SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATING CUSTOMER-VALIDATED STATEMENT OF WORK FOR A DATA STORAGE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130006700A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Brower, Robert Keith Jr., Messore, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment

Abstract

Computer systems and methods are disclosed for improving professional services delivery, such as services in a data management environment. In certain examples, computer systems comprise portals for transmitting and receiving information from parties involved in the performance and receipt of professional services. For instance, a first portal can receive data (e.g., from sales personnel) descriptive of a customer'"'"'s product environment. A manager module populates a record with the data, and a second portal provides the customer with access to the record for review, correction and/or validation prior to the generation of a Statement of Work or other like project description. The second portal can also request additional information from the customer regarding the product environment. The manager module compares the data received through the first portal with the customer-entered information to identify and/or address discrepancies between the sets of data and customize the generation of the Statement of Work.

Claims

1. A computer system that provides customer-validated Statement of Work workflow automation for data storage environments, the computer system comprising:

computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors;

a first portal module executing in the one or more computer processors, the first portal configured to receive first data indicative of a storage architecture of a first data storage system, the first data comprising at least first storage configuration information input by a service provider;

a second portal module executing on one or more computer processors, the second portal module configured to receive input of second storage configuration information input by a customer about the first data system;

a manager module executing on the one or more computer processors, the manager module further configured to;

automatically compare the first configuration information about the first data system input by the first service provider with the second storage configuration information input by the customer,

automatically alert a services manager with any discrepancies associated with the comparing of the first storage configuration information with the second storage configuration information, wherein automatically alerting for discrepancies comprises;

alerting when separate communication links do not exist for disk storage and

alerting when a disk array has not been assigned;

the manager module further configured to generate a customer-validated Statement of Work to be performed with respect to the project related to the first data storage system;

after the customer has accepted the proposed project Statement of Work, a third portal module configured to receive completion data regarding completion of the services performed with respect to the first data storage system; and

a searchable repository comprising project history data corresponding to a history of the project'"'"'s lifecycle configured to be used to assist professional services or customer support organizations to better manage relevant details associated with the Statement of Work.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second portal modules comprises a web-based interface.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third portal modules operate on a single server.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the manager module is further configured to identify one or more aspects of the first data storage system needing additional description from the customer.

5. The computer system of claim 1, additionally comprising completion data regarding the performance of the one or more recommended services.

6. The computer system of claim 1, additionally comprising one or more computer processors that are configured to generate a report after completion of the project.

7. The computer system of claim 1, additionally comprising obtaining a survey from the customer upon completion of the project.

12. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising obtaining completion data regarding the performance of the one or more recommended services.

13. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising generating a report after completion of the project.

14. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising obtaining a survey from the customer upon completion of the project.

8. A method that provides customer-validated Statement of Work workflow automation for data storage environments, the method comprising:

receiving first data with a first portal module executing on computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors, the first data indicative of a storage architecture of a first data storage system, the first data comprising at least first storage configuration information input by a service provider;

receiving input of second storage configuration information with a second portal module executing on one or more computer processors, the second storage configuration information input by a customer about the first data system;

automatically comparing the first configuration information about the first data system input by the first service provider with the second storage configuration information input by the customer,

automatically alerting a services manager with any discrepancies associated with the comparing of the first storage configuration information with the second storage configuration information, wherein automatically alerting for discrepancies comprises;

alerting when separate communication links do not exist for disk storage and

alerting when a disk array has not been assigned;

generating a customer-validated Statement of Work to be performed with respect to the project related to the first data storage system;

after the customer has accepted the proposed project Statement of Work, receiving completion data regarding completion of the services performed with respect to the first data storage system; and

storing in a searchable repository, project history data corresponding to a history of the project'"'"'s lifecycle configured to be used to assist professional services or customer support organizations to better manage relevant details associated with the Statement of Work.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second portal modules comprises a web-based interface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third portal modules operate on a single server.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying one or more aspects of the first data storage system needing additional description from the customer.