Patent ID: 8090995

Claim:
A method comprising: monitoring one or more service providing components implemented using at least one processor-based device, the one or more service providing components being connected to an interfacing system, the interfacing system configured to control requests for service received from client units requiring servicing from at least one of the one or more service providing components and to assign the requests to the one or more service providing components, wherein the monitoring is initiated by equipment associated with one or more of the interfacing system and at least one of the one or more service providing components; and generating information regarding the operability of at least one of the one or more service providing components based on data generated in response to monitoring the one or more service providing components, wherein the monitoring of the one or more service providing components further comprises: determining, by respective monitoring agents included with at least some of the one or more service providing components, the operability status of the associated one or more service providing components, and communicating data based on the determined operability status to the interfacing system.