System and method for providing service level management

• US 7,937,460 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vaught, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): BILGRAMI, ASGHAR H
• Application Number:
  US10/886,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,491 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/225, 705/32
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A system and method for providing service level management in a web-based environment are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes intercepting a communication between a web-based environment and a client. The client is identified based, at least in part, on the communication. A web-based application is also identified based, at least in part, on the communication, with the web-based application associated with the web-based environment. The communication is processed using the identified web-based application. A real-time service level is determined for the identified client based, at least in part, on the processing of the communication by the web-based application.

Claims

1. A method for service level processing of a web-based application associated with a web-based environment comprising:

intercepting, at a management engine, a request from a client that is addressed to the web-based application, wherein the request is not addressed to the management engine;

identifying, by the management engine, the client based, at least in part, on the request;

identifying, by the management engine, the web-based application based, at least in part, on the request;

retrieving, by the management engine, predefined account information regarding the identified client;

determining, at the management engine, whether to process the request, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the predefined account information and the intercepted request;

allowing the request to be processed by the web-based application when it is determined that the request is to be processed;

monitoring, at the management engine, processing of the request by the web-based application;

determining, at the management engine, a real-time service level for the processing of the request based on the monitoring; and

assigning a monetary value to the processing of the request based, at least in part, on the predefined account information and the real-time service level.

2. The method of claim 1, the request comprising an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from the client.

3. The method of claim 1, the real-time service level comprising at least one of the following:

response time;

unsuccessful request;

session failures;

method failures;

or

error count.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the client account information comprises a list of a plurality of web-based applications for use by the client, the plurality of web-based applications including the web-based application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client account information comprises an account balance for the client and a predetermined fee for processing the request, the method further comprising:

communicating an alert when the predetermined fee exceeds the account balance.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether to process the request includes determining whether the predetermined fee exceeds the account balance.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors configured to determine whether to process the request are further configured to determine whether the predetermined fee exceeds the account balance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the client account information comprises at least one service level parameter for determining whether a service level associated with processing the request is acceptable, the method further comprising:

comparing the real-time service level to the at least one service level parameter; and

determining whether the real-time service level is acceptable based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 8, the client comprising a customer and the method further comprising:

when it is determined that the real-time service level is unacceptable, determining a monetary value based on the unacceptable determination and a predetermined fee associated with processing the request, and

determining a chargeback for the customer based, at least in part, on the monetary value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating an account balance for the customer based on the chargeback; and

communicating the real-time service level and the account balance to the customer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring processing the request by the web-based application to the client includes receiving, from at least one event tracer, at least one event tracing log that includes data regarding processing the request and wherein determining a real-time service level based on the monitoring includes correlating the data regarding processing the request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data regarding processing the request includes data regarding identification of one or more processes associated with processing the request, start events associated with at least one of the one or more processes, and end events associated with at least one of the one or more processes, and wherein the start events and end events are used, at least in part, to determine the real-time service level.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein intercepting a request from a client further includes an HTTP module monitoring and detecting communications to the web-based application.

14. A system for service level reporting of a web-based application associated with a web-based environment comprising:

one or more processors providing a management engine configured to;

intercept a request from a client that is addressed to a web-based application,

wherein the request is not addressed to the management engine;

identify the client based, at least in part, on the request;

identify the web based application based, at least on part, on the request;

retrieving predefined account information regarding the identified client;

determine whether to process the request, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the predefined account information and the intercepted request;

allow the request to be processed by the web-based application when it is determined that the request is to be processed;

monitor processing of the request by the web-based application;

determine a real-time service level of processing of the request based on the monitoring; and

assigning a monetary value to processing of the request based, at least in part, on the predefined account information and the real-time service level.

15. The system of claim 14, the request comprising an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from the client.

16. The system of claim 14, the real-time service level comprising at least one of the following:

response time;

unsuccessful request;

session failures;

method failures;

or

error count.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the client account information comprises a list of a plurality of web-based applications for use by the client, the plurality of web-based applications comprising the web-based application.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the client account information comprises an account balance for the client and a predetermined fee for processing the request, the one or more processors further configured to:

communicate an alert when the predetermined fee exceeds the account balance.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the client account information comprises at least one service level parameter for determining whether a service level associated with processing the request is acceptable, the one or more processors further configured to:

compare the real-time service level to the at least one service level parameter; and

determine whether the real-time service level is acceptable based on the comparison.

20. The system of claim 19, the client comprising a customer and the one or more processors further configured to:

when it is determined that the real-time service level is unacceptable, determine a monetary value based on the unacceptable determination and a predetermined fee associated with processing the request, and

determine a chargeback for the customer based, at least in part, on the monetary value.

21. The system of claim 20, the one or more processors further configured to:

update an account balance for the customer based on the chargeback; and

communicate the real-time service level and the account balance to the customer.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors configured to monitor processing the request by the web-based application are further configured to receive, from at least one event tracer, at least one event tracing log that includes data regarding processing the request and wherein the one or more processors configured to determine a real-time service level based on the monitoring are further configured to correlate the data regarding processing the request.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the data regarding processing the request includes data regarding identification of one or more processes associated with processing the request, start events associated with at least one of the one or more processes and end events associated with at least one of the one or more processes, and wherein the one or more processors configured to determine the real-time service level utilize, at least in part, the start events and the end events to determine the real-time service level.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors configured to intercept a request from a client are further configured to provide an HTTP module that monitors and detects communications to the web-based application.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for service level processing of a web-based application associated with a web-based environment, the instructions configuring one or more processors when executed to:

intercept, at a management engine, a request from a client that is addressed to the web-based application, wherein the request is not addressed to the management engine;

identify, by the management engine, the client based, at least in part, on the request;

identify, by the management engine, the web-based application based, at least in part, on the request;

retrieving, by the management engine, predefined account information regarding the identified client;

determine, at the management engine, whether to process the request, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the predefined account information and the intercepted request;

allow the request to be processed by the web-based application when it is determined that the request is to be processed;

monitor, at the management engine, processing of the request by the web-based application to the client;

determine, at the management engine, a real-time service level for the processing of the request based on the monitoring; and

assign a monetary value to the processing the reguest based, at least in part, on the predefined account information and the real-time service level.

26. A method for service level processing of a web-based application associated with a web-based environment comprising:

intercepting, at a management engine, a request from a client that is addressed to a server that provides the web-based application;

determining, by the management engine, whether the request includes an address for the client;

identifying, by the management engine, the client based on the address, when the request includes an address;

determining, by the management engine, whether a cookie can be retrieved from the client when the request does not include an address;

receiving, at the management engine, the cookie from the client when it is determined that a cookie can be retrieved from the client;

identifying, by the management engine, the client based on the cookie when a cookie is received from the client;

determining, by the management engine, whether the request includes a password when the request does not include an address for the client and a cookie cannot be retrieved from the client;

identifying, by the management engine, the client based on the password when the request includes a password;

identifying, by the management engine, the web-based application based, at least in part, on the request;

retrieving, by the management engine, predefined account information regarding the identified client;

determining, at the management engine, whether to process the request, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the predefined account information and the intercepted request;

allowing the request to be processed by the web-based application when it is determined that the request is to be processed;

monitoring, at the management engine, processing of the request by the web-based application;

determining, at the management engine, a real-time service level for the processing of the request based on the monitoring; and

assigning a monetary value to the processing of the request based, at least in part, on the predefined account information and the real-time service level.