Configurable IT Request Processing via Component-Level Configuration Determination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Information processing systems face challenges in accurately determining the current configuration of IT solutions, especially in storage technologies, due to modifications during their lifecycle, leading to inconsistencies and errors in processing requests for services like warranty renewals and technical support.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that obtains requests based on the current configuration of a system by gathering component-level information from multiple data sources and applying rules to determine the current configuration, incorporating this information into a hierarchical data structure to process requests efficiently and accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If component-level information is gathered from multiple data sources and rules are applied to determine current configuration, then measurement precision of system configuration is improved, but device complexity of the request processing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
A configuration determination module is introduced as an intermediary component that receives component-level information from multiple data sources (sales orders, bills of materials, automated reporting systems) and applies predefined rules to determine the current configuration. This mediator consolidates the complexity of integrating multiple data sources and rule applications into a single dedicated module, improving configuration determination accuracy while managing system complexity through functional specialization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: a data collection layer that gathers component-level information from multiple sources, a rule engine within the configuration determination module that applies transformation rules, and a request processing layer that uses the determined configuration. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks, improving overall measurement precision while making the complex system more manageable through modular design.
2Reliability
If multiple data sources are integrated to obtain component-level information, then reliability of configuration data is improved, but loss of time in data collection increases
Solution Approach 1:
Component-level information is pre-collected and stored in multiple data sources (sales order systems, bill of materials databases, automated reporting systems) before request processing occurs. The configuration determination module retrieves this pre-existing information and applies rules to determine current configuration. This preliminary action ensures data reliability through multiple sources while reducing real-time data collection time by leveraging already-available information.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple data sources serve universal purposes beyond just configuration determination - sales orders provide both ordering information and component information, bills of materials provide both manufacturing data and configuration data, and automated reporting systems provide both operational data and configuration data. This multi-functionality allows the system to improve reliability through diverse data sources without proportionally increasing data collection time, as the same sources serve multiple functions.
3Manufacturing precision
If rules are applied to identify component types and quantities in hierarchical data structures, then manufacturing precision of configuration determination is improved, but difficulty of detecting and measuring current state increases
Solution Approach 1:
The configuration determination module acts as an intermediary that applies predefined transformation rules to component-level information from multiple data sources. These rules systematically identify component types and quantities within hierarchical data structures, improving manufacturing precision of configuration determination. The module mediates between the complex raw data and the simplified determined configuration, making the detection process more manageable despite the underlying complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a determined configuration representation that copies and consolidates the essential information from multiple complex data sources into a standardized format. This copying process transforms diverse component-level information into a unified configuration view that is easier to detect and measure, while maintaining high precision through rule-based transformation. The determined configuration serves as a simplified copy that retains critical information in an accessible format.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and processor-readable storage media for request processing for configurable information technology solutions are provided herein. An example method includes obtaining a request that is to be processed based on a current configuration of a system, wherein the system comprises a plurality of items and each item comprises a set of components, each of the components having one of a plurality of types; obtaining component-level information for the plurality of items from multiple data sources; determining the current configuration of the system by applying one or more rules to the component-level information that identify at least one particular one of the types of at least one of the components in each of one or more of the sets and a quantity of the components of the at least one particular type that are in the corresponding set; and processing the request based on the determined current configuration.