Automated provisioning and management of cloud services

• US 9,477,530 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ConnectWise, LLC
• Original Assignee: ConnectWise, LLC
• Inventors: Nachtrab, Matthew, McCallum, Donald, Zerilli, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US13/562,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 726/3, 726/4, 726/17, 726/27, 726/28, 726/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

A system for managing the provisioning of cloud based services includes a collection module, a configuration module, a licensing module and a set up module. The collection module automatically obtains and stores information from end user machines that relevant to the provisioning of the could-based services. The configuration module uses the obtained information to automatically configure the use of the cloud based services. The licensing module automatically configures the account and licensing information allowing an end-user machine to access the cloud based services. The setup module automatically configures the end user machines to access and use the cloud-based services.

Claims

1. A method of managing services for user machines, comprising:

receiving, by a collection module executing on one or more processors of a server comprising the one or more processors and memory, from an end user machine via a computer network, first information for provisioning a cloud based service for use by the end user machine, the first information including at least one of a serial number identifying the end user machine, or an allocation of a storage resource for the cloud based service determined based on an available amount of the storage resource on the end user machine;

receiving, by a configuration module executing on the server, second information for a cloud account including at least one of contact information, an account identifier, or a credit limit;

configuring, by the configuration module responsive to receiving the second information, the cloud based service for use with the end user machine;

configuring, by a licensing module executing on the server, the cloud account and a cloud license based on the first information and the second information for access to the cloud based service by the end user machine;

identifying, by a setup module executing on the server, a machine installer customized to include provisioning information based on the second information and at least one of the serial number or the allocation; and

transmitting, by the setup module via the computer network, the machine installer to the end user machine, the machine installer configured to use the provisioning information to set up, on the end user machine in accordance with the cloud account and the cloud license, a cloud application corresponding to the cloud based service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting, by a billing module executing on the server via the network, billing information from a plurality of cloud based services and storing the billing information in a consolidated billing information store in memory accessible by the server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

grouping, by a reporting module executing on the server, the billing information from the consolidated billing information store and presenting grouped billing information to one or more companies associated with the end user machines.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from a tracking module executing on the end user machine, changes to the end user machine; and

incorporating, by the server, the changes into the consolidated billing information store.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by a monitoring module executing on the server, availability and performance of a plurality of cloud based services and storing results of the monitoring into a consolidated monitoring information store in memory accessible by the server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

grouping, by a reporting module executing on the server, the results from the consolidated monitoring information store and presenting grouped results to a plurality of companies associated with the end user machines.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by a management controller executing on the server, a management interface for managing information about a plurality of cloud based services by companies associated with end user machines.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by a management controller executing on the server, a management interface for managing information about a plurality of different kinds of cloud based services.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by a management controller executing on the server, a management interface for managing information about a plurality of providers of cloud based services.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing, via a management controller executing on the server, information about a plurality of end user machines.

11. A system for managing services for user machines, comprising:

a server comprising one or more processors and memory;

a collection module executing on the one or more processors of the server that receives, from an end user machine via a computer network, first information for provisioning a cloud based service for use by the end user machine, the first information including at least one of a serial number identifying the end user machine, or an allocation of a storage resource for the cloud based service determined based on an available amount of the storage resource on the end user machine;

a configuration module executing on the server that receives second information for a cloud account including at least one of contact information, an account identifier, a credit limit, or billing information, wherein the configuration module uses the second information to configure the cloud based service for use with the end user machine;

a licensing module executing on the server that configures the cloud account and a cloud license based on the first information and the second information for access to the cloud based service by the end user machine; and

a setup module executing on the server that identifies a machine installer customized to include provisioning information based on the second information and at least one of the serial number or the allocation, and transmits, via the computer network, the machine installer to the end user machine, the machine installer configured to use the provisioning information to set up, on the end user machine in accordance with the cloud account and the cloud license, a cloud application corresponding to the cloud based service.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a billing module executing on the server that collects billing information from a plurality of cloud based services into a consolidated billing information store in memory accessible by the server.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a reporting module executing on the server that groups information from the consolidated billing information store for presentation to a plurality of companies associated with end user machines.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from a tracking module executing on the end user machine that records changes to the end user machine, the changes; and

incorporate the changes into the consolidated billing information store.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a monitoring module executing on the server that monitors availability and performance of a plurality of cloud based services, and collects information indicative of the availability and the performance into a consolidated monitoring information store in memory accessible by the server.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a reporting module executing on the server that groups information from the consolidated monitoring information store for presentation to a plurality of companies associated with end user machines.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a management controller executing on the server configured to provide a user interface to manage information about a plurality of companies owning end user machines.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a management controller executing on the server configured to provide a user interface to manage information about a plurality of different kinds of cloud based services.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a management controller executing on the server configured to provide a user interface to manage information about a plurality of providers of cloud based services.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a management controller executing on the server configured to provide a user interface to manage information about a plurality of end user machines.