System and method for generating a visual representation of a service and service management system employing the same

• US 8,321,807 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pelley, Edward S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/276,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 715710-715, 715/751, 715/762, 715/763, 715/771, 715/772
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Various systems and methods for generating visual representations of services. In one embodiment, one method generates a static visual representation and includes: (1) retrieving a service description associated with the service, (2) retrieving end points associated with the service, (3) mapping the end points into roles assumed with respect to the service description and (4) for at least some of the roles, rendering the end points in the visual representation.

Claims

1. A method of generating a dynamic visual representation of a service with dynamic relationships, comprising:

retrieving a service description associated with said service, wherein said service description defines said service in terms of end points that assume roles based on at least one of capabilities and attributes of said end points, wherein each of said roles reveals actions to be taken with respect to each of said end points to perform said service and defines functions, alerts, and key-value pairs of interest for each of said end points to perform said actions;

retrieving end points associated with said service;

mapping said end points into roles and relationships assumed with respect to said service description, wherein said relationships are defined in terms of two roles;

rendering said end points in said dynamic visual representation; and

for at least some of said roles, rendering relationships of end points to other end points specified in said relationships in said dynamic visual representation, wherein said dynamic visual representation is employed to confirm relationships between said end points and detect potential errors in performing said service, and said rendering is performed by a processor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising rendering said at least some of said roles in said dynamic visual representation.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said rendering comprises rendering said relationships for all of said roles.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said end points are selected from the group consisting of devices and systems.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said rendering said relationships comprises employing a display screen.

6. A method of generating a dynamic visual representation of a service through indirect relationship rules, comprising:

retrieving a service description associated with said service, wherein said service description defines said service in terms of end points that assume roles based on at least one of capabilities and attributes of said end points, wherein each of said roles reveals actions to be taken with respect to each of said end points to perform said service and defines functions, alerts, and key-value pairs of interest for each of said end points to perform said actions;

retrieving end points associated with said service;

mapping said end points into roles and relationships assumed with respect to said service description, wherein said relationships are defined in terms of said key-value pairs that identifies a specific end point;

rendering said end points in said dynamic visual representation;

for at least some of said roles;

collecting data from end points according to specified relationships,

employing said data to determine further relationships among said end points, and

rendering said further relationships in said dynamic visual representation;

wherein said dynamic visual representation is employed to confirm relationships between said end points and detect potential errors in performing said service, and said rendering is performed by a processor.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising rendering said at least some of said roles in said dynamic visual representation.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said rendering comprises rendering said further relationships for all of said roles.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said end points are selected from the group consisting of devices and systems.

10. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said rendering said further relationships comprises employing a display screen.

11. A service management system, comprising:

a processor;

a service description repository configured to contain service descriptions that define services in terms of a set of systems and devices that assume roles based on at least one of capabilities and attributes of said end points, wherein each of said roles reveals actions to be taken with respect to each of said end points to perform said service and defines function, alerts, and key-value pairs of interest for each of said end points to perform said actions;

a device repository configured to contain data regarding said devices; and

a service management engine coupled to said service description repository and said device repository; and

an application configured to employ said service management engine to generate;

a dynamic visual representation for which said devices and systems are tagged with said roles played and said service management system is configured to map each of said devices and systems to others thereof through dynamic relationship rules, and

a dynamic visual representation for which said dynamic relationships specify data within associated roles, data forming relationships among said devices and systems;

wherein said dynamic visual representations are employed to confirm relationships between said end points and detect potential errors in performing said service.

12. The service management system as recited in claim 11 wherein said application is further configured to render said at least some of said roles in said dynamic visual representation.