Operator messaging within an environment for operating multiple computing systems
First Claim
1. A method for sending a message from a first operator at a first of a plurality of workstations to a second operator at a second of the plurality of workstations in an operations-computing arrangement for operating one or more computer systems, the operations-computing arrangement including the first and second workstations coupled to respective operations servers and each of the plurality of workstations coupled to at least one of the operations servers, wherein each operations server is coupled to at least one computer system, each workstation executes software that provides an operator interface for operating a computer system and hosts a plurality of workstation applications, and each operations server provides an interface to a computer system, the method comprising:
- generating system event reports in response to computer system events detected by an operations server;
transmitting the system event reports to one or more selected operations workstations;
displaying data associated with the system event reports at the one or more operations workstations;
providing an operator interface for entry of a text message at the first workstation;
providing a plurality of operator-selectable identifiers of workstation applications and a plurality of operator-selectable types of event-reports for use in association with the text message;
transmitting the text message from the first workstation to an operations server;
generating at the operations server system a system event report that is of the type specified by the operator and that contains the text message and an associated identifier of a workstation application specified by the operator for the text message;
transmitting the system event report that contains the text message from the operations server to the second workstation;
wherein the generating and transmitting of the system event report that contains the text message are performed without waiting for a computer system event;
transmitting the event report to the workstation application identified by the associated identifier;
displaying the system event report that contains the text message at the second workstation in a window in which a format of displayed data depends on the type of event report;
providing a plurality of operator-selectable names of operations servers for use in association with the text message;
wherein transmitting a message from a workstation to a messaging server includes transmitting to the messaging server in association with the message a name of an operator-selected destination operations server; and
connecting to a messaging server on the destination operations server, and transmitting the message to the messaging server on the destination operations server.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for sending a message from a first operator at a first workstation to a second operator at a second workstation in an operations-computing arrangement for operating one or more computer systems. The operations-computing arrangement includes the first and second workstations, which are coupled to respective operations servers. Each operations server is coupled to at least one computer system, each workstation executes software that provides an operator interface for operating a computer system, and each operations server provides an interface to a computer system. The infrastructure used to transmit system-generated event reports to operators at the workstations is used to transmit text messages between operators.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for sending a message from a first operator at a first of a plurality of workstations to a second operator at a second of the plurality of workstations in an operations-computing arrangement for operating one or more computer systems, the operations-computing arrangement including the first and second workstations coupled to respective operations servers and each of the plurality of workstations coupled to at least one of the operations servers, wherein each operations server is coupled to at least one computer system, each workstation executes software that provides an operator interface for operating a computer system and hosts a plurality of workstation applications, and each operations server provides an interface to a computer system, the method comprising:
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generating system event reports in response to computer system events detected by an operations server; transmitting the system event reports to one or more selected operations workstations; displaying data associated with the system event reports at the one or more operations workstations; providing an operator interface for entry of a text message at the first workstation; providing a plurality of operator-selectable identifiers of workstation applications and a plurality of operator-selectable types of event-reports for use in association with the text message; transmitting the text message from the first workstation to an operations server; generating at the operations server system a system event report that is of the type specified by the operator and that contains the text message and an associated identifier of a workstation application specified by the operator for the text message; transmitting the system event report that contains the text message from the operations server to the second workstation; wherein the generating and transmitting of the system event report that contains the text message are performed without waiting for a computer system event; transmitting the event report to the workstation application identified by the associated identifier; displaying the system event report that contains the text message at the second workstation in a window in which a format of displayed data depends on the type of event report; providing a plurality of operator-selectable names of operations servers for use in association with the text message; wherein transmitting a message from a workstation to a messaging server includes transmitting to the messaging server in association with the message a name of an operator-selected destination operations server; and connecting to a messaging server on the destination operations server, and transmitting the message to the messaging server on the destination operations server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus for sending a message from a first operator at a first of a plurality of workstations to a second operator at a second of the plurality of workstations in an operations-computing arrangement for operating one or more computer systems, the operations-computing arrangement including the first and second workstations coupled to respective operations servers and each of the plurality of workstations coupled to at least one of the operations servers, wherein each operations server is coupled to at least one computer system, each workstation executes software that provides an operator interface for operating a computer system and hosts a plurality of workstation applications, and each operations server provides an interface to a computer system, the method comprising:
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means for generating system event reports in response to computer system events detected by an operations server; means for transmitting the system event reports to one or more selected operations workstations; means for displaying data associated with the system event reports at the one or more operations workstations; means for providing an operator interface for entry of a text message at the first workstation; means for providing a plurality of operator-selectable identifiers of workstation applications and a plurality of operator-selectable types of event-reports for use in association with the text message; means for transmitting the text message from the first workstation to an operations server; means for generating at the operations server system a system event report that is of the type specified by the operator and that contains the text message and an associated identifier of a workstation application specified by the operator for the text message; means for transmitting the system event report that contains the text message from the operations server to the second workstation; wherein the means for generating and means for transmitting the system event report that contains the text message do not wait for a computer system event; means for transmitting the event report to the workstation application identified by the associated identifier; means for displaying the system event report that contains the text message at the second workstation in a window in which a format of displayed data depends on the type of event report; means for providing a plurality of operator-selectable names of operations servers for use in association with the text message; wherein the means for transmitting a message from a workstation to a messaging server includes means for transmitting to the messaging server in association with the message a name of an operator-selected destination operations server; and means for connecting to a messaging server on the destination operations server, and transmitting the message to the messaging server on the destination operations server.
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6. A system for sending messages between operators at operations workstations in an operations-computing arrangement for operating a plurality of computer systems, comprising:
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a plurality of operations workstations, wherein each operations workstation hosts a plurality of operations applications, each application providing an operator interface for operating a computer system; a plurality of operations servers coupled to the operations workstations and coupled to the computer systems, each operations server providing an interface to a computer system and configured to generate system event reports in response to computer system events and to transmit the system event reports to one or more selected operations applications; wherein each operations application is configured to display data associated with the system event reports; wherein at least one of the operations applications is configured to provide an operator interface for entry of a text message, provide a plurality of operator-selectable types of event-reports and operator-selectable identifiers of the operations applications for use in association with the text message, and transmit the text message to an operations server, and each operations server is configured to transmit a text message to a selected operations server, selectively generate a system event report from a text message, and transmit the event report to an operations application identified by the associated identifier of a workstation application specified by the operator for the text message, wherein the operations server generates and transmits the system event report that contains the text message without waiting for a computer system event; wherein each operations server is further configured to generate an event report of a type specified by an operator for a text message; at least one of the workstation applications is configured to display a system event report that contains a text message in a window in which a format of displayed data depends on an operator-selected type of event report; wherein the operations application that is configured to provide an operator interface for entry of a text message is further configured to provide a plurality of operator-selectable names of destination operations servers for use in association with a text message; and wherein each messaging server is further configured to connect to a messaging server on the destination operations server and transmit an operator-entered text message to the messaging server on the destination operations server. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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Specification