JP2004032599A - Operation control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an IDC service control system which, upon the receipt of a facsimile message, immediately sends a notice of reception and contents of the facsimile message to a designated address, and automatically issues a "trouble ticket". <P>SOLUTION: In an internet data center entrusted with a customer's computer apparatus to carry out its operation, the system controls operations of the computer apparatus and the center and comprises a facsimile device connectable to a communication network and a condition control server for collecting and recording information for controlling conditions of the facsimile device and the computer apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an Internet data center that commissions a customer's computer equipment and performs an agent operation, and more particularly to an operation management system that manages an emergency contact from a customer to an agent in charge of operation.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been a business form called an Internet data center (IDC), in which a computer device of a customer is entrusted to operate an online service on the Internet.
[0003]
In the operation of the IDC, a customer's online service may be realized by combining a backbone line of an Internet service provider (ISP), an ASP service of an application service provider (ASP), and the like.
[0004]
In such a case, when a failure or the like occurs in the ISP or the ASP, the ISP or the ASP requests an IDC operation agent, that is, an operator, to perform a sudden process such as a server restart or contact a customer. Emergency contact may be made, such as notification of a failure.
[0005]
In these communications, a facsimile machine may be used in order to quickly and accurately describe the contents of the requested processing and the contents of the failure using commands, flowcharts, explanatory diagrams, and the like.
[0006]
However, conventionally, there are the following problems. That is, the facsimile apparatus is often shared on the floor and emits a small reception notification sound at the time of reception. However, there is a problem in that the facsimile apparatus is left unattended for a while without noticing when the user is away from the desk.
[0007]
In particular, when the paper has run out, it is recorded in the built-in memory of the facsimile machine. Therefore, unless the user looks at the display panel of the facsimile machine, he or she will not notice that the facsimile has been received.
[0008]
In addition, IDCs perform commissioned operations on behalf of a plurality of customers, and the operators are often different depending on the customers. However, conventional facsimile machines cannot distribute the information to each destination, and therefore, the facsimile received by someone is received. There is also a problem that it has to be distributed to the operator concerned.
[0009]
There is also a problem that when the received facsimile is lost, there is no way to reproduce and know the contents of the request and the notification.
[0010]
In addition, when an IDC is executed or when a failure occurs, the IDC generally records the contents of a work called a trouble ticket or the details of the failure, the cause, the response status, and the like. There is also a problem that the contents of the notification and the notification must be input for recording the trouble ticket.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has as its object to immediately notify a corresponding destination of facsimile reception and contents at the time of facsimile reception, and automatically issue a trouble ticket. Is to provide an IDC operation management system that issues an IDC.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention relates to a system for managing the operation of a computer device and a center in an Internet data center which commissions and operates a computer device of a customer, the system being connected to a communication network. A facsimile apparatus is provided, and a state management server that collects and records information for managing states of the facsimile apparatus and the computer device is provided.
[0013]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the operation management system according to the first aspect, the facsimile apparatus includes a network interface card connected to a communication network, and a message indicating a status of the facsimile transmitted to the communication network. And a status notifying means for transmitting the information.
[0014]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the operation management system according to the first or second aspect, an image recording means for recording the content received by the facsimile apparatus as image data is provided.
[0015]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the operation management system according to the above-described first to third aspects, an operation server for recording work contents or failure handling contents is provided.
[0016]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the operation management system according to the first to fourth aspects, wherein ticket output means for outputting a trouble ticket describing the content and handling of a failure to the operation server; Notification means for notifying an operator based on the record of the server.
[0017]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the operation management system according to the first to fifth aspects, an image recognition unit for recognizing a destination and a description from a predetermined area of the image data recorded by the image recording unit is provided. It is provided.
[0018]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the operation management system according to the first to sixth aspects, the notifying means sounds an alarm based on a notification from the status management server, or the recognized means. It comprises at least one of message display means for the terminal device of the operator corresponding to the destination.
[0019]
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the operation management system according to the first to seventh aspects, an instruction means for selecting image data in which a facsimile is recorded in the image database, and instructing printing of the content of the facsimile, Printing means for printing the contents of the facsimile based on the instruction of the instruction means.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an illustrated embodiment. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an operation management system 1 of the present invention.
[0021]
The operation management system 1 includes a facsimile machine 2, a state management server 3, an image recording unit 4, an operation server 5, and an image recognition unit 6, each of which is connected to a communication network 7 and communicates with each other. Can be.
[0022]
The facsimile apparatus 2 includes a network interface card (hereinafter, referred to as NIC) 8 and a status notifying unit 9 so that the ISP or ASP can request the IDC for an urgent operation or notify a failure. What is used.
[0023]
The NIC 8 can be mounted on the facsimile machine 2 and connects the facsimile machine 2 to the communication network 7.
[0024]
The status notification unit 9 is actually a program called an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) agent.
[0025]
SNMP is a protocol for device management in a network environment. Normally, SNMP is accessed from a managing SNMP manager, and a managed SNMP agent returns management information called MIB (Management Information Base). , And manages devices.
[0026]
Further, SNMP has a mechanism called an SNMP trap, which automatically notifies a device abnormality from an SNMP agent. Therefore, the status notification unit 9 sets an SNMP trap message according to the status of the facsimile device 2 in advance, so that when the facsimile device 2 receives the SNMP trap message, the status notification unit 9 sends the SNMP trap message indicating the status to the SNMP manager. Can be sent to
[0027]
Next, the status management server 3 is actually an SNMP manager, receives MIB and SNMP trap messages transmitted by the computer device and the facsimile device 2, manages the computer device and the facsimile, and displays the status of each device. And can issue instructions to other devices.
[0028]
The image recording means 4 is actually a database system which records the contents of the facsimile received by the facsimile apparatus 2 using, for example, a reception time or a unique ID given each time a facsimile is received as a reference key, as image data of the facsimile. And an instruction unit 10 and a printing unit 11.
[0029]
The image recording means 4 may be provided with a storage device for recording image data, a CPU for executing processing software for recording and printing, and an interface with other devices. It is also possible to prepare one server provided with any one of the facsimile machines 2, the state management server 3, and the operation server 5.
[0030]
The instruction unit 10 displays, for example, a list of recorded image data by a display, a keyboard, a button, or the like attached to the image recording unit 4, and instructs printing of specific facsimile image data.
[0031]
The printing unit 11 is a printer or the like that prints the facsimile image data specified by the specifying unit 10.
[0032]
The operation server 5 includes a ticket output unit 12 and a notification unit 13, and executes processing necessary for operation of the IDC according to the state of each device managed by the state management server 3.
[0033]
The ticket output unit 12 manages the failure and the processing contents by recording the content of the failure, the date and time of occurrence, and the current status (during response, completed, waiting for response, etc.). This is for printing tickets.
[0034]
The notifying unit 13 notifies the operator using an alarming unit that sounds an alarm or turns on a warning lamp, a message display unit that interrupts a terminal device of the operator and displays a message, or the like.
[0035]
The image recognizing unit 6 scans the facsimile image data recorded by the image recording unit 4, and performs image processing and character recognition to determine the operator name of the IDC that is the sender of the facsimile or the destination of the facsimile, the text of the request or message, etc. Recognize.
[0036]
The image recognizing means 6 determines which item corresponds to the content of the character recognized by the character recognition performed for the specific area by setting the format of the facsimile sent from the customer to the IDC in a fixed format.
[0037]
The image recognizing means 6 only needs to be able to access the image data recorded by the image recording means 4 and have a CPU for performing image processing and performing an image recognizing process and an interface with another device. As shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to prepare one server including the image recognition means 6, or to provide the server in any one of the facsimile machine 2, the state management server 3, and the operation server 5.
[0038]
The communication network 7 is a wired or wireless indoor communication network provided in an IDC building, a so-called LAN.
[0039]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation management system 1 according to the present invention. The operation of the operation management system 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
[0040]
The facsimile device 2 receives a facsimile describing a request for an emergency operation and a notification of occurrence of a failure (step S1).
[0041]
The image recording means 4 records the facsimile received by the facsimile apparatus 2 as image data. At this time, for example, a facsimile reception time or a unique ID given each time a facsimile is received is added as an ID for identifying image data, that is, a key item for reference (step S2).
[0042]
Next, the image recognizing means 6 searches the facsimile image data recorded by the image recording means 4 using an ID capable of uniquely identifying the image data such as the reception time of the facsimile as a key item for reference. (Step S3).
[0043]
The image recognizing means 6 first recognizes a facsimile sending source. Next, the difference in the description position of the contents and the check box indicating the contents are used to identify whether it is an urgent operation request or a failure notification, and finally, if there is no handwritten figure etc. and character recognition is possible Performs character recognition of the body of the facsimile.
[0044]
Next, the status notification unit 9 transmits an SNMP trap message including a reception time indicating that the facsimile has been received from the NIC 8 to the communication network 7 (step S4).
At this time, the character data recognized by the image recognition means 6 can be included in the message.
[0045]
Next, the status management server 3 receives the SNMP trap message transmitted by the status notification means 9, and notifies the operation server 5 of facsimile reception, which has been set in advance as a process for facsimile reception, for example. (Step S5).
[0046]
Next, the operation server 5 notifies the operator that the facsimile has been received by using the notifying unit 13 (Step S6).
[0047]
When the notifying unit 13 is an alarming unit, for example, the operator can be notified of the facsimile reception simply by sounding an alarm or turning on a warning lamp.
[0048]
If the notifying means 13 is a message displaying means, the notification means 13 identifies an IDC operator notifying the reception of the facsimile, interrupts the terminal device of the operator, and displays a message notifying the reception of the facsimile. It is also possible to notify by e-mail.
[0049]
If the operator of the destination cannot be recognized directly from the facsimile, the identification ID and the e-mail address of the operator in charge of the company are stored in advance in association with the source, so that the operator of the facsimile can store the destination. The operator of the IDC to be notified of the reception of the facsimile can be specified.
[0050]
If the operator name is described as an address and the operator name of the destination can be directly recognized from the facsimile, the operator name and the identification ID or the e-mail address are stored in advance in association with each other, so that the facsimile can be stored. Of the IDC to be notified of the reception of the IDC can be specified.
[0051]
Further, as a facsimile destination, the operator's identification ID and e-mail address can be directly entered in the facsimile. In this case, the operator to be contacted can be specified without storing the association in advance.
[0052]
Next, the ticket output unit 12 records only recordable information as trouble ticket data, such as the customer name and description contents recognized from the facsimile image data and the reception time of the facsimile, according to the operation mode of the IDC. If necessary, a trouble ticket is printed (step S7).
[0053]
When it is necessary to view all the contents of the facsimile, the instruction means 10 displays the list of received facsimiles and selects the received facsimile, or directly specifies the reception time of the facsimile, for example. Can be instructed (step S8).
[0054]
When the printing of a specific facsimile is instructed by the instructing means 10, the printing means 11 extracts the image data of the facsimile based on the reception time designated from the image recording means 4 and prints it (step S9). .
[0055]
As described above, the present invention has been described in detail based on the embodiment. However, the operation management system according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment at all, and various operation management systems may be used without departing from the gist of the present invention. It is a matter of course that the change of is possible.
[0056]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the operation management system according to the present invention, the state management server manages the reception of the facsimile, and the operator immediately receives the facsimile based on the notification from the state management server. You can know.
[0057]
Also, since the received facsimile can be recorded as image data, even when the facsimile paper is out, the facsimile can be received without fail, and the notification from the state management server allows the operator to be near the facsimile machine. It is possible to know the reception of the facsimile without going.
[0058]
Further, by recording the image data, a specific facsimile can be printed when necessary, for example, when the facsimile is lost.
[0059]
Further, by performing image processing and character recognition on the image data of the facsimile, the main items of the trouble ticket can be automatically input, and the burden of re-input can be eliminated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an operation management system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the operation management system of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 1 operation management system 2 facsimile machine 3 state management server 4 image recording means 5 operation server 6 image recognition means 7 communication network 8 NIC (network interface card)
9 status notification means 10 instruction means 11 printing means 12 ticket output means 13 notification means

Claims (8)

A system that manages the operation of computer equipment and the center in an Internet data center that commissions and operates the computer equipment of customers,
A facsimile machine connectable to a communication network;
A status management server that collects and manages information for managing the status of the facsimile machine and the computer device,
An operation management system comprising: The operation management system according to claim 1, wherein
The facsimile machine,
A network interface card for connecting to a communication network;
Status notifying means for transmitting a message indicating the status of the facsimile to the communication network,
An operation management system comprising: The operation management system according to claim 1 or 2,
Image recording means for recording the content received by the facsimile apparatus as image data,
An operation management system comprising: The operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
An operation server that records the work contents or the contents of troubleshooting,
An operation management system comprising: The operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The operation server,
Ticket output means for outputting a trouble ticket describing the content and response of the failure,
Notifying means for notifying an operator based on the record of the state management server;
An operation management system comprising: The operation management system according to claim 1, wherein:
Image recognition means for recognizing a destination and description contents from a predetermined area of the image data recorded by the image recording means,
An operation management system comprising: The operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein
The notifying means,
Alarm means for sounding an alarm based on a notification from the state management server,
Or
Message display means for the terminal device of the operator corresponding to the recognized destination,
Being at least one of
An operation management system characterized by the following. The operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The image recording means,
Instruction means for selecting image data on which the facsimile is recorded, and instructing printing of the content of the facsimile;
Printing means for printing the contents of the facsimile based on the instruction of the instruction means,
An operation management system comprising:

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