Apparatus and methods for activity-based management of computer systems

• US 9,798,986 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Corporation (Kleangas Energy Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bantz, David F, Chefalas, Thomas E, Jalan, Srikant, Mastrianni, Steven J, Pickover, Clifford Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): GEORGANDELLIS, ANDREW C
• Application Number:
  US13/038,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,428 Days
• Field of Search: 709223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for performing computer system management on an activity basis. In one embodiment, computer-system-related items are associated with at least one activity to be performed using the computer system. Then, management procedures are established for the at least one activity. Next, when the computer system is used to perform the at least one activity, the computer-system-related items associated with the at least one activity are managed in accordance with the management procedures established for the at least one activity. In another embodiment, apparatus and methods monitor patterns of use of a computer system. Using information gathered during monitoring operations, activity models are formulated, and for each activity model a management plan is devised. After management plans have been devised for each activity model, the use of the computer system is monitored to identify actions being performed with the computer system. The identified actions are then compared with the activity models to determine which activity model best fits the identified actions. Management of computer-system-related items associated with the activity is then performed using the management plan associated with the activity model that best fits the actions being performed with the computer system.

Claims

1. A non-transitory signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus of a computer system to perform operations for managing a computer system on an activity basis, the operations comprising:

monitoring use of the computer system to determine current actions being performed by a user with the computer system and at least one current application program being used to perform the current actions;

generating a plurality of activity models from an activity model generation program;

accessing the plurality of activity models, wherein each one of the activity models describes a group of related actions performed using the computer system to accomplish a specific end and at least one application program used to perform the related actions;

comparing the current actions being performed with the computer system and the at least one current application program being used to perform the current actions with the activity models;

identifying a particular activity model that best fits the current actions being performed with the computer system, wherein identifying a particular activity model that best fits comprises monitoring patterns of actions with each pattern of action being monitored over a period of time, the monitored patterns of action occurring over a period of time of sufficient duration to form the particular activity model and using information from the monitored patterns to determine that the particular activity model best describes the current action being performed by comparing information from the monitored patterns with preferred standards of use;

generating at least one management plan from a management plan generation program and populating a database with the at least one generated management plan, the at least one generated management plan being generated for each activity model of the plurality of activity models;

associating at least one computer-system-related item identified by the at least one management plan from the database of management plans with at least one activity to be performed by a user using the computer system to manage the computer system on the activity basis and using the identified particular activity model, the at least one management plan being unique for each at least one activity;

where the at least one activity comprises at least one action performed by an application program using the at least one computer-system-related item;

accessing the at least one management plan through a management program;

establishing management procedures, through the at least one management plan, for use in managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with the at least one activity when actions corresponding to the activity model are detected as being performed with the computer system;

detecting whether the at least one activity is being performed by the user; and

in response to detecting that the at least one activity is being performed, managing the at least one computer-system-related item in accordance with the established management procedures when performing the at least one action of the at least one activity.

2. The signal-bearing medium of claim 1 wherein associating at least one computer-system-related item with at least one activity to be performed using the computer system further comprises associating at least one computer-system-related item with a plurality of activities;

and

wherein establishing management procedures further comprises establishing separate management procedures for each of the plurality of activities,

wherein the at least one computer-system-related item associated with a particular activity of the plurality of activities are managed in accordance with the management procedures established for the particular activity when the computer system is used to perform the particular activity.

3. The signal-bearing medium of claim 2 wherein the operations further comprise:

after management procedures are established for managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with each of the plurality of activities, receiving an indication of which particular activity of the plurality of activities the computer system is being used to perform; and

wherein managing the at least one computer-system-related item further comprises managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with the particular activity in accordance with the management procedures established for the particular activity.

4. The signal-bearing medium of claim 1 wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to associating at least one computer-system-related item with at least one activity to be performed using the computer system, receiving an identification of the at least one activity.

5. The signal-bearing medium of claim 4 wherein receiving an identification further comprises receiving an identification of the activity from a user of the computer system.

6. The signal-bearing medium of claim 4 wherein receiving an identification further comprises receiving an identification of the activity from an automated process monitoring use patterns of the computer system.

7. The signal-bearing medium of claim 1 wherein establishing management procedures for use in managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with the at least one activity further comprises receiving preferences concerning management procedures from at least one entity selected from the group of:

a user;

a company;

a third-party service;

an automated software agent.

8. The signal-bearing medium of claim 6 wherein establishing management procedures for use in managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with the at least one activity further comprises:

classifying the at least one activity according to activity class, whereby the at least one activity is identified as belonging to a particular activity class; and

adopting pre-determined management procedures established for the particular activity class.

9. The signal-bearing medium of claim 1 wherein the at least one computer-system-related item comprise at least one selected from the group of:

files;

folders;

databases;

communication resources;

calendars;

calendar resources;

calendar entries.

10. The signal-bearing medium of claim 1 wherein the at least one activity further comprises a group activity, the operations further comprising:

receiving an identification of computer systems involved in the group activity;

wherein associating at least one computer-system-related item with the at least one activity further comprises associating at least one computer-system-related item drawn from each of the computer systems involved in the group activity with the group activity;

wherein establishing management procedures for use in managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with the at least one activity further comprises establishing management procedures for use in managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with the group activity, wherein the at least one computer-system-related item are drawn from the computer systems involved in the group activity; and

wherein managing the at least one computer-system-related item in accordance with the established management procedures further comprises managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with the group activity in accordance with the management procedures established for managing the at least one computer-system-related item associated with the group activity.

11. The signal-bearing medium of claim 1, where the at least one activity comprises generating content, and

managing the at least one computer-system-related item comprises adjusting a frequency of performing backups.

12. A non-transitory signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus of a computer system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring patterns of use by observing actions over time by a user performing actions with at least one application program using at least one computer system resource in a first configuration, wherein during the monitoring activity information is gathered characterizing patterns of use of the computer system resource and characterizing the at least one application program using the at least one computer system resource;

generating a plurality of models from a model generation program;

accessing the plurality of models characterizing preferred standards of use, wherein each one of the models describes a group of related actions performed using the computer system to accomplish a specific end and at least one application program used to perform related actions;

comparing the activity information gathered with the models characterizing preferred standards of use;

identifying a particular model that best fits the actions being performed with the computer system, wherein identifying a particular model that best fits comprises monitoring patterns of actions with each pattern of action being monitored over a period of time, the monitored patterns of action occurring over a period of time of sufficient duration to form the particular activity model and using information from the monitored patterns to determine that the particular model best describes the action being performed by comparing information from the monitored patterns with preferred standards of use;

generating at least one management plan from a management plan generation program and populating a database with the at least one generated management plan, the at least one generated management plan being generated for each model of the plurality of models;

determining based on the comparison and the first configuration whether improvements can be made to the use of the computer system resource; and

if the determination is positive, instituting the improvements with a second configuration;

accessing a management plan associated with a particular identified model, wherein the management plan establishes management procedures to be used in managing the computer system when actions corresponding to the particular identified model are detected as being performed with the computer system;

wherein the performed operations manage the computer system resource on an activity basis using an activity model through the management plan, the management plan being unique for the activity information gathered and being accessed by the activity information gathered through a management program.

13. The signal-bearing medium of claim 12 wherein the improvements concerns backup procedures.