Autonotification system for notifying recipients of detected events in a ...

United States Patent

Royce et al.

US005748884A [ii] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

5,748,884 May 5, 1998

[54] AUTONOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR

NOTIFYING RECIPIENTS OF DETECTED
EVENTS IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

[75] Inventors: Kevin M. Royce; Stanley D. Berry, both of Colorado Springs; Brian W. Erdmann, Monument; Jeffrey P. Scheetz. Colorado Springs; John D. Cole, Colorado Springs; Hayes J. Landry, Jr., Colorado Springs, all of Colo.

[73] Assignee: MCI Corporation, Washington, D.C.

[21] Appl. No.: 663,401

[22] Filed: Jim. 13,1996

[51] fat Cl.6 G06F 11/00

[52] U.S. Cl 395/185.1

[58] Field of Search 395/185.01. 185.1,

395/182.02, 182.13, 182.16, 733, 740, 741, 200.11, 184.01, 182.22, 200.44, 591

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

Andrews etal 370/110.1

Welsh 348/4

Cambray et al 379/216

Aikensetal 355/202

Pacheco et al 364/514

Kinmra et al 395/200

Pacjeco 364/552

Bloomfield et al 358/407

Szymanski et al 395/733

Primary Examiner—Robert W. Begusoliel, Jr.
Assistant Examiner—Joseph E. Palys

[57] ABSTRACT

An autonotification system that automatically performs predetermined notification procedures based on specific messages detected from programs called traps. The present invention detects triggering events, such as job failures, abnormal ends (ABENDs), erroneous output, return codes, and successful completions. When a triggering event is detected, the system will reference data that specifies the notification service to perform. Such notification services may include the issuance of numeric pages, alpha-numeric pages, electronic mail. Problem Management Records (PMRs), and voice mail messages. The notification procedures include confirmations of receipt of notifications. The notification procedures also include automatic escalations, based on such confirmations, to notify additional personnel (default recipients) when no response or a negative response is received from the prior recipient of me notification.

37 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets