Method and system for calculating cost of an asset using a data model

• US 8,234,223 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Troux Technologies, Inc. (Planview Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Troux Technologies, Inc. (Planview Incorporated)
• Inventors: Maginniss, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clark, David J
• Application Number:
  US11/117,039
• Time in Patent Office: 2,651 Days
• Field of Search: 705/400, 705/7.35, 700/107
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

Systems and methods for calculating dependencies and costs of assets which take into account the costs of the infrastructure and resources needed to support that asset are disclosed. A data model of an arbitrary system may be used to create a dependency map for one or more of the components within the data model, taking into account the dependency chain of the component. Utilizing the costs of various components in this dependency chain, the cost of the original component may then be calculated.

Claims

1. A method for determining the cost of an asset in an environment, where the environment is modeled using a data model comprising a set of components and relationships representing logical or physical entities in an environment and the relationships between these entities, wherein each of the components and relationships in the data model has a type and a set of properties wherein each of the values for the type and set of properties of each of the components and relationships in the data model are based on the entities in the environment, each relationship represents a directional dependency associated with a first component and a second component and the data model is stored using a table schema comprising a component table for storing each component and a relationship table for storing each relationship, comprising:

I. identifying an entity in the environment for which a cost is to be determined;

II. calculating, by a computing device, the cost for the entity using a first component of the data model representing the entity, where calculating the cost for the entity comprises;

A. determining a set of dependency chains that begin with the first component and end with a last component, wherein each dependency chain is different and comprises a set of components including the first component and the last component and a set of relationships between those components, wherein determining the set of dependency chains comprises;

i. determining one or more relationships associated with the first component, and for each of the relationships;

a. analyzing the relationship based on the type and directional dependency of the relationship to determine if the relationship is a cost-conferring relationship, and

b. when the relationship is determined to be cost-conferring, adding the relationship and a second component associated with the relationship to the dependency chain, and

c. determining if the dependency chain is in the set of dependency chains and, if not, adding the dependency chain to the set of dependency chains where the second component is the last component of the newly added dependency chain, and

d. determining if the second component is the last component, if not, repeating the analyzing, adding and determining steps until the second component is the last component;

III. calculating a cost for each of the dependency chains, wherein calculating a cost for a dependency chains comprises;

A. determining a cost associated with each of the components in the dependency chain,

B. determining an attribution percentage associated with each of the set of relationships of the dependency chain based on the type of each relationship, wherein the attribution percentage is equal to or less than 100%, and

C. multiplying the attribution percentages for each of the set of relationships and the cost of the last component of the dependency chain; and

IV. summing the costs for each of the dependency chains.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of dependency chains comprises eliminating a dependency chain if the set of components of the dependency chain includes two or more of the same component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of dependency chains utilizes a graph traversal algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribution percentages are scaled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each cost is stored in a cost model.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribution percentages associated with each of the set of relationships sum to 100%.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data model represents an enterprise architecture.

8. A system for determining the cost of an asset in an environment, comprising:

a modeling computer configured to model an environment using a data model comprising a set of components and relationships representing logical or physical entities in an environment and the relationships between these entities, wherein each of the components and relationships in the data model has a type and a set of properties wherein each of the values for the type and set of properties of each of the components and relationships in the data model are based on the entities in the environment, each relationship represents a directional dependency associated with a first component and a second component and the data model is stored using a table schema comprising a component table for storing each component and a relationship table for storing each relationship, by;

I. identifying an entity in the environment for which a cost is to be determined;

II. calculating, by a computing device, the cost for the entity using a first component of the data model representing the entity, where calculating the cost for the entity comprises;

A. determining a set of dependency chains that begin with the first component and end with a last component, wherein each dependency chain is different and comprises a set of components including the first component and the last component and a set of relationships between those components, wherein determining the set of dependency chains comprises;

i. determining one or more relationships associated with the first component, and for each of the relationships;

 

a. analyzing the relationship based on the type and directional dependency of the relationship to determine if the relationship is a cost-conferring relationship, and

 

b. when the relationship is determined to be cost-conferring, adding the relationship and a second component associated with the relationship to the dependency chain, and

 

c. determining if the dependency chain is in the set of dependency chains and, if not, adding the dependency chain to the set of dependency chains where the second component is the last component of the newly added dependency chain, and

 

d. determining if the second component is the last component, if not, repeating the analyzing, adding and determining steps until the second component is the last component;

III. calculating a cost for each of the dependency chains, wherein calculating a cost for a dependency chains comprises;

A. determining a cost associated with each of the components in the dependency chain,

B. determining an attribution percentage associated with each of the set of relationships of the dependency chain based on the type of each relationship, wherein the attribution percentage is equal to or less than 100%, and

C. multiplying the attribution percentages for each of the set of relationships and the cost of the last component of the dependency chain; and

IV. summing the costs for each of the dependency chains.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the set of dependency chains comprises eliminating a dependency chain if the set of components of the dependency chain includes two or more of the same component.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the set of dependency chains utilizes a graph traversal algorithm.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the attribution percentages are scaled.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein each cost is stored in a cost model.

13. The system of claim 8, Wherein the attribution percentages associated with each of the set of relationships sum to 100%.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the data model represents an enterprise architecture.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for determining the cost of an asset in an environment, where the environment is modeled using a data model comprising a set of components and relationships representing logical or physical entities in an environment and the relationships between these entities, wherein each of the components and relationships in the data model has a type and a set of properties wherein each of the values for the type and set of properties of each of the components and relationships in the data model are based on the entities in the environment, each relationship represents a directional dependency associated with a first component and a second component and the data model is stored using a table schema comprising a component table for storing each component and a relationship table for storing each relationship, by:

I. identifying an entity in the environment for which a cost is to be determined;

II. calculating, by a computing device, the cost for the entity using a first component of the data model representing the entity, where calculating the cost for the entity comprises;

A. determining a set of dependency chains that begin with the first component and end with a last component, wherein each dependency chain is different and comprises a set of components including the first component and the last component and a set of relationships between those components, wherein determining the set of dependency chains comprises;

i. determining one or more relationships associated with the first component, and for each of the relationships;

a. analyzing the relationship based on the type and directional dependency of the relationship to determine if the relationship is a cost-conferring relationship, and

b. when the relationship is determined to be cost-conferring, adding the relationship and a second component associated with the relationship to the dependency chain, and

c. determining if the dependency chain is in the set of dependency chains and, if not, adding the dependency chain to the set of dependency chains where the second component is the last component of the newly added dependency chain, and

d. determining if the second component is the last component, if not, repeating the analyzing, adding and determining steps until the second component is the last component;

III. calculating a cost for each of the dependency chains, wherein calculating a cost for a dependency chains comprises;

A. determining a cost associated with each of the components in the dependency chain,

B. determining an attribution percentage associated with each of the set of relationships of the dependency chain based on the type of each relationship, wherein the attribution percentage is equal to or less than 100%, and

C. multiplying the attribution percentages for each of the set of relationships and the cost of the last component of the dependency chain; and

IV. summing the costs for each of the dependency chains.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the set of dependency chains comprises eliminating a dependency chain if the set of components of the dependency chain includes two or more of the same component.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the set of dependency chains utilizes a graph traversal algorithm.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the attribution percentages are scaled.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein each cost is stored in a cost model.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the attribution percentages associated with each of the set of relationships sum to 100%.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the data model represents an enterprise architecture.