Collection and analysis of measurement data associated with service elements

• US 7,739,122 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Leytes, Gregory, Nguyen, Luu Q., Greenstein, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US10/262,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,814 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Measurement data associated with a service element is obtained and analyzed to determine whether one or more aspects of the service element are to be revised. The data collected may be classified as standard, custom, or ad-hoc. Further, the measurement data can be collected for various areas associated with the service element, and may be maintained within a data structure. In one example, collection and analysis of the measurement data are facilitated by a Service Development Tool.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating service elements, said method comprising:

selecting a measurement type from among a standard measurement type, a custom measurement type and an ad-hoc measure type, the selecting including identifying information to be collected;

collecting measurement data relating to one or more parameters of a service element responsive to the use of the service element and responsive to the selecting, the service element being a discrete entity for which a customer is to be billed and which represents a service, and includes a feedback capability, the measurement data comprising a plurality of data collection measurements, each data collection measurement of the measurement data being the standard measurement type, the custom measurement type or the ad-hoc measurement type pursuant to the selecting, wherein a standard measurement comprises information relevant across multiple service elements, a custom measurement comprises information relevant to only the particular service element being evaluated, and an ad-hoc measurement comprises information dynamically obtained on the service element during a lifecycle usage of the service element, the ad-hoc measurement being a data collection measurement type which is first specified after deployment of the service element without additional change to the service element, wherein the standard measurement type, custom measurement type and ad-hoc measurement type are distinct types of data collection measurements;

storing the measurement data for the service element in a data structure for the service element, including each measurement'"'"'s classification;

automatically determining, based on the stored measurement data, whether a change is to be made to at least one aspect of the service element, the automatically determining comprising automatically determining whether a particular measurement of the measurement data is within a corresponding established acceptable range, and if not, automatically obtaining an action pattern pre-specified for the particular measurement, and automatically performing a sequence of predefined activities prescribed by the action pattern for the particular measurement; and

wherein the action pattern is an automatic action pattern, and the sequence of predefined activities prescribed by the action pattern for the particular measurement comprise automatically updating a service element projection value for the particular measurement with the actual, particular measurement value, thereby automatically modifying the service element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one parameter of the one or more parameters is associated with at least one area including at least one of deployment, delivery and lifecycle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when multiple measurements of the measurement data are outside respective established acceptable ranges, the method further comprises:

sorting measurements of the measurement data based on a predefined measurement priority, and obtaining the action pattern for a single measurement of the multiple measurements, and performing the sequence of activities prescribed by the action pattern for the single measurement, and postponing the performing for at least one other measurement of the multiple measurements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the measurement data is classified as a standard measurement, the method further comprises performing a default action, in response to the automatically determining.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement data is classified as a custom measurement, and the method further comprises pre-specifying one or more custom measurements for the service element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement data is classified as an ad-hoc measurement, and the selecting comprises dynamically specifying one or more ad-hoc measurements for the service element during lifecycle usage of the service element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting comprises collecting measurement data relating to one or more parameter of multiple service element instances, wherein each service element instance of the multiple service element instances is an instance of the same service element, and wherein the method further comprises identifying whether a service element instance comprises a measurement with an out-of-pattern deviation, and if so, informing the service element instance owner about the out-of-pattern deviation, wherein identifying an out-of-pattern deviation comprises comparing the measurement for the service element instance with corresponding measurements for multiple other service element instances and identifying the out-of-pattern deviation if the measurement deviates from the corresponding measurements by a defined amount.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting each of the measurement types and the collecting comprises collecting measurement data for each of the measurement types.

9. The computer system for evaluation service elements, the computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communications with the memory, wherein the computer system performs a method, the method comprising;

selecting a measurement type from among a standard measurement type, a custom measurement type and an ad-hoc measure type, the selecting including identifying information to be collected;

collecting measurement data relating to one or more parameters of a service element responsive to the use of the service element and responsive to the selecting, the service element being a discrete entity for which a customer is to be billed and which represents a service, and includes a feedback capability, the measurement data comprising a plurality of data collection measurements, each data collection measurement of the measurement data being the standard measurement type, the custom measurement type or the ad-hoc measurement type pursuant to the selecting, wherein a standard measurement comprises information relevant across multiple service elements, a custom measurement comprises information relevant to only the particular service element being evaluated, and an ad-hoc measurement comprises information dynamically obtained on the service element during a lifecycle usage of the service element, the ad-hoc measurement being a data collection measurement type which is first specified after deployment of the service element without additional change to the service element, wherein the standard measurement type, custom measurement type and ad-hoc measurement type are distinct types of data collection measurements;

storing the measurement data for the service element in a data structure for the service element, including each measurement'"'"'s classification;

automatically determining, based on the stored measurement data, whether a change is to be made to at least one aspect of the service element, the automatically determining comprising automatically determining whether a particular measurement of the measurement data is within a corresponding established acceptable range, and if not, automatically obtaining an action pattern pre-specified for the particular measurement, and automatically performing a sequence of predefined activities prescribed by the action pattern for the particular measurement; and

wherein the action pattern is an automatic action pattern, and the sequence of predefined activities prescribed by the action pattern for the particular measurement comprise automatically updating a service element projection value for the particular measurement with the actual, particular measurement value, thereby automatically modifying the service element.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein at least one parameter of the one or more parameters is associated with at least one area including at least one of deployment, delivery and lifecycle.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein when multiple measurements of the measurement data are outside respective established acceptable ranges, the method further comprises:

sorting measurements of the measurement data based on a predefined measurement priority, and obtaining the action pattern for a single measurement of the multiple measurements, and performing the sequence of activities prescribed by the action pattern for the single measurement, and postponing the performing for at least one other measurement of the multiple measurements.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein when the measurement data is classified as a standard measurement, the method further comprises performing a default action, in response to the automatically determining.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the measurement data is classified as a custom measurement, and the method further comprises pre-specifying one or more custom measurements for the service element.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the measurement data is classified as an ad-hoc measurement, and the selecting comprises dynamically specifying one or more ad-hoc measurements for the service element during lifecycle usage of the service element.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the collecting comprises collecting measurement data relating to one or more parameter of multiple service element instances, wherein each service element instance of the multiple service element instances is an instance of the same service element, and wherein the method further comprises identifying whether a service element instance comprises a measurement with an out-of-pattern deviation, and if so, informing the service element instance owner about the out-of-pattern deviation, wherein identifying an out-of-pattern deviation comprises comparing the measurement for the service element instance with corresponding measurements for multiple other service element instances and identifying the out-of-pattern deviation if the measurement deviates from the corresponding measurements by a defined amount.

16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the selecting comprises selecting each of the measurement types and the collecting comprises collecting measurement data for each of the measurement types.

17. A computer program product for evaluating service elements, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

selecting a measurement type from among a standard measurement type, a custom measurement type and an ad-hoc measure type, the selecting including identifying information to be collected;

collecting measurement data relating to one or more parameters of a service element responsive to the use of the service element and responsive to the selecting, the service element being a discrete entity for which a customer is to be billed and which represents a service, and includes a feedback capability, the measurement data comprising a plurality of data collection measurements, each data collection measurement of the measurement data being the standard measurement type, the custom measurement type or the ad-hoc measurement type pursuant to the selecting, wherein a standard measurement comprises information relevant across multiple service elements, a custom measurement comprises information relevant to only the particular service element being evaluated, and an ad-hoc measurement comprises information dynamically obtained on the service element during a lifecycle usage of the service element, the ad-hoc measurement being a data collection measurement type which is first specified after deployment of the service element without additional change to the service element, wherein the standard measurement type, custom measurement type and ad-hoc measurement type are distinct types of data collection measurements;

storing the measurement data for the service element in a data structure for the service element, including each measurement'"'"'s classification;

automatically determining, based on the stored measurement data, whether a change is to be made to at least one aspect of the service element, the automatically determining comprising automatically determining whether a particular measurement of the measurement data is within a corresponding established acceptable range, and if not, automatically obtaining an action pattern pre-specified for the particular measurement, and automatically performing a sequence of predefined activities prescribed by the action pattern for the particular measurement; and

wherein the action pattern is an automatic action pattern, and the sequence of predefined activities prescribed by the action pattern for the particular measurement comprise automatically updating a service element projection value for the particular measurement with the actual, particular measurement value, thereby automatically modifying the service element.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein at least one parameter of the one or more parameters is associated with at least one area including at least one of deployment, delivery and lifecycle.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein when multiple measurements of the measurement data are outside respective established acceptable ranges, the method further comprises:

sorting measurements of the measurement data based on a predefined measurement priority, and obtaining the action pattern for a single measurement of the multiple measurements, and performing the sequence of activities prescribed by the action pattern for the single measurement, and postponing the performing for at least one other measurement of the multiple measurements.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein when the measurement data is classified as a standard measurement, the method further comprises performing a default action, in response to the automatically determining.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the measurement data is classified as a custom measurement, and the method further comprises pre-specifying one or more custom measurements for the service element.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the measurement data is classified as an ad-hoc measurement, and the selecting comprises dynamically specifying one or more ad-hoc measurements for the service element during lifecycle usage of the service element.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the collecting comprises collecting measurement data relating to one or more parameter of multiple service element instances, wherein each service element instance of the multiple service element instances is an instance of the same service element, and wherein the method further comprises identifying whether a service element instance comprises a measurement with an out-of-pattern deviation, and if so, informing the service element instance owner about the out-of-pattern deviation, wherein identifying an out-of-pattern deviation comprises comparing the measurement for the service element instance with corresponding measurements for multiple other service element instances and identifying the out-of-pattern deviation if the measurement deviates from the corresponding measurements by a defined amount.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the selecting comprises selecting each of the measurement types and the collecting comprises collecting measurement data for each of the measurement types.