Web-based support subscriptions

• US 9,946,982 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Van Riel, Henri Han, Crenshaw, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahl, Sangeeta
• Application Number:
  US11/680,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,066 Days
• Field of Search: 705 11, 709217, 709220, 709224, 709250, 714 411
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

Embodiments pertain generally to a method for providing subscription services based on virtual machines. The method includes providing for a service portal for users to subscribe to subscription services for at least one of technical support and software based on the virtual machines and providing the subscription services based on client information and business requirements entered by the customer in the service portal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a server of a service provider, configuration information related to hardware and software configuration of a client machine executing operations at a site of a subscriber of a continuous availability service provided by the service provider;

receiving, by the processor, client activity data corresponding to the client machine in response to detecting an error within the client machine;

determining that the subscriber is associated with an account and is enrolled for the continuous availability service;

determining, in view of the continuous availability service, that the service provider is to instantiate a virtual machine for the subscriber to continue execution of the operations on the client machine;

instantiating, by the processor, the virtual machine in a machine in a secure site location hosted by the service provider in response to receiving of the client activity data and in view of the continuous availability service;

configuring the virtual machine in view of the configuration information and the client activity data to restore, in the machine at the secure site location of the service provider, a state of the client machine at the site of the subscriber, wherein the state of the client machine corresponds to a previous update of the client machine, the previous update corresponding to the client activity data; and

providing, by the processor to the subscriber, access via a network to the virtual machine at the secure site location of the service provider to continue the execution of the operations on the client machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a configuration file in view of the configuration information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the configuration file in a configuration database.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending client configuration data to the site of the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the configuration file comprises:

determining server configuration data in view of the configuration information; and

storing the server configuration data in the configuration file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the server configuration data and the client configuration data are different.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

diagnosing the error via the secure site location of the service provider; and

sending, to the subscriber, a message that identifies a potential resolution to the error.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a component of the client machine has failed.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a database to store configuration information related to hardware and software configuration of a client machine executing operations at a site of a subscriber of a continuous availability service provided by a service provider, and account information of the subscriber; and

a server comprising a processor, operatively coupled to the database, to execute instructions, the processor to;

determine that the subscriber is associated with an account and is enrolled for the continuous availability service;

determine, based on the continuous availability service, that the service provider is to instantiate a virtual machine for the subscriber to continue execution of the operations on the client machine;

instantiate the virtual machine in a machine in a secure site location hosted by the service provider in view of the continuous availability service;

receive client activity data corresponding to the client machine in response to detecting an error within the client machine;

configure the virtual machine in view of the configuration information and the client activity data to restore, in the machine at the secure site location of the service provider, a state of the client machine at the site of the subscriber, wherein the state of the client machine corresponds to a previous update of the client machine, the previous update corresponding to the client activity data; and

provide, to the subscriber, access via a network to the virtual machine at the secure site location of the service provider to continue the execution of the operations on the client machine.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the configuration information is stored in a configuration file in the database.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to provide client configuration data to the site of the subscriber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further to:

determine server configuration data in view of the configuration information; and

store the server configuration data in the database.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the server configuration data and the client configuration data are different.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, by the processor, configuration information related to hardware and software configuration of a client machine executing operations at a site of a subscriber of a continuous availability service provided by a service provider;

determine that the subscriber is associated with an account and is enrolled for the continuous availability service;

determine, in view of the continuous availability service, that the service provider is to instantiate a virtual machine for the subscriber to continue execution of the operations on the client machine;

instantiate, by the processor, the virtual machine in a machine in a secure site location hosted by the service provider in view of the continuous availability service;

receive, by the processor, client activity data corresponding to the client machine in response to detecting an error within the client machine;

configure the virtual machine in view of the configuration information and the client activity data to restore, in the machine at the secure site location of the service provider, a state of the client machine at the site of the subscriber, wherein the state of the client machine corresponds to a previous update of the client machine, the previous update corresponding to the client activity data; and

provide, by the processor to the subscriber, access via a network to the virtual machine at the secure site location of the service provider to continue the execution of the operations on the client machine.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processor is further to generate a configuration file in view of the configuration information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further to store the configuration file in a configuration database.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further to send client configuration data to the site of the subscriber.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein, to generate the configuration file, the processor is to:

determine server configuration data in view of the configuration information; and

store the server configuration data in the configuration file.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the server configuration data and the client configuration data are different.