Elements of an Enterprise Management Development Model

Transcription

1 US A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2002/ A1 KREBS et al. (43) Pub. Date: Feb. 28, 2002 (54) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTEGRATING ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT APPLICATION WITH NETWORK MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS (76) Inventors: LAWRENCE W. KREBS, PURCELLVILLE, VA (US); WAYNE R. FULLER, FAIRFAX, va (US); EDWIN J. ZAKRZEWSKI, RESTON, va (US) Correspondence Address: LAW OFFICES OF JIM ZEGEER 801 NORTH PITT STREET 108 ALEXANDRIA, VA ( * ) Notice: This is a publication of a continued pros ecution application (CPA)?led under 37 CFR 1.53(d). (21) Appl. No.: 09/098,341 (22) Filed: Jun. 17, 1998 Related U.S. Application Data (63) Non-provisional of provisional application No. 60/050,089,?led on Jun. 18, Publication Classi?cation (51) Int. Cl G06F 7/00 neermg, etc.). (52) us. Cl /1, 707/1041 (57) ABSTRACT The invention is directed to an enterprise management integration tool for providing a centralized repository for storage and processing of information related to the execu tion of the enterprise management functions. This is accom plished through the use of a Relational Database Manage ment System (RDBMS) and speci?c database schema that model the enterprise components and services being man aged. The interface With this database Will be in one of two preferred forms: (1) software bridges to speci?c manage ment applications; (2) standardized Structured Query Lan guage (SQL) to applications that support the use of SQL. The database-centric approach provides a framework for integration of myriad applications (software programs) based on the needs of the enterprise management personnel. It also provides mechanisms for distribution of management information between enterprise management sites to increase the robustness and fault resistance of the enterprise management system, support sharing of management responsibilities between enterprise management sites, and allow for distribution of management information to orga nizations and personnel indirectly associated With the enter prise management process (e.g., billing and?nance, engi Mlnlgemenl A?ivlly Cenenl Diserlp?uu Required Clpllilll?t! Dam-Ill! Cllenl Catalan ' Respond In User Problem Work Flaw Minagerne-nr Point I Respond {0 User lnqulrie! Trouble Ticket - Respond in User Service - Service Request Request: Expert System Support rni- Problem Resolution Second and rnini - Technical Suppcrr in Cliem - Ability to lsolale Fault Location: Level Suppon Contact Pnini Rncriv: Testing and Diagnosis. 'rnnlininnl Support In Full Abiliry in Reset/Recon?gure Flulled Maniwring Comp?nerns Fault Tracking - Reeurd Keeping lei Tmku-lg Same as Clle?l Contact Pnlni Progrss in Fault Resolution Change Cal-moi - Manage PmgfCS-i of Service - Work How Management Syslzrn inn Tracking Orders nnd Managing Service Requests Performance n Monilur and Evaluate Ability (0 Pull ln?zmerure. Moniwring Infrastructure Performance and Element Managers, inn lnlelligzm AgenLs Utilization Ability 10 Filter Events ' Analyxis of Finis - On-Line Ablliry to develop Rule-basal Algorithms for Perfamunce and Full Analysis Planning and - Plan and design Enynniian and Network Modeling and simulnnnn Twl Linked Design Improvements to ln?uu'uclure in Cun?gurannn lmnbm lmpon of Tnx?c Statistics and Infrastructure Usage Infnnnalion Project Management and Tracking Tools lmplemenu?m - llnplemenrcnangeordersand update Con?guration Databases with Currenr and Maintenance Work Requests As Built Description of die lnfrawucmre - Site slimy: Document Progress M'Pmvisiuuing - Build our Document Mzinlcnanc: History efln?nsu-ucrure - Insulla?ou, Testing and Commissioning. Maintain lull-4mm Syskrn - Tradirional System RCmnl: Management of Dismbnld Processing Administration Adrrlim'srnrive Funmicns in Elements ninnilunnd Processing Backup and Retrievll Environments Documeni Maintenance History ol'lnfriiu'umre - Client Synems - Munagemuir Systems Fault Mcnilonng I Moniker lnlnmnzrure, Detect Faults, Escalate Faults in Sewnd Level suppo?, ind Nulify Client Cunlael Pam! Delecl Ind lsolu: Fnuli lniliar: Trouble Tickei Expen SySiCKII for Alarm Filtering and Corrclarinn Finance and ' Cnm ug of Services Provided l0 Collection and Srorage Network and System Billing Cumrners ind Billing nr um: Dara cumin : cnn=lnnnn ol Netwo?r nnn System only: with Cuslomer Provided Service Correlation ulfanlls nnn Performance wiin Serviee Level Agreements Security ' Ensure Secure Communications Labeling ofcli?i?ed Information for Slang: and Security Adminiscraxiun, De?nition al'actesz Levels and Mtributs Detect Seeuriry Violations Ind Crmu'ol of Aecas initial: Recovery Procedures Enterprise Network Management A criviry Domains

2 Patent Application Publication Feb. 28, 2002 Sheet 1 0f 2 US 2002/ A1 Management Activity General Description Required Capabilities Domain Client Contact Respond to User Problem - Wmlow Management Point Respond to User Inquiries - Trouble Ticket Respond to User Service - Service Request Requests 0 Expert System Support for Problem Resolution Second and Third Technical Support to Client 0 Ability to Isolate Fault Locations Level Support Contact Point 0 Reactive Testing and Diagnostics Technical Support to Fault 0 Ability to Reset/Recon?gure Faulted Monitoring Fault Tracking Record Keeping for Tracking. Sarne as Client Contact Point Progress in Fault Resolution Change Control Manage Progress of Service - Work Flow Management System for Tracking Orders and Managing Service Requests Pert'onnance Monitor and Evaluate 0 Ability to Poll Infrastructure, Monitoring Infrastructure Performance and Element Managers, and Intelligent Agents Utilization 0 Ability to Filter Events Analysis of Faults ' On-Line Ability to develop Rule-based Algorithms for Performance and Fault Analysis Planning and Plan and design Expansion and 0 Network Modeling and Simulation Tool Linked Design Improvements to ln?astructure to Con?guration Database 0 Import of Traffic Statistics and Infrastructure Usage Information 0 Project Management and Tracking Tools Implementation Implement Change Orders and ' update Con?guration Databases with Current and Maintenance Work Requests As Built Description of the Infrastructure - Site Surveys 0 Document Progress of Provisioning - Build out 0 Document Maintenance History of Infrastructure Installation, Testing and Commissioning Maintain Infrastructure System Traditional System 0 Remote Management of Distributed Processing Administration Administrative Functions in Elements Distributed Processing Backup and Retrieval Environments Document Maintenance History of Infrastructure - Client Systems - Management Systems Fault Monitoring Monitor Infrastructure, Detect Detect and Isolate Fault Faults, Escalate Faults to Second Initiate Trouble Ticket Level Support, and Notify Client Expert System for Alarm Filtering and Contact Point Correlation Finance and Costing of Services Provided to 0 Collection and Storage of Network and System Billing Customers and Billing of Usage Data Customers 0 Correlation of Network and System Usage with Customer Provided Service 0 Correlation of Faults and Performance with Service Lev?greements Security Ensure Secure Communications 0 Labeling of Classi?ed Information for Storage and Security Administration, ' De?nition of Access Levels and Attributes Detect Security Violations and 0 Control of Access Initiate Recovery Procedures Figure 1! Enterprise Network Management Activity Domains

3 Patent Application Publication Feb. 28, 2002 Sheet 2 0f 2 US 2002/ A1 User Interfaces ' World Wide Web ' Gm - Reporting Tools l v KnmvledgellaseTM ~ Correlation ofdata ' Mapping to Services ' Distfbution to Other Sites Information A Management Applications - Element Managers ' Agents Managed Assets - Networks Equipment - Computers - Applications Figure 2! NetKnowledge integrates Enterprise Management Applications With Enterprise Network Management Operations

4 US 2002/ A1 Feb. 28, 2002 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTEGRATING ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT APPLICATION WITH NETWORK MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS [0001] The present application is the subject of provisional application Ser. No. 60/050,089?led Jun. 18, 1997 and entitled SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATING ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT APPLICATION WITH NETWORK MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS. INTRODUCTION [0002] The mechanism for the electronic transfer of infor mation from a source to a destination can, in the simplest of terms, be described as consisting of end user equipment such as telephone handsets, computer workstations, etc., con nected by a transmission media such as?ber optic, coaxial cable and RF wireless links. In today s Information Tech nology jargon, this is commonly referred to as the Enter prise and consists of Local and Metropolitan Area Net works (LAN/MAN) that are associated with the primary business operations, connected via high-speed trunks to create Wide Area Networks. [0003] The management of this enterprise has traditionally been limited to some minimal management of the end user equipments or the systems and management of the trans mission media or the network, with the functionality of these two different management domains executed by dif ferent organizations, using different suites of management tools. However, as end users demand more than simple telephony and services, and networks expand in dimension and complexity, these separate and distinct meth ods of management cannot continue to provide proactive maintenance of Service quality. Services are the business processes supported by the underlying networks and equip ment. Layered on top of this is the evolving need to have services associated with other of?ces and organizations such as billing and?nance, network and systems engineering, customer service, and service provisioning/maintenance included in overall Enterprise Management process. FIG. 1 illustrates just some of the many activities that can be associated with the domain of enterprise management. These activities are based on the OMNI Point reference model presented by the Network management Forum. [0004] Out-of-the-Box management applications gener ally address only parts of the necessary integrated manage ment capability. Some of the management applications ven dors have formed alliances or relations and have provided some degree of integration, but these are generally limited to speci?c, highly desirable functions such as the spawning of a maintenance trouble ticket based on receipt of speci?c alarms from network or system elements. Some vendors are also seeking to provide complete solutions but, because of the widespread and expanding nature of the Enterprise Management process, can only address well-speci?ed sub sets of the overall process. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] In summary, the object of this invention is to provide an enterprise management integration tool to pro vide a centralized repository for storage and processing of information related to the execution of the enterprise man agement functions. This is accomplished through the use of a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) and speci?c database schema that model the enterprise compo nents and services being managed. The interface with this database will be in one of two preferred forms: (1) software bridges to speci?c management applications; (2) standard ized Structured Query Language (SQL) to applications that support the use of SQL. [0006] The database-centric approach for this invention provides a framework for integration of myriad applications (software programs) based on the needs of the enterprise management personnel. It also provides mechanisms for distribution of management information between enterprise management sites to increase the robustness and fault resis tance of the enterprise management system, support sharing of management responsibilities between enterprise manage ment sites, and allow for distribution of management infor mation to organizations and personnel indirectly associated with the enterprise management process (e.g., billing and?nance, engineering, etc.). DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] The above and other objects, advantages and fea tures of the invention will become more apparent when considered with the following speci?cation and accompa nying drawings wherein: [0008] FIG. 1 is a table illustrating some of the many data activity domains that can be managed under the invention, [0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of how the invention integrates enterprise management application with enterprise network management operations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0010] Practical Applications [0011] The invention can be applied to a variety of enter prise management needs, starting from simple network management of network domains. Speci?c examples of some practical applications are the follows: [0012] collection and storage of performance and status information of the end user equipment and processes as well as the performance and status of the long-haul telecommunications media; [0013] correlation of end user performance with fault conditions in end user equipment and telecommuni cations network equipment; [0014] correlation of equipment connectivity with services, and quality of services provided; [0015] provision of network performance and usage statistics for engineering analysis using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) simulation tools; [0016] provision of network and end user equipment usage with quality of service provided for customer billing; [0017] support for customer network management system interfaces for sharing of speci?c information to virtual private networks; [0018] access security to insure privacy and access availability of information;

5 US 2002/ A1 Feb. 28, 2002 [0019] support to Workforce management for dis patch of maintenance personnel to physical locations of network faults; 0020 su PP ort to Workforce mana g ement for dis patch of service provisioning to physical location of network adds/drops/moves; [0021] support to Workforce management for cus tomer care in execution of help desk and service scheduling; [0022] support to external organizations and offices through the user of Web-based access to enterprise management status information. [0023] While the invention has been described in relation to preferred embodiments of the invention, it Will be appre ciated that other embodiments, adaptations and modi?ca tions of the invention Will be apparent to those skilled in the art. What is claimed is: 1. A database-centric system for integrating enterprise management applications outside of the management appli cation comprising: providing a centralized storage depository data base for storage and processing of information related to the execution of the enterprise management function and using a relational database management system and spe ci?c database schema that model the enterprise com ponents and services being managed, and interfacing said centralized storage database via one of the following: a) software bridges to speci?c management applica tions, b) standardized query language (SQL) to applications that support the use of SQL. * * * * *