User categorization system and method

• US 9,020,945 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humana Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Humana Incorporated
• Inventors: Hollister, Andrew B., Barth-Thacker, Elizabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US13/750,641
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 707/737, 707/E17.089, 707/999.007
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A user categorization system and method is disclosed. The user categorization system and method relies on server data to discover which users are consuming the finite resources of the server and in what proportions. Users are categorized according to their consumption of resources. The user categorization system and method further ascribes a relative business value to each user group to facilitate the allocation of resources among groups. In an example embodiment, users of the server resources use the SAS programming language and the server resources execute SAS applications that support the SAS programming language. The user categorization system and method connects an executed computer program to a business-defined classification of applicability to purpose. The system and method employs a double level of abstraction to link specific programming styles, first to a general solution case (“design pattern”), and then to link the general solution idiomatically to the business case.

Claims

1. A computerized method for categorizing computer users comprising:

(a) defining at a server a plurality of user programming behavior categories related to an executing computer program;

(b) receiving at said server for a plurality of users a plurality of execution attributes for each of said plurality of user programming behavior categories;

(c) assigning by said server each of said plurality of user programming behavior categories to at least one of a plurality of programming patterns and a resource use level;

(d) associating by said server each of said plurality of programming patterns to a resource use measure and a user profile; and

(e) assigning by said server each of said plurality of users to one of a plurality of user profiles according to an applicable programming pattern and resource use measure.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein said user programming behavior categories are selected from a group consisting of programming writing style, computer resource consumption, and business organizational classification.

3. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of execution attributes are selected from a group consisting of program block identifier, program data input identifier, program data output identifier, program step summary code, program step options, CPU amount used, I/O amount used, disk storage used, counts, department identifier, supervisor identifier, and user profile category.

4. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein at least one execution attribute comprises a sum of measures for a time domain.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of execution attributes are selected from a group consisting of absolute sums and ratios.

6. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein said resource use level comprises a range of values.

7. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein said resource use measure comprises a range of values.

8. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising allocating at said server resources to said plurality of users according to said plurality of user profiles.

9. A computerized method for categorizing computer users comprising:

(a) defining at a server a taxonomy of programming techniques invoked in an executing computer program;

(b) defining at said server for each of said programming techniques a plurality of execution attributes;

(c) defining at said server a time domain for collecting use data for said plurality of execution attributes;

(d) receiving by said server use data collected during said time domain for said plurality of execution attributes, said use data collected from a plurality of users executing said computer program;

(e) aggregating by said server said use data for said plurality of execution attributes; and

(f) assigning by said server each of said plurality of users to one of a plurality of user profiles according to said aggregated use data for said plurality of execution attributes.

10. The computerized method of claim 9 wherein said programming techniques correspond to program blocks of said executing computer program.

11. The computerized method of claim 9 wherein said plurality of execution attributes are selected from a group consisting of program block identifier, program data input identifier, program data output identifier, program step summary code, program step options, CPU amount used, I/O amount used, disk storage used, counts, department identifier, supervisor identifier, and user profile category.

12. The computerized method of claim 9 wherein at least one execution attribute comprises a sum of measures for said time domain.

13. The computerized method of claim 9 wherein said plurality of execution attributes are selected from a group consisting of absolute sums and ratios.

14. The computerized method of claim 9 wherein assigning each of said plurality of users to one of a plurality of user profiles comprises assigning said plurality of users according to resource use levels associated with said aggregated use data.

15. The computerized method of claim 9 further comprising allocating at said server resources to said plurality of users according to said plurality of user profiles.

16. A computerized method for mapping computer users to a user profile comprising:

(a) defining at a server a plurality of programming steps invoked in an executing computer program;

(b) defining at said server a plurality of execution attributes for measuring resource use of said plurality of programming steps;

(c) defining at said server a plurality of programming step groups, said plurality of programming step groups comprising a plurality of programming steps;

(d) associating by said server with each of said plurality of programming step groups a resource use level;

(e) mapping by said server each of said associated programming steps groups and resource use levels to a programming pattern;

(f) defining at said server a plurality of user profiles, each of said plurality of user profiles associated with a programming pattern and a resource use measure;

(g) receiving at said server use data for said plurality of execution attributes, said use data collected from a plurality of users executing said computer program;

(h) calculating at said server for said plurality of users at least one resource use measure from said use data; and

(i) assigning by said server each of said plurality of users to one of said plurality of user profiles according to said user'"'"'s resource use measure.

17. The computerized method of claim 16 wherein said plurality of execution attributes are selected from a group consisting of program block identifier, program data input identifier, program data output identifier, program step summary code, program step options, CPU amount used, I/O amount used, disk storage used, counts, department identifier, supervisor identifier, and user profile category.

18. The computerized method of claim 16 further comprising allocating at said server resources to said plurality of users according to said plurality of user profiles.