Abstract:
A computer system and program product for managing support of an application. First program instructions receive a request to view contact information for support people for the application, and in response, determine whether the request occurs during On Shift support hours or Off Shift support hours of the application and determine the support people who are On Shift and the support people who are Off Shift for the application. There is a preferred e-mail address for On Shift contact and a preferred e-mail address for Off Shift contact for each of the support people. The preferred e-mail address for On Shift contact is different than the preferred e-mail address for Off Shift contact for at least one of the support people. Second program instructions receive a request to send an e-mail to one or more of the On Shift and Off Shift support people. If the e-mail request occurs On Shift, the e-mail is sent to the preferred On Shift e-mail address for each of the one or more On Shift support people and each of the one or more Off Shift support people. If the e-mail request occurs Off Shift, the e-mail is sent to the preferred Off Shift e-mail address for each of the one or more On Shift support people and each of the one or more Off Shift support people. The computer system also displays the support people in an order based on whether the current time is On Shift or Off Shift.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to computer systems, and deals more particularly with support service for computer systems. 
     A computer systems or applications operator may detect a problem with a network or hardware or software within a computer system or be notified by a customer of such a problem. For example, if available storage is running low or a server or application goes down, the operator may detect this problem by monitoring status screens or receiving an alert. Typically, there are a pool of technical support people to assist the operator, although some may have expertise for certain types of problems and not for others. The operator will often need to contact one or more support people to solve the problem with the computer system. 
     In today&#39;s global environment, the support people may work at different locations throughout the world, and may work remotely from any support facility. Also, the operator may reside in a much different time zone than the support people and the customer, and detect problems with a computer system at times other than the scheduled shift hours for the customer. Typically, support people are scheduled during various shifts and may carry pagers and cell phones to handle problems occurring during other times. Typically also, there are different preferred methods to contact each support person, depending on whether the support person is working his or her primary scheduled hours or working other times. Such methods of contact include a work telephone, a home telephone, a pager, a cell phone, an e-mail for an e-mail account, an e-mail for a pager, or an e-mail for a cell phone. It has proven cumbersome for the operator to identify the proper support person or people to contact and the preferred method of contact in view of the foregoing complexities. 
     There is a previously known IBM software tool called “On Call” to assist an operator in identifying a support person to contact. The tool lists for the operator, the primary support person, first backup, second backup and manager, and their status (available or not available). The presentation of the list is fixed, irrespective of the time of day that the problem arises, or differences in time zones. The operator can select one of the support people or their manager, and the tool will display the contact information (i.e. work telephone number, pager number, cell telephone number, e-mail address) for the respective support person. Then, the operator can contact the support person or their manager. While this tool was effective, it did not optimally manage the identification of the proper support person(s) to contact or the preferred method of contact. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to better manage the identification of the proper support person(s) to contact and their preferred method of contact. 
     Another object of the present invention is to facilitate contact with a plurality of support people. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention resides in a computer system and program product for managing support of an application having On Shift support hours and Off Shift support hours. First program instructions receive a request to view contact information for support people for the application, and in response, determine whether the request occurs during the On Shift support hours or the Off Shift support hours. If the request occurs during said On Shift support hours, second program instructions determine the support people who are On Shift and the support people who are Off Shift for the application, and direct display of the On Shift support people and the Off Shift support people in a list such that the support people who are On Shift are listed before the support people who are Off Shift. If the request occurs during the Off Shift support hours, the second program instructions determine the support people who are Off Shift and the support people who are On Shift for the application, and direct display of the Off Shift support people and the On Shift support people in a list such that the support people who are Off Shift are listed before the support people who are On Shift. 
     The invention also resides in a computer system and program product for managing support of an application. First program instructions receive a request to view contact information for support people for the application, and in response, determine whether the request occurs during On Shift support hours or Off Shift support hours of the application and determine the support people who are On Shift and the support people who are Off Shift for the application. There is a preferred e-mail address for On Shift contact and a preferred e-mail address for Off Shift contact for each of the support people. The preferred e-mail address for On Shift contact is different than the preferred e-mail address for Off Shift contact for at least one of the support people. Second program instructions receive a request to send an e-mail to one or more of the On Shift and Off Shift support people. If the e-mail request occurs On Shift, the e-mail is sent to the preferred On Shift e-mail address for each of the one or more On Shift support people and each of the one or more Off Shift support people. If the e-mail request occurs Off Shift, the e-mail is sent to the preferred Off Shift e-mail address for each of the one or more On Shift support people and each of the one or more Off Shift support people. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a computer system which includes a contact management tool according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating a process for defining an account with the contact management tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a process for defining a participant with the contact management tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating a process for defining an application contact document with the contact management tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 (A and B),  10  (A and B) and  11  form a flow chart illustrating use of the contact management tool of  FIG. 1 , including use of the defined account, participant and application contact of  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout,  FIG. 1  illustrates a computer system generally designated  20  which includes the present invention. System  20  comprises a workstation  22  for a systems or applications operator, a server  24  which manages directory information stored in data base  26  for a pool of computer hardware and/or software support people, an e-mail server  28  such as IBM Domino server and a server  30  which can run a support person contact management tool  40  and present the operator interface to the tool  40  on workstation  22 . Alternately, tool  40  can run on workstation  22 . The e-mail server  28  can send an e-mail to a pager  31 , a cell phone  32  or a workstation  33  (using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol in the case of the pager, cell phone, and e-mail account). In the case of the pager  31  or cell phone  32 , the e-mail is typically sent via a pager or cell phone service provider  35 . As explained in more detail below, contact management tool  40  is used by the operator to optimally identify, determine how to contact and contact one or more of the support people. Contact management tool  40  has two phases of operation—setup by the operator or support people and subsequent use by the operator. 
       FIGS. 2-4  illustrate the setup phase of tool  40 . To begin the setup phase, an operator (or support person) defines a new customer account as illustrated in  FIG. 2  as follows. Each “account” can be associated with one or more software applications. The operator logs on and invokes tool  40  (step  100 ), and then selects “main directory” and “accounts view” icons (step  102 ). In response, tool  40  checks whether or not the operator has authority to access the account (step  104 ). In the illustrated embodiment, only certain people designated in an access control list as an administrator or team leader, have authority. If the operator does not have the requisite authority, (decision  106 , no branch), then tool  40  cannot create the new account (step  107 ). However, if the operator has the requisite authority (decision  106 , yes branch), the operator can select an icon to create an account document, and the tool creates a file for this account (step  108 ). Then, the operator enters the following parameters for this account (which can be new or pre-existing) (step  110 ):
         account name,   time zone shift hours—start and end of On Shift hours,   account focal point,   document creator,   account comments
 
Next, tool  40  checks whether the account name is unique (step  116 ). If so, tool  40  registers the account name (so that the same account name cannot be used for another account) (step  120 ). If not, the account cannot be setup with this name (step  107 ).
       
     Before or after an account is created, each “participant” i.e. support person and their manager for the account, is defined as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Each of the support people for an account application has expertise for the account application. (Different support people can be designated to support different applications for the same account.) An operator (or a support person) logs on and invokes tool  40  (step  130 ). Then, the operator selects the “main directory”, “Participant” view icon (step  132 ). Next, the operator selects a “create participant document” icon, and in response, tool  40  creates a file for this participant (step  134 ). Next, the operator enters as preliminary data the participant&#39;s employee serial number and country code or e-mail address (step  136 ). Next, tool  40  determines, based on the preliminary data and a query to server  24 , if this participant is recorded in the directory  26 . If not, then the Participant document cannot be created (step  157 ). If so, (decision  138 , yes branch), then tool  40  solicits the following supplemental information from the operator for each of the participants for the application (step  140 ):
         e-mail address of owner (i.e. owner, usually the creator, of this document), division of owner,   department of owner,   e-mail address of manager of owner,   whether the owner is a manager,   first and last name of the participant,   whether the participant is a team leader,   names of applications (or optionally hardware components) that this participant supports,       

     On Shift contact information:
         Participant&#39;s preferred method of contact (office phone via tie line or external number, home phone, cellular phone, pager or e-mail)   Office tie line phone number   Office external phone number   Home phone number   Cellular phone number   Pager type   Pager phone number   Pager PIN   E-mail address       

     Off Shift contact information:
         Participant&#39;s preferred method of notification (office phone via tie line or external number, home phone, cellular phone, pager or e-mail)   Office tie line phone number   Office external phone number   Home phone number   Cellular phone number   Pager type   Pager phone number   Pager PIN   E-mail address
 
Assuming the operator enters the required parameters above, then tool  40  saves the foregoing data into the “Participant” document (step  144 ). The foregoing steps of  FIG. 3  are repeated for each support person and manager that supports the account application.
       

     After the definition of the account, an operator defines contact information for support people for each application used by the account, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . (The steps of  FIG. 4  are repeated for each account application.) As explained in more detail below, when an operator experiences a problem with the application, the operator can contact one or more of the support people of their manager listed in the “Application Contact” document defined in  FIG. 4 . The operator (or support person or manager of the support people) invokes tool  40  (step  150 ) and then selects an “applications” icon (step  152 ). In response, tool  40  checks whether the operator has the requisite authority to access or create an Applications Contact document (step  154 ). This check is made by reading from the access control list whether or not the operator has administrative or team leader authority. If not, (decision  156 , no branch), then tool  40  cannot define the Application Contact document (step  157 ). If so (decision  156 , yes branch), then the operator can select to create a new Application Contact document, and the tool creates a file for this document (step  158 ). Then, the operator enters the following parameters for the application contacts (step  160 ):
         Account name   Application name   Document creator   Time zone shift hours   Start and end of On Shift hours   Application comments       

     On Shift Personnel: 
     On Shift primary contact
         Preferred On Shift contact method   Contact comments       

     On Shift first backup
         Preferred On shift contact method   Contact comments       

     On Shift second backup
         Preferred On shift contact method   Contact comments       

     On Shift third backup
         Preferred On shift contact method   Contact comments       

     On Shift application manager
         Preferred On shift contact method   Contact comments       

     Off Shift Personnel: 
     Off Shift primary contact
         Preferred Off Shift contact method   Contact comments       

     Off Shift first backup
         Preferred Off shift contact method   Contact comments       

     Off Shift second backup
         Preferred Off shift contact method   Contact comments       

     Off Shift third backup
         Preferred Off shift contact method   Contact comments       

     Off Shift application manager
         Preferred Off shift contact method   Contact comments
 
Assuming the operator enters the required parameters above, then tool  40  checks if the combination of account name and application name is unique (step  166 ). If both are valid, then tool  40  registers or saves the account application document (step  168 ).
       

     After the setup processes of  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4  have been performed, tool  40  is ready for use by an operator to contact one or more support people and/or their manager.  FIGS. 5-11  illustrate a process whereby an operator using tool  40  can identify the best support person or people to contact at any time the problem is detected, the preferred method to contact each of the support people at that time, and if desired, to broadcast an e-mail to all the support people, i.e. participants, for an application in response to a problem with that application. (The operator can detect the problem directly, or be notified of the problem by a customer.) The preferred method of contact can be work or home telephone, cell phone, pager or e-mail. Depending on what e-mail address is listed for each participant, the e-mail can be the address of the participant&#39;s employer e-mail account, pager, cell phone or any other communications device that supports e-mail. 
     To begin the process, the operator invokes the tool  40  (step  200 ), and then selects from the “main directory”, “applications” view (step  202 ). In response, tool  40  presents the operator with a list of applications and their respective accounts which were registered with the tool pursuant to all successful iterations of step  160  of  FIG. 4  (step  204 ). Next, the operator selects an application document to view (step  206 ). In response, tool  40  presents to the operator the information entered in step  160 , including the start and end of the On Shift hours registered for this application (and the account in which the problem arose) (step  206 ). Then, tool  40  automatically determines whether the current time is “on shift” or “off shift” for the application (step  208  and decision  209 ). Step  208  and decision  209 ) are further described in  FIG. 6 . Tool  40  determines the difference between the time zone for the subject account application listed in the application contact document and the time zone of the operator (step  210 ). Then, tool  40  adjusts the On Shift start and end times of the application support by the difference in time zones (step  212 ). Next, tool  40  determines if the operator&#39;s current time is between the adjusted On Shift start and On Shift end support times of the account application listed in the application contact document (step  216 ). If so, the current time is considered “On Shift” for the account application support, and tool  40  proceeds to “On Shift” processing (step  220 ). If not, the current time is considered “Off Shift” for the account application support, and tool  40  proceeds to “Off Shift” processing (step  222 ). 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the On Shift processing step  220  in more detail. In step  223 , tool  40  directs the display of a list of the On Shift participants (i.e. support people and their manager currently on their primary/regular shift), followed by a list of the Off Shift participants (i.e. support people and their manager not currently on their primary/regular shift). The On Shift people are listed in the order of primary contact, first backup, second backup, third backup, and manager. The Off Shift people are listed in the order of primary contact, first backup, second backup, third backup, and manger. Tool  40  identifies the On Shift participants by reading the “On Shift Personnel” parameters in the Application Contact document. Tool  40  identifies the Off Shift participants by reading the “Off Shift Personnel” parameters in the Application Contact document. The display of step  223  also lists the different methods of contact for each On Shift and Off Shift participant: Office tie line phone number, Office external phone number, Home phone number, Cellular phone number, Pager type, Pager phone number, Pager PIN and Hot message e-mail address. The operator can then call any of the participants directly by using the specified telephone or pager number (decision  224  and step  225 ). The display of step  223  also allows the operator to select an On Shift or Off Shift participant&#39;s e-mail address (step  226 ). In such a case, tool  40  will prepare the addressing of the e-mail and present a field for the operator to enter the content of the e-mail and then forward the e-mail to mail server  28  (step  227 ). The display of step  223  also includes a “send global message” icon/option which the operator can select with the mouse. If the operator selects the “send global message” icon (step  230 ), then tool  40  will check the time zone of the account application to determine if the current time corresponds to the account application&#39;s On Shift or Off Shift hours (step  236  and decision  237 ). If the current time corresponds to the account application&#39;s On Shift hours, tool  40  proceeds according to step  238 —“On Shift send global e-mail”. If not, tool  40  proceeds according to step  239 —“Off Shift send global e-mail”. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the Off Shift processing step  222  in more detail. In step  823 , tool  40  directs the display of a list of the Off Shift participants (i.e. support people and their manager), followed by a list of the On Shift participants (i.e. support people and their manager). The Off Shift people are listed in the order of primary contact, first backup, second backup, third backup, and manager. The On Shift people are listed in the order of primary contact, first backup, second backup, third backup, and manager. Tool  40  identifies the Off Shift participants by reading the “Off Shift Personnel” parameters in the Application Contact document. Tool  40  identifies the On Shift participants by reading the “On Shift Personnel” parameters in the Application Contact document. The display of step  823  also lists the different methods of contact for each Off Shift and On Shift participant: Office tie line phone number, Office external phone number, Home phone number, Cellular phone number, Pager type, Pager phone number, Pager PIN and Hot message e-mail address. The operator can then call an Off Shift or On Shift participant directly using the specified telephone or pager number (decision  824  and step  825 ). The display of step  823  also allows the operator to select the e-mail address (step  826 ). In such a case tool  40  will prepare the addressing of the e-mail and present a field for the operator to enter the content of the e-mail (steps  827  and  828 ). Then, tool  40  will automatically forward the e-mail to mail server  28  (step  828 ). The display of step  823  also includes a “send global message” icon which the operator can select with the mouse. If the operator selects the “send global message” icon (step  830 ), then tool  40  will check the time zone of the account application to determine if the current time corresponds to the account application&#39;s On Shift or Off Shift hours (step  836  and decision  837 ). If the current time corresponds to the account application&#39;s On Shift hours, tool  40  proceeds according to step  238 —“On Shift send global e-mail”. If not, tool  40  proceeds according to step  239 —“Off Shift send global e-mail”. 
       FIGS. 9(A  and B) illustrates step  238  in more detail—“On Shift send global e-mail”. The following steps  243 - 247  of  FIG. 9(A  and B) are performed iteratively for each On Shift Participant (i.e. primary, first backup, second backup and third backup and their manager). Tool  40  determines if there is an On Shift e-mail address listed in the Application Contact document for one of the On Shift participants (decision  243 ). If not, then tool  40  creates a display entry for the preferred On Shift method of contact of the On Shift participant, for example, a telephone number or pager number (step  246 ). However, if the On Shift participant has an On Shift e-mail address listed in the Application Contact document, (decision  243 , yes branch) tool  40  sets up an e-mail message by creating a form for the e-mail, if not already created, and adding the participant&#39;s On Shift e-mail address to the address list of this e-mail (step  244 ). If there is another On Shift participant (decision  247 , yes branch), then tool  40  loops back to decision  243  to repeat the foregoing steps. After steps  243 - 247  are performed for each On Shift participant, the following steps  253 - 257  of  FIG. 9(A  and B) are performed for each Off Shift participant (i.e. primary, first backup, second backup, third backup, and manager). Tool  40  determines if there is an On Shift e-mail address listed in the application contact document for the Off Shift participant (decision  253 ). If not, then tool  40  creates a display entry for the preferred On Shift method of contact of the Off Shift participant, for example, a telephone number or pager number (step  256 ). However, if the Off Shift participant has an On Shift e-mail address listed in the Application Contact document, (decision  253 , yes branch) tool  40  sets up an e-mail message by creating a form for the e-mail, if not already created, and adding the Off Shift participant&#39;s On Shift e-mail address to the address list of this e-mail (step  254 ). If there is another Off Shift participant (decision  257 , yes branch), then tool  40  loops back to decision  253 . 
     Next, assuming there is at least one “On Shift” or Off Shift” participant with an e-mail address listed in the application contact document (decision  260 ), tool  40  sends the e-mail with the foregoing message (step  262 ). If there was no participant with an e-mail address or after the e-mail of step  262  is sent, tool  40  determines if any display entries were created in steps  246  or  256  (decision  266 ). If so, then tool  40  displays these entries, i.e. the names of the On Shift and Off Shift participants without an e-mail address and their preferred method of contact of each of them (step  268 ). Then, the operator can utilize that method of contact as described in steps  224 - 228  of  FIG. 7  (for On Shift) and in steps  824 - 828  of  FIG. 8  (for Off Shift). 
     Referring again to step  236  of  FIG. 7  in the case where the operator selected to “send global message”, if the account application is currently “Off Shift”??, then tool  40  proceeds to step  239 , “Off Shift send global e-mail”.  FIG. 10(A  and B) illustrates step  239  in more detail. The following steps  343 - 347  of  FIG. 10(A  and B) are performed for each Off Shift Participant (i.e. primary, first backup, second backup and third backup and their manager). Tool  40  determines if there is an Off Shift e-mail address listed in the Application Contact document for the Off Shift participant (decision  343 ). If not, then tool  40  creates a display entry for the preferred Off Shift method of contact of the Off Shift participant(s), for example, a telephone number or pager number (step  346 ). However, if the Off Shift participant has an Off Shift e-mail address listed in the Application Contact document, (decision  343 , yes branch) tool  40  sets up an e-mail message by creating a form for the e-mail, if not already created, and adding the Off Shift participant&#39;s e-mail address to the address list of this e-mail (step  344 ). If there is another Off Shift participant (decision  347 , yes branch), then tool  40  loops back to decision  343  to repeat steps  343 - 347  for the next Off Shift participant. After steps  343 - 347  have been performed for all Off Shift participants, tool  40  performs the following steps  353 - 357  of  FIG. 10(A  and B) for each On Shift Participant (i.e. primary, first backup, second backup and third backup and their manager). Tool  40  determines if there is an Off Shift e-mail address listed in the application contact document for the On Shift participant (decision  353 ). If not, then tool  40  creates a display entry for the preferred Off Shift method of contact of the On Shift participant(s), for example, a telephone number or pager number (step  356 ). However, if the On Shift participant has an Off Shift e-mail address listed in the application contact document, (decision  353 , yes branch) tool  40  sets up an e-mail message by creating a form for the e-mail, if not already created, and adding the On Shift participant&#39;s e-mail address to the address list of this e-mail (step  354 ). If there is another On Shift participant (decision  357 , yes branch), then tool  40  loops back to decision  353 . 
     Next, assuming there is at least one “Off Shift” or On Shift” participant with an e-mail address listed in the Application Contact document (decision  360 ), tool  40  sends the e-mail with the foregoing message (step  362 ). If there was no participant with an e-mail address or after the e-mail of step  362  is sent, tool  40  determines if any display entries were created in steps  346  or  356  (decision  366 ). If so, then tool  40  displays these entries, i.e. the names of the Off Shift and On Shift participants without an e-mail address and their preferred method of contact (step  368 ). Then, the operator can utilize that method of contact as described in steps  224 - 228  of  FIG. 7  (for On Shift) and in steps  824 - 828  of  FIG. 8  (for Off Shift). 
       FIG. 11  illustrates the “send message” step  262  of  FIG. 9(A  and B) and step  362  of  FIG. 10(A  and B) in more detail. Tool  40  directs the display of an e-mail message form (step  600 ), and then the operator types in the e-mail message (step  602 ). Typically, the message will describe the nature of the problem, and may schedule a conference call of some or all the participants to determine how to correct the problem. Then, the operator selects a “send” icon, or tool  60  asks the operator if the operator is ready to send the e-mail message (decision  604 ). When the operator selects to send the message, tool  40  logs the message (step  606 ), and also forwards the message to an e-mail message service such as IBM Lotus Notes service. The message service will then send the message to all e-mail addresses in the address list (step  608 ). Depending on the e-mail address, the e-mail can go to an e-mail account, pager, cell phone or any device which supports e-mails. 
     Based on the foregoing, a support person contact management tool according to the present invention has been disclosed. However, numerous modifications and substitutions can be made without deviating from the scope of the present invention. For example, the contact management tool is useful to manage problems with computer networks, hardware as well as software. Therefore, the present invention has been disclosed by way of illustration and not limitation, and reference should be made to the following claims to determine the scope of the present invention.