Business systems management solution for end-to-end event management using business system operational constraints

• US 7,426,736 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cole, David William, Northway, Tedrick Neal, Terry, Chris Edward, Kitchens, Otto Vaughn, Peterson, Paul David, Nawratil, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Li B
• Application Number:
  US10/443,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20040237077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,944 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 719/318
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer program product for implementing a business systems management solution for end-to-end event management. The present invention realizes a number of business systems management functionalities, including defining event databases and means for event monitoring and correlating a customer'"'"'s business functions by using an enterprise view focused on a system of applications, operating systems, connections, and physical components. Together these components make up a business system as defined by the customer. As such, a business system can cross technology platforms, physical space, and comprise multiple applications, or a business system could be limited to a single platform, location, and application. Components that comprise the business system and enterprise-level event management structure are defined, created, and modified to align the Information Technology with the business system'"'"'s processes and to aid in the management of the information technology with respect to the business system.

Claims

1. A data processing system-based method for managing events in a business system, the business system having a plurality of components, the method comprising:

receiving a set of business system operational constraints;

determining relationships among the plurality of components;

identifying at least one potential impact of at least one of the plurality of components on an ability of the business system to fulfill at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints;

defining an enterprise-level business system event management structure that includes a plurality of event management substructures, wherein the plurality of event management substructures are selected and organized into the enterprise-level business system event management structure in a manner anticipated to fulfill the set of business system operational constraints, and wherein the plurality of event management substructures include a plurality of monitors that monitor for events and include a plurality of tools, constraints, and approaches used to perform event management;

identifying business metrics for the business system corresponding to the set of business system operational constraints, wherein requirements for monitoring the business system are updated, wherein the business metrics measure performance of business processes, wherein the business processes are reviewed to determine a plurality of processes and applications that are installed and executed in the business system and to select at least a portion of the plurality of processes and applications to monitor for event management, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of event management substructures is modified;

detecting an event using at least one of the plurality of monitors, wherein the event includes event data;

assessing a potential impact of the event at an enterprise level based upon the at least one potential impact of the at least one of the plurality of components on the ability of the business system to fulfill the at least one constraint from the set of business system operational constraints and based upon the relationships among the plurality of components using the plurality of event management substructures; and

storing the event data in a storage device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining data warehouse and configuration databases;

creating the data warehouse and configuration databases; and

storing the event data and component data in the data warehouse and configuration databases.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the business metrics guide in defining the plurality of event management substructures.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the business metrics are at least one of a number of escalations, a number of process improvements, a number of process non-compliances, a percentage of failures, and a percentage of reassigned requests.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

organizing data acquired from the plurality of event management substructures for presentation to a custom.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components include at least one of hardware, software, infrastructure, networks, data, databases, processes, and procedures.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessing step includes:

determining at least one of an availability, a state, a performance level, a capacity, a trend, and a model for the at least one of the plurality of components.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining costing for the enterprise-level business system event management structure.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the event is one of an expected event or an unexpected event.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

responsive to determining that the event is an expected event, performing an expected event process to resolve the expected event;

responsive to determining that the event is an unexpected event, performing an unexpected event process to resolve the unexpected event; and

wherein the expected event process is different from the unexpected event process.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationships among the plurality of components include business processes, technology platforms, physical space, location, connectivity, and applications.