Patent Application
20210160143
As technology advances, enterprise organizations are continually implementing information technology (IT) infrastructures required for the operation and management of the organization. For example, enterprise organizations are implementing cloud-based solutions for operating the enterprise in addition to providing digital workspaces, such as, for example, bring-your-own device (BYOD) environments, that allow employees to securely use their own devices within the enterprise organization. Digital transformation is important to the growth and survivability of an organization. In addition, digital transformation allows an organization to improve agility, strengthen core capabilities, spark innovation, and power IT to meet business demands.
As an enterprise organization evolves digitally, the enterprise organization may utilize the services and products provided by one or more enterprise solution providers. Enterprise solution providers can provide multiple different types of products or services that can enable an enterprise organization to implement a digital workplace based on the needs of the enterprise organization. Typically, the enterprise solution providers can engage with customers in product-led discussions to provide a discussion about the different services and products offered by the enterprise solution providers. Based on the product-led discussions, an enterprise IT organization can identify different products and services that may be of interest to the organization. In some situations, the enterprise solution providers can be divided into different groups based on different types of products and services offered. This can lead to overlap in discussions with enterprise organizations which can result in significantly long deliverable turnaround times, missed opportunities, misaligned projects, and unhappy customers.
Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The present disclosure relates to determining an IT topology for an enterprise IT organization and a roadmap for implementing the IT topology based on operational goals of the enterprise organization. In particular, by discovering and aligning operational goals with IT capabilities, a roadmap for obtaining the IT topology that is unique to the enterprise organization can be determined. An effective IT roadmap can empower an enterprise IT organization with an essential tool that allows the enterprise IT organization to operate efficiently and articulate, gain alignment, and communicate value as an organization.
According to various examples, an entity associated with an enterprise IT organization can be presented one or more visual models (e.g., presentations, documents, user interfaces, audio, video, etc.) via a display of a computing device. The one or more visual models can be designed to extract information about the enterprise IT organization from the entity. For example, the visual models can be used to obtain details about the enterprise IT organization such as, for example, the enterprise name, the enterprise address, a number of employees associated with the enterprise, a net worth of the enterprise, and/or other information. In addition, the visual models can be used to facilitate conversation and extract information that can be used to determine operational goals of the enterprise IT organization, as well as current IT capabilities, a current IT topology, a current operational status of the enterprise, operational challenges that affect the enterprise IT organization, implications for remaining in the current IT topology, key performance indicators, an importance associated with the different key performance indicators, and other data associated with the enterprise IT organization.
In some examples, following or during the presentation of the visual models, the entity of the enterprise organization can interact with one or more user interfaces of an IT solutions system associated with an enterprise solutions to provide information about the enterprise organization (e.g., entering responses into text entry fields, selecting components associated with responses that align with the organization, etc.). In other examples, an entity associated with the enterprise solutions provider can manually present the visual models to the entity of the enterprise organization. Following or during the presentation of the visual models, the entity of the enterprise organization or the entity of the enterprise solutions provider can input data associated with the enterprise organization into the one or more user interfaces.
Based on the received responses from the entity of the enterprise organization, the IT solutions system can identify operational goals of the enterprise organization, as well as current IT capabilities, a current IT topology, a current operational status of the enterprise, operational challenges that affect the enterprise IT organization, implications for remaining in the current IT topology, key performance indicators, an importance associated with the different key performance indicators, and other data associated with the enterprise IT organization. The IT solutions system can identity a proposed IT topology for the enterprise IT organization using the inputted data obtained in response to the presentation of the visual models. In some examples, the IT solutions system can compare the current IT topology of the enterprise with the proposed IT topology determined to align with the operational goals to identify technical gaps between the different topologies. The identification of technical gaps can be used in determining a roadmap for implementing the proposed IT topology for the organization.
Determining an IT topology based on operational goals of an enterprise organization can be based on a non-linear model that considers a relationship of IT within an organization and a relationship of IT with the rest of the business. In particular, the IT solutions system can track the model horizontally and vertically to determine the appropriate level for the enterprise organization based on the operational goals. For example, IT organizations that function as infrastructure providers build on foundational solution sets leveraging a virtualize infrastructure, private cloud, and hybrid cloud, to drive efficiencies. As the enterprise IT organization develops into a business partner, the IT solutions system can consider agile applications and services, delivered via Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Anything-as-a-Service (XaaS). For example, an organization can automate the business application lifecycle for enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to support testing and development to accelerate business process optimization. Finally, a digital enterprise can employ competencies such as, for example, DevOps, third platform, and digital convergence to deliver value through innovative models. By acknowledging the different consumer and cybersecurity themes that are critical to the development of the enterprise IT organization, the IT solutions system can generate an IT topology that aligns with the operational goals of the organization.
According to various examples, the IT solutions system of the present disclosure can identify the products and services provided by the enterprise solutions provider that can be used to implement the proposed IT topology. The IT solutions system can dynamically generate a user interface that includes one or more statement of works associated with the proposed IT topology and determined roadmap. For example, a statement of work can include a summary of recommended services and products for implementing a proposed IT topology, a pricing schedule for the proposed IT topology, a contract for engaging the services of the enterprise solutions provider for implementing the proposed IT topology, and/or other type of document as can be appreciated. By being able to dynamically generate a statement of work in real time in response to identifying the operational goals of the enterprise IT organization and the proposed IT topology for the organization, the entity of the enterprise IT organization can review and understand the IT topology, the services that can be provided to reach the IT topology, and the costs involved with implementing the IT topology in a setting.
The ability to determine an IT topology that aligns with the operational goals of the enterprise organization in real time via interactions with user interfaces designed to obtain specific information about the enterprise organization substantially decreases the amount of time that is typically involved. For example, the processes for determining an IT topology following a product-based discussion can typically take multiple weeks to present all the products and services that can be provided to the enterprise IT organization and for the enterprise IT organization to appreciate what products are needed to implement the IT topology that the enterprise IT organization believes that it may need. In addition, according to various examples, the IT solutions system can dynamically generate a statement of work that includes a contract for engaging the services of the enterprise solutions provider that is generated in real-time and allows the enterprise IT organization to provide a digital signature upon a review and agreement of the services and products required to implement the IT topology for the enterprise IT organization.
Once the enterprise IT organization engages with the services of the enterprise solutions provider, the enterprise solutions provider can implement an IT infrastructure for the enterprise IT organization that is based on determined IT topology and roadmap. Over time, the IT topology of the enterprise IT organization can be reevaluated using the visual models and the IT solutions system to determine the progress of the enterprise IT organization's transition to the IT topology. If the reevaluation reveals modifications that can be beneficial to the operational goals of the enterprise IT organization, the IT topology can modified as determined by the IT solutions system.
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The computing environment 103 can include, for example, a server computer or any other system providing computing capability. Alternatively, the computing environment 103 can include a plurality of computing devices that are arranged, for example, in one or more server banks, computer banks, or other arrangements. The computing environment 103 can include a grid computing resource and/or any other distributed computing arrangement. The computing devices can be located in a single installation or can be distributed among many different geographical locations. The computing environment 103 can also include or be operated as one or more virtualized computer instances. For purposes of convenience, the computing environment 103 is referred to herein in the singular. Even though the computing environment 103 is referred to in the singular, it is understood that a plurality computing environments 103 can be employed in the various arrangements as described above. As the computing environment 103 communicates with the client devices 106 remotely over the network 109, the computing environment 103 can be described as a “remote” or “cloud” management system 103 or a collection of one or more computing devices.
The computing environment 103 can include a data store 112. The data store 112 can include memory of the computing environment 103, mass storage resources of the computing environment 103, or any other storage resources on which data can be stored by the computing environment 103. The data stored in the data store 112, for example, can be associated with the operation of the various applications or functional entities described below.
The components executed on the computing environment 103 can include, for example, an IT solutions system 115, a document generator 118, an administrator console 121, as well as other applications, services, processes, systems, engines, or functionality not discussed in detail herein. The IT solutions system 115 can be used to determine an IT topology for an enterprise IT organization based on enterprise profile data 124 associated with the enterprise that is obtained in response to a user interacting with the IT solutions system. The enterprise profile data 124 can standard enterprise information, such as, for example, a name of the enterprise, a size (e.g., number of employees), an industry type (e.g., financial, healthcare, educational, technical, etc.), a location, and/or other information about the enterprise. In addition, the enterprise profile data 124 can include operational goals 127 of the enterprise, capability data 128 defining a current IT topology of the enterprise, challenges of the enterprises, implications for remaining in the current IT topology, key performance indicators, and/or other data. In some embodiments, an enterprise solutions provider, can operate the IT solutions system 115 to determine an IT topology for an enterprise IT organization based on the services and products provided by the IT solutions provider.
The IT solutions system 115 can also generate a series of user interfaces 139 that include visual models 142 to present to the entity of the enterprise organization. For example, the visual models 142 can include presentations, videos, audio, pictures, documents, charts, or other type of visualization model that are designed to facilitate a conversation and extract information about the enterprise IT organization. Additionally, the IT solution system 115 can generate user interfaces 139 that can provide interactive components (e.g., text entry boxes, checkboxes, radio boxes, buttons, dropdown lists, etc.) that correspond to different characteristics of an enterprise IT organization.
The document generator 118 can be used to generate statements of work associated with a proposed IT topology. For example, a statement of work can include a summary of recommended services and products for implementing a proposed IT topology, a pricing schedule for implementing the proposed IT topology, a contract for engaging the services of the enterprise solutions provider for implementing the proposed IT topology, and/or other type of document as can be appreciated. The document generator 118 can select an appropriate statement of work template from a plurality of available of templates and generate the statement of work by populating blank data fields with information that is specific to the enterprise IT organization and the IT topology. The document generator 118 can dynamically generate the statement of work in real-time based on the information obtained from the enterprise IT organization and/or other information.
The administrator console 121 can provide an administrative interface for configuring the enterprise solutions mapped data 145 and IT services data 148 used by the IT solutions system 115 in determining an appropriate IT topology for a given enterprise IT organization. In particular, the administrator console 121 can be accessed by an entity of the enterprise solutions provider that has administrative capabilities or is otherwise accredited to modify the enterprise solutions mapped data 145 and IT services data 148 as can be appreciated. Accordingly, the administrator console 121 can correspond to a web page or web application provided by a web server hosted in the computing environment 103.
The data stored in the data store 112 can include, for example, enterprise profile data 124, template data 151, IT services data 148, enterprise solutions mapped data 145, IT topology rules 154, template rules 157, visual models 142, network content data 160, as well as other data.
The enterprise profile data 124 can include information pertaining to enterprise IT organizations. The enterprise profile data 124 can include standard enterprise information, such as, for example, a name of the enterprise, a size (e.g., number of employees), an industry type (e.g., financial, healthcare, educational, technical, etc.), a location, culture of the enterprise organization and/or other information about the enterprise. In addition, the enterprise profile data 124 can include operational goals 127 of the enterprise, capability data 128, a current IT topology of the enterprise (e.g., currently infrastructure, digital platforms, current applications and services, etc.), prescription data 162, challenges of the enterprise, implications for remaining in the current IT topology, and/or other data.
The operational goals 127 can correspond to a desired future state of an enterprise organization that can be verified through measureable results. Some example operational goals 127 for an enterprise organization may include operational expenditure (OPEX) reduction, capital expenditure (CAPEX) reduction, IT service delivery time in minutes, improved security to effort ratio, secure delivery of mobile applications, improved uptime, reduced energy consumption, and/or other types of operational goals. The operational goals 127 can further include key performance indicators such as, for example, revenue, cost, velocity, risk, employee satisfaction (ESAT), customer satisfaction (CSAT), social impact, and/or other types of key performance indicators.
The template data 151 can include various templates of statements of work that can be used to generate the statements of work for an enterprise IT organization according to the determined IT topology. The templates can include one or more templates for a summary of recommended services and products for implementing a proposed IT topology, a pricing schedule for the proposed IT topology, a contract for engaging the services of the enterprise solutions provider for implementing the proposed IT topology, and/or other type of document as can be appreciated. For each type of statement of work, the template data 151 may include different types of templates. For example, there may be statement of work templates that correspond to industry type, enterprise size, enterprise revenue, IT topologies and/or other factors. The templates included in the template data 151 can include open data fields that can correspond to the enterprise profile data 124 and the IT topology determined based on the operational goals 127.
The IT services data 148 can include the different services and products that can be provided by an enterprise solutions provider to implement a given IT topology. For example, the services and products may include VMWARE WORKSPACE ONE, VMWARE VREALIZE, VMWARE NSX, VMWARE VSPHERE, VMWARE VSAN, VMWARE VCLOUD, and/or other products and services as can be appreciated.
The enterprise solutions mapped data 145 can include a mapping of data associated with the responses received via the one or more user interfaces in response to the presentation of visual models and the products and services included in the IT services data 148. For example, the IT solutions system 115 may generate user interfaces 139 that include a listing of different types of known operational goals, challenges, implications, etc, that correspond to components that may be selected by a user. Each response may be mapped to a particular type of service or IT topology that is included in the enterprise solutions mapped data 145. This data can be used by the IT solutions system 115 to determine the appropriate IT topology and roadmap based on the operational goals 127 of the enterprise IT organization.
The IT topology rules 154 include rules, models, and/or configuration data for the various algorithms or approaches employed by the IT solutions system 115. For example, the IT topology rules 154 can include the various models and/or algorithms used by the IT solutions system 115 in determining an IT topology for an enterprise organization based on the operational goals 127 and/or other enterprise profile data 124 associated with the enterprise organization. In some examples, the IT topology can be determined according to an understanding of the importance of different key performance indicators for a given enterprise organization. In this example, the IT topology rules 154 can include weights to assign to different key performance indicators based on the enterprise profile data 124 and other information obtained through the presentation of the visual models 142. The IT solutions system 115 may use the IT topology rules 154 to assign weights to the different key performance indictors and rank the key performance indicators, accordingly.
The template rules 157 can include rules, models, and/or configuration data for the various algorithms or approaches employed by the document generator 118. For example, the template rules 157 can include the various models and/or algorithms used by the document generator 118 in selecting and generating statement of works for the IT solution system 115.
The visual models 142 can include presentations, videos, audio, pictures, documents, charts, or other type of visualization model that are designed to facilitate a conversation and extract information about the enterprise IT organization. According to various examples, the visual models 142 can be presented to a user via one or more user interfaces 139 of the IT solutions system 115. The visual models 142 can be designed to facilitate conversation and extract information that can be used to determine operational goals of the enterprise IT organization, as well as current IT capabilities, a current IT topology, a current operational status of the enterprise, operational challenges that affect the enterprise IT organization, implications for remaining in the current IT topology, key performance indicators, an importance associated with the different key performance indicators, and other data associated with the enterprise IT organization.
The network content data 160 may include various data employed in generating user interfaces 139 and/or other network pages. The network content data 160 may include hypertext markup language (HTML), extensible markup language (XML), cascading style sheets (CSS), images, text, audio, video, templates, and/or other data.
The client device 106 can be representative of one or more client devices 106. The client device 106 can include a processor-based system, such as a computer system, that can include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a set-top box, a music player, a tablet computer system, a game console, an electronic book reader, or any other device with like capability. The client device 106 can also be equipped with networking capability or networking interfaces, including a localized networking or communication capability, such as a near-field communication (NFC) capability, radio-frequency identification (RFID) read or write capability, or other localized communication capability.
The client device 106 can include the operating system, which can be configured to execute various client applications 163, as well as other applications. In particular, the operating system can include a system software that facilitates operation of the client device 106, and execution of additional client applications. Some client applications 163 can access network content served up by the computing environment 103 or other servers, thereby rendering a user interface 139 on a display 166, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), touch-screen display, or other type of display device. To this end, some client applications 163 can include a browser or a dedicated application, and a user interface 139 can include a network page, an application screen, or other interface. In some examples, a network page can include a web page having source code defined in hypertext markup language (HTML), cascading style sheets (CSS), Javascript, jQuery, or other applicable client-side web-based scripting language. Further, other client applications 163 can include device management applications, enterprise applications, social networking applications, word processors, spreadsheet applications, media viewing applications, instant messaging applications, or other applications.
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In step 403, the IT solutions system 115 causes one or more visual models 142 to be rendered via a display 166 or other output device of a client device 106. The visual models 142 can include presentations, videos, audio, images, documents, charts, or other type of visualization model that are designed to facilitate a conversation and extract information about the enterprise IT organization. The visual models 142 are designed to be presented to an entity of an enterprise IT organization to facilitate conversation and extract information about the enterprise IT organization. Although the visual models 142 are discussed as being presented as part of the IT solutions system 115 as the entity interacts with the IT solutions system 115, in some examples, the visual models 142 can be manually presented to the entity by an accredited entity of an enterprise solutions provider.
In step 406, the IT solutions system 115 receives user inputs related to the enterprise IT organization based on the presentation of the visual models 142. The one or more visual models 142 can be aligned with user interfaces 139 that include interactive components that allow a user to select or enter responses associated with the visual models 142. For example, the user interfaces 139 can have components that allow a user to enter standard information about the enterprise IT organization (e.g., name, size, industry, address, etc.). In addition, the user interface 139 can have a listing of different characteristics (e.g., customer problems, capabilities, outcomes, solution elements, etc.) in which a user can select corresponding components for the characteristics that apply to the organization based on the visual models 142. In some examples, a user can provide inputs associated with an importance of a particular characteristic. For example, a user interface can present a scaling request that requires the user to input a number in a range (e.g., range of 1-100) indicates the importance of a particular characteristic.
In step 409, the IT solutions system 115 analyzes the data received via the user inputs to determine operational goals 127 and the current IT topology of the enterprise organization. For example, the selected responses by the user can be used to identify the operational goals 127 and generate the current IT topology of the enterprise organization.
In step 412, the IT solutions system 115 generates the proposed IT topology prescription for the enterprise IT organization based on the current IT topology and the operational goals 127. For example, using one or more models in the IT topology rules 154 and the enterprise solutions mapped data 145, the IT solutions system 115 can generate a proposed IT topology by aligning IT solutions with the operational goals 127 identified by the entity of the enterprise IT organization. The IT solutions system 115 can use the enterprise solutions mapped data 145 to identify the proposed IT topology for the enterprise organization.
In step 415, the IT solutions system 115 identifies the products and services related to the proposed IT topology. By understanding the features of the proposed IT topology and the roadmap for implementing the proposed IT topology, the IT solutions system 115 can access the IT services data 148 to identify which products and services can be used to implement the proposed IT topology for the enterprise IT organization.
In step 418, the document generator 118 generates a summary of products and services that are related to the IT topology prescription.
In step 421, the document generator 118 generates one or more statements of work associated with the products and service. For example, a statement of work can include a summary of recommended services and products for implementing a proposed IT topology, a pricing schedule for the proposed IT topology, a contract for engaging the services of the enterprise solutions provider for implementing the proposed IT topology, and/or other type of document as can be appreciated. The document generator 118 can select an appropriate statement of work template from a plurality of available of templates and generate the statement of work by populating blank data fields with information that is specific to the enterprise IT organization and the IT topology. The document generator 118 can dynamically generate the statement of work in real-time based on the information obtained from the enterprise IT organization and/or other information.
In step 424, the IT solutions system 115 transmits the generated summaries, and statement(s) of work to the client device 106 for rendering on a display 166. As such, in real-time, the user can review the different statement of works associated with the proposed IT topology and corresponding roadmap for implementing the proposed IT topology. In some examples, a statement of work can have a component that allows a user to submit a digital signature to engage the services of the enterprise solutions provider.
In step 427, the IT solution system 115 can receive the digital signature accepting the terms of the statement or work. In an instance in which the IT solutions system 115 receives the digital signature, the IT solution system 115 can initiate the implementation of the proposed IT topology. Thereafter, the process proceeds to completion
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In step 503, the IT solutions system 115 compares the current IT topology with the proposed IT topology to determine technical gaps. For example, the IT solutions system 115 can identify technical gaps in cloud computing, digital securing, data analytics, network architecture, mobility management, operational capabilities, and/other type of technical gaps.
In step 506, the IT solutions system 115 identifies key performance indicator value for transitioning to the proposed IT topology. For example, the key performance indicators can include revenue, cost, velocity, risk, ESAT, CSAT, social impact, and/or other types of key performance indicators. The key performance indicator values can be determined based on the responses received via the user interactions with the user interface 139. For example, the user may indicated that revenue and velocity are of greater importance to the enterprise IT organization than cost and risk. As such, the key performance indicators can be assigned weights based on the determined importance for each key performance indicator.
In step 509, the IT solutions system 115 ranks the key performance indicator based on the key performance indicator value.
In step 512, the IT solutions system 115 generates a user interface illustrating the key performance indicator values for the proposed IT topology. The IT solutions system 115 can determine a timeline for transitioning to the proposed IT topology and determine the proposed IT topology based on the ranked key performance indicators. For example, an enterprise IT organization needs time to transition to the proposed IT topology. The key performance indicators can be vital in determining the proposed IT topology and the scheduling of implementing the proposed IT topology. For example, if revenue is more important than cost, then the features of the proposed IT topology that drive revenue regardless of cost may be selected over features that drive risk or velocity.
The IT solutions system 115 can identify the products and services provided by the enterprise solutions provider based on the ranked key performance indicator values, the timeline, and the proposed IT topology. As such, the roadmap and proposed IT topology is aligned with the operational goals 127 of the enterprise IT organization. Thereafter, the process proceeds to completion.
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In step 603, the IT solutions system 115 receives user inputs related to the enterprise organization.
In step 606, the IT solutions system 115 can generate enterprise profile data 124 based on the information received through the user inputs.
In step 609, the IT solution system 115 can determine solution elements for an IT topology prescription for the enterprise organization.
In step 612, the IT solutions system 115 can generate a user interface 139 includes a listing of organization IT characteristics (e.g., organization problems, organization capabilities, operational goals 127, etc.) as well as solution elements that can be used to define an IT topology prescription.
In step 615, the IT solutions system 115 can automatically populate the corresponding selectable components 303.
In step 618, the IT solutions system 115 can cause the user interface 139 to be rendered on a client device 106.
In step 621, the IT solutions system 115 can receive a deselection of a selected selectable component 303 on the user interface 139.
In step 624, the IT solutions system 115 can modify the user interface to adjust the selected organization characteristics based on the deselection.
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In step 703, the document generator 118 identifies statement of work templates from the template data 151. The statement of work templates can include one or more templates for a summary of recommended services and products for implementing a proposed IT topology, a pricing schedule for the proposed IT topology, a contract for engaging the services of the enterprise solutions provider for implementing the proposed IT topology, and/or other type of document as can be appreciated. For each type of statement of work, the template data 151 may include different types of templates. For example, there may be statement of work templates that correspond to industry type, enterprise size, enterprise revenue, IT topologies and/or other factors.
In step 706, the document generator 118 selects a specific statement of work template based on the proposed IT topology and the enterprise profile data 124. Each type of statement of work may include different types of templates. For example, there may be statement of work templates that correspond to industry type, enterprise size, enterprise revenue, IT topologies and/or other factors. Accordingly, the IT solutions system 115 may request a statement of work that includes a summary of recommended services and products. In this situation, the document generator 118 can select a statement of work for a summary of products based on the proposed IT topology. In another example, the IT solutions system 115 may request a statement of work for a contract to engage the services of the enterprise solutions provider. The template data 151 may include different templates for contract based on industry type and enterprise size. As such, the document generator 118 selects statement of work template corresponding to a contract that is based on the industry type and the enterprise size for the enterprise IT organization.
In step 709, the document generator 118 identifies an open data field in the selected template. The templates included in the template data 151 may include open data fields that can correspond to the enterprise profile data 124 and the IT topology determined based on the operational goals 127.
In step 712, the document generator 118 populates the open field with the relevant data. For example, the open field may correspond to the organization name. As such, the document generator 118 obtains the enterprise organization name from the enterprise profile data 124 and populates the open data field in the template with the obtained name. Likewise, if the open data field corresponds to a product or service required for implementation of the proposed IT topology, the document generator 118 will obtain the relevant data from the data store 112 and populate the open data field with the data.
In step 715, the document generator 118 determines if there are additional open data fields in the template. If there are additional open data fields, the document generator 118 returns to step 409. Otherwise, the document generator 118 proceeds to step 418.
In step 718, the document generator 118 generates a statement of work based on the selected template and populated data fields. The statement of work can then be included in a user interface 139 presented to a user interacting with the IT solutions system 115. Thereafter, the process proceeds to completion.
A number of software components are stored in the memory and executable by a processor. In this respect, the term “executable” means a program file that is in a form that can ultimately be run by the processor. Examples of executable programs can be, for example, a compiled program that can be translated into machine code in a format that can be loaded into a random access portion of one or more of the memory devices and run by the processor, code that can be expressed in a format such as object code that is capable of being loaded into a random access portion of the one or more memory devices and executed by the processor, or code that can be interpreted by another executable program to generate instructions in a random access portion of the memory devices to be executed by the processor. An executable program can be stored in any portion or component of the memory devices including, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive, solid-state drive, USB flash drive, memory card, optical disc such as compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, magnetic tape, or other memory components.
Memory can include both volatile and nonvolatile memory and data storage components. Also, a processor can represent multiple processors or multiple processor cores, and the one or more memory devices can represent multiple memories that operate in parallel processing circuits, respectively. Memory devices can also represent a combination of various types of storage devices, such as RAM, mass storage devices, flash memory, or hard disk storage. In such a case, a local interface can be an appropriate network that facilitates communication between any two of the multiple processors or between any processor and any of the memory devices. The local interface can include additional systems designed to coordinate this communication, including, for example, performing load balancing. The processor can be of electrical or of some other available construction.
Although the IT solutions system 115, the document generator 118, the administrator console 121, the client application 163, and other various services and functions described can be embodied in software or code executed by general purpose hardware as discussed above, as an alternative, the same can also be embodied in dedicated hardware or a combination of software/general purpose hardware and dedicated hardware. If embodied in dedicated hardware, each can be implemented as a circuit or state machine that employs any one of or a combination of a number of technologies. These technologies can include discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing various logic functions upon an application of one or more data signals, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having appropriate logic gates, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other components.
The flowcharts show an example of the functionality and operation of an implementation of portions of components described. If embodied in software, each block can represent a module, segment, or portion of code that can include program instructions to implement the specified logical function(s). The program instructions can be embodied in the form of source code that can include human-readable statements written in a programming language or machine code that can include numerical instructions recognizable by a suitable execution system such as a processor in a computer system or other system. The machine code can be converted from the source code. If embodied in hardware, each block can represent a circuit or a number of interconnected circuits to implement the specified logical function(s).
Although the flowcharts show a specific order of execution, it is understood that the order of execution can differ from that which is depicted. For example, the order of execution of two or more blocks can be scrambled relative to the order shown. Also, two or more blocks shown in succession can be executed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Further, one or more of the blocks shown in the drawings can be skipped or omitted.
Also, any logic or application described that includes software or code can be embodied in any non-transitory computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system such as a processor in a computer system or other system. In this sense, the logic can include, for example, statements including instructions and declarations that can be fetched from the computer-readable medium and executed by the instruction execution system. In the context of the present disclosure, a “computer-readable medium” can be any medium that can contain, store, or maintain the logic or application described for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system.
The computer-readable medium can include any one of many physical media, such as magnetic, optical, or semiconductor media. More specific examples of a suitable computer-readable medium include solid-state drives or flash memory. Further, any logic or application described can be implemented and structured in a variety of ways. For example, one or more applications can be implemented as modules or components of a single application. Further, one or more applications described can be executed in shared or separate computing devices or a combination thereof. For example, a plurality of the applications described can execute in the same computing device, or in multiple computing devices.
It is emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations described for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure.
