METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR WEB-BASED SUPPORT SUBSCRIPTIONS

• US 20080208672A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• 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: Crenshaw, Scott, Van Riel, Henri Han
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• 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 for providing subscription services based on virtual machines, the method comprising:

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.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for a secure location to store configuration data that is based on the client information in a configuration database.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a server farm and a manager server in the secure location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving client information from a customer to create at least one client virtual machine of the customer based on a selected subscription service; and

providing a client configuration data associated with the at least one client virtual machine based on the client information to a site of the customer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a server configuration data from the client information; and

storing the server configuration data in the configuration database.

6. The method of method of claim 5, wherein the server configuration data and the client configuration data are not equivalent.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising

selecting a subscription service of the subscription services;

and

providing at least one electronic message to support of the subscribed subscription service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising

selecting a subscription service of the subscription services;

and

providing a support technician for the subscribed subscription service.

9. A system for providing subscription services for technical support, the system comprising:

a service portal configured to provide subscription services based on virtual machines; and

a secure location configured to store state information of a customer entered through the service portal, wherein the customer selects a user subscription from the subscription services through the service portal either unassisted or assisted.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the secure location is configured to store configuration data that is based on the client information entered through the service portal in a configuration database.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the secure location further comprises a server farm and a manager server.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the service portal is configured to receive client information from a customer to create at least one client virtual machine of the customer based on a selected subscription service and to provide a client configuration data associated with the at least one client virtual machine based on the client information to a site of the customer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the secure location is configured to determine a server configuration data from the client information and to store the server configuration data in the configuration database.

14. The system of method of claim 13, wherein the server configuration data and the client configuration data are not equivalent.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the service portal is configured to receive a selection of a user subscription service and to provide at least one electronic message to support of the user subscription service.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the service portal is configured to receive a selection of a user subscription service from the subscription services and to provide a support technician for the user subscription service.