Distributed Contact Center Node Survivability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Contact centers face challenges in maintaining local survivability and resource sharing across distributed nodes, particularly when branches lose communication with the central data center or become overloaded, leading to service disruptions and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for local survivability in a distributed contact center environment, where contact center nodes are coupled in a peer-to-peer network, allowing them to monitor connections and resource capacity, refrain from transmitting requests to unconnected nodes, and share resources with peers having spare capacity to handle interactions and provide additional capacity when needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If contact center nodes are tightly coupled to the central data center for resource access, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but local survivability deteriorates when communication is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidlocal survivability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The contact center system is segmented into autonomous nodes that can independently provide services. Each node maintains local resources and can operate independently, dividing the centralized system into distributed functional units that preserve both efficiency and survivability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each contact center node is equipped with local resources and capabilities to handle interactions independently. The system transitions from uniform centralized resource distribution to localized resource allocation, enabling nodes to survive and provide services locally even when disconnected from the central data center

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If contact center nodes operate independently for local survivability, then service continuity is improved during outages, but resource sharing capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice continuityVSAvoidresource sharing capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling between contact center nodes is made dynamic rather than static. Nodes can adaptively adjust their level of independence based on connection status, seamlessly transitioning between cooperative resource sharing mode and independent local operation mode to maintain both service continuity and resource sharing efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements monitoring and feedback mechanisms that track connection status and resource capacity across nodes. This feedback enables automatic adjustment of resource allocation and service routing, allowing the system to maintain optimal resource sharing when connected and automatic fallback to local operation when disconnected

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If all contact center nodes are coupled to the central data center, then centralized resource management is improved, but system complexity deteriorates when handling disconnections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecentralized resource managementVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each contact center node is designed with multi-functionality, capable of both consuming resources from the central data center and providing resources to other nodes. This universal design simplifies resource management by allowing any node to potentially serve as a resource provider, reducing the complexity of centralized control while maintaining ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Productivity

If contact center nodes share resources freely across the network, then resource utilization is improved, but connection reliability requirements deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidconnection reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares for potential connection failures by pre-configuring nodes with local resources and capabilities. This cushioning ensures that when connections are lost, nodes can immediately switch to local operation without service disruption, maintaining resource utilization while reducing dependence on continuous connection reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS9588830B2Local survivability in a distributed contact center environment

Publication Date: 2017.03.07 GENESYS CLOUD SERVICES INC

AI summary

A system and method for local survivability in a distributed contact center environment has a first processor in a first contact center node receiving a first request for interaction. The first processor transmits a first message to a second contact center node in response to the request for interaction. The first message is configured to invoke a first resource associated with the second contact center node for handling the interaction via the first resource. The first processor monitors connection with the second contact center node. The first processor receives a second request for interaction, and further determines lack of connection with the second contact center node. In response to determining lack of connection with the second contact center node, the first processor refrains from transmitting a second message to the second contact center node. According to one embodiment, the second message is for invoking a second resource associated with the second contact center node for handling the interaction via the second resource.