Service Offering Templates for Cloud IT Interface Customization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cloud IT service delivery solutions face challenges in maintaining integrity and manageability due to the complexity of point-to-point integrations, manual intervention errors, and the difficulty in tracking and sustaining process variations across multiple environments, leading to increased downtime and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The system utilizes service offering templates to customize user-facing interfaces in CITS Containers, allowing for flexible configuration and publication of service offerings, enabling self-service delivery and modular expansion of cloud IT services without requiring redeployment, thereby standardizing user interfaces and improving manageability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual modification of processes is performed to suit customer environments, then adaptability to different customer needs is improved, but error rate and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the process customization into two distinct layers: a standardized core process that remains unchanged and customer-specific configuration parameters that can be modified. This segmentation allows different customer environments to be accommodated through configuration rather than code modification, preventing errors while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-defining multiple standardized process variations that can accommodate different customer needs. These variations are prepared in advance with proper validation, so when a customer environment is encountered, the appropriate pre-validat ed process variation can be selected without manual modification, thus preventing errors.
2Adaptability or versatility
If process modifications are made to accommodate different customer environments, then customer-specific adaptability is improved, but device complexity and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal process framework that can serve multiple customer environments through configuration rather than customization. A single standardized process design can be adapted to different customers by changing parameters such as approval thresholds, service types, or integration endpoints, eliminating the need for separate process implementations for each customer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent manages customer-specific variations by changing parameters within a standardized process framework rather than modifying the process structure itself. Configuration files or database entries store customer-specific parameters (e.g., approval limits, service catalogs, integration credentials), allowing the same process code to serve multiple customers with different requirements.
3Ease of operation
If packaged content is modified in the field, then ease of customization is improved, but context loss and manageability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary configuration layer between the packaged content and the customer environment. This configuration layer captures and preserves service context (customer-specific requirements, integration details, approval workflows) while allowing field customization. The intermediary stores this context in a structured format that maintains associations with the underlying packaged content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates and manages copies of standardized process templates for different customer environments. Each copy maintains the structural integrity and context of the original packaged content while allowing parameter customization. Version control and template management mechanisms ensure that context is preserved and can be restored if needed.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple process variations are created for different environments, then adaptability to diverse needs is improved, but tracking and sustainment difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal process template that can serve multiple environments through configuration. A single template definition can be instantiated multiple times with different parameter sets for different customer environments, eliminating the need to create and track separate process variations for each environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent manages environmental variations by changing parameters in configuration files or database records rather than creating separate process implementations. Each environment is represented by a set of parameter values (e.g., customer ID, service catalog, approval thresholds) associated with a common process template, making tracking and sustainment straightforward through centralized configuration management.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided that receive first input via a console to configure a plurality of different combinations of performance parameters that correspond to a manner in which a service may be provided, wherein the console is configured to provide a plurality of other services. The system, apparatus, method, and computer program also publish a plurality of user-facing interfaces to a service request catalog as a plurality of different service offerings, wherein the plurality of different service offerings correspond to the plurality of different combinations of performance parameters for the service. Further, the system, apparatus, method, and computer program initiate the service in a manner that corresponds to one of the plurality of different combinations of performance parameters for one of the plurality of service offerings when that one of the plurality of service offerings is selected with second input received via the console.