Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-20
2004-11-02
Paladini, Albert W. (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S009000, C700S095000, C709S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06813531
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, system, and an article of manufacture for product configuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
A storage subsystem, such as the International Business Machines (“IBM”) Enterprise Storage Server (“ESS”)**, may receive Input/Output (I/O) requests directed toward an attached storage system. The attached storage system may comprise an enclosure including numerous interconnected disk drives, such as a Direct Access Storage Device (“DASD”), a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (“RAID” Array), Just A Bunch of Disks (“JBOD”), etc. Further details of storage subsystems, such as the ESS, are described in the publication entitled “IBM Enterprise Storage Server” (copyright IBM Corp. 1999, 2001), which publication is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. ≠**IBM and Enterprise Storage Server are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp.
A customer may order a storage subsystem in certain physical and logical configurations. The physical configuration may include the server type of the ESS unit, the type of the disk drives, etc. The logical configuration may include the network configuration of the various components of the storage subsystem, the partitioning of the disk drives, etc. A manufacturer may build, configure and deliver the storage subsystem to the customer based on the physical and logical configurations.
To facilitate the process of product ordering, manufacturing and delivery, a person, such as a storage specialist, may evaluate a customer's storage requirements and recommend a set of ESS features that would satisfy the expectations of the customer for storage capacity, performance, etc. The storage specialist may record a set of logical configurations based on the set of recommended ESS features. The customer may send a purchase order to the manufacturer based on the recommendations of the storage specialist. Once the ESS unit is delivered, the ESS unit may be configured based on the recorded set of logical configurations.
Notwithstanding the prior art techniques for product ordering, manufacturing and configuration, there is a need in the art for improved techniques for product ordering, manufacturing and configuration.
SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for product configuration. Order information is received for a product. Based on the received order information, configuration information for the product is generated via a simulator to simulate the product. The configuration information is sent, wherein the configuration information is used to configure the product.
Additional implementations are provided, wherein subsequent to generating the configuration information and prior to configuring the product, the configuration information is sent to a sender of the order information. An approval of the configuration information is received from the sender of the order information.
Further implementations are provided, wherein a generator of the configuration information interacts with a sender of the order information to modify the order information based on potential valid configurations of the product generated by the simulator. Additional implementations are provided, wherein the simulator can simulate instances of a plurality of products and can check for valid configurations for each instance.
Implementations of the invention enable the delivery of a product, that is manufactured and configured according to a customer order information with the aid of a configuration application. The configuration application ensures that the customer order information is valid by simulating potential configurations of the corresponding product on a simulator.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4633392 (1986-12-01), Vincent et al.
patent: 5394522 (1995-02-01), Sanchez-Frank et al.
patent: 5579482 (1996-11-01), Einkauf et al.
patent: 5724509 (1998-03-01), Starkweather et al.
patent: 5758071 (1998-05-01), Burgess et al.
patent: 5764909 (1998-06-01), Nishimura
patent: 5805897 (1998-09-01), Glowny
patent: 5841972 (1998-11-01), Fanshier
patent: 5845090 (1998-12-01), Collins, III et al.
patent: 5875306 (1999-02-01), Bereiter
patent: 5877966 (1999-03-01), Morris et al.
patent: 5894571 (1999-04-01), O'Connor
patent: 5951680 (1999-09-01), Redlin et al.
patent: 5995757 (1999-11-01), Amberg et al.
patent: RE36444 (1999-12-01), Sanchez-Frank et al.
patent: 6009274 (1999-12-01), Fletcher et al.
patent: 6041347 (2000-03-01), Harsham et al.
patent: 6061332 (2000-05-01), Branton, Jr. et al.
patent: 6064982 (2000-05-01), Puri
patent: 6066182 (2000-05-01), Wilde et al.
patent: 6092189 (2000-07-01), Fisher et al.
patent: 6138153 (2000-10-01), Collins, III et al.
patent: 6154835 (2000-11-01), Chrabaszcz et al.
patent: 6173321 (2001-01-01), Peterson et al.
patent: 6182275 (2001-01-01), Beelitz et al.
patent: 6202070 (2001-03-01), Nguyen et al.
patent: 6233609 (2001-05-01), Mittal
patent: 6236901 (2001-05-01), Goss
patent: 6243747 (2001-06-01), Lewis et al.
patent: 6243815 (2001-06-01), Antur et al.
patent: 6247128 (2001-06-01), Fisher et al.
patent: 6263382 (2001-07-01), Bartlett et al.
patent: 6263387 (2001-07-01), Chrabaszcz
patent: 6295556 (2001-09-01), Falcon et al.
patent: 6304901 (2001-10-01), McCloghrie et al.
patent: 6317815 (2001-11-01), Mayer et al.
patent: 6347331 (2002-02-01), Dutcher et al.
patent: 6598223 (2003-07-01), Vrhel et al.
patent: 2001/0027483 (2001-10-01), Gupta et al.
patent: 2002/0120521 (2002-08-01), Forth et al.
patent: 11068752 (1999-03-01), None
IBM Corp., “System Configuration for a Multiple Node Computer System,” Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 27, No. 4B, Sep. 1984, pp. 2541-2546.
IBM Corp., “Visual Configurator System for Configuring and Ordering IBM Products,” Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 34, No. 12, May 1992, pp. 368-371.
IBM Corp., “IBM Enterprise Storage Server—Chapter 1—Introduction” [online] [retrieved on Jul. 3, 2002].
Coale Jerry Lee
Rich Nicki Jo
Dutta Rabindranath
International Business Machines - Corporation
Konrad Raynes & Victor LLP
Ortiz Carlos R.
Paladini Albert W.
LandOfFree
Method, system, and article of manufacture for product... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method, system, and article of manufacture for product..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method, system, and article of manufacture for product... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3275987