Identification system for network data processing systems

• US 8,516,376 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dias, Daniel Manuel, Naik, Vijay K., Greengard, Claude Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US12/788,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 715/736, 715/853, 715/735, 709/227
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Identifying changes between network data processing systems is provided. A first number of attributes for a network data processing system are identified by a processor unit. A second number of attributes for a number of potential network data processing systems are identified by the processor unit. A graphical user interface with a graphical representation of a comparison of the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes is displayed on a display device.

Claims

1. A method for identifying network data processing systems, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processor unit, a first number of attributes corresponding to an in-house network data processing system;

identifying, by the processor unit, a second number of attributes corresponding to a third party managed network data processing system, wherein the third party managed network data processing system includes hardware structural changes to the in-house network data processing system, and wherein the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes are selected from at least one of time-to-value that is a measure of a time when a value of a change to a particular network data processing system is achieved, risk mitigation that is a measure of an ability to reduce risks associated with the change to the particular network data processing system, cost savings that is a measure of costs associated with the particular network data processing system as compared to costs associated with a current network data processing system, and coverage that is a measure of a range of processes covered by the particular network data processing system in achieving a particular goal for the particular network data processing system;

displaying, on a display device, a graphical user interface with a graphical representation of a visual comparison of the first number of attributes corresponding to the in-house network data processing system and the second number of attributes corresponding to the third party managed network data processing system and with a number of hardware products that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system, wherein a first number of values for the first number of attributes and a second number of values for the second number of attributes are displayed in the graphical user interface on a radar plot having a center with values increasing away from the center for the graphical representation of the visual comparison of the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes; and

responsive to a selection of a hardware product in the number of hardware products displayed in the graphical user interface, displaying, on the display device, a technical specification document regarding a selected hardware product that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying, on the display device, the graphical user interface with the graphical representation of the comparison of the first number of attributes corresponding to the in-house network data processing system and the second number of attributes corresponding to the third party managed network data processing system and with the number of products that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system further comprises:

displaying, on the display device, the graphical user interface also with a number of graphical meters that indicate a value for at least one of each of the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of responsive to the selection of the product in the number of products displayed in the graphical user interface, displaying, on the display device, the technical specification document regarding the selected product that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system comprises:

responsive to the selection of the product in the number of products displayed in the graphical user interface, retrieving, by the processor unit, a web page with the technical specification document regarding the selected product that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system; and

displaying, on the display device, the web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-house network data processing system is selected from one of a current network data processing system and a potential network data processing system.

5. A data processing system for identifying changes between network data processing systems, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device stores program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit runs the program code to identify a first number of attributes corresponding to an in-house network data processing system;

identify a second number of attributes corresponding to a third party managed network data processing system, wherein the third party managed network data processing system includes hardware structural changes to the in-house network data processing system, and wherein the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes are selected from at least one of time-to-value that is a measure of a time when a value of a change to a particular network data processing system is achieved, risk mitigation that is a measure of an ability to reduce risks associated with the change to the particular network data processing system, cost savings that is a measure of costs associated with the particular network data processing system as compared to costs associated with a current network data processing system, and coverage that is a measure of a range of processes covered by the particular network data processing system in achieving a particular goal for the particular network data processing system;

display a graphical user interface with a graphical representation of a visual comparison of the first number of attributes corresponding to the in-house network data processing system and the second number of attributes corresponding to the third party managed network data processing system and with a number of hardware products that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system, wherein a first number of values for the first number of attributes and a second number of values for the second number of attributes are displayed in the graphical user interface on a radar plot having a center with values increasing away from the center for the graphical representation of the visual comparison of the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes;

and display a technical specification document regarding a selected hardware product that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system in response to a selection of a hardware product in the number of hardware products displayed in the graphical user interface.

6. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein in running the program code to display the graphical user interface with the graphical representation of the comparison of the first number of attributes corresponding to the in-house network data processing system and the second number of attributes corresponding to the third party managed network data processing system and with the number of products that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system, the processor unit runs the program code to display the graphical user interface also with a number of graphical meters that indicate a value for at least one of each of the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes.

7. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein in running the program code to display the technical specification document regarding the selected product that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system in response to the selection of the product in the number of products displayed in the graphical user interface, the processor unit runs the program code to retrieve a web page with the technical specification document regarding the selected product that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system in response to the selection of the product in the number of products displayed in the graphical user interface;

and display the web page.

8. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein the in-house network data processing system is selected from one of a current network data processing system and a potential network data processing system.

9. A computer program product for identifying changes between network data processing systems, the computer program product comprising:

a computer recordable storage medium;

having stored thereon program code for performing the following steps;

identifying a first number of attributes corresponding to an in-house network data processing system;

identifying a second number of attributes corresponding to a third party managed network data processing system, wherein the third party managed network data processing system includes hardware structural changes to the in-house network data processing system, and wherein the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes are selected from at least one of time-to-value that is a measure of a time when a value of a change to a particular network data processing system is achieved, risk mitigation that is a measure of an ability to reduce risks associated with the change to the particular network data processing system, cost savings that is a measure of costs associated with the particular network data processing system as compared to costs associated with a current network data processing system, and coverage that is a measure of a range of processes covered by the particular network data processing system in achieving a particular goal for the particular network data processing system;

displaying a graphical user interface with a graphical representation of a visual comparison of the first number of attributes corresponding to the in-house network data processing system and the second number of attributes corresponding to the third party managed network data processing system and with a number of hardware products that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system, wherein a first number of values for the first number of attributes and a second number of values for the second number of attributes are displayed in the graphical user interface on a radar plot having a center with values increasing away from the center for the graphical representation of the visual comparison of the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes; and

displaying a technical specification document regarding a selected hardware product that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system in response to a selection of a hardware product in the number of hardware products displayed in the graphical user interface.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein

displaying the graphical user interface with the graphical representation of the comparison of the first number of attributes corresponding to the in-house network data processing system and the second number of attributes corresponding to the third party managed network data processing system and with the number of products that structurally changes the in-house network data processing system to the third party managed network data processing system further comprises:

displaying the graphical user interface also with a number of graphical meters that indicate a value for at least one of each of the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes.