Method and an apparatus for providing cross product automated user assistance in the planning, configuration, and management of information systems

• US 6,513,045 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Corbin, George E., Castano, Jose R., Godbey, Kevin L., Casey, Bernice E., Dunlap, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Linh
• Application Number:
  US09/442,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 707/500-509, 705/26-29, 345/744-748, 345/780, 345/810-811, 345/825, 713/1, 364/468.01, 709/221, 717/168-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

User Assistants are software programs that prompt the customer for information about user'"'"'s current system by examining system files and other sources of data; store information about the user in a repository for later retrieval or for access by other assistants; present customized instructions to the user on actions to take to complete planning, configuration, and management tasks; perform actions on behalf of the user (e.g., run programs, send e-mail requests, ship order forms) and track the user'"'"'s progress through planning, configuration, and management tasks. The present invention provides customized output to support the implementation of a User Assistant. This output may be documentation, instructional steps, programs, or parameter files. This output is produced by combining product data, user input, and product rules. The current invention allows for cross-product dependencies to be included in the product rules and, thus, embodied in the customized procedures.

Claims

1. A method of automating the installation of information system (IS) products using installation information for a first product from a first database and installation information for a second product from a second database, said method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting installation information for said first product from said first database;

b) selecting installation information for said second product from said second database; and

c) combining the selected installation information for said first product and the selected installation information for said second product to create a customized set of installation materials for said first and second products.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first database and said second database comprise a single database.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the installation information for at least one of said products includes rules for installing said product.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said rules indicate whether one or more other products must be concurrently installed.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein said rules indicate whether one or more other products must be previously installed.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the installation information for at least one of said products includes tags for selecting elements of said installation information to be used to create said installation materials.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the installation information for at least one of said products includes a master checklist.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said installation materials include a set of instructions.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said installation materials include program code.

10. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of requesting information from a person installing said products.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said products is dependent on the other of said products.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said products comprises hardware.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said products comprises software.

14. Apparatus for automating the installation of information system (IS) products using installation information for a first product from a first database and installation information for a second product from a second database, said apparatus comprising:

a) means for selecting installation information for said first product from said first database;

b) means for selecting installation information for said second product from said second database; and

c) means for combining the selected installation information for said first product and the selected installation information for said second product to create a customized set of installation materials for said first and second products.

15. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for automating the installation of information system (IS) products using installation information for a first product from a first database and installation information for a second product from a second database, said method steps comprising:

a) selecting installation information for said first product from said first database;

b) selecting installation information for said second product from said second database; and

c) combining the selected installation information for said first product and the selected installation information for said second product to create a customized set