Methods and systems for validating real time network communications

• US 9,491,230 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ticketmaster LLC (Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Michael, Giannantonio, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCLEOD, MARSHALL M
• Application Number:
  US14/289,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• 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 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing network communications are described. An example resource management system includes a communications manager configured to access information regarding communication protocols used by corresponding broker systems and to provide message translations based on an origin and/or destination of the message to be transmitted. A message processor is coupled to the communications manager and is configured to serialize incoming and/or outgoing broker messages and to facilitate queuing of incoming and outgoing message traffic with broker systems. A communications configurer is configured to track one or more communication attributes of broker systems and changes thereto to ensure communications between the resource management systems are broker systems are conducted in accordance with the communication attributes of the broker systems. A communications rules provider is configured to determine which broker system is to be communicated with in order to fulfill a resource request.

Claims

1. A method for managing network communications, comprising:

receiving, at a ticket management system from a broker system, substantially real-time status information that identifies a status of a ticket for an event, the ticket being one managed by the broker system;

updating a ticket data store to associate a ticket identifier for the ticket with the received real-time status information;

receiving, at the ticket management system, a request for the ticket from a requester;

identifying, using the ticket data store, that the broker system controls the ticket;

facilitating transmission of one or more messages between the ticket management system and the broker system, the messages resulting in a request for transfer of the ticket to the requester;

determining whether the request for transfer successfully resulted in the transfer of the ticket to the requester;

updating, in a broker data store and based on the determination, a transfer-result variable associated with the broker;

determining a success rate of the broker, wherein the success rate is the determined based on the transfer-result variable;

determining whether the success rate meets a threshold value; and

when it is determined that the success rate does not meet the threshold value, inhibiting the broker from participating in a future ticket transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring an amount of time that the broker is connected to the ticket management system and recording the time in the broker data store.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring an amount of time that the broker is connected to the ticket management system and recording the time in the broker data store;

determining whether a condition is satisfied based on the amount of time; and

when the condition is not satisfied, inhibiting the broker from participating in a transaction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of broker systems includes the broker system, and wherein the method further comprises, for each of the plurality of broker systems:

receiving, at the ticket management system from the broker system, substantially real-time status information that identifies a status of a ticket for an event, the ticket being one managed by the broker system; and

updating a ticket data store to associate a ticket identifier for the ticket with the received real-time status information.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the transfer-result variable is based at least in part on a determination whether the request for transfer was denied due to a hold on the ticket.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the success rate of the broker is determined based on an unavailability of the broker system or a count of tickets that were unsuccessfully transferred due to the unavailability.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a response time of the broker; and

when it is determined that the response time exceeds a response threshold, determining whether the broker has a resolvable performance problem.

8. A system for managing network communications for ticketing, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are configured to;

receive, at a ticket management system from a broker system, substantially real-time status information that identifies a status of one or more tickets for an event, the one or more tickets being one managed by one or more of the plurality of broker systems;

update a ticket data store to associate a ticket identifier for each of the one or more tickets with the received real-time status information;

receive, at the ticket management system, a request for the ticket from a requester;

identify, using the ticket data store, that the broker system controls the ticket;

facilitate transmission of one or more messages between the ticket management system and the broker system, the messages resulting in a request for transfer of the ticket to the requester;

determine whether the request for transfer successfully resulted in the transfer of the ticket to the requester;

update, in a broker data store and based on the determination, a transfer- result variable associated with the broker;

determine a success rate of the broker, wherein the success rate is the determined based on the transfer-result variable;

determining whether the success rate meets a threshold value; and

when it is determined that the success rate does not meet the threshold value, inhibiting the broker from participating in a future ticket transaction.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are further configured to monitor an amount of time that the broker is connected to the ticket management system and record the time in the broker data store.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are further configured to:

monitor an amount of time that the broker is connected to the ticket management system and recording the time in the broker data store;

determine whether a condition is satisfied based on the amount of time; and

when the condition is not satisfied, inhibit the broker from participating in a transaction.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a plurality of broker systems includes the broker system, and wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are further configured to, for each of the plurality of broker systems:

receive, at the ticket management system from the broker system, substantially real-time status information that identifies a status of a ticket for an event, the ticket being one managed by the broker system; and

update the ticket data store to associate a ticket identifier for the ticket with the received real-time status information.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the transfer-result variable is based at least in part on a determination whether the request for transfer was denied due to a hold on the ticket.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the success rate of the broker is determined based on an unavailability of the broker system and a count of tickets that were unsuccessfully transferred due to the unavailability.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are further configured to monitor a response time of the broker and when it is determined that the response time exceeds a response threshold, determine whether the broker has a resolvable performance problem.

15. A system for managing network communications for ticketing, the system comprising:

a communications manager module that;

receives, from a broker system, substantially real-time status information that identifies a status of one or more tickets for an event, the one or more tickets being one managed by one or more of the plurality of broker systems; and

updates a ticket data store to associate a ticket identifier for each of the one or more tickets with the received real-time status information;

a message processor module that;

receives a request for the ticket from a requester;

a rules provider module that;

identifies, using the ticket data store, that the broker system controls the ticket;

facilitates transmission of one or more messages between the ticket management system and the broker system, the messages resulting in a request for transfer of the ticket to the requester;

determines whether the request for transfer successfully resulted in the transfer of the ticket to the requester;

updates, in a broker data store and based on the determination, a transfer- result variable associated with the broker;

determines a success rate of the broker, wherein the success rate is the determined based on the transfer-result variable;

determining whether the success rate meets a threshold value; and

when it is determined that the success rate does not meet the threshold value, inhibiting the broker from participating in a future ticket transaction.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the rules provider module further monitors an amount of time that the broker is connected to the ticket management system and records the time in the broker data store.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the rules provider module further monitors an amount of time that the broker is connected to the ticket management system and records the time in the broker data store;

determines whether a condition is satisfied based on the amount of time; and

when the condition is not satisfied, inhibits the broker from participating in a transaction.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a plurality of broker systems includes the broker system, and wherein, for each of the plurality of broker systems the communications manager module receives, at the ticket management system from the broker system, substantially real-time status information that identifies a status of a ticket for an event, the ticket being one managed by the broker system;

and

updates a ticket data store to associate a ticket identifier for the ticket with the received real-time status information.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the transfer-result variable is based at least in part on a determination whether the request for transfer was denied due to a hold on the ticket.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the success rate of the broker is determined based on an unavailability of the broker system and a count of tickets that were unsuccessfully transferred due to the unavailability.