Apparatus, system, and method for enforcing policy requirements associated with a service

• US 8,185,962 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Moore, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agwumezie, Charles C
• Application Number:
  US12/275,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20100132050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 726/12, 705/50, 709/203, 709/220
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 wherein the managed service relates to web hosting

Abstract

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions including instructions that when executed by a processor enable a service provider to track and enforce policy requirements associated with a provided service of the service provider. The application software configured to provide notification of the policy requirements and to trigger an intentional degradation of the provided service as a function of time when a user fails to comply with at least one of the policy requirements.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a network service comprising:

determining, by a processor, that a user of the network service is not complying with at least one policy requirement associated with the network service;

notifying the user, using an electronic network interface, of the noncompliance with the at least one policy requirement;

determining, after a specified period of time, that the user has continued to not comply with the at least one policy requirement after notifying the user of the noncompliance;

degrading a level of service provided to the user as part of the network service in response to determining that the user has continued to not comply, after the specified period of time, with the at least one policy requirement, while continuing to allow the user to access the network service in a reduced manner;

notifying the user, using an electronic network interface, of the degradation of the level of service;

continuing to degrade the level of service in proportion to a period of time in which the user continues to not comply with the at least one policy requirement;

determining that the user has complied with the at least one policy requirement; and

restoring the level of service to the user in response to determining that the user has complied with the at least one policy requirement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the network service, wherein monitoring includes monitoring a web-based provided service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a compliance schedule associated with the network service to the user in response to determining that the user has not complied with the at least one policy requirement.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

degrading the level of service as a function of a service attribute.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein degrading the level of service comprises restricting availability of the network service to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein degrading the level of service comprises restricting one of performance and accuracy of the network service with respect to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein restricting accuracy of the network service comprises reducing accuracy of the network service with respect to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein degrading the level of service comprises restricting specific functions of the network service with respect to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one policy requirement is selected from a group consisting of configuration management, account balance, and data synchronization.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the user is accomplished via one of emailing, texting and phoning.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions including instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining that a user of the network service is not complying with at least one policy requirement associated with the network service;

notifying the user, using an electronic network interface, of the noncompliance with the at least one policy requirement;

determining, after a specified period of time, that the user has continued to not comply with the at least one policy requirement after notifying the user of the noncompliance;

degrading a level of service provided to the user as part of the network service in response to determining that the user has continued to not comply, after the specified period of time, with the at least one policy requirement, while continuing to allow the user to access the network service in a reduced manner;

notifying the user, using an electronic network interface, of the degradation of the level of service;

continuing to degrade the level of service in proportion to a period of time in which the user continues to not comply with the at least one policy requirement;

determining that the user has complied with the at least one policy requirement; and

restoring the level of service to the user in response to determining that the user has complied with the at least one policy requirement.

12. A system for providing a web-based service, comprising:

a processing system comprising one or more processors; and

a memory system comprising one or more computer-readable media, wherein the computer-readable media store instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising;

determining, by a processor, that a user of the network service is not complying with at least one policy requirement associated with the network service;

notifying the user, using an electronic network interface, of the noncompliance with the at least one policy requirement;

determining, after a specified period of time, that the user has continued to not comply with the at least one policy requirement after notifying the user of the noncompliance;

degrading a level of service provided to the user as part of the network service in response to determining that the user has continued to not comply, after the specified period of time, with the at least one policy requirement, while continuing to allow the user to access the network service in a reduced manner;

notifying the user, using an electronic network interface, of the degradation of the level of service;

continuing to degrade the level of service in proportion to a period of time in which the user continues to not comply with the at least one policy requirement;

determining that the user has complied with the at least one policy requirement; and

restoring the level of service to the user in response to determining that the user has complied with the at least one policy requirement.

13. A system according to claim 12, the operations further comprising:

providing a compliance schedule associated with the network service to the user in response to determining that the user has not complied with the at least one policy requirement.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein degrading the level of service comprises restricting availability of the network service to the user.

15. A system according to claim 12, wherein degrading the level of service comprises restricting one of performance and accuracy of the network service with respect to the user.

16. A system according to claim 12, wherein degrading the level of service comprises reducing accuracy of the network service with respect to the user.

17. A system according to claim 12, wherein degrading the level of service comprises restricting a specific function of the network service with respect to the user.