Patent ID: 7788122
Filing Date: 2010-08-31
Classification: G06Q,Y02P

Abstract:
1. An automated method of optimizing management of service elements, said method comprising: automatically searching, by a processor, through data structures representing other service elements to locate commonality in design with a service element to be developed, the commonality in design comprising one or more customization tasks to be performed on a referenced service element or integration tasks to be performed on at least two referenced service elements, the referenced service element or the at least two referenced service elements being referenced in at least one composition item of at least one other service element of the other service elements and in at least one composition item of the service element to be developed, each service element being a discrete entity for which a customer may be billed or which represents an in-house or outsourced service, and each service element being represented by a data structure comprising a set of information to manage the service element, the data structure including at least one composition item, integration properties and a customization specification, the integration properties characterizing an ability of the service element to integrate with one of more service elements; subsequent to the searching, creating another service element that includes only the located commonality in design with the service element to be developed, the another service element comprising a consolidation of the common one or more customization or integration tasks; referencing the another service element in a composition item of the data structure representing the service element to be developed, wherein the another service element provides at least part of a design specification usable in constructing the service element to be developed by a service provider; for the service element under development, generating a development plan therefor, wherein the development plan includes a design of the service element, and a customization specification, and during development plan generation for the service element of the multiple service elements: saving the development plan for the service element in the data structure representation of the service element; generating a deployment plan for the service element using the development plan, wherein the deployment plan is a series of tasks which direct, in part, customization or integration of entities within the service element pursuant to the development plan; saving the deployment plan for the service element in the data structure representation of the service element; and constructing and deploying the service element by a service provider based on the generated development and deployment plans.