators from a data source;

code means for assigning the current values to the business intelligence indicators;

code means for determining the state for each of the business intelligence indicators based on the current value; and

code means for creating a report based on the updated monitoring repository.

30. The storage medium according to claim 29, wherein the state is based on disparate metrics.

31. The storage medium according to claim 29, further comprising code means for publishing the report.

32. The storage medium according to claim 29, further comprising code means for rolling-up the states of the business intelligence indicators of an indicator group into a group state.

33. The storage medium according to claim 29, wherein the plurality of executable functions is user defined functions (UDF).

34. The storage medium according to claim 29, wherein the plurality of executable functions is part of a dynamic linked library.

35. The storage medium according to claim 29, wherein the report is in HTML format.

36. The storage medium according to claim 35, wherein the report is published by updating tags in the HTML format report.