Method and apparatus for real time monitoring of business services

1 . An automated method for monitoring the activities of business services and displaying graphic representations of the monitoring, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

creating an application program interface (“API”) framework module;

creating a monitoring utility;

setting up a business service in a business service application for monitoring;

conducting monitoring of the business service; and

updating the monitoring of the business service periodically.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein creating the API framework module further comprises

creating the API framework module to enable monitoring of business services, and

updating the monitoring of business services.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein creating the API framework module further comprises

creating the API framework module to provide a framework for the business service to respond to monitoring queries according to parameters set up for the business service, those parameters comprising

useful categories of information to be monitored, and

metadata for the presentation of those categories of information.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein creating the monitoring utility further comprises

using the API framework module to create the monitoring utility, the monitoring utility enabling

monitoring business services into which the API framework module has been incorporated, and

generating graphic representations of that monitoring.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein setting up the business service for monitoring further comprises

transferring the API framework module to the business service;

creating plug-in code to integrate the API framework module into the business service;

using the plug-in code to integrate the API framework module into the business service; and

preparing the business service to listen for monitoring queries.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein creating plug-in code to integrate the API framework module into the business service further comprises configuring the plug-in code to predetermine

the categories of information to be monitored at the business service;

the way that monitored information will be presented in a screen display by the monitoring utility; and

the time interval at which the monitored information will be updated.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein preparing the business service to listen for monitoring queries comprises

setting up the business service to

listen to queries sent to the business service over a network, and

to respond to those queries.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein conducting monitoring of the business service further comprises

sending a monitoring query from the monitoring utility to the business service;

receiving the monitoring query at the business service;

employing the API framework module to display the predetermined categories the business service can monitor;

selecting the category to be monitored at the business service; and

displaying by the monitoring utility the results of the monitoring.

9 . The method of claim 5 wherein updating monitoring of the business service periodically further comprises

employing the API framework module incorporated into the business service to send to the monitoring utility for display update information about at least one monitored category at a preconfigured time interval specified by the plug-in code.

10 . An automated method for monitoring the activities of business services and displaying graphic representations of the monitoring, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

creating an API framework module on a source server;

creating a monitoring utility on the source server;

setting up for monitoring a business service on a second server, the business service being linked to a business service application on the source server;

conducting monitoring of the business service; and

updating the monitoring of the business service periodically.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein setting up for monitoring a business service on a second server, the business service being linked to a business service application on the source server further comprises

transferring the API module to the business service;

creating plug-in code to integrate the API framework module, into the business service,

such that configuring the plug-in code predetermines

the categories of information to be monitored at the business service,

the way that monitored information will be presented in a screen display by the monitoring utility, and

the time interval at which the monitored information will be updated.

12 . An automated method for monitoring the activities of business services and displaying graphic representations of the monitoring, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

creating an API framework module, such that the API framework module enables monitoring of business services,

enables updating the monitoring of business services, and

provides a framework for a business service to respond to monitoring queries according to parameters set up for the business service, those parameters comprising

useful categories of information to be monitored, and

metadata for the presentation of those categories of information;

creating a monitoring utility, such that

the monitoring utility uses the API framework module to

monitor business services into which the API framework module has been incorporated, and

generate graphic representations of that monitoring;

setting up the business service in a business service application for monitoring, such that setting up the business service comprises

transferring the API module to the business service,

creating plug-in code to integrate the API framework module, into the business service, such that

configuring the plug-in code predetermines

the categories of information to be monitored at the business service,

the way that monitored information will be presented in a screen display by the monitoring utility, and

the time interval at which the monitored information will be updated;

using the plug-in code to integrate the API framework module into the business service, and

preparing the business service to listen for monitoring queries;

conducting monitoring of the business service, such that conducting the monitoring comprises

sending a monitoring query from the monitoring utility to the business service,

receiving the monitoring query at the business service,

employing the API framework module to display the predetermined categories that the business service can monitor,

selecting the category to be monitored at the business service, and

displaying by the monitoring utility the results of the monitoring; and

updating the monitoring of the business service periodically, such that the updating comprises

employing the API framework module incorporated into the business service to send to the monitoring utility for display update information about at least one monitored category at the preconfigured time interval specified by the plug-in code.

13 . A system for monitoring the activities of business services and displaying graphic representations of the monitoring, the system comprising

a first server;

an API framework;

a monitoring utility;

at least one second server;

a business service on the second server; and

plug-in code on the second server.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein

the API framework is provided on the first server;

the API framework is transferred to a second server; and

the API framework is incorporated into the business service on the second server by plug-in code created on the second server.