System and method to combine a product database with an existing enterprise to model best usage of funds for the enterprise

A system for best usage of funds modeling for an enterprise, comprising:

• a plurality of components in an enterprise;
• a metrics database for storing a plurality of runtime performance metrics for each component in an enterprise;
• a product database for storing cost and configuration information corresponding to both components in the enterprise and viable substitute/replacement components;
• a customer enterprise database for storing historical data corresponding to a plurality of monitored enterprises;
• and
• an analysis engine for modeling cost information with performance metrics and historical enterprise data, wherein the modeling results in at least one recommendation for maximizing return on investment, given a desired investment amount and a selected enterprise.

A system for modeling best usage of funds for an enterprise, comprising:

• a plurality of components in a target enterprise;
• means for collecting run-time performance metrics for each component in the target enterprise;
• storage means for storing run-time performance metrics for each component in the target enterprise;
• product information storage means for storing cost and configuration information corresponding to components in the target enterprise and viable substitute/replacement components;
• customer enterprise information storage means for storing historical data corresponding to a plurality of monitored enterprises;
• and
• means for performing analysis using cost information, performance metrics and historical enterprise data, wherein the analysis results in at least one recommendation for identifying a return on investment (ROI).

A method for recommending modifications to a target enterprise relating to the cost effectiveness of the target enterprise, said method comprising steps of:

• retrieving runtime performance metrics from a target enterprise customer's environment;
• executing at least one performance modeling tool on the runtime performance metrics of the target enterprise, the executing being performed remotely from the target enterprise;
• determining an inventory of components in the target enterprise;
• and
• applying cost data from a products database to results of the at least one performance modeling tool, wherein the cost data corresponds to the inventory of components in the target enterprise.