Information technology configuration management

• US 8,706,682 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Blazek, Mark C., Gonzalez, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/302,141
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

The described embodiments contemplate a system, method and computer-readable medium with computer-executable instructions for managing an information technology network. The novel system includes a network of data sources and a federated configuration management database capable of communicating with the data sources. The data sources also may be federated. The federated configuration database management identifies among the data sources. The system also includes a core database that is capable of communicating with the federated configuration management database. The core database defines relationships of the data sources with a business practice.

Claims

1. A system having a computing device including a processor and a memory communicatively coupled with the processor, the system configured to:

determine relationships among data sources and business processes, wherein the business processes are associated with an information technology network, and the determined relationships include a hierarchical dependency relationship that is determined via interconnectivity of the information technology network;

indicate a first data source;

receive a modification of the first data source;

identify a first business process, via the determined relationships, that may be affected by the modification of the first data source; and

trend incidents related to the first data source, wherein the trended incidents are used to perform preventative maintenance for the information technology network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the first data source includes an upgrade of the first data source.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the first data source includes adding hardware to the information technology server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the first data source includes making a software change to the information technology server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to create a representation illustrating the relationships among data sources and their associated business processes.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the representation is a hierarchical representation.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the hierarchical representation indicates a parent/child relationship.

8. A computer implemented method comprising:

determining relationships among data sources and business processes, wherein the business processes are associated with an information technology network and the determined relationships include a hierarchical dependency relationship that is determined via interconnectivity of the information technology network;

indicate a first data source;

receiving a modification of the first data source;

identify a first business process, via the determined relationships, that may be affected by the modification of the first data source; and

trending incidents related to the first data source, wherein the trended incidents are used to perform preventative maintenance for the information technology network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the modification of the first data source includes receiving an upgrade of the first data source.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the modification of the first data source includes adding hardware to the information technology server.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the modification of the first data source includes making a software change to the information technology server.

12. The method of claim 8, further including creating a representation illustrating the relationships among data sources and their associated business processes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein creating the representation includes creating a hierarchical representation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein creating the hierarchical representation includes indicating a parent/child relationship.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer-readable instructions to:

determine relationships among data sources and business processes, wherein the business processes are associated with an information technology network, and the determined relationships include a hierarchical dependency relationship that is determined via interconnectivity of the information technology network;

indicate a first data source;

receive a modification of the first data source;

identify a first business process, via the determined relationships, that may be affected by the modification of the first data source; and

trend incidents related to the first data source, wherein the trended incidents are used to perform preventative maintenance for the information technology network.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the modification of the first data source includes an upgrade of the first data source.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the modification of the first data source includes adding hardware to the information technology server.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the modification of the first data source includes making a software change to the information technology server.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable instructions to create a representation illustrating the relationships among data sources and their associated business processes.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the representation is a hierarchical representation.