Method and apparatus for discovering and utilizing atomic services for service delivery

• US 8,468,042 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jaluka, Rajesh, Kumaran, Santhosh B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Benjamin S
• Application Number:
  US11/446,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,570 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/7.42, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer readable medium for identifying and partitioning atomic services in an information technology (IT) environment are included within the invention. More specifically, the invention provides a method and system for identifying service boundaries and partitioning services into atomic services based on the services boundaries. In order to more efficiently provide services in an IT environment, this invention in at least one embodiment utilizes a method of partitioning services into atomic services based on natural services boundaries such that those atomic services may be standardized and reused as needed.

Claims

1. A method for identifying and partitioning a service into at least one atomic service in an environment to fulfill information technology services, the method comprising:

determining whether the entire work to perform at least one of an information technology service and smaller tasks can be automated;

determining whether all tasks can be performed by one person when the entire work to perform said information technology service cannot be automated;

determining whether the entire work can be partitioned to match different skills required to perform different sections in the entire work when all tasks can be performed by one person;

dividing the entire work into the smaller tasks with a processor based on at least one of

different skills required to perform different sections of the entire work, and subteams required to perform the entire work;

determining whether all tasks can be performed by one team when all tasks cannot be performed by one person;

encapsulating at least one of all tasks and the smaller tasks into at least one atomic service with the processor when the entire work to perform at least one of said information technology service and the smaller tasks can be automated; and

storing the at least one atomic service in an atomic services catalog.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said dividing the entire work into the smaller tasks is performed responsive to a determination that the work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

encapsulating said work into an atomic service responsive to a determination that said work cannot be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work, and

storing the encapsulated tasks in an atomic services catalog.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether said team has logical subteams based on skills responsive to a determination that all tasks can be performed by one team.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work responsive to a determination that said team does not have logical subteams based on skills.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

dividing said work into smaller tasks based on skills required to perform said work responsive to a determination that said work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in said work.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether tasks are performed by different subteams responsive to a determination that said team has logical subteams.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether the work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work responsive to a determination that tasks are not performed by different subteams.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

dividing the work into smaller tasks based on subteams required to perform the work responsive to a determination that said work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work;

determining whether the entire work to perform said smaller tasks can be automated;

encapsulating all the smaller tasks into atomic services responsive to a determination that said work can be automated; and

storing said atomic services in an atomic services catalog.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

encapsulating the work into an atomic service responsive to a determination that said work cannot be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work, and

storing the encapsulated tasks in an atomic services catalog.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether said team is accountable for and has clear ownership of said tasks responsive to a determination that the tasks are performed by one team.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

dividing the work into smaller tasks based on teams required to perform the work responsive to a determination that said team is not accountable for or does not have clear ownership of said tasks;

determining whether the entire work to perform said smaller tasks can be automated;

encapsulating said smaller tasks into atomic services responsive to a determination that said work can be automated; and

storing said atomic services in an atomic services catalog.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

encapsulating all the smaller tasks into atomic services responsive to a determination that said team is not accountable for or does not have clear ownership of said tasks; and

delivering said atomic services into an atomic services catalog.

14. A method for identifying and partitioning a service into at least one atomic service in an environment to fulfill information technology services, the method comprising:

determining whether an entire work to perform at least one of an information technology service and smaller tasks can be automated;

determining whether all tasks can be performed by one person when the entire work to perform said information technology service cannot be automated;

determining whether the entire work can be partitioned to match different skills required to perform different sections in the entire work when all tasks can be performed by one person;

determining whether all tasks to perform the entire work can be performed by one team when all tasks cannot be performed by one person, the team having accountability and ownership of all tasks or said team having one or more logical subteams based on skills;

partitioning the entire work into the smaller tasks with a processor to match the different skills required to perform different tasks in the entire work, said partitioning based on the logical subteams;

dividing all tasks into specializations based on team, subteam or skill;

encapsulating at least one of all tasks and the smaller tasks into atomic services with the processor when the entire work to perform at least one of said information technology service and the smaller tasks can be automated; and

storing said atomic services in an atomic services catalog.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said dividing the entire work into the smaller is performed responsive to a determination that the work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

encapsulating said work into an atomic service responsive to a determination that said work cannot be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work, and

storing the encapsulated tasks in an atomic services catalog.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether said team has logical subteams based on skills responsive to a determination that all tasks can be performed by one team.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising determining whether the work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work responsive to a determination that said team does not have logical subteams based on skills.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising dividing said work into smaller tasks based on skills required to perform said work responsive to a determination that said work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in said work.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising determining whether tasks are performed by different subteams responsive to a determination that said team has logical subteams.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

determining whether the work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work responsive to a determination that tasks are not performed by different subteams.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

dividing the work into smaller tasks based on subteams required to perform the work responsive to a determination that said work can be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work;

determining whether the entire work to perform said smaller tasks can be automated;

encapsulating all the smaller tasks into atomic services responsive to a determination that said work can be automated; and

storing said atomic services in an atomic services catalog.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

encapsulating the work into an atomic service responsive to a determination that said work cannot be partitioned to match the different skills required to perform different sections in the work, and

storing the encapsulated tasks in an atomic services catalog.

24. The method according to claim 14, further comprising determining whether said team is accountable for and has clear ownership of said tasks responsive to a determination that the tasks are performed by one team.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising:

dividing the work into smaller tasks based on teams required to perform the work responsive to a determination that said team is not accountable for or does not have clear ownership of said tasks;

determining whether the entire work to perform said smaller tasks can be automated;

encapsulating said smaller tasks into atomic services responsive to a determination that said work can be automated; and

storing said atomic services in an atomic services catalog.

26. The method according to claim 24, further comprising:

encapsulating all the smaller tasks into atomic services responsive to a determination that said team is not accountable for or does not have clear ownership of said tasks; and

delivering said atomic services into an atomic services catalog.