System and method for prioritized processing of alerts from information handling systems

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a managing information handling system (IHS), a first alert pertaining to a main part from a managed IHS;

determining, at the managing IHS, whether an alternative part is available at the managed IHS as a substitute for the main part;

determining, at the managing IHS, a life expectancy of the alternative part;

determining, at the managing IHS, whether an expected level of service can be expected to be provided by the alternative part based on the life expectancy of the alternative part;

selecting, at the managing IHS, between a plurality of levels of criticality to apply to the first alert; and

dispatching, at the managing IHS, the first alert for resolution at a selected level of criticality, the plurality of levels of criticality comprising the selected level of criticality.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the main part is in use.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a higher level of criticality is selected in a first case where no alternative part is available at the managed IHS and the main part is in use and in a second case where the alternative part is available at the managed IHS but the life expectancy of the alternative part indicates the expected level of service cannot be expected to be provided by the alternative part.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein a lower level of criticality is selected in a third case where no alternative part is available at the managed IHS and main part is not in use and in a fourth case where an active part is available at the managed IHS and the life expectancy of the alternative part indicates the expected level of service can be expected to be provided by the alternative part.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the life expectancy of the alternative part is determined by determining an average life of the alternative part and determining a remaining life of the alternative part based on the average life of the alternative part.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an expected delivery time of a replacement part, wherein the determining whether the expected level of service can be expected to be provided by the alternative part based on the life expectancy of the alternative part is performed with respect to the expected delivery time of the replacement part.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expected level of service is determined from a service level agreement.

8. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to receive a first alert pertaining to a main part from a managed IHS, to determine whether an alternative part is available at the managed IHS as a substitute for the main part, to determine a life expectancy of the alternative part, to determine whether an expected level of service can be expected to be provided by the alternative part based on the life expectancy of the alternative part, to select between a plurality of levels of criticality to apply to the first alert, and to dispatch the first alert for resolution at a selected level of criticality, the levels of criticality including the selected level of criticality.

9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the main part is in use.

10. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein a higher level of criticality is selected in a first case where no alternative part is available at the managed IHS and the main part is in use and in a second case where the alternative part is available at the managed IHS but the life expectancy of the alternative part indicates the expected level of service cannot be expected to be provided by the alternative part.

11. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein a lower level of criticality is selected in a third case where no alternative part is available at the managed IHS and main part is not in use and in a fourth case where an active part is available at the managed IHS and the life expectancy of the alternative part indicates the expected level of service can be expected to be provided by the alternative part.

12. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the life expectancy of the alternative part is determined by determining an average life of the alternative part and determining a remaining life of the alternative part based on the average life of the alternative part.

13. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine an expected delivery time of a replacement part, wherein the determining whether the expected level of service can be expected to be provided by the alternative part based on the life expectancy of the alternative part is performed with respect to the expected delivery time of the replacement part.

14. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the expected level of service is determined from a service level agreement.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a managing information handling system (IHS), a first alert pertaining to a first main part from a first managed IHS;

receiving, at the managing IHS, a second alert pertaining to a second main part from a second managed IHS;

receiving, at the managing information handling system (IHS), a third alert pertaining to a third main part from a third managed IHS;

receiving, at the managing information handling system (IHS), a fourth alert pertaining to a fourth main part from a fourth managed IHS;

determining, at the managing IHS, that a first alternative part is available at the first managed IHS as a substitute for the first main part and a first expected level of service can be expected to be provided by the first alternative part based on a first life expectancy of the first alternative part and dispatching the first alert for resolution at a critical level of priority;

determining, at the managing IHS, that a second alternative part is available at the second managed IHS as a substitute for the second main part and a second expected level of service cannot be expected to be provided by the second alternative part based on a second life expectancy of the second alternative part and dispatching the second alert for resolution at an exceedingly critical level of priority;

determining, at the managing IHS, a first alternate part unavailability at the third managed IHS as a substitute for the third main part and the third main part to be in use and dispatching the third alert for resolution at an exceedingly critical level of priority; and

determining, at the managing IHS, a second alternative part unavailability at the fourth managed IHS as a substitute for the fourth main part and the fourth main part not to be in use and dispatching the fourth alert for resolution at a critical level of priority.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first life expectancy of the first alternative part is determined by determining a first average life of the first alternative part and determining a first remaining life of the first alternative part based on the first average life of the first alternative part.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining a first expected delivery time of a first replacement part, wherein the determining whether the first expected level of service can be expected to be provided by the first alternative part based on the first life expectancy of the first alternative part is performed with respect to the first expected delivery time of the first replacement part.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the expected level of service is determined from a service level agreement (SLA).

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first expected level of service, the second expected level of service, the third expected level of service, and the fourth expected level of service are different expected levels of service.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first managed IHS, the second managed IHS, the third managed IHS, and the fourth managed IHS are located at a common data center.