Methods and Apparatus for Trouble Reporting Management in a Multiple System Service Environment

Abstract

Systems and techniques for managing and acting on trouble reports. A system comprising a plurality of subsystems maintains a central exchange for mediating problem referrals and resolutions between subsystems. A subsystem receives a trouble report and creates a trouble ticket in its native format. To refer the trouble ticket or a problem, the referral information, is translated to a generic format of the exchange. Appropriate problems are referred to subsystems, translating problem information into the native format of a receiving subsystem. Information generated by a receiving subsystem in its native format, including cause and root cause information for the problem, is translated to the generic format of the central exchange, and used to update the trouble ticket. After the central exchange has finished with the trouble ticket, the ticket is translated to the native format of its originating subsystem and further steps are taken by the originating subsystem as appropriate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.