Method and system for managing resources for multi-service jobs based on location

• US 20060026008A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Goetz, Frank M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system and method generate and select an optimal job plan in response to a user'"'"'s job request. The system may be implemented with an orchestrator that includes a user interface, a job plan generation manager, a job plan selector, and a job plan manager. The user interface communicates with a requesting user to receive a job request, user location and preference data, and provide a user with job plan status data. The job plan generator generates the permutations of job plans for implementing the requested job. The job plan selector computes the job plan scores for each of the generated job plans and selects the one that corresponds to the best score for some criterion. Data regarding the selected job plan may be provided to the user interface for communication to the user. The job plan manager supervises the service sites in accordance with the selected job plan and provides status information to the user interface for communication to the user.

Claims

1. A method for assisting users in the exploitation of a network'"'"'s resources by selecting an optimal plan for implementing a user'"'"'s job request for network services includes:

receiving a job request and user location data;

generating a plurality of plans to implement the job request; and

selecting a generated job plan that best comports with the user location data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

managing performance of the job in accordance with the selected job plan.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

generating status information regarding the performance of the selected job plan; and

providing the generated status information to a user as job status data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the receipt of location data further comprises:

receiving user preference data; and

delivering a product of the completed job to a location other than the one from which the user sent the job request.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the generation of a job plan further includes:

selecting a set of services available on a computer network for the implementation of a requested job.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the selecting of a set of services includes:

receiving system service configuration data from a directory service.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the selecting of a set of services includes:

accessing local memory for system service configuration data.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the selection of an optimal job plan includes:

weighting a distance value assigned to each service in a generated job plan; and

computing a job plan score for each generated job plan so that the selected job plan has the best job plan score according to a criterion.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the criterion is the shortest distance between the requesting user and the last service site identified in the selected job plan.

10. A system for assisting users in the exploitation of a network'"'"'s resources by selecting an optimal plan for implementing a user'"'"'s job request for network services comprising:

an orchestrator for generating an optimal job plan to implement a job request received from a user; and

a computer on which the orchestrator executes.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer on which the orchestrator executes is a network controller coupled to the computer network.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer on which the orchestrator executes is a server coupled to the computer network.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the orchestrator further comprises:

a user interface for communicating with a requesting user to receive a job request;

a job plan generator for generating a plurality of job plans for implementing the requested job; and

a job plan selector for computing job plan scores for each of the generated job plans in the plurality of job plans and selects the one that corresponds to the best score for a criterion.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the user interface receives user location and preference data.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the user interface communicates job plan status data to the user.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the user interface communicates selected job plan data to the user.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a job plan manager for supervising service sites coupled to the computer network in accordance with the selected job plan.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the job plan manager provides job status information regarding the progress of the job in accordance to the selected job plan.

19. A system for assisting users in the exploitation of a network'"'"'s resources by selecting an optimal plan for implementing a user'"'"'s job request for network services comprising:

a user interface for communicating with a requesting user;

a job plan generator for generating a plurality of job plans for implementing a requested job;

a job plan selector for computing a job plan score for each generated job plan in the generated plurality of job plans and selecting a job plan from the generated plurality of job plans in correspondence with a best job plan score; and

a job plan manager for supervising service sites in accordance with the selected job plan and providing status information to the user interface for communication to the user.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the user interface, job plan generator, job plan selector, and job plan manager are components of an orchestrator program.