Application and method for dynamically presenting data regarding an end point or a service and service management system incorporating the same

• US 8,527,889 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• 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): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US12/276,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 715/741, 715/762, 715/763, 715/771, 715/751
• US Class Current: 715/762
• 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

An application and method for dynamically presenting data regarding end points and services relative to a subscriber. In one embodiment, the application is operable with a service management system and is configured to employ the service management system to determine relationships between a subscriber and services and end points associated therewith and generate a user interface that provides a view, based on the relationships, of at least one of: (1) one of the services in terms of end points that play roles in the one of the services and (2) one of the end points in terms of services in which the one of the end points plays a role.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein that is configured to direct the operation of a processor to perform a method when executed, said method comprising:

employing a service management system to determine relationships between a subscriber and services and end points associated therewith, wherein each of said services is defined as said ones of said end points that assume roles based on at least one of capabilities and attributes of said ones of said end points, and each of said roles reveals actions to be taken with respect to each of said end points to perform each of said service and defines functions, alerts, and key-value pairs of interest for each of said ones of said end points to perform said actions; and

generating a user interface that provides a view, based on said relationships, of at least one of;

one of said services defined as said ones of said end points that play said roles in said one of said services, and

one of said end points defined as ones of said services in which said one of said end points plays a role; and

using a service definition to specify key-value pairs to collect from said end points based on said roles and use said key-value pairs to determine whether and how a given user interface element should be shown in said user interface.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1 wherein said method further comprises using said relationships to determine whether elements of said user interface are to be shown or hidden.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1 wherein said method further comprises employing roles to present actions in said user interface that are configured to be taken with respect to said end points in said user interface.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1 wherein said method further comprises including views of data in said user interface for said one of said end points based on whether said one of said end points supports one of said roles in said one of said services.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1 wherein said method further comprises including views of data in said user interface for said one of said services based on whether said one of said services is provided through said one of said end points.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1 wherein said method further comprises configuring a user interface to include user interface elements based on a role that said one of said end points has within said one of said services.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1 wherein said user interface allows a user to hide, show and update user interface elements, including:

views of information and controls, individual control elements, and pieces of data.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1 wherein said method further comprises defining views of data in a service based on roles and subsequently dynamically populate user interface elements based end points mapped into said roles.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1 wherein said method further comprises defining user interface templates used in conjunction with a service definition and associated end points of said subscriber to instantiate instances of said user interface templates.

10. A method of dynamically presenting data regarding end points and roles to construct a view of a service defined as end points that play roles therein, comprising:

collecting end points associated with a subscriber;

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

determining which of said end points plays a role in said service;

determining whether each of a plurality of user interface templates is to be shown based on said role or data associated therewith; and

rendering a user interface element in a dynamic user interface in context of said end point using said each of said plurality of user interface templates; and

using a service definition to specify key-value pairs to collect from said end points based on said roles and use said key-value pairs to determine whether and how a given user interface element should be shown in said user interface.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said associating comprises employing a service management system to associate said end points with said roles.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said end points are selected from the group consisting of:

devices, and systems.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said user interface contains a window and tabs representing different services.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said user interface contains a window and tabs representing data about a given service.

15. A method of dynamically presenting data regarding end points and roles to construct a view of an end point defined as services in which said end point plays a role, comprising:

collecting services to which a subscriber has a subscription;

associating an end point with roles for said services, wherein said associating is based on at least one of capabilities and attributes of said end point, and wherein each of said roles reveals actions to be taken with respect to said end point to perform each of said service and defines functions, alerts, and key-value pairs of interest for said end point to perform said actions;

for each of said services in which said end point has a role and for each of a plurality of user interface templates, determining whether said user interface template is to be included in a user interface based on whether said each of said plurality of user interface templates supports said current role and service for said end point; and

rendering a user interface element in said dynamic user interface in said context of said end point, role and service using said user interface template; and

using a service definition to specify key-value pairs to collect from said end points based on said roles and use said key-value pairs to determine whether and how a given user interface element should be shown in said user interface.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said associating comprises employing a service management system to associate said end points with said roles.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said end points are selected from the group consisting of:

devices, and systems.