Management of enterprise systems and applications using three-dimensional visualization technology

• US 7,839,401 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Osias, Michael J, Dillenberger, Donna N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajnik; Daniel F
• Application Number:
  US11/747,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

An approach that manages enterprise systems and applications using three-dimensional visualization technology is described. In one embodiment, a system for streaming visual representations of an enterprise in near-real time. A multitude of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters are each configured to obtain event data from hardware and software elements in the enterprise. A virtual command center is configured to receive the event data, aggregate the event data into a composite dataset representative of the current operation of the enterprise, compare the composite dataset to at least one three-dimensional model representative of the operation of the geographically distributed enterprise, and provide a visualization of the composite data and any difference that may exist. The visualization is a composite of a three-dimensional visual image of the current operation of the geographically distributed enterprise.

Claims

1. A method for streaming visual representations from a plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters in near-real time, comprising:

receiving non-three dimensional event data from the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters, each datacenter comprising a holograph enterprise interface that contains components for encoding the non-three dimensional event data into a Holographic Protocol Architecture (HPA), wherein the Holographic Protocol Architecture is a protocol specification that defines packet types and conversation patterns to interact with a virtual command center via a communication network;

transforming the non-three dimensional event data from each of the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters into three-dimensional holographic event data of the hardware and software elements that each datacenter is managing;

aggregating the three-dimensional holographic event data into a composite three-dimensional holographic dataset representative of the current operation of the geographically distributed enterprise;

comparing the composite three-dimensional holographic dataset to at least one three-dimensional mode representative of the operation of the geographically distributed interprise;

ascertaining differences between the composite three-dimensional holographic dataset and the at least one three-dimensional model, wherein the differences are indicative of potentially troubling operation; and

providing a visualization at a communications hub in the virtual command center of both the composite data and any difference that may exist, wherein the visualization comprises a three-dimensional composite visual image of the current operation of the geographically distributed enterprise.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising building the at least one three-dimensional model from the three-dimensional holographic event data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visualization contains a warning that is indicative of potentially troubling operation of at least one of the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing messages to the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise data-centers for controlling operation thereof.

5. A system for streaming visual representations of an enterprise in near-real time, comprising:

a plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters each configured to obtain non-three dimensional event data from hardware and software elements in the enterprise;

a holographic enterprise interface containing component for encoding the non-three dimensional event data into a Holographic Protocol Architecture (HPA), wherein the Holographic Protocol Architecture is a protocol specification that define packet types and conversation patterns to interact with a three-dimensional simulator via a communication network, wherein the holographic enterprise interface is configured to transform the non-three dimensional event data from each of the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters into three-dimensional holographic event data; and

a virtual command center configured to receive the three-dimensional holographic event data from the holographic enterprise interface using the Holographic Protocol Architecture, aggregate the three-dimensional holographic event data into a composite three-dimensional holographic dataset representative of the current operation of the enterprise, compare the composite three-dimensional holographic dataset to at least one three-dimensional model representative of the operation of the geographically distributed enterprise, and provide a visualization at a communication hub of the composite data and any difference that may exist wherein the visualization comprises a composite a three-dimensional visual image of the current operation of the geographically distributed enterprise,

wherein the virtual command center is further configured to ascertain differences between the composite three-dimensional holographic dataset and the at least one three-dimensional model, wherein the differences are indicative of potentially troubling operation of at least one of the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the virtual command center is further configured to build the at least one three-dimensional model from the three-dimensional holographic event data.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the visualization contains a warning that is indicative of the potentially troubling operation of at least one of the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, which when executed, enables a computer system to stream visual representations from a plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters in near-real time, the computer instructions comprising:

receiving non-three dimensional event data from the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters, wherein each datacenter comprises a holograph enterprise interface that contains components for encoding the non-three dimensional event data into a Holographic Protocol Architecture (HPA), wherein the Holographic Protocol Archetecture is a protocol specification that defines packet types and conversation patterns to interact with a virtual command center via a communication network;

transforming the non-three dimensional event data from each of the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters into three-dimensional holographic event data of the hardware and software elements that each datacenter is managing;

aggregating the three-dimensional holographic event data into a composite three-dimensional holographic dataset representative of the current operation of the geographically distributed enterprise;

comparing the composite three-dimensional holographic dataset to at least one three-dimensional model representative of the operation of the geographically distributed enterprise;

ascertaining differences between the composite three-dimensional holographic dataset and the at least one three-dimensional model, wherein the differences are indicative of potentially troubling operation; and

providing a visualization at a communications huh in the virtual command center of both the composite data and any difference that may exist, wherein the visualization comprises a three-dimensional composite visual image of the current operation of the geographically distributed enterprise.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for building the at least one three-dimensional model from the three-dimensional holographic event data.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the visualization contains a warning that is indicative of potentially troubling operation of at least one of the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters.

11. A method for deploying an enterprise visualization tool for use in a computer system that streams visual representations of an enterprise in near-real time, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

none-three dimensional event data from the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters, each datacenter comprising a holographic enterprise interface that contains components for encoding the non-three dimensional event data into a holographic Protocol Architecture (HPA), wherein the Holographic Protocol Architecture is a protocol specification that defines packet types and conversation patterns to interact with a virtual command center via a communication network;

transform the non-three dimensional event data from each of the plurality of geographically distributed enterprise datacenters into three-dimensional holographic event data of the hardware and software elements that each datacenter is managing;

aggregate the three-dimensional holographic event data into a composite three-dimensional holographic dataset representative of the current operation of the geographically distributed enterprise;

compare the composite thr e-dimension holographic dataset to at least one three-dimensional model representative of the operation of the geographically distributed enterprise;

ascertain differences between the composite three-dimensional holographic dataset and the at least one three-dimensional model, wherein the differences are indicative of potentially troubling operation; and

provide a visualization at a communications hub in the virtual command center of both the composite data and any difference that may exist, wherein the visualization comprises a three-dimensional composite visual image of the current operation of the geographically distributed enterprise.