Automated Interconnection Authorization in Data Center Procurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional procurement process for interconnections between customer networks in a data center is manual, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and increased latency due to the need for human oversight and non-standardized language in order information.
Innovation Solution
An online procurement system is implemented that automatically validates order parameters and simplifies the workflow by generating unique identifiers for connections, reducing the need for human intervention and streamlining the order fulfillment process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual procurement process with human oversight is used, then flexibility and customization are maintained, but productivity is reduced and errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the procurement system automatically validates parameters, generates unique identifiers, and processes orders without human intervention. The system serves itself by having built-in validation logic and automated workflows that eliminate the need for manual review while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual review process with an automated electronic system. Human oversight and manual parameter validation are substituted with automated validation logic, unique identifier generation, and electronic workflow management, transforming a human-dependent process into an automated computational system.
2Reliability
If manual validation and human oversight are performed, then accuracy can be maintained through review, but loss of time increases due to duplicate efforts
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation of parameters automatically before the order is submitted for processing. By validating parameters upfront and generating unique identifiers in advance, the system prevents errors before they propagate through the workflow, eliminating the need for subsequent manual review and rework.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated validation system provides immediate feedback on parameter validity and generates real-time validation results. This feedback mechanism ensures accuracy by catching errors early in the process and allowing immediate correction, rather than discovering errors later during manual review stages.
3Adaptability or versatility
If non-standardized language is used in order information, then flexibility in describing connections is maintained, but difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms flexible, non-standardized parameter descriptions into standardized, machine-readable parameters through automated validation. The unique identifier system maps diverse customer descriptions to standardized internal parameters, maintaining the flexibility of customer input while enabling automated processing and validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The unique identifier acts as an intermediary between customer order information and internal system parameters. It bridges the gap between flexible customer descriptions and rigid system requirements, allowing the system to process diverse inputs without requiring standardized language from customers while maintaining validation accuracy.
4Reliability
If human intervention is required for authorization, then control and oversight are maintained, but device complexity increases due to multiple review stages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authorization control function from manual human processes and embeds it directly into the automated system. Validation logic and authorization rules are coded into the system, allowing automated decision-making while maintaining control. This removes the need for separate manual review stages and simplifies the overall workflow.
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a method includes obtaining, by a computing device operated by a data center provider for a data center, from a first customer of the data center provider, order information comprising a set of parameters defining an interconnection within the data center between a first customer network of the first customer and a second customer network of a second customer of the data center provider, wherein the first customer network and the second customer network are co-located in the data center; sending, by the computing device to the second customer, a communication comprising a unique identifier that maps to the set of parameters; and outputting, by the computing device, an indication of authorization for the interconnection based upon an authorization directive from the second customer, the authorization directive comprising the unique identifier.