Modeling, monitoring, and managing system dimensions for a service assurance system

• US 9,123,020 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: French, Paul B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US12/237,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A user interface accepts a model of a proposed system solution for a service assurance system. A Dimensioning Engine receives the solution and determines dimensions for the solution. The dimensions specify any of: a quantity of CPUs, a rating for the quantity of CPUs, an amount of disk storage, a memory requirement, or a CPU processing parameter. A Dimensioning Model Manager stores data from equipment and product vendors to determine the solution by taking into account specific characteristics of an equipment or a product to be used in the service assurance system. A Dimensioning Monitor (DM) monitors the model of the solution against events occurring in the service assurance system. The DM transmits an alert if the service assurance system underperforms or overperforms with reference to the model. The DM determines changes to the model into line with a current set of operational conditions, or updates the dimensions.

Claims

1. A computer-executable method for monitoring and managing system dimensions by a service assurance system implemented over a computer architecture to monitor a performance of the computer architecture, the method comprising:

accepting, by a computer processor of the service assurance system communicatively coupled with a memory, a proposed system solution for the service assurance system;

determining, by the computer processor of the service assurance system, one or more dimensions of the system dimensions from the proposed system solution;

monitoring, by the computer processor of the service assurance system, the computer architecture in accordance with a determination of one or more events occurring in the computer architecture across the one or more dimensions;

generating and transmitting a first alert when the service assurance system determines an underperformance with respect to the monitoring of the computer architecture;

generating and transmitting a second alert when the service assurance system determines an overperformance with respect to the monitoring of the computer architecture; and

based on the transmitting of one or more of the first and second alerts, performing at least one of;

determining one or more changes to the proposed system solution to bring the proposed system solution into line with a currently existing set of operational conditions in accordance with the one or more events, and

updating the one or more dimensions to correct a cause of the one or more of the first and second alerts.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a graphical user interface to accept the proposed system solution for the service assurance system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising accepting the proposed system solution by importing an XML file.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing and accessing data from each of a plurality of equipment and product vendors to thereby determine the proposed system solution by taking into account one or more specific characteristics of an equipment or a product to be used in the computer architecture.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more dimensions specify one or more of a number or quantity of Central Processing Units (CPUs), a rating for the number or quantity of CPUs, an available amount of disk storage, a memory requirement, and a CPU processing parameter.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising storing and accessing the data from each of the plurality of equipment and product vendors to provide a ‘

what if’

functionality comprising determining one or more hypothetical dimensions for the system solution in response to accepting one or more proposed hypothetical changes to the proposed system solution.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more hypothetical changes encompass at least one of a network expansion and an increased customer base.

8. A computer program product comprising a storage medium readable by a computer processor and storing instructions for execution by the computer processor for monitoring and managing system dimensions for a service assurance system implemented over a computer architecture to monitor a performance of the computer architecture, the method comprising:

accepting, by a computer processor of the service assurance system communicatively coupled with a memory, a proposed system solution for the service assurance system;

determining, by the computer processor of the service assurance system, one or more dimensions of the system dimensions from the proposed system solution;

monitoring, by the computer processor of the service assurance system, the computer architecture in accordance with a determination of one or more events occurring in the computer architecture across the one or more dimensions;

generating and transmitting a first alert when the service assurance system determines an underperformance with respect to the monitoring of the computer architecture;

generating and transmitting a second alert when the service assurance system determines an overperformance with respect to the monitoring of the computer architecture; and

based on the transmitting of one or more of the first and second alerts, performing at least one of;

determining one or more changes to the proposed system solution to bring the proposed system solution into line with a currently existing set of operational conditions in accordance with the one or more events, and

updating the one or more dimensions to correct a cause of the one or more of the first and second alerts.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising using a graphical user interface to accept the proposed system solution for the service assurance system.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising accepting the proposed system solution by importing an XML file.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising storing and accessing data from each of a plurality of equipment and product vendors to thereby determine the proposed system solution by taking into account one or more specific characteristics of an equipment or a product to be used in the computer architecture.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the one or more dimensions specify one or more of a number or quantity of Central Processing Units (CPUs), a rating for the number or quantity of CPUs, an available amount of disk storage, a memory requirement, and a CPU processing parameter.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising storing and accessing the data from each of a plurality of equipment and product vendors to provide a ‘

what if’

functionality comprising determining one or more hypothetical dimensions for the system solution in response to accepting one or more proposed hypothetical changes to the proposed system solution.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the one or more hypothetical changes encompass at least one of a network expansion and an increased customer base.

15. An apparatus for monitoring and managing system dimensions for a service assurance system implemented over a computer architecture to monitor a performance of the computer architecture, the apparatus comprising:

a graphical user interface for accepting a system solution for the service assurance system;

a Dimensioning Model Manager (DMM) operatively coupled to the graphical user interface, the DMM including a database for storing the proposed system solution;

a Dimensioning Engine (DE), operatively coupled to the DMM, for receiving the proposed system solution from the database and determining one or more dimensions of the system dimensions from the proposed system solution;

a Dimensioning Monitor (DM), operatively couple to the database, for monitoring the computer architecture in accordance with a determination of one or more events occurring in the computer architecture across the one or more dimensions, generating and transmitting a first alert when the service assurance system determines an underperformance with respect to the monitoring of the computer architecture, generating and transmitting a second alert when the service assurance system determines an overperformance with respect to the monitoring of the computer architecture, and based on the transmitting of one or more of the first and second alerts, performing at least one of;

determining one or more changes to the proposed system solution to bring the proposed system solution into line with a currently existing set of operational conditions in accordance with the one or more events, and

updating the one or more dimensions to correct a cause of the one or more of the first and second alerts.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the one or more dimensions specify one or more of a number or quantity of Central Processing Units (CPUs), a rating for the number or quantity of CPUs, an available amount of disk storage, a memory requirement, and a CPU processing parameter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the DMM stores and accesses data from each of a plurality of equipment and product vendors to thereby determine the proposed system solution by taking into account one or more specific characteristics of an equipment or a product to be used in the computer architecture.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the DMM stores and accesses the data from each of a plurality of equipment and product vendors in order support ‘

what if’

functionality in conjunction with the DE, such that the DE determines one or more hypothetical dimensions for the system solution in response to the graphical user interface accepting one or more proposed hypothetical changes to the proposed system solution.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the one or more hypothetical changes encompass one or more of a network expansion and an increased customer base.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the graphical user interface provides a user option for inputting the proposed system solution by importing an XML file.