Master Graph for Automated IT Service Composition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current IT service composition methods are inefficient and labor-intensive, often requiring adaptation and extension of existing solutions to meet new customer requirements, leading to a proliferation of older solutions and increased complexity in integrating multiple component services.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system that uses a master graph data structure to identify IT service compositions by defining a request subgraph based on input requirements, populating it with services and integration components, and selecting preferred compositions that fulfill the requirements, thereby streamlining the solution composition process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If IT service compositions are constructed ad-hoc to meet particular customer requirements, then the solutions can be customized to fit specific needs, but the process becomes labor-intensive and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization capabilityVSAvoidsolution construction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-establishes a library of service templates and composition patterns before actual solution construction. These templates capture common service combinations and integration patterns that can be reused across different customer requirements, eliminating the need to construct solutions from scratch each time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables copying and reusing of service composition templates and patterns. Instead of creating new solutions ad-hoc, the system allows replication of proven service compositions and their adaptation to new requirements, significantly reducing manual effort and construction time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If individual services are selected from proprietary offerings and integrated into a cohesive solution, then the solution can meet overall customer requirements, but the integration complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverequirement fulfillment capabilityVSAvoidintegration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces universal service templates and standardization mechanisms that enable different proprietary services to be integrated through common interfaces and patterns. This universality reduces integration complexity by providing standardized ways to combine services regardless of their proprietary origins.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs service templates and composition patterns as intermediary layers between individual proprietary services and the final solution. These intermediaries abstract the complexity of integration, providing a standardized framework that simplifies the combination of diverse services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If prior solutions are reused and adapted to new customer requirements, then new solutions can be constructed efficiently, but a proliferation of older solutions occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesolution construction speedVSAvoidsolution landscape complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent consolidates multiple older solutions into universal service templates that can serve multiple purposes. Instead of maintaining separate adapted versions of older solutions, the system creates generalized templates that can be instantiated for different customer requirements, reducing the proliferation of solution variants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges common elements from multiple older solutions into unified service templates and composition patterns. By combining reusable components from various existing solutions into standardized templates, the system reduces the number of separate solution artifacts while maintaining the ability to address diverse requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11397739B2Automated information technology services composition
Publication Date: 2022.07.26 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US11397739B2 patent drawing
  • US11397739B2 patent drawing
  • US11397739B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for identifying IT service compositions corresponding to subsets of a set R of IT service requirements. Such a method includes providing a data structure including, for a set S of IT services, a master graph having master nodes representing respective subsets of like services in S, interconnected by master edges each representing an integration-need between nodes interconnected by that edge. The method further comprises, for each service composition being a set of services, integrated by integration components and spanning all master nodes, in the composition subgraph, comparing the composite attributes of services and integration components in that composition with the requirements in R′ to select at least one preferred service composition for R′, and outputting composition data defining each preferred service composition.