Service development tool and capabilities for facilitating management of service elements

• US 7,440,902 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, Luu Q., Grunin, Galina, Greenstein, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US10/121,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,384 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A service element is defined and represented by a data structure. It includes one or more components and/or one or more other service elements. A service element providing a complete function is a service offering. Management of service elements and/or service offerings is facilitated by a Service Development Tool. In different aspects, the management includes various tasks associated with creating, modifying and deleting service elements, establishing relationships, error checking and optimization. In a further aspect, service elements are packaged and distributed to enable customers to deliver the service elements. Additionally, the hosting of software packages is facilitated.

Claims

1. A system of facilitating management of service elements, said system comprising:

a service element, said service element being a non-executable entity and providing at least part of a design specification usable in constructing a service by a service provider, said service element comprising multiple properties, said multiple properties comprising one or more composition items and a cost case, said cost case including an indication of quantity of the one or more composition items of the service element and cost to the service provider of the one or more composition items, and wherein said multiple properties further comprise one or more functional dependencies for the service element identifying other service elements required for the service element to function, each service element comprising a development plan and a deployment plan, the development plan including a design of the service element, and the deployment plan including a specification of service element deployment, which directs customization or integration of entities within the service element pursuant to the development plan;

means for performing an action associated with the service element;

means for automatically responding to the action, said automatically responding comprising performing a further action associated with the service element; and

wherein said means for performing an action comprises means for performing one or more design changes of the service element, and wherein said means for automatically responding comprises means for automatically adjusting one or more development or deployment plans associated with the service element or the other service elements in response to the one or more design changes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for automatically responding comprises means for automatically adjusting the cost case of the service element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for performing an action comprises means for performing one or more cost case changes of the service element, and wherein the means for automatically responding comprises means for automatically adjusting a design of the service element.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for automatically responding comprises means for automatically notifying one or more users of the action.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one composition item of the one or more composition items includes an amount of labor used to manage an entity of the service element.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for automatically responding comprises means for ensuring the cost case associated with the service element is in synchronization with the design of the service element.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for performing an action comprises means for visually representing one or more aspects of the service element, and wherein the means for automatically responding comprises means for storing data of the visual representation in a data structure of said service element.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for visually representing comprises means for abstracting one or more aspects of the service element.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for abstracting comprises means for hiding one or more design elements of the service element.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for abstracting comprises means for excluding from the visual representation one or more design elements of the service element.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for abstracting comprises means for restricting one or more representation levels associated with the service element.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for performing an action comprises means for creating a new version of the service element, and wherein the means for automatically responding comprises means for automatically propagating the versioning to one or more other service elements.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for automatically responding comprises means for checking for one or more errors.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for performing an action comprises means for visually representing the action on a display, and wherein the means for automatically responding comprises means for initiating performance of the action.

15. A system of facilitating management of service elements, said system comprising:

means for obtaining a service element providing at least a part of a design specification usable in constructing a service by a service provider, the service element being a non-executable entity comprising multiple properties, the multiple properties including an amount of labor and materials to be used to construct or operate at least part of a service to be billed to a customer, said multiple properties comprising;

one or more composition items, at least one composition item of the one or more composition items quantifying labor and materials not billed to the customer separately;

a cost case, said cost case specifically enumerating the one or more composition items of the service element, including the at least one composition item quantifying labor and materials not billed to the customer separately, providing a quantity for each of the one or more composition items, and providing the cost of the one or more composition items to the service provider;

wherein each service element comprises a development plan and a deployment plan, the development plan including a design of the service element, and the deployment plan including a specification of service element deployment, which directs customization or integration of entities within the service element pursuant to the development plan;

an identification of one or more functional dependencies for the service element identifying other service elements required for the service element to function; and

means for automatically performing an action associated with the service element, in response to an action associated with the service element;

means for automatically responding to the action, said means for automatically responding comprising means for performing a further action associated with the service element; and

wherein said means for performing an action comprises means for performing one or more design changes of the service element, and wherein said means for automatically responding comprises means for automatically adjusting one or more development or deployment plans associated with the service element or the other service elements in response to the one or more design changes.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for automatically performing comprises means for generating an updated cost case for the service element, in response to an action associated with the service element.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for automatically performing comprises means for notifying one or more users of an event associated with the service element.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for automatically performing comprises means for adjusting the cost case of the service element, in response to one or more design changes of the service element.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for automatically performing comprises means for adjusting a design of the service element, in response to one or more cost case changes of the service element.

20. A system of facilitating management of service elements, said system comprising:

a service development tool to;

perform an action associated with a service element, said service element being a non-executable entity and providing at least part of a design specification usable in constructing a service by a service provider, said service element comprising multiple properties, said multiple properties comprising one or more composition items and a cost case, said cost case including an indication of quantity of the one or more composition items of the service element and cost to the service provider of the one or more composition items, and wherein said multiple properties further comprise one or more functional dependencies for the service element identifying other service elements requires for the service element to function, each service element comprising a development plan and a deployment plan, the development plan including a design of the service element, and the deployment plan including a specification of service element deployment, which directs customization or integration of entities within the service element pursuant to the development plan;

automatically respond to the action, the automatically responding comprising performing a further action associated with the service element; and

wherein said performing an action comprises performing one or more design changes of the service element, and wherein said automatically responding comprises automatically adjusting one or more development or deployment plans associated with the service element or the other service elements in response to the one or more design changes.

21. A system of facilitating management of service elements, said system comprising:

a service element providing at least a part of providing a design specification usable in constructing a service by a service provider, the service element being a non-executable entity and comprising multiple properties, the multiple properties including an amount of labor and materials to be used to construct or operate at least part of a service to be billed to a customer, said multiple properties comprising;

one or more composition items, at least one composition item of the one or more composition items quantifying labor and materials not billed to the customer separately;

a cost case, said cost case specifically enumerating the one or more composition items of the service element, including the at least one composition item quantifying labor and materials not billed to the customer separately, providing a quantity for each of the one or more composition items, and providing the cost of the one or more composition items to the service provider; and

an identification of one or more functional dependencies for the service element identifying other service elements required for the service element to function;

wherein each service element comprises a development plan and a deployment plan, the development plan including a design of the service element, and the deployment plan including a specification of service element deployment, which directs customization or integration of entities within the service element pursuant to the development plan;

a service development tool to automatically perform an action associated with the service element and to automatically respond to the action, said automatically responding comprising performing a further action associated with the service element; and

wherein said performing an action comprises performing one or more design changes of the service element, and wherein said automatically responding comprises automatically adjusting one or more development or deployment plans associated with the service element or the other service elements in response to the one or more design changes.

22. At least one program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of facilitating management of service elements, said method comprising:

obtaining a service element, said service element being a non-executable entity and providing at least part of a design specification usable in constructing a service by a service provider, said service element comprising multiple properties, said multiple properties comprising one or more composition items and a cost case, said cost case including an indication of quantity of the one or more composition items of the service element and cost to the service provider of the one or more composition items, and wherein said multiple properties further comprise one or more functional dependencies for the service element identifying other service elements required for the service element to function, each service element comprising a development plan and a deployment plan, the development plan including a design of the service element, and the deployment plan including a specification of service element deployment, which directs customization or integration of entities within the service element pursuant to the development plan;

performing an action associated with the service element;

automatically responding to the action, said automatically responding comprising performing a further action associated with the service element; and

wherein said performing an action comprises performing one or more design changes of the service element, and wherein said automatically responding comprises automatically adjusting one or more development or deployment plans associated with the service element or the other service elements in response to the one or more design changes.

23. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein the automatically responding comprises automatically adjusting the cost case of the service element.

24. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein said performing an action comprises performing one or more cost case changes of the service element, and wherein the automatically responding comprises automatically adjusting a design of the service element.

25. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein said automatically responding comprises automatically notifying one or more users of the action.

26. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein at least one composition item of the one or more composition items includes an amount of labor used to manage an entity of the service element.

27. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein the automatically responding comprises ensuring the cost case associated with the service element is in synchronization with the design of the service element.

28. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein the performing an action comprises visually representing one or more aspects of the service element, and wherein the automatically responding comprises storing data of the visual representation in a data structure of said service element.

29. The at least one program storage device of claim 28, wherein the visually representing comprises abstracting one or more aspects of the service element.

30. The at least one program storage device of claim 29, wherein the abstracting comprises hiding one or more design elements of the service element.

31. The at least one program storage device of claim 29, wherein the abstracting comprises excluding from the visual representation one or more design elements of the service element.

32. The at least one program storage device of claim 29, wherein the abstracting comprises restricting one or more representation levels associated with the service element.

33. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein the performing an action comprises creating a new version of the service element, and wherein the automatically responding comprises automatically propagating the versioning to one or more other service elements.

34. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein the automatically responding comprises checking for one or more errors.

35. The at least one program storage device of claim 22, wherein the performing an action comprises visually representing the action on a display, and wherein the automatically responding comprises initiating performance of the action.

36. At least one program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of facilitating management of service elements, said method comprising:

obtaining a service element providing at least a part of a design specification usable in constructing a service by a service provider, the service element being a non-executable entity and comprising multiple properties, the multiple properties including an amount of labor and materials to be used to construct or operate at least part of a service to be billed to a customer, said multiple properties comprising;

one or more composition items, at least one composition item of the one or more composition items quantifying labor and materials not billed to the customer separately;

a cost case, said cost case specifically enumerating the one or more composition items of the service element, including the at least one composition item quantifying labor and materials not billed to the customer separately, providing a quantity for each of the one or more composition items, and providing the cost of the one or more composition items to the service provider;

wherein each service element comprises a development plan and a deployment plan, the development plan including a design of the service element, and the deployment plan including a specification of service element deployment, which directs customization or integration of entities within the service element pursuant to the development plan;

automatically performing an action associated with the service element;

automatically responding to the action, said automatically responding comprising performing a further action associated with the service element; and

wherein said performing an action comprises performing one or more design changes of the service element, and wherein said automatically responding comprises automatically adjusting one or more development or deployment plans associated with the service element or the other service elements in response to the one or more design changes.

37. The at least one program storage device of claim 36, wherein said automatically performing comprises generating an updated cost case for the service element, in response to an action associated with the service element.

38. The at least one program storage device of claim 36, wherein said automatically performing comprises notifying one or more users of an event associated with the service element.

39. The at least one program storage device of claim 36, wherein said automatically performing comprises adjusting the cost case of the service element, in response to one or more design changes of the service element.

40. The at least one program storage device of claim 36, wherein said automatically performing comprises adjusting a design of the service element, in response to one or more cost case changes of the service element.

41. A service development tool comprising:

a service element manager to facilitate management of one or more service elements, wherein a service element of the one or more service elements comprises a non-executable entity and provides at least part of a design specification usable in constructing a service by a service provider, said service element comprising multiple properties, said multiple properties comprising one or more composition items and a cost case, said cost case including an indication of quantity of the one or more composition items of the service element and cost to the service provider of the one or more composition items, and wherein said multiple properties further comprise one or more functional dependencies for the service element identifying other service elements required for the service element to function, each service element comprising a development plan and a deployment plan, the development plan including a design of the service element, and the deployment plan including a specification of service element deployment which directs customization or integration of entities within the service element pursuant to the development plan;

a design builder to facilitate providing one or more designs for at least one service element of the one or more service elements;

a cost case builder to facilitate providing one or more cost cases for at least one service element of the one or more service elements; and

a plan builder to facilitate providing one or more development and deployment plans for at least one service element of the one or more service elements, wherein the plan builder further comprises a facility to automatically respond to one or more design changes of the service element by adjusting one or more of the development or deployment plans associated with the service element or the other service elements in response to the one or more design changes.

42. The service development tool of claim 41, further comprising a verification unit to facilitate verifying information associated with at least one service element of the one or more service elements.

43. The service development tool of claim 41, further comprising a lifecycle support unit to facilitate updating at least one service element of the one or more service elements, in response to a change of at least one aspect of at least one service element of the one or more service elements.