Information technology configuration management

• US 7,949,628 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Gonzalez, Richard Christopher, Blazek, Mark Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US11/321,307
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

The described embodiments contemplate a system, method and computer-readable medium with computer-executable instructions for managing an information technology network. The novel system includes a network of data sources and a federated configuration management database capable of communicating with the data sources. The data sources also may be federated. The federated configuration database management identifies among the data sources. The system also includes a core database that is capable of communicating with the federated configuration management database. The core database defines relationships of the data sources with a business practice.

Claims

1. A system for managing an information technology network, the system comprising:

a computing processor;

a computing memory communicatively coupled with the computing processor comprising;

an input component for collecting information from data sources, wherein the information is related to the modification of at least one of the data sources;

a relationship component, wherein the relationship component;

determines hierarchical dependency relationships among the data sources via interconnectivity of the information technology network;

identifies relationships of the data sources to a business process, wherein the business process is affected by a modification to the data sources; and

identifies at least one business process that may be impacted by the modification of the at least one of the data sources within a configuration management context;

a trending component that trends incidents related to the modified data source, wherein the trended incidents are used to perform preventative maintenance for the information technology network;

an interface component for communicating with a configuration management database; and

an output component for providing an indication of the modified data source, wherein the indication is a hierarchical depiction of the modified data source and the at least one business process that may be impacted.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein modification of the data source includes at least one of the following:

adding a new data source, changing a data source, upgrading a data source, adding a new application, adding a new server/hardware, a software change, a user change.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data source includes at least one of the following:

a personal computer, network hardware, a software application.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one subsystem that manages a configuration of the data sources.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data sources are federated.

6. A method of managing an information technology network, comprising:

collecting information via an input component from data sources, wherein data sources are configurable items and the from the data sources is information related to the modification of at least one of the data sources;

determining relationships among the data sources via a relationship component via interconnectivity of the information technology network, wherein the determined relationships are hierarchical dependency relationships among the data sources;

identifying relationships of the data sources to a business process via the relationship component, wherein the business process is affected by a modification to the data sources;

identifying at least one business process, via the relationship component, that may be impacted by the modification of the at least one of the data sources within a configuration management context;

trending incidents related to the modified data source, wherein the trended incidents are used to perform preventative maintenance for the information technology network;

communicating with a configuration management database via an interface component; and

providing an indication of the modified data source via an output component, wherein the indication is a hierarchical depiction of the modified data source and the at least one business process that may be impacted; and

storing the hierarchical depiction in a memory.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein modification of the data source includes at least one of the following:

adding a new data source, changing a data source, upgrading a data source, adding a new application, adding a new server/hardware, a software change, a user change.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the data source includes at least one of the following:

a personal computer, network hardware, a software application.

9. The method of claim 6, comprising managing a configuration of the data sources.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the data sources are federated.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions for managing an information technology network, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

collecting information from data sources, wherein the information is related to the modification of at least one of the data sources;

determining relationships among the data sources via interconnectivity of the information technology network, wherein the determined relationships are hierarchical dependency relationships among the data source;

communicating with a configuration management database;

identifying relationships of the data sources to a business process, wherein the business process is affected by a modification to the data sources;

identifying at least one business process that may be impacted by the modification of the at least one of the data sources within a configuration management context;

trending incidents related to the modified data source, wherein the trended incidents are used to perform preventative maintenance for the information technology network; and

providing an indication of the modified data source, wherein the indication is a hierarchical depiction of the modified data source and the at least one business process that may be impacted.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein modification of the data source includes at least one of the following:

adding a new data source, changing a data source, upgrading a data source, adding a new application, adding a new server/hardware, a software change, a user change.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the data source includes at least one of the following:

a personal computer, network hardware, a software application.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, having computer-readable instructions for managing a configuration of the data sources.