Method and system for determining a management complexity factor for delivering services in an environment

• US 7,979,513 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Birch, John G., Spencley, Philip T., Duvvur, Akilesh V., Garvey, Sean P., Hix, Gary R., Edgar, William S., Echaniz, John F., Sharib, Matthew G., O'Keefe, Stephen T., Winner, Gerald T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong; Dohm
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dailey; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US11/730,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20070234301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/224, 709/226, 703/2
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design

Abstract

Method and system for determining a management complexity factor for an environment, such as an information technology (IT) environment, is disclosed. A management complexity factor represents the needless complexity, inefficiencies and waste in an environment. An IT environment includes different platforms, systems, and components that have an effect on changes and upgrades within the environment. The impact of the changes or upgrades is reduced if the environment has increased coordination, few single points of failure, high information availability, a high level of automation and the like. The management complexity factor is determined by evaluating several metrics according to objective criteria and weighing the metrics according to their importance. Using the management complexity factor, strategies and targets are identified to lower the complexity and inefficiencies within the environment.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for determining a complexity factor for an environment, the method comprising:

a processor determining a value of a metric of a plurality of metrics, wherein the metric corresponds to a component of the environment;

the processor assigning the metric and a corresponding component to one of a plurality of tiers, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers corresponds to a tier value for a tier weight, and wherein the tier value for the tier weight describes a relative importance of each of the plurality of tiers for overall delivery of services by the environment;

the processor determining a management complexity factor for the environment using values of the plurality of metrics and tier values for tier weights for the plurality of tiers, wherein the management complexity factor indicates an overall complexity of the environment,

the processor calculating a potential management complexity factor for a new environment derived from the environment using potential values of the plurality of metrics and the tier values for the tier weights for the plurality of tiers, wherein the potential values are optimized values according to industry best practices;

the processor comparing the management complexity factor for the environment with the potential complexity factor for the new environment; and

the processor generating a deliverable document with the management complexity factor.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metrics comprises architectural complexity, process maturity, level of automation, information availability, use of tools, skill alignment, rate of reactive changes, and expected growth for the environment.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said assigning includes:

assigning a first tier weight value for first tier weight to a first tier of the plurality of tiers; and

assigning second tier weight value for a second tier weight to a second tier of the plurality of tiers, wherein first tier weight value for the first tier weight is greater than the second tier weight value for second tier weight to indicate that components in the first tier have a greater impact on an efficiency of overall delivery of services than components of the second tier.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said assigning includes:

assigning a first tier weight to a first tier of the plurality of tiers;

assigning a second tier weight to a second tier of the plurality of tiers; and

assigning a third tier weight to a third tier of the plurality of tiers.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the value of the metric is derived by determining how closely the component comports with industry best practices for the component.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the component corresponding to the metric to reduce the management complexity factor.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the tier values for the tier weights provide a mechanism to emphasize an importance of a specific metric for a component within a specific tier, wherein the importance relates to an effect the specific metric has on the overall complexity of the environment.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tiers comprises three tiers.

9. A computer program product for determining a complexity factor for an environment, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage media;

first program instructions for determining a value of a metric of a plurality of metrics, wherein the metric corresponds to a component of the environment;

second program instructions for assigning the metric and a corresponding component to one of a plurality of tiers, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers corresponds to a tier value for a tier weight, and wherein the tier value for the tier weight describes a relative importance of each of the plurality of tiers for overall delivery of services by the environment;

third program instructions for determining a management complexity factor for the environment using values of the plurality of metrics and tier values for tier weights for the plurality of tiers, wherein the management complexity factor indicates an overall complexity of the environment,

fourth program instructions for calculating a potential management complexity factor for a new environment derived from the environment using potential values of the plurality of metrics and the tier values for the tier weights for the plurality of tiers, wherein the potential values are optimized values according to industry best practices;

fifth program instructions for comparing the management complexity factor for the environment with the potential complexity factor for the new environment; and

sixth program instructions for generating a deliverable document with the management complexity factor; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media.

10. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions for determining a value of a metric of a plurality of metrics, wherein the metric corresponds to a component of the environment;

second program instructions for assigning the metric and a corresponding component to one of a plurality of tiers, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers corresponds to a tier value for a tier weight, and wherein the tier value for the tier weight describes a relative importance of each of the plurality of tiers for overall delivery of services by the environment;

third program instructions for determining a management complexity factor for the environment using values of the plurality of metrics and tier values for tier weights for the plurality of tiers, wherein the management complexity factor indicates an overall complexity of the environment,

fourth program instructions for calculating a potential management complexity factor for a new environment derived from the environment using potential values of the plurality of metrics and the tier values for the tier weights for the plurality of tiers, wherein the potential values are optimized values according to industry best practices;

fifth program instructions for comparing the management complexity factor for the environment with the potential complexity factor for the new environment; and

sixth program instructions for generating a deliverable document with the management complexity factor; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.