WO2005071578A1

WO2005071578A1 - Diagnostic and preventative maintenance system, program and method

Info

Publication number: WO2005071578A1
Application number: PCT/AU2005/000074
Authority: WO
Inventors: Allen Jafari
Original assignee: Net Communications (Australia) Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2004-01-21
Filing date: 2005-01-21
Publication date: 2005-08-04
Also published as: AU2004100533A4; AU2004100533B4

Abstract

A maintenance service provider provides preventative and restorative maintenance services for IT and communications equipment to client organisations. The maintenance service provider supplies the services of a site engineer, IT manager and higher supervisory and management levels. Each site is allocated a site engineer whose responsibility is to visit each of his/her clients on a regular basis guaranteeing a minimum number of hours on site. Each site engineer reports to nominated contact within the client organisation. While onsite the engineer will perform a series of scheduled tasks, assists users with issues and the like. Should a fault or failure occur while the engineer is not onsite he/she will respond within a previously agreed response time (preferably one hour) and will remain on-site until the problem is resolved. Time on site of maintenance service provider's personnel and charges are allocated on a 'per seat' basis (a seat being a PC, server, notebook, workstation, terminal or thin client).

Description

DIAGNOSTIC AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SYSTEM, PROGRAM AND METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system, program and method of information technology ('IT') and communications management and operational support. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION All companies, large and small using IT hardware, software and communications equipment, using the same technology, share similar issues with regards to the management and support of their IT&C infrastructure. In larger corporations these problems are resolved through a combination of teams of in- house IT staff and/or outsourcing companies. Throughout this specification, including the claims, the expression 'IT&C is used in the broadest sense and includes computers, communications equipment including networking infrastructure and cabling, and software used in or by any of that equipment. The problem is how to provide the same professional pro-active IT hardware, software & communications management and operational support in a cost effective manner, to those small to medium business enterprises ('SMBEs') who, because of size alone, cannot justify those services available to larger organizations. In many cases SMBEs, concerned that extended and wide-ranging use of their PCs could cause numerous technical problems, simply limit use of their PCs to word processing, primarily due to the cost and the reactive nature of support services. Consequently, their PCs become nothing more than glorified typewriters and are not utilised to their full potential. Small and medium enterprises have to date not had a cost effective management and operational support solution available to them. SMBEs have had to rely on currently available, piecemeal solutions. The current solutions available to SMBEs are:

• Use the services of a specialist hardware company.

• When necessary use the services of a software and/or training company. • Use the services of a friend whose support role is secondary to their normal employment.

• Use the services of an existing employee whose primary responsibility is not that of IT&C support. • In most cases, SMBEs do not consider in-house operational support and preventative maintenance at all due to the cost of providing these services on an hourly basis. The above methods are all "break/fix" and have no regard to preventative maintenance or management of the IT&C infrastructure. In addition, business owners, without an in-house IT support, tend to have poor IT management and are unaware of latest developments. To SMBEs there are many variants to the same theme. All rely on a reactive approach to hardware and software faults and in many cases rely on different providers for hardware and software support. The latest, a cross between a contract and a time and materials support proposal has been developed. It provides an upfront charge per month followed by a heavy time and materials (T&M) backend. It also either allocates telephone support against the base hours or charges for telephone support beyond the base time. While having an element of "fix/break" in the solution it still does not provide a fixed cost total operational support package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the present invention accordingly provides a maintenance service system for providing proactive and preventative maintenance services to IT&C equipment on a client's site, the system including: computing means for establishing a proactive and preventative maintenance time schedule for the site; computing means allocating at least one service personnel to the site; and computing means for executing computer instruction code that performs a series of scheduled proactive and preventative maintenance tasks. The term computing means includes any device including input/output means and capable of executing a computer program, such as a laptop, personal digital assistant (PDA) or desktop computer,. In another aspect, the present invention accordingly provides a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for providing proactive and preventative maintenance services to IT&C equipment on a client's site, the system including: code executing means for establishing a proactive and preventative maintenance time schedule for the site; code executing means allocating at least one service personnel to the site; code executing means for performing a series of scheduled proactive and preventative maintenance tasks. The term code executing means includes any means capable of execution of computing code within a program or call to execute computing code in another computer program or sub-program. In yet another aspect the present invention accordingly provides a method by which a maintenance service provider supplies proactive and preventative maintenance services to IT&C equipment on a client's site, including the steps of: establishing a proactive and preventative maintenance time schedule for the site; allocating at least one service personnel to the site; at least one of said allocated service personnel visiting the site in accordance with the established time schedule; and while visiting the site, the at least one service personnel performs a series of scheduled proactive and preventative maintenance tasks. It is preferred that the time schedule is established with precise times and dates for when the at least one allocated service personnel is to visit the site. It is further preferred that at least one allocated service personnel additionally attends the site within a previously agreed response time when a requirement for reactive maintenance and/or operational support occurs outside the time of a scheduled visit to the site. It is further preferred that the scheduled time on site of the at least one allocated service personnel is established at least in part on a 'per seat' basis', wherein each PC, server, notebook computer, workstation, terminal and thin client counts as a 'seat'. It is further preferred that the proactive and preventative maintenance services are part of an overall operational support service, wherein the at least one allocated service personnel performs additional operational support tasks when on-site. It is further preferred that the proactive and preventative maintenance services are provided at a pre-determined fixed cost. It can thus be seen that the present invention can provide to SMBEs the same advantages as having an in-house dedicated IT&C support infrastructure which also regularly performs diagnostic and preventative maintenance. When the time schedule is preferably established with precise times and dates, the client is provided with the additional advantage of being able to co-ordinate their maintenance and support needs around these times when service personnel are guaranteed to be in attendance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING One implementation of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: figure 1 is a conceptual drawing illustrating the overall operation of the logical aspects of an embodiment of the present invention DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The following description discusses an IT&C operational support system program, and method enabling personnel to perform proactive, preventative and restorative maintenance services for client 3 organisations as part of an overall operational support service. It is to be understood that various other embodiments and variations of the invention may be produced without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Time on-site of service personnel is allocated on a "per seat" basis (a seat 2 being a PC, server, notebook, workstation, terminal or thin client). The amount of time spent on a site is preferably calculated at 1 hour for each 5 seats 2. As an example, a client 3 with 15 seats 2 would expect to have someone on-site for a minimum 3 hours each week, scheduled as two visits (typically one morning and one afternoon). Charges are also based on the same principle. All other items connected to the network (printers, switches, hubs, routers and the like) are covered under the per seat 2 charge. Preferably the annual charge for providing proactive, preventative and restorative maintenance services will be on a pre-determined fixed cost basis. Each site is allocated service personnel, preferably one site engineer 1 , whose responsibility is to visit each of his/her clients 3 on a regular basis guaranteeing a minimum number of hours on-site. Each site engineer 1 reports to a nominated contact within the client 3 organisation. While on-site the engineer 1 will perform a series of scheduled tasks, assist users with issues and the like. Should a fault or failure occur while the engineer 1 is not on-site he/she will respond within a previously agreed response time (preferably one hour) and will remain on-site until the problem is resolved. No additional charges apply. If the engineer 1 is unavailable to attend within the pre-arranged response time then another engineer 4 will attend. In the unlikely event that the engineer 1 , 4 is unable to fix any problem, the problem would be escalated to his/her superior 5. In general each site engineer 1 , 4 should, as minimum, have 4-5 years practical experience in supporting a group of users in a SMBE environment. Site engineers 1 , 4 should have and will be encouraged to gain certification with all those vendors whose products they support (Microsoft, Novell, HP, SUN, Cisco etc.). The site engineer 1 will be responsible for approximately 120 to 150 "seats" 2 (approximately 3-10 clients 3). Preferably, site engineers 1 are responsible for clients 3 located within a limited geographical area, in order to minimise travel between client 3 sites. A site engineer 1 with 150 seats 2 to support would spend, as a minimum, 30 hours each week on-site with their clients 3. The remaining hours being taken up with training, extended or unscheduled service calls. On a pre-determined day and time the site engineer 1 will be on-site with their client 3 and will act at all times as if an employee of that client 3. While on-site the site engineer 1 will complete a pre-arranged proactive and preventative maintenance schedule, resolve any outstanding issues and assist users where possible. The scheduled tasks include the performance of diagnostic tests to attempt to identify potential equipment failures. Typically, site engineers 1 may also perform additional operational support tasks including, for example, training, system management and system design or re-design. Should the site engineer 1 not be able to complete their task in the allotted time they would remain on-site until the tasks are completed. On completion of their tasks, site engineers 1 move on to the next client 3. Should an unscheduled visit be required, the site engineer 1 would respond as soon as possible, the target time being less than 1 hour. In the event the site engineer 1 cannot attend within that time either another site engineer 4 or their supervisor 5 would attend. Each team of 4 to 5 site engineers 1 , 4 will be under the supervision of a senior IT manager 5. The IT manager 5 will typically have been in the IT&C industry for a minimum 10 to 15 years, possess some formal qualification as well certification with major IT&C vendors. In addition to their supervisory roles the IT manager 5 will also spend a minimum amount of time on-site each month with the clients 3 under their care. The amount of time is calculated at 1 hour per week per 30 seats. Therefore the same client 3 with 15 seats 2 would expect to see the IT manager 5 on their site a minimum 2.167 hours (.5x52/12) each calendar month. This time is in addition to any time spent assisting their site engineer 1. Site engineers 1 provide daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly reports 8 to supervising IT managers 5, in addition to reports relating to unscheduled visits. Each quarter the IT manager 5 will provide each client with a detailed report 9 describing areas of concern and productivity improvement recommendations. They will also have overall responsibility for the level of client 3 satisfaction within their team as well as ensuring the site engineers 1 , 4 under their supervision maintain their training and certification. Each state has a state manager 6 responsible for the entire operation within their region. The state managers 6 in turn answer to the support director 7. Preferably, the process of providing proactive, preventative and restorative maintenance services is supported by an automated administration system that significantly reduces the requirement for manual intervention with respect to typical administrative tasks:

• Client 3 account setup and ongoing management

• On-site support scheduling • Supervision of site engineers 1 and communications among personnel

• Organisation of unscheduled on-site visits Automating any aspect of the administration of the method of providing IT & C support services assists in reducing the overall cost of operating such a method and enhances the attractiveness of implementing the method for SMBEs. Although administration of the maintenance process may be implemented without the use of a data communications network, in a particularly preferred embodiment, a data communication network such as the Internet is used to effect communication and data exchange between the site engineer 1 and administration system. Similarity, should an IT manager 5 wish to lean more about a client 3, a data communications network may also be used to effect communication between an IT manager 5 and the site engineer 1. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each individual involved in the process of providing support and establishing client 3 accounts is equipped with a communications device that is connectable as a node to a data communications network. In this respect, the communication device may be in the form of a portable laptop computer, a personal digital assistant or a mobile telecommunications device executing appropriate computer instructions code such that the device may connect to a data communications network and effect communication between the personnel, or the personnel and the administration system. A preferred embodiment includes a computer program embodied in a computer readable medium for running proactive, preventative and restorative maintenance services. It will be appreciated that such maintenance services are provided in accordance with a pre-determined schedule, for example, on a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. It will also be appreciated that such maintenance services will constitute a number of tasks, which may vary according to relevant circumstances, such as whether the maintenance service being provided is of a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly nature. It will also be appreciated that such tasks may also be executed on an ad-hoc basis say, for example, in the course of an unscheduled visit by a site engineer 1. Tasks scheduled to run each time the site engineer 1 is on site will typically include: 1. Checking logs of all servers e.g. - application, security, system, directory and others logs. If any warning or cautions are present, they are checked and resolved preferably on the same day.

2. Performing backups according to backup strategy. Checking the backup software logs to make sure that the backups are stored successfully.

3. Performing brick level backups of exchange mailboxes.

4. Updating antivirus signatures on servers.

5. Distributing antivirus signatures on all workstations.

6. Downloading available windows server patches and upgrades. 7. Checking security policies for servers and routers.

8. Managing printers by clearing or submitting print queues.

9. Ensuring that virtual private network (VPN) and wide area network (WAN) links are working efficiently.

10. Developing required tools and procedures to improve support and control of support systems

11. Efficiently solving user problems and ensuring user satisfaction.

12. Maintaining build standards for servers and work stations

13. Assisting in design and configuration of new and upgraded server installations

14. Notifying management of outstanding issues requiring management escalation Tasks scheduled to run on a weekly basis will typically include:

1. Performing a full backup of all servers and confirming that backups were successful. If not, start another full backup on Monday before leaving site.

2. Downloading server patches if available and appling them. 3. Making a report of problems faced and solutions applied.

4. Giving report to the IT manager 5. Tasks scheduled to run on a monthly basis will typically include:

1. Running a series of System Monitor Charts, logging the activities and then printing a report measuring the health of each server, which will predict how the addition of a service or new group of users will affect each server.

2. Making a trial restore for each tape backup device. When restore is complete comparing the size of the folder backed up and folder restored. 3. Making a trial restore for the exchange database on a trial server, ie one which is not live.

4. Giving training to users after 4 to 6 weeks about their applications, as this type of client 3 service approach will lead to a steady decline in help desk calls and develop smarter users who can troubleshoot problem themselves. Tasks scheduled to run on a quarterly basis will typically include: 1. Checking the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries and making sure that the UPS software cleanly shuts down the servers, as most of the corruption in the OS occurs due to the sudden failure of the power supply. 2. Checking for relevant application updates, and service packs and patches for servers. 3. Checking and cleaning cooling fans of servers, desktops and patch panels in order to confirm they are not getting weak. When a user request for an unscheduled visit is received, the details are logged and typically include client 3 name, problem, when solved, action taken and personnel signature. No additional charges are made for these 'basic' services described above. Additional charges are made to clients where: • Spare or replacement parts are required;

• Additional hardware and/or software is required;

• Where the equipment to be repaired requires a specialist repair centre;

• Specialist training requirements are required. In another preferred embodiment a computer program executes computing code which typically performs the following tasks:

• Storing and managing client 3 account details in a database

• Storing and managing personnel details in a database

• Automatically processing and allocating of on-site support schedules for each site engineer 1 and IT manager 5 • Automatically processing and allocating of unscheduled on-site support requests

• Executing scheduled maintenance tasks, typically including those daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks listed above • Generating automated messages to personnel in relation to on-site support, which will typically include a listing of the tasks previously carried out and those tasks which are yet to be carried out

• Automatically processing and storing periodic reports from personnel regarding client 3 sites

• Generating automated reports about, for example, the current status of client 3 seats 2, site manager 1 responsible for each client 3, etc

• Managing communication messages between personnel, including providing access to a knowledgebase of typical problems and their respective solutions It will be appreciated that not all computing code for the above tasks will necessarily be executed entirely within a single computer program. Typically, computing code for one or more of the above tasks will be executed by calls to sub-programs or independent computing programs.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A maintenance service system for providing proactive and preventative maintenance services to IT&C equipment on a client's site, the system including: computing means for establishing a proactive and preventative maintenance time schedule for the site; computing means allocating at least one service personnel to the site; and computing means for executing computer instruction code that performs a series of scheduled proactive and preventative maintenance tasks.

2. A maintenance service system according to claim 1 , wherein the time schedule is established with precise times and dates for when the at least one allocated service personnel is to visit the site.

3. A maintenance service system according to claim 1 or 2 in which includes means for scheduling reactive maintenance and/or operational support which occurs outside a scheduled time for visiting the site.

4. A maintenance service system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the scheduled time on site of said at least one allocated service personnel is established at least in part on a 'per seat' basis, wherein each PC, server, notebook computer, workstation, terminal and thin client counts as a 'seat'.

5. A maintenance service system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the proactive and preventative maintenance services are part of an overall operational support service, wherein the at least one allocated service personnel performs additional operational support tasks when on-site.

6. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for providing proactive and preventative maintenance services to IT&C equipment on a client's site, the system including: executing means for establishing a proactive and preventative maintenance time schedule for the site; executing means allocating at least one service personnel to the site; and executing means for performing a series of scheduled proactive and preventative maintenance tasks.

7. A computer program according to claim 6, wherein the time schedule is established with precise times and dates for when the at least one allocated service personnel is to visit the site.

8. A computer program according to claim 6 or 7 in which includes means for scheduling reactive maintenance and/or operational support which occurs outside a scheduled time for visiting the site.

9. A computer program according to any one of claims 6 to 8 in which the scheduled time on site of said at least one allocated service personnel is established at least in part on a 'per seat' basis, wherein each PC, server, notebook computer, workstation, terminal and thin client counts as a 'seat'.

10. A computer program according to any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein the proactive and preventative maintenance services are part of an overall operational support service, wherein the at least one allocated service personnel performs additional operational support tasks when on-site.

11. A method by which a maintenance service provider supplies proactive and preventative maintenance services to IT&C equipment on a client's site, including the steps of: establishing a proactive and preventative maintenance time schedule for the site; allocating at least one service personnel to the site; at least one of said allocated service personnel visiting the site in accordance with the established time schedule; while visiting the site, the at least one service personnel performs a series of scheduled proactive and preventative maintenance tasks.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the time schedule is established with precise times and dates for when the at least one allocated service personnel is to visit the site.

13. A method according to claim 11 or 12 in which at least one allocated service personnel additionally attends the site within a previously agreed response time when a requirement for reactive maintenance and/or operational support occurs outside a scheduled time for visiting the site.

14. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 13 in which the scheduled time on site of said at least one allocated service personnel is established at least in part on a 'per seat' basis, wherein each PC, server, notebook computer, workstation, terminal and thin client counts as a 'seat'.

15. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14 wherein the proactive and preventative maintenance services are part of an overall operational support service, wherein the at least one allocated service personnel performs additional operational support tasks when on-site.

16. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 15 wherein the proactive and preventative maintenance services are provided at a pre-determined fixed cost.