CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SUPPORT APPLICATION FOR A SERVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF
A service management system and method. In one embodiment, the service management system includes: (1) a service description repository configured to contain service descriptions that define services in terms of a set of end points that assume roles in the services and (2) a customer service representative support application configured to collect ones of the end points mapped into roles pertaining to one of the services from a corresponding one of the service descriptions, collect key/value pairs on the ones of the end points pertaining to an issue with respect to the one of the services, evaluate the key/value pairs using optimal values and, if a predefined condition regarding the issue is met, attempt to employ the key/value pairs to address the issue.
1 . A service management system, comprising:
a service description repository configured to contain service descriptions that define services in terms of a set of end points that assume roles in said services; and
a customer service representative support application configured to collect ones of said end points mapped into roles pertaining to one of said services from a corresponding one of said service descriptions, collect key/value pairs on said ones of said end points pertaining to an issue with respect to said one of said services, evaluate said key/value pairs using optimal values and, if a predefined condition regarding said issue is met, attempt to employ said key/value pairs to address said issue.
2 . The service management system as recited in claim 1 wherein said customer service representative support application is further configured to cause a test to be initiated to determine whether said issue is addressed.
3 . The service management system as recited in claim 1 wherein said customer service representative support application has been coded for said one of said service descriptions.
4 . The service management system as recited in claim 3 wherein said customer service representative support application is a provisioning application for said one of said service descriptions.
5 . The service management system as recited in claim 1 wherein said customer service representative support application has been coded for more than one service description.
6 . The service management system as recited in claim 5 wherein said customer service representative support application is configured to display information about an email service in terms of key/value pairs associated therewith.
7 . The service management system as recited in claim 1 wherein said customer service representative support application is further configured to select among said end points only end points pertaining to said roles and said service.
8 . The service management system as recited in claim 1 wherein said data comprises service-specific data defined in said service description.
9 . The service management system as recited in claim 1 wherein said end points are selected from the group consisting of:
devices, and
systems,
and said optimal values are selected from the group consisting of:
user-queried values,
predefined optimal values, and
computed optimal values.
10 . The service management system as recited in claim 1 wherein said customer service representative support application is further configured to compare said optimal values against key/value pairs collected from said end points.
11 . The service management system as recited in claim 10 wherein said customer service representative support application is further configured to compare said optimal values against said key/value pairs and functions collected from said end points.
12 . The service management system as recited in claim 1 wherein said customer service representative support application is further configured to inspect a role of one of said end points to determine where said one of said end points can be remotely controlled.
13 . A method of supporting a customer service representative, comprising:
collecting end points mapped into roles pertaining to a service from a corresponding service description;
collecting key/value pairs on said end points pertaining to an issue with respect to said service;
evaluating said key/value pairs using optimal values;
if a predefined condition regarding said issue is met, attempting to employ said key/value pairs to address said issue; and
testing to determine whether said issue is addressed.
14 . The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said retrieving comprises making a call into a service management system.
15 . The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising selecting among said end points only end points pertaining to said roles and said service.
16 . The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said data comprises service-specific data defined in said service description.
17 . The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said end points are selected from the group consisting of:
devices, and
systems.
18 . The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said optimal values are selected from the group consisting of:
user-queried values,
predefined optimal values, and
computed optimal values.
19 . The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said evaluating comprises comparing said optimal values against key/value pairs collected from said end points.
20 . The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said comparing comprises comparing said optimal values against said key/value pairs and functions collected from said end points.
21 . The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising inspecting a role of one of said end points to determine where said one of said end points can be remotely controlled.