Method of displaying real-time service level performance, breach, and guaranteed uniformity with automatic alerts and proactive rebating for utility computing environment

• US 7,523,041 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Feinberg, Mark L., Chen, Yen-Fu, Dunsmoir, John W., Shankar, Hari, Pradhan, Abhay
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISIASZEK, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/666,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/1, 709223-228
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1496 involving discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5016 based on statistics of service availability, e.g. in percentage or over a given time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer program product for displaying real-time service level performance, breach, and guaranteed uniformity with automatic alerts and proactive rebating for a utility computing environment. Service level agreement parameters, based on a service level agreement between a customer and a service provider, are used to identify discrepancies in a promised service level for the utility computing environment. A real-time view of a current service level and the promised service level for the customer are displayed. When a discrepancy between the promised service level and the current service level occurs, a rebate is generated for the customer. Alerts identifying the discrepancy and its root cause are provided to the customer and the service provider for the discrepancy. Alerts may also be provided prior to the occurrence of the discrepancy so that an action may be performed to eliminate the potential discrepancy.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for a utility computing environment, the method comprising:

setting service level thresholds for the utility computing environment, wherein the service level thresholds are based on a service level agreement with a customer;

displaying a view of a current service level for the customer;

presenting a view of a promised service level based on service level agreement parameters;

identifying a plurality of discrepancies between the promised service level and the current service level, wherein one of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to successfully completing a service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement, and wherein another of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to breeching to the service level agreement;

generating a first rebate in response to successfully completing the service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement based on a completion time and a promised completion time, wherein the completion time is an amount of time used to successfully complete the service request, wherein the promised completion time is an agreed upon amount of time to complete the service request specified in the service level agreement, and wherein the completion time is less than the promised completion time;

generating a second rebate in response to breeching the service level agreement; and

providing the first rebate and the second rebate to the customer for the plurality of discrepancies, wherein the first rebate and the second rebate assure that the customer pays for service rendered.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service level agreement parameters include at least one of a duration, a transaction, a configuration, and a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying the service level thresholds using a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service level thresholds are used to generate a warning prior to the occurrence of the plurality of discrepancies.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein breaching the service level agreement includes exceeding the service level agreement parameters, hardware failures, hardware outages, software failures, performance failures, and failure to meet agreed upon requirements of the service level agreement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service level thresholds are set for at least one of a customer, a service provider, and a utility computing host.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

alerting the at least one of the customer, the service provider, and the utility computing host of the plurality of discrepancies and a root cause for the plurality of discrepancies.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing an option to customize the view of the current service level and the view of the promised service level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the view of a current service level is at least one of a real-time view and a historical view.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a relationship between the current service level and the promised service level based on the service level agreement parameters, wherein the relationship indicates a severity level for the plurality of discrepancies.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a severity level indicator comprises a red light, a yellow light, and a green light on a traffic light.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first rebate is additionally based on crediting the customer when successfully completing a service request using both less time and less resources than specified in the service level agreement.

13. A method in a data processing system for a utility computing environment, the method comprising:

displaying at least one of an infrastructure view and an application view of a current service level for a customer, wherein the infrastructure view contains information technology hardware and software components, wherein the application view contains software applications residing on utility computing resources, and wherein the infrastructure view and the application view are linked;

presenting a view of a promised service level based on service level agreement parameters, wherein the infrastructure view and the application view show a relationship between the current service level and the promised service level, and wherein the relationship indicates a progress level of a service request with respect to a service level agreement with the customer;

generating a first rebate in response to successfully completing a service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement based on a completion time and a promised completion time, wherein the completion time is an amount of time used to successfully complete the service request, wherein the promised completion time is an agreed upon amount of time to complete the service request specified in the service level agreement, and wherein the completion time is less than the promised completion time;

generating a second rebate in response to breeching the service level agreement;

providing the first rebate and the second rebate to a customer when a plurality of discrepancies between the current service level and the promised service level occur, wherein the first rebate and the second rebate assure that the customer pays for service rendered, wherein one of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to successfully completing the service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement, and wherein another of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to breeching to the service level agreement;

retrieving additional details of the at least one of the infrastructure view and the application view by clicking on a component of the at least one of the infrastructure view and the application view, wherein the additional details include the rebate and an impact for breaching the service level agreement; and

switching between the infrastructure view and the application view.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a view of the current service level includes at least one of a warning, an alert, a breach, a duration, a transaction, a configuration, a threshold, a rebate, a utility computing resource, a consumed computer resource, and a consumed human resource.

15. The method of claim 13 farther comprising:

alerting at least one of a customer, a service provider, and a utility computing host of the plurality of discrepancies between the current service level and the promised service level, wherein the relationship shows a severity level for the plurality of discrepancies.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein breaching the service level agreement includes exceeding service level agreement parameters hardware failures, hardware outages, software failures, performance failures, and failure to meet agreed upon requirements of the service level agreement.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first rebate is additionally based on crediting the customer when successfully completing a service request using both less time and less resources than specified in the service level agreement.

18. A data processing system for a utility computing environment, the data processing system comprising:

setting means for setting service level thresholds for the utility computing environment, wherein the service level thresholds are based on a service level agreement with a customer;

displaying means for displaying a view of a current service level for the customer;

presenting means for presenting a view of a promised service level based on service level agreement parameters;

identifying means for identifying a plurality of discrepancies between the promised service level and the current service level, wherein one of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to successfully completing a service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement, and wherein another of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to breeching to the service level agreement;

first generating means for generating a first rebate in response to successfully completing the service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement based on a completion time and a promised completion time, wherein the completion time is an amount of time used to successfully complete the service request, wherein the promised completion time is an agreed upon amount of time to complete the service request specified in the service level agreement, and wherein the completion time is less than the promised completion time;

second generating means for generating a second rebate in response to breeching the service level agreement; and

providing means for providing the first rebate and the second rebate to the customer for the plurality of discrepancies, wherein the first rebate and the second rebate assure that the customer pays for service rendered.

19. The data processing system of claim 18 further comprising:

alerting means for alerting at least one of a customer, a service provider, and a utility computing host of the plurality of discrepancies and a root cause for the plurality of discrepancies.

20. The data processing system of claim 18 further comprising:

providing means for providing an option to customize the view of the current service level and the view of the promised service level.

21. A computer program product in a computer recordable-type medium having encoded thereon instructions executed on a computer for a utility computing environment, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for setting service level thresholds for the utility computing environment, wherein the service level thresholds are based on a service level agreement with a customer;

second instructions for displaying a view of a current service level for the customer;

third instructions for presenting a view of a promised service level based on service level agreement parameters;

fourth instructions for identifying a plurality of discrepancies between the promised service level and the current service level, wherein one of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to successfully completing a service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement, and wherein another of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to breeching to the service level agreement;

fifth instructions for generating a first rebate in response to successfully completing the service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement based on a completion time and a promised completion time, wherein the completion time is an amount of time used to successfully complete the service request, wherein the promised completion time is an agreed upon amount of time to complete the service request specified in the service level agreement, and wherein the completion time is less than the promised completion time;

sixth instructions for generating a second rebate in response to breeching the service level agreement; and

seventh instructions for providing the first rebate and the second rebate to the customer for the plurality of discrepancies, wherein the first rebate and the second rebate assure that the customer pays for service rendered.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

instructions for alerting at least one of a customer, a service provider, and a utility computing host of the plurality of discrepancies and a root cause for the plurality of discrepancies.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

instructions for providing an option to customize the view of the current service level and the view of the promised service level.

24. A computer program product in a computer recordable-type medium having encoded thereon instructions executed on a computer for a utility computing environment, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for displaying at least one of an infrastructure view and an application view of a current service level for a customer, wherein the infrastructure view contains information technology hardware and software components, wherein the application view contains software applications residing on utility computing resources, and wherein the infrastructure view and the application view are linked;

second instructions for presenting a view of a promised service level based on service level agreement parameters, wherein the infrastructure view and the application view show a relationship between the current service level and the promised service level, and wherein the relationship indicates a progress level of a service request with respect to a service level agreement with the customer;

third instructions for generating a first rebate in response to successfully completing a service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement based on a completion time and a promised completion time, wherein the completion time is an amount of time used to successfully complete the service request, wherein the promised completion time is an agreed upon amount of time to complete the service request specified in the service level agreement, and wherein the completion time is less than the promised completion time;

fourth instructions for generating a second rebate in response to breeching the service level agreement;

fifth instructions for providing the first rebate and the second to a customer when a plurality of discrepancies between the current service level and the promised service level occur, wherein the first rebate and the second rebate assure that the customer pays for service rendered, wherein one of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to successfully completing the service request using less time than specified in the service level agreement, and wherein another of the plurality of discrepancies occurs in response to breeching to the service level agreement;

sixth instructions for retrieving additional details of the at least one of the infrastructure view and the application view by clicking on a component of the at least one of the infrastructure view and the application view, wherein the additional details include the rebate and an impact for breaching the service level agreement; and

seventh instructions for switching between the infrastructure view and the application view.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 further comprising:

instructions for alerting at least one of a customer, a service provider, and a utility computing host of the plurality of discrepancies between the current service level and the promised service level, wherein the relationship shows a severity level for the plurality of discrepancies.