Automated Firewall-Compliant Support Resolution Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automating the reporting of events and provisioning of customer support resolutions in information handling systems is challenging due to the presence of firewalls, which prevent unsolicited support resolutions from being provisioned to customer systems without user or administrator intervention.
Innovation Solution
An automated system that includes a communication subsystem, a processing subsystem, and a memory subsystem with instructions to receive secure requests from customer devices, send responses that trigger subsequent requests for event resolutions, determine event resolution information, and send this information back within enforced timeout periods, ensuring firewall compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If firewalls are implemented to secure customer systems, then system security is improved, but automated provisioning of support resolutions is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing authorized communication channels and timeout periods before actual support resolution provisioning occurs. The firewall is configured in advance to recognize and permit specific automated support traffic patterns, allowing future automated resolutions to pass through without blocking while maintaining security against unauthorized access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication mechanism that acts as a mediator between the support system and customer systems. This intermediary channel is specifically authorized through the firewall, allowing automated support resolutions to pass through the security barrier without compromising overall system security. The intermediary handles the translation and routing of automated support traffic.
2Reliability
If user involvement is required for support resolution provisioning, then firewall security is maintained, but system productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing automated support resolutions to be provisioned without requiring user or administrator intervention. Customer systems automatically receive and apply support resolutions through the pre-configured authorized channels, eliminating the need for manual user involvement while maintaining firewall security through automated authentication and timeout enforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
By pre-configuring authorized communication patterns and timeout periods, the system eliminates the need for real-time user involvement in the support resolution process. The preliminary setup allows entirely automated operation thereafter, significantly improving productivity while maintaining security through the pre-established firewall rules.
3Reliability
If events are automatically reported and resolutions provisioned, then system availability is improved, but timeout period management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system manages complexity by dynamically adjusting timeout period parameters based on the specific communication patterns and resolution types. Different timeout values are assigned to different phases of the automated support process, allowing the system to maintain high availability while managing complexity through parameterized timeout configurations rather than rigid fixed-timeout structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated firewall-compliant customer support resolution provisioning system includes a customer support system coupled to a customer device. The customer support system receives a first secure request from the customer device that identifies an event in the customer device and, in response, sends a first secure response through a firewall subsystem to the customer device within a first timeout period enforced by the firewall subsystem. The customer support system then determines event resolution information for the event. Subsequent to the first timeout period and based on the first secure response, the customer device sends a second secure request to the customer support system requesting the event resolution and the customer support system sends the event resolution information through the firewall subsystem to the customer device within a second timeout period enforced by the firewall subsystem. The customer device then utilizes the event resolution information to address the event.