JP2004259226A - Computer system configuration creation support system - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration creation support system for a computer system capable of creating a configuration of a complex computer system such as a server product in a short time.
A database that stores system component information and component combination constraints, a computer device that creates configuration information with reference to the component information and the constraints, and the created configuration information are stored. In a system including a database and a terminal device connected to a computer device via a network, means for storing the contents of the created configuration information as a data sequence, and displaying at least one or more data sequences on the terminal device And means for selecting configuration information from the displayed data sequence.
[Effect] It is possible to accurately and quickly provide a quote for a computer system.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system that supports creation of a computer system configuration. In particular, it is suitable for constructing a high-performance computer system such as a server in which a large number of components are combined in a complicated manner.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the opening of computer devices, it has become possible to combine computer components such as an operating system, a processor, a memory, a hard disk, and a function expansion board to configure a computer device that matches the application and budget. ing. However, there are several hundred types of components of the computer device, and the restrictions on their combination are complicated, and it takes a great deal of effort to create a configuration under conditions that meet the restrictions. In addition, due to the circumstances described above, mistakes are likely to occur in the combination of the component parts, so that the manufacturer has a problem of correcting the error and the user has a problem such as a malfunction.
[0003]
Based on the above circumstances, the computer system manages the component information of the computer system and its constraints, and displays only the component information that can be combined on the terminal device so that it can be selected, so that accurate component combination information can be created in a short time. Various methods have been put to practical use. By connecting such a computer system to the Internet, it is possible to create configuration information from a remote location (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the above-described conventional technology, a configuration of “recommended specifications” is searched by a model number / model name or a product name or a product category is selected so that a user having no product knowledge can create a configuration in a short time. It is designed to allow for a gradual refinement. As a result, the model number / model name, product name, price, date, etc. of the corresponding “recommended specifications” are displayed in a list, and by selecting a desired “recommended specification”, the screen moves to a system configuration creation input screen, and the detailed The configuration information is displayed, and parts can be displayed and rearranged.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-331505 A
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The prior art described above has been put to practical use, and as a result, the creation of a simple computer system configuration such as a notebook personal computer or a desktop personal computer has been greatly simplified. However, creating a configuration of a complex computer system such as a server product still has a problem that cannot be solved by the above-described conventional technology.
[0006]
Here, the server product will be described. Since server products require high speed and reliability, they have a much larger number of components and a complicated configuration than notebook and desktop personal computers. That is, a plurality of computer devices are mounted on one rack and duplicated by software or hardware to ensure reliability, and a plurality of special-purpose computers are mounted on the rack and connected to each other to cooperate. And so on. These require more than simply mounting multiple computers side by side, but also need to define complex connections so that they can operate in an interconnected manner.
[0007]
Furthermore, depending on the required performance and reliability, devices such as an external connection device, a special-purpose expansion board, an uninterruptible power supply, and an abnormality alarm device may be connected. Furthermore, it is necessary to define an installation service for improving the environment of electric power and air conditioning, a maintenance service program for performing maintenance after introduction, and the like. For this reason, the server product has a feature that the price range is incomparably wider than that of a notebook personal computer or a desktop personal computer, depending on the level of performance and reliability required by the user even for a single model. In such a case, when creating a configuration, it is important to compare various configurations in terms of performance, reliability, and price, and to narrow down the configuration closest to the user's desire.
[0008]
Further, as another feature of the server product, since a large number of users of various levels use the system simultaneously and the number of simultaneous users varies with time, the load on the system may vary greatly with time. . Further, such fluctuations in the load greatly differ depending on the usage of the server. For this reason, in creating the configuration of the server product, it is necessary to accurately determine the lowest-priced configuration that can operate at a practical speed under the assumed use conditions (applications and loads), that is, sizing. In the actual configuration creation, a configuration change for improving the performance according to the budget is made based on the configuration at the lowest price. In such sizing, software corresponding to the application is actually installed in the server, and for each configuration (CPU, memory, HDD capacity, etc.) having a different server performance, the load (the number of simultaneous login users, etc.) is increased. Practical verification of measuring the decrease in response speed and selecting the lowest price configuration that satisfies the user's specifications is required. For this reason, the configuration information created through the on-site verification is reused in association with the use condition (use, load), thereby providing an advantage that the on-site verification can be omitted.
[0009]
On the other hand, in the above-described conventional technology, the configuration of “recommended specifications” is searched by the model number / model name or the product name, or the product category is set so that the user having no product knowledge can create the configuration in a short time. Is devised so that narrowing down can be performed stepwise by selecting. However, when the conventional technology is applied to a server product, there are the following problems.
[0010]
In other words, when retrieving the configuration of "recommended specifications" by model number / model name and product name, the model number / model name and product name tend to be complicated for server products with many component parts, so a user without product knowledge specifies the search condition. There is a problem that cannot be done. Also, since the component level information is not displayed on the screen for selecting "Recommended specifications", compare the configurations at the component level and select the configuration that you want most in consideration of the balance between performance and price. Is difficult.
[0011]
On the other hand, when the configuration of the “recommended specifications” is narrowed down stepwise by selecting a product category, the product category is likely to be complicated in a server product having many component parts. Searching happens. In addition, it is necessary to classify the configuration of the “recommended specifications” prepared in advance into the above search routes, which increases the load on the administrator.
[0012]
Further, in the above-described conventional technology, a search for “recommended specifications” recommended by a manufacturer is possible, but a search for a configuration example or a sales example actually created by a user cannot be performed. In addition, it is difficult to search for configuration examples and sales examples, which is important, because it is not possible to execute a search using input of use conditions (use, load), and it is difficult to reuse configuration information whose sizing has been verified on the ground. . In addition, there is a problem that a user request cannot be satisfied because addition of a case cannot be easily performed.
[0013]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a computer system configuration creation support system that enables even a beginner who does not have product knowledge to quickly create a configuration of a complex computer system such as a server product. With the goal. In particular, the present invention has been devised so that a desired configuration can be quickly and accurately selected from a large number of recommended configurations as compared with the prior art. Another advantage is that management of such recommended configurations can be simplified. Further, in addition to the recommended configuration, a feature is provided in which a configuration example created by a user through on-site verification can be effectively reused.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.
First, a configuration creation support system for a computer system, a database in which component information and component combination constraints of the computer system are stored, and a computer device that creates configuration information with reference to the component information and the constraints, In a system including a database in which configuration information created by using the computer device is stored and a terminal device connected to the computer device via a network such as the Internet, Means for storing the contents as a data string; means for displaying at least one or more of the data strings on the terminal device; means for selecting configuration information from the displayed data string; Read, display, modify, save by computer equipment And Noh.
[0015]
Further, the data sequence is created by converting from the configuration information using a conversion table defined in advance.
[0016]
In addition, data that is not included in the content of the configuration information can be added to the data string.
[0017]
Further, it is possible to search for a data string to be displayed on the terminal device based on the data of the data string, and to rearrange the display order.
[0018]
Further, the item of the data string includes reference information of the electronic document, and the electronic document can be referred to by selecting the data string displayed on the terminal device.
[0019]
Further, the data string to be displayed on the terminal device is determined based on whether or not a desired character string is included in the electronic document.
[0020]
Further, the number of times that the configuration information is selected is counted, and the counted number is included in the data string.
[0021]
In addition, the modified configuration information is stored separately from the configuration information before the modification.
Also, a configuration creation support system for a computer system, a database storing component information and component combination constraints of the computer system, and a computer device that creates configuration information by referring to the component information and the constraints. In a system including a database in which configuration information created by using the computer device is stored together with a creator ID and a terminal device connected to the computer device via a network such as the Internet, A user other than the creator reads the modified configuration information into the computer device, displays the modified configuration information on the terminal device, modifies the configuration information, and saves the modified configuration information together with the user ID.
The usefulness of the above configuration will be described in detail in the following embodiments.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
[0023]
The end user terminal 1a is a personal computer that can be connected to a network such as the Internet 1b, and that can start a web browser for browsing a web page described in HTML, XML, or the like. Although only one end user terminal 1a is shown in the example of FIG.
[0024]
The computer system configuration support system 1c is connected to a network such as the Internet 1b, and provides a service for supporting the configuration creation of the computer system on a web page. That is, in response to an input from the end user terminal 1a, the product data information 1e and the configuration constraint information 1f stored in the configuration information database 1d are referred to 1j, and a web page for supporting the configuration creation is displayed on the end user terminal 1a. Output. The product data information 1e and the configuration constraint information 1f stored in the configuration information database 1d have been transferred 1h from a product data management system 1g that manages product information. The configuration information 1i created in the computer system configuration support system 1c is stored 1k in the configuration information database 1d. The stored configuration information 1i is called by the computer system configuration creation support system 1c, and is transferred to the order system 1m, the ordering system 1m, and the production system 1n. With the above configuration, it is possible to arrange the configuration, ordering, and production of the computer system from a remote location through a network such as the Internet.
[0025]
The configuration information search system 1o is a feature included in the embodiment according to the present invention, is connected to a network such as the Internet 1b, and provides a search service for the configuration information 1i on a web page. The configuration information search system 1o receives the search condition 1p input from the end user terminal 1a, searches the search information 1q based on the search condition, and displays the search result 1r on the web page of the end user terminal 1a. Further, according to the input from the end user terminal 1a, the configuration information 1i corresponding to the search information 1q is specified 1s and displayed on the end user terminal 1a via the computer system configuration support system 1c. The search information 1q is stored in the search information database 1v, and includes parts information 1t extracted from the configuration information and a title 1u input from the end user terminal. This system has an advantage that the end user can quickly specify the configuration information that the end user wants to refer to from a large number of existing configuration information. The features and usefulness of the system will become apparent from the following detailed description.
[0026]
FIG. 2 is an operation flow of the system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the function of each web page will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.
[0027]
First, a flow in which a user familiar with the computer system, for example, a system engineer or the like, newly creates configuration information will be described. This corresponds to 2b to 2g in FIG.
[0028]
FIG. 3 is a top page of the computer system configuration support system, which corresponds to 2a in FIG. This screen shows a web page described in HTML or XML stored in the computer system configuration support system 1c of FIG. 1 displayed on the end user terminal 1a of FIG. Screens used in the following description are also displayed on the end user terminal 1a according to the same principle. In the top page of FIG. 3, the entrances to the company 3a, the agency 3b, the corporate customer user 3c, and the individual customer user 3d that provide the configuration information are divided. This is one in which the entrance is divided in order to distinguish the content of information displayed on the subsequent web pages. For example, while providing highly confidential information to the employees of the providing company, only the products handled by the agency are displayed to the agency, and to the corporate customer users. A PC server or the like is mainly displayed, and a notebook PC or a desktop PC is mainly displayed for individual customer users. As a result, frequently accessed information can be displayed in a prominent position on the web page.
[0029]
FIG. 4 shows a user authentication screen, which corresponds to 2b in FIG. Since the configuration information is highly confidential to competitors, user authentication is provided. Only the user who has been given the user ID 4a and the password 4b in advance can refer to the following web pages. However, an agency or a business customer user or an individual customer user who has a business relationship can assign the user ID 4a and the password 4b because the use of the system facilitates the estimation work of the computer system and can promote sales. .
[0030]
FIG. 5 shows a function list screen. In the menu on the screen, functions provided by the computer system configuration creation support system 1c of FIG. 1 are arranged. When the configuration is created from the beginning, the configuration creation 5a in FIG. 5 is selected. This corresponds to 2c in FIG. The configuration correction 5b and the configuration search 5c will be described later. The purchase application / cancellation / correction 5d is a menu for reading out the created configuration information and transferring it to the ordering system 1m in FIG.
[0031]
FIG. 6 shows a model selection screen, which corresponds to the submenu of the configuration creation 5a in FIG. Also, it corresponds to 2d in FIG. In the model selection, by selecting the notebook PC 6a, the desktop PC 6b, the PC server 6c, and the like, the contents of information displayed on the subsequent web pages are distinguished. For the PC server 6c having a plurality of housing types, the rack 6d / cabinet 6e is selected as a submenu.
[0032]
7 to 11 show detailed screens for creating a configuration, which correspond to 2e in FIG. Hereinafter, the contents of the configuration creation of the PC server will be described by taking as an example a case where the rack 6d of the PC server 6c is selected in the model selection of FIG.
[0033]
FIG. 7 is a screen on which the racking tab 7a is selected, and is a screen for selecting a device to be mounted on the rack. By pressing an add button 7c for the name of a device to be mounted on the rack from the column of mounted devices 7b on the left side of the drawing, a picture 7e of the device is superimposed on a picture 7d of the rack. Here, the mounting position of the device is related to the cable length described in FIG.
[0034]
FIG. 8 shows the sub-screen of FIG. 7, which determines the component configuration of the mounted device. Clicking the picture 7e of the device mounted on the rack in FIG. 7 moves to the screen in FIG. The drawing shows an example of component selection of the computer system xxx 8a, in which pull-down menus 8b for selecting components such as an OS and a processor are arranged. The components displayed first in the figure are the recommended components, and a system that normally operates even if stored as it is is completed. It is designed so that even a beginner can create a minimum configuration. When each component pull-down menu 8b is selected, components extracted from the product data information 1e in FIG. 1 based on the configuration constraint information 1f in FIG. 1 are displayed. This makes it possible to create an accurate configuration without referring to a paper manual. When the component selection is completed, the user presses the enter button 8c. The above operation is repeated by the number of devices mounted on the rack.
[0035]
FIG. 9 is a screen on which the cable connection tab 9f is selected, and is a screen for connecting various cables of the devices mounted on the rack in FIG. Cable type buttons 9a are arranged at the upper part of the screen. The figure shows an example in which the power button 9b is selected, and defines the connection relationship of the power-related cables and the cable length. When the power button 9b is pressed, the connector serving as the starting point is displayed as ○ 9c, and the connector serving as the ending point is displayed as □ 9d. By connecting between 9c and 9d, the length of the cable 9e is automatically calculated. This screen can be terminated by terminating all connections of the various cables 9a.
[0036]
FIG. 10 shows a screen on which the service tab 10d is selected, which is a screen for defining service contents. High-performance computer systems such as PC servers require services such as installation work. Therefore, the service cost and the shipping fee are automatically calculated by designating the presence or absence of the construction 10a, the delivery time designation 10b, and the delivery area 10c.
[0037]
FIG. 11 shows a screen on which the configuration content display tab 11a is selected, which is a screen for confirming the result of configuration creation, saving, and outputting. When the configuration save button 11e is pressed, the configuration information 1i is stored in the product information database 1d of FIG. This corresponds to 2f in FIG. When the output button 11f is pressed, the configuration information is saved or printed as an electronic file, which can be used for creating an estimate. Further, by pressing the order button 11g, the displayed configuration information 1i is transferred to the order system 1m in FIG. These correspond to 2h in FIG.
[0038]
As described above, the creation of the configuration of the server product is completed on the screens of FIGS. As described above, it takes an average of 7 hours to create a new configuration by selecting a large number of components and defining connection relationships.
[0039]
FIG. 12A is a search information input screen, which corresponds to 2g in FIG. When the configuration save 11e in FIG. 11 is pressed, the screen transits to this screen. This screen is a screen for inputting information for searching for configuration information, which will be described in detail later, and is an important screen in the present invention. First, the title 12a of the created configuration information is input as a character string. Next, search information on the contents of the created configuration information is selected from the pull-down menu 12d. Numerical values such as the price 12b and the creation date and time 12c are input as text. When all search conditions have been entered, the user presses a search information save button 12e. Here, if the title overlaps with an existing title, an alarm is displayed to re-enter the title. In addition, if there is any undefined search information, an alarm prompting for a definition is displayed. If the title does not overlap with the existing title and all the search information is selected, the search information is stored in the search information database 1v of FIG.
[0040]
FIG. 12B is an example of another input screen of the search information. Inputting the title 12f of the configuration information as a character string is the same as in FIG. 12A. However, the search information can be automatically extracted from the configuration information by the user selecting from the pull-down menu in FIG. 12A. On this screen, only the title 12f is input and the search condition save button 12e may be pressed.
[0041]
FIG. 12C is an example of a search condition conversion table used when search information is automatically extracted from configuration information. Explaining how to use the table, when the configuration save 11e in FIG. 11 is pressed, the computer system configuration support system 1c in FIG. 1 stores the configuration information 1i in the product information database 1d and stores the configuration information 1i in the system. The stored table is compared with the stored configuration information. For example, when the configuration information includes a computer system of model XX, referring to the model XX12g in the table of FIG. 12c, the product category of the search information is set to the midrange 12h, and the product category of FIG. The midrange is displayed in the column 12i. When the search information registration button 12e in FIG. 12B is pressed, the search information 1q is stored in the search information database 1v in FIG. This corresponds to 1u in FIG. In FIG. 12B, the user needs to input the title 12f. However, the system automatically combines the configuration information to create the title, or the system arbitrarily assigns the title to eliminate the user input items in FIG. 12B. May be skipped.
[0042]
FIG. 13 shows an example of the stored search information. The search information ID 13a is an identification number internally assigned by the system when search information is newly stored in the search information database 1v of FIG. The configuration information ID 13b is an identification number internally assigned by the system when the configuration information 1i is newly stored in the product information database 1d of FIG. By sending the configuration information ID 13b from the configuration information search system 1o of FIG. 1 to the computer system configuration creation support system 1c, the search information is associated with the configuration information. The other items in FIG. 13 are search information input on the screen in FIG. 12A or 12B, and have information on representative components of the configuration information. The registration date 13c is the date when the configuration information was updated. The number of times 13d means the number of times that the configuration information has been read out. The greater the number of times, the higher the frequency of quotation, and it can be identified that the configuration information is useful. The creator ID 13e is an identification ID of a user who has newly created and saved the configuration information, and is the user ID 4a input in FIG. 4 saved when the configuration information was saved.
[0043]
With the above procedure, the flow in which a user familiar with the computer system, for example, a system engineer or the like newly creates configuration information ends. This is a portion corresponding to 2b to 2g in FIG. When the configuration is completed, the display returns to the top page. The present invention is characterized in that search information as described in FIG. 13 is recorded in a state of being linked to configuration information, separately from the conventionally performed configuration creation. The usefulness of the search information will become clear in the following description.
[0044]
Next, a flow of searching for the previously created configuration information and modifying or reusing the configuration information will be described. This is a portion corresponding to 2i to 2r in FIG. The process from the top page in FIG. 2 to the function list 2j through user authentication is the same as in the above embodiment. On the function list screen of FIG. 5, the configuration correction 5b is selected. As a result, the screen transitions to the configuration information list screen of FIG. This corresponds to 2k in FIG. In the figure, the configuration information created by the user in the past is displayed in a list. That is, the creator ID 13e in FIG. 13 is compared with the user ID 4a in FIG. 4, and only the configuration information in which both match is displayed. Here, in FIG. 14, the search information of FIG. 13 is displayed in a list, which is a feature of the present invention. That is, for the configuration information created in the past, not only the title but also detailed information at the component level is displayed in a list, so that it is possible to accurately grasp which configuration information should be selected. Particularly, in a PC server having a large number of components, it is difficult to discriminate the differences between the pieces of configuration information. Therefore, it is useful to compare the pieces of configuration information by displaying a list at the component level. However, when the number of configuration information is large, it is difficult to quickly and accurately specify a desired one from the list of configuration information. For this reason, a search function using information displayed in a list is provided. By pressing the search condition input button 14a, a transition is made to the search condition input screen of FIG.
[0045]
The search condition input screen in FIG. 15 corresponds to 2l in FIG. To specify search conditions, component information such as CPU, OS, and external devices is selected using the pull-down menu 15a. For the title, a text search is performed using the text sentence 15b as input. In addition, numerical information such as the price 15c and the storage date and time 15d is searched by specifying a range. The numerical information can be rearranged in ascending or descending order. In the figure, a condition is set in which only the configuration information mounted on the rack 15e is arranged and displayed in ascending order of price 15f. When the specification of the condition is completed, the search execution button 15g is pressed. Thus, the configuration information search system 1o of FIG. 1 starts searching the search information database 1v based on the search conditions. This corresponds to 1p in FIG.
[0046]
FIG. 16 shows a search result list screen, which corresponds to 1r in FIG. 1 and 2n in FIG. The search condition 16a specified in FIG. 15 is displayed in the upper part of the screen. In the lower part of the screen, the corresponding configuration information is displayed together with the search information. According to the search condition, the configuration information mounted on the rack 16b is displayed in ascending order of the price 16c. By comparing the screens, it is possible to quickly and accurately select configuration information of a desired specification. By clicking the title 16d of the desired configuration information, the screen transitions to the configuration content display screen of FIG. This corresponds to 2o in FIG. In FIG. 1, the information selected on the screen of the end user terminal 1a is identified in the search information database 1v via the configuration information search system 1o as the search information ID 13a of the search information in FIG. The ID 13b is sent to the product information database 1d, the corresponding configuration information 1i is read into the computer system configuration support system 1c, and the screen of FIG. 11 is displayed on the end user terminal 1a. In FIG. 11, the configuration information can be corrected and saved by selecting the tab at the top of the screen. This corresponds to 2p and 2q in FIG. After the configuration information is corrected, the search information is corrected on the screen shown in FIG. 12A or 12B. This corresponds to 2r in FIG.
[0047]
Thus, the flow of searching for the previously created configuration information and modifying or reusing the same ends. According to the present invention, when the configuration information that has been saved is corrected, which configuration information should be corrected can be compared not only with the title but also at the component level as shown in FIG. Further, by performing a search as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, desired configuration information can be quickly and accurately specified from a large number of configuration information.
[0048]
Next, a description will be given of a flow according to a useful embodiment of the present invention, in which a user who does not have specialized knowledge about a computer system searches and utilizes configuration information.
[0049]
This is a portion corresponding to 2s to 2zz in FIG. The process from the top page of FIG. 2 to the function list 2t through user authentication is the same as in the above embodiment. On the function list screen of FIG. 5, the configuration search 5c is selected. As a result, the screen transitions to the configuration information list screen of FIG. This corresponds to 2u in FIG. This flow is characterized in that the configuration information displayed in FIG. 14 is created by another user. That is, in the flow for newly creating the configuration information described above (2b to 2g in FIG. 2) or the flow for modifying or reusing the configuration information (2i to 2r in FIG. 2), the configuration shown in FIG. The information is only the configuration information in which the creator ID 13e in FIG. 13 is compared with the user ID 4a in FIG. On the other hand, this time (2s to 2zz in FIG. 2) is characterized in that the configuration information displayed in FIG. 14 is the configuration information in which the creator ID 13e in FIG. 13 and the user ID 4a in FIG. . As a result, in FIG. 14, it is possible to display the configuration information created by the user who is familiar with the computer system and the actual sales cases. By making use of such modifications, even a user who does not have specialized knowledge can create a configuration of a high-performance computer system such as a PC server. At this time, it is necessary to quickly and accurately specify which configuration information should be used. For this reason, in the present invention, not only the title but also detailed information at the component level is displayed in a list, so that it is easy to identify the difference between the pieces of configuration information. Further, a search function as described with reference to FIGS. This corresponds to 2v to 2x in FIG.
[0050]
Here, a description will be given of a feature in a case where configuration information created by another user is utilized. This corresponds to 2zz in FIG. That is, in order to save the original configuration information created by another user, a new configuration saving function is provided. Hereinafter, the new storage function will be described. First, in the configuration selection shown in 2y of FIG. 2, a title of desired configuration information is selected from the search result list of FIG. As a result, the configuration information search system 1o in FIG. 1 identifies which search information ID 13a is selected in the search information table in FIG. 13, and specifies the corresponding configuration information ID 13b. Then, the configuration information search system 1o notifies the computer system configuration support system 1c of the configuration information ID, and the computer system configuration support system 1c reads the configuration information 1i of the corresponding configuration information ID from the product information database 1d, and also reads the end user terminal 1a To be displayed. This is a screen as shown in FIG. The user corrects the configuration information read by the computer system configuration support system 1c. This corresponds to 2z in FIG. When the correction is completed, the configuration save button 11e in FIG. 11 is pressed. Here, the computer system configuration support system 1c stores the corrected configuration information in the product information database 1d, but newly obtains and stores a configuration information ID different from the configuration information ID used in the previous reading. As a result, the new configuration information is stored while the configuration information of another user is stored. At this time, the input 2zzz of the search information in FIG. 2 is also newly performed, and a new search information ID is secured. The creator ID 13e in FIG. 13 is also provided with a user ID for newly saving the configuration.
[0051]
In the above, a flow in which a user who does not have specialized knowledge about a computer system searches and utilizes configuration information, which is a useful embodiment according to the present invention, has been described.
[0052]
To summarize the first embodiment according to the present invention described above, the present invention provides search information obtained by extracting component information from configuration information in addition to configuration creation that has been generally performed conventionally. Generate it and display it in a list. By displaying the search information in a list on the screen, even if the configuration information has a large number of parts, the difference between the configuration information can be easily identified, and the desired configuration information can be quickly and accurately selected. Furthermore, by narrowing down the configuration information displayed in a list using the search information, it is easier to select desired configuration information. For this reason, the configuration information created by a user who is skilled in the computer system can easily refer to and compare the configuration information even by a user having no special knowledge, and can quickly and accurately select desired configuration information and refer to it. By making small corrections, it is possible to create a complex computer system configuration.
[0053]
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is characterized in that an electronic document is stored in a search information database and utilized, as compared with FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. In the electronic document, information that cannot be completely described by a title, such as features of configuration information and sales points, is described. If such an electronic document is referred to, it becomes a powerful index when selecting configuration information. Further, by searching an electronic document using a keyword, it can be used as a search unit.
[0054]
Referring to the figure, the electronic document 17f is stored in the search information database 1v from the computer system configuration support system 1c in a state of being associated with the search information 1q. When a search keyword 17a is input from the end user terminal 1a, the configuration information search system 1o performs a full-text search on the electronic document 17f. As a result, search information associated with the electronic document in which the search keyword has been hit is extracted 17b, and the result 17g is displayed on the end user terminal 1a via the configuration information search system 1o as a screen as shown in FIG. When the user selects a title on the search result list display screen as shown in FIG. 16, the search information ID 13a in FIG. 13 is identified in the configuration information search system 1o, and the electronic document 17f associated with the search 17c is read out 17d. It is displayed on the end user terminal 1a via the configuration information search system 1o.
[0055]
FIG. 18 is an operation flow of the system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Although the flow for newly creating the configuration information is from 2b to 2h in FIG. 2 in the first embodiment, it is characterized in that the attachment of the electronic document 18a is added in FIG. 18 as compared with FIG.
[0056]
FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining 2g and 18a in FIG. 18, and is a screen for loading search information and attaching an electronic document. This figure is characterized in that an electronic document name 19a is added as compared with FIG. 12b of the first embodiment. The file name of the electronic document is input in the corresponding column 19a. By selecting the search information save button 19b, the search information 1q and the electronic document 17f are stored in the search information database 1v of FIG.
[0057]
FIG. 20 shows an example of the stored search information 1q of FIG. It is characterized in that an electronic document name 20a is added as compared with FIG. 13 of the first embodiment. In the figure, in order to facilitate the association between the electronic document name and the search information ID 13a, the electronic document name is made to match the search information ID 13a. For example, 0001. When the keyword is hit in txt, the electronic document name “0001” is extracted and identified as the search information ID 13a, so that the search result of the electronic document is associated with the search information ID 13a. Apart from this, a similar effect can be obtained by defining a specific tag in the electronic document and describing the search information ID 13a therein.
[0058]
Next, a flow of modifying the configuration information will be described with reference to FIG. This flow corresponds to 2i to 2r in FIG. 2 in the first embodiment. However, in FIG. 18, compared with FIG. 2, the keyword input of the search condition of 18b, the reference of the electronic document of 18c, the attachment of the electronic document of 18d, The feature is that is added. The same applies to the search flow of the configuration information corresponding to 2s to 2zz in FIG. 2 (in FIG. 18, the keyword input 18e of the search condition, the reference 18f of the electronic document, and the attachment 18g of the electronic document are different from FIG. 2). Has been added).
[0059]
FIG. 21 shows a search condition input screen, which corresponds to 18b in FIG. The feature is that a keyword input field 21a is added as compared with FIG. 15 of the first embodiment. The use of this keyword has been described above.
[0060]
FIG. 22 is a reference screen of the electronic document, which corresponds to 18c in FIG. When the title is clicked in the search result list of FIG. 16, the screen transits to the screen of FIG. In the electronic document, outlines, specifications, features, and the like regarding the configuration information are described in text. After reading the document and determining that the configuration information should be used, the user presses the configuration display button 22a. As a result, the screen transits to the configuration content list screen of FIG. The reference material 22b is linked to a proposal material or the like created when the configuration information is sold, and can browse and download the proposal material.
[0061]
To summarize the second embodiment according to the present invention described above, in the present invention, the configuration information of the computer system and the electronic document are stored in association with each other. The electronic document describes an outline, specifications, features, and the like regarding the configuration information. By referring to the electronic document, it is possible to transmit the features and the sales points of the configuration information that cannot be transmitted only by the configuration information (combination information of parts). This content is a useful index when a user without specialized knowledge utilizes a configuration example created by a user skilled in a computer system. As a result, it is possible to quickly and accurately select desired configuration information, refer to the information, or make minor corrections to create a configuration of a complex computer system. Furthermore, by searching for an electronic document by designating a keyword, it is possible to refer to configuration information associated with the electronic document. Here, it should be noted that the form of the document does not matter as long as the keyword is included in the electronic document for the search purpose. For this reason, an indefinite sentence such as an e-mail used on the Internet or the like can be used as a search means. That is, such an existing electronic document may be linked to the configuration information and stored. In this case, there is no need to prepare a new electronic document, and the trouble of constructing a search environment can be saved.
[0062]
In the above embodiment, the electronic document 17f of FIG. 1 is placed on the search information server 1v, but the electronic document may be on another server. In this case, even if the electronic document name 20a of the search information in FIG. 20 describes the location information of the electronic document, for example, information for establishing a link such as a URL, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained.
[0063]
FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This figure is characterized in that the supplementary information 23a is stored and used in the search information database 1v compared to FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. The supplementary information is information that is not included in the configuration information, and is, for example, a use or a specification of a computer system. The search information described in Embodiment 1 or 2 is information generated based on the configuration information, whereas the additional information is different from the search information in that it is information that is not derived from the configuration information.
[0064]
Here, the procedure for designing the configuration of the computer system will be described. When designing a computer system, first, the functions and applications that the user wants to realize, and the specifications (the number of users and response performance) that the user wants to achieve are determined. Next, decide the software that realizes it. Finally, the hardware that allows the software to operate under the conditions that meet the specifications is determined. For this purpose, the software corresponding to the application is installed in the sample computer system, and the response speed to the increase in the load (the number of simultaneous login users, etc.) is reduced while changing the configuration (CPU, memory, HDD capacity, etc.). On-the-spot verification is required, and the lowest-priced configuration that satisfies the user's specifications is selected. Here, the configuration information created through the on-site verification is reused in association with the use condition (use, load), so that the on-site verification can be omitted.
[0065]
Referring to FIG. 23, additional information 23a is input 23b from the computer system configuration support system 1c and stored in the search information database 1v in a state 23c associated with the search information 1q. When the search condition 23d is input from the end user terminal 1a, the configuration information search system 1o executes a search on the supplementary information 23a and the search information 1q. As a result, the search result 23e is displayed on the end user terminal 1a via the configuration information search system 1o. Subsequent procedures are the same as in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment.
[0066]
FIG. 24 is an operation flow of the system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. First, a flow for newly creating configuration information will be described. The flow corresponds to 2b to 2h in FIG. 2 in the first embodiment, but is characterized in that additional information of 24a is added in FIG. 24 compared to FIG.
[0067]
FIG. 25 is a screen for inputting additional information corresponding to 24a in FIG. 24 (including retrieval of search information). This figure is characterized in that additional information 25a is added as compared with FIG. 12b of the first embodiment. The figure shows an example in which a use 25b, software 25c, and maximum number of users 25d are input as supplementary information. In many cases, this information can be taken from considerations when planning computer systems. The application 25b and the software 25c are selected from options registered in advance using a pull-down menu 25e. The maximum number of users 25d is also selected from options such as, for example, 100, 100 to 500, and 500. The choice of the maximum number of users is changed according to the scale of the computer system stored as the configuration information. Further, instead of the maximum number of users, the number of transactions may be used as a load on the computer system. By selecting the search information save button 25f, the search information 1q and the supplementary information 23a are stored in the search information database 1v of FIG. Here, an alarm urging a definition may be displayed if there is undefined information in the supplementary information. In the case where the input is more strongly requested, if the additional information is undefined, a function that does not proceed even if the search information registration button 25f is pressed may be included.
[0068]
FIG. 26 shows an example of the stored search information and additional information. In the figure, the supplementary information is managed in the same table as the search information. As compared with FIG. 13 of the first embodiment, the present embodiment is characterized in that additional information of the use 26a, the software 26b, and the maximum number of users 26c is added as items.
[0069]
Next, a flow for modifying the configuration information will be described. The flow corresponds to 2i to 2r in FIG. 2 in the first embodiment. However, in FIG. 24 of the present embodiment, a search condition input (additional information) of 24b and correction of additional information of 24c are added in FIG. The feature is that it is. The same applies to the search flow of the configuration information corresponding to 2s to 2zz in FIG. 2 (in FIG. 24, a search condition input (additional information) 24d and a correction 24e of the additional information are added in FIG. 24). Point). FIG. 27 shows a search condition input screen, which corresponds to 24b in FIG. It is characterized in that an additional information input field 27a is added as compared with FIG. 15 of the first embodiment. In the figure, a condition for searching for a computer system that can be used for accounting purposes with a maximum number of users of 100 to 500 is set.
[0070]
FIG. 28 shows a search result list screen, which corresponds to 24c in FIG. The search condition is the supplementary information 28a, and a condition for searching for a computer system that can be used for accounting purposes with a maximum number of users of 100 to 500 is set. As a result, a list of configuration information in which the use 28b is accounting and the maximum number of users 28c is 100 to 500 is displayed. When more detailed information is to be obtained, by combining with the electronic document of the second embodiment, it is possible to know specific information such as how many users actually use the system. Details of the method of using the list have been described with reference to FIG. 16 of the first embodiment. To summarize the third embodiment according to the present invention described so far, in the present invention, not only the component information but also the items relating to the usage conditions of the computer system such as the application, software, and the maximum number of users, as well as the component information. Is characterized as having search information as search information. Configuration information created through on-the-spot verification, such as actually installing software and performing performance measurements while changing component configurations, is reused in association with usage conditions (applications and loads) to reduce the on-site verification effort. Can be omitted. By using this system, even users who do not have specialized knowledge of computer systems can easily search for similar systems for desired applications and conditions, increasing the opportunities for business associates to conduct business. Can be done. In addition, the customer can understand the approximate budget.
[0071]
The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. In the above description, the second embodiment and the third embodiment are described separately. However, by combining them, it is possible to select the configuration information based on both the detailed information of the electronic document and the use and usage conditions of the accompanying information. This makes it possible to more quickly and accurately specify desired configuration information.
[0072]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, it is possible to create a configuration of a complex computer system such as a server product in a short time without skill, and it is possible to accurately and quickly provide a quote for a computer system that meets customer specifications, It can be expected to reduce sales man-hours and increase sales opportunities.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a top page of a computer system configuration support system.
FIG. 4 is a user authentication screen.
FIG. 5 is a function list screen.
FIG. 6 is a model selection screen.
FIG. 7 is a screen for selecting a device to be mounted on a rack.
FIG. 8 is a screen for determining a component configuration of a mounted device.
FIG. 9 is a screen for defining a cable connection.
FIG. 10 is a screen for defining service contents.
FIG. 11 is a screen for confirming, saving, and outputting a configuration creation result.
FIG. 12 is a search information input screen.
FIG. 13 is a list display of search information.
FIG. 14 is a configuration information list screen.
FIG. 15 is a search condition input screen.
FIG. 16 is a search result list screen.
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is an operation flow of the system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a screen for loading search information and attaching an electronic document.
FIG. 20 is an example of stored search information.
FIG. 21 is a search condition input screen.
FIG. 22 is an electronic document reference screen.
FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 24 is an operation flow of the system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 25 is an input screen for additional information.
FIG. 26 is an example of stored search information and supplementary information.
FIG. 27 is a search condition input screen.
FIG. 28 is a search result list screen.
[Explanation of symbols]
1a: End user terminal, 1b: Internet,
1c: Computer system configuration support system,
1d: product information database, 1e: product data information, 1f: configuration constraint information,
1g: Product data management system, 1i: Configuration information, 1m: Ordering system,
1n: Production system, 1o: Configuration information search system, 1q: Search information,
1v: Search information database, 2a: Top page, 2b: User authentication,
2c: Function list configuration creation, 2d: Model selection, 2e: Configuration creation, 2f: Configuration saving,
2g: Search information input, 2h: Configuration output (estimate creation) / ordering, 2i: User authentication,
2j: Function list configuration correction, 2k: Configuration information list, 2l: Search condition input, 2m: Search execution,
2n: search result list, 2o: configuration selection, 2p: configuration modification, 2q: configuration saving,
2r: Correction of search information, 2s: User authentication, 2t: Function list configuration search,
2u: Configuration information list, 2v: Search condition input, 2w: Search execution, 2x: Search result list,
2y: Configuration selection, 2z: Configuration correction, 2zz: Configuration new storage, 2zz: Search information input,
17f: Electronic document, 18a: Attachment of electronic document, 18b: Search condition input (keyword),
18c: Reference of electronic document, 18d: Modification of electronic document,
18e: Search condition input (keyword), 18f: Electronic document reference,
18g: Attachment of electronic document, 23a: Additional information, 24a: Input of additional information,
24b: search condition input (additional information), 24c: correction of additional information,
24d: input of search conditions (additional information), 24e: input of additional information

Claims (11)

A configuration creation support system for a computer system, comprising: a database in which component information of the computer system and constraint conditions for combination of components are stored; a computer device for creating configuration information by referring to the component information and the constraint condition; In a system including a database storing configuration information created by using the device and a terminal device connected to the computer device via a network such as the Internet, the content of the created configuration information is Means for storing as a data string, means for displaying at least one of the data strings on the terminal device, means for selecting configuration information from the displayed data string, and means for storing the selected configuration information in the computer device Computer that can read, display, modify, and save Tashisutemu configuration generation support system. 2. The configuration creation support system for a computer system according to claim 1, wherein said data sequence is created by converting from said configuration information using a conversion table defined in advance. 3. The configuration creation support system for a computer system according to claim 1, wherein data that is not included in the content of the configuration information can be added to the data string. 4. The configuration creation support system for a computer system according to claim 1, wherein a data sequence to be displayed on said terminal device can be searched and a display order can be rearranged based on the data of said data sequence. Computer system configuration creation support system. 5. The configuration creation support system of a computer system according to claim 1, wherein the item of the data string includes reference information of the electronic document, and the electronic document is referred to by selecting a data string displayed on the terminal device. A configuration creation support system for a computer system, characterized by being able to do so. 6. A computer system according to claim 5, wherein a data string to be displayed on said terminal device is determined based on whether or not a desired character string is included in said electronic document. System configuration creation support system. 7. The configuration creation support system for a computer system according to claim 1, wherein the number of times the configuration information is selected is counted, and the counted number is included in the data sequence. . 8. The configuration creation support system for a computer system according to claim 1, wherein the corrected configuration information is stored separately from the configuration information before the correction. 3. The configuration creation support system for a computer system according to claim 1, wherein the data of the data string includes any of a title, a part name, a price, and a creation date. 4. The configuration creation support system for a computer system according to claim 3, wherein the data to be added includes one of an application, software, and the number of users. A first database in which component information of a computer system and component combination constraints are stored, a computer device for creating system configuration information by referring to the first database, and the system configuration information stored together with a creator ID And a terminal device connected to the computer device via a network for performing reference, display, and editing of the second database, and edits system configuration information edited from the terminal device. A configuration creation support system for a computer system, wherein the configuration is stored in a second database together with a user ID of the user.

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