Help Desk Integration via Bi-Directional Web Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional help desks cannot be integrated with other help desks from different vendors, leading to isolated communication and inefficient problem-solving in managing system incidents across multiple IT products and services.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that facilitate the integration of help desks by using a bi-directional web services interface based on XML, SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI standards, allowing for the exchange of incident records and status updates between help desks, ensuring only one help desk can process an incident at a time and automatically closing corresponding records.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional help desks are used independently without integration, then each help desk can maintain its own operational simplicity and vendor-specific functionality, but communication between help desks is isolated and problem-solving efficiency deteriorates when managing system incidents across multiple IT products and services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal interface layer that enables multiple vendor-specific help desks to communicate through a common protocol. The interface layer translates between different help desk systems while maintaining their individual functionalities, allowing integrated incident management without requiring each help desk to become multi-functional.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary interface layer that mediates communication between help desks from different vendors. This intermediary translates messages between different help desk protocols and manages the exchange of incident data, resolving the complexity of direct integration while improving incident management efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If help desks from different vendors are integrated to enable seamless communication, then problem-solving capabilities improve, but the complexity of the system increases due to the need for standardized interfaces and coordination protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal interface that enables help desks from different vendors to interoperate through standardized protocols. This interface layer provides adaptability across vendor boundaries while managing the complexity of integration through a common communication framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent standardizes communication parameters between help desks, including message formats, data structures, and protocol specifications. By changing and standardizing these parameters, the system achieves interoperability while managing integration complexity through consistent parameter definitions.
3Speed
If multiple help desks can simultaneously process the same incident, then incident resolution speed may improve through parallel processing, but coordination overhead and potential conflicts increase making it difficult to track incident status
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where help desks continuously exchange status updates about incident processing. This feedback loop allows multiple help desks to work on related aspects of an incident while maintaining visibility of each other's progress, enabling parallel processing without coordination conflicts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary interface layer to coordinate incident processing across multiple help desks. This intermediary manages the assignment of incidents, tracks processing status, and prevents conflicts by ensuring proper coordination while allowing parallel work on different incident aspects.
Data Source
AI summary
Notification of a system incident is received at a first help desk system. In response, an incident record is generated and maintained for the system incident. The incident record includes incident data and a record identification (ID). The incident data and record ID are transmitted from the first help desk system to a second help desk system where a corresponding record is maintained. One of the help desks is assigned an exclusive status to process the system incident. Regardless of which help system is assigned the exclusive status to process the system incident, the incident record is closed at the first help desk system, which automatically triggers closing of the corresponding record in the second help desk system.