Web-based network monitoring tool

Abstract

A monitoring tool for use with one or more automatic call distributors (ACD) which automatically and continuously polls or queries the ACDs to monitor not only alarm conditions but other conditions, such as agent staffing levels, call answering time, call routing and traffic conditions. Such continuous and automatic monitoring and querying of the ACD in accordance with the present invention is thus able to improve the overall efficiency of such ACDs by improving the service response time of such ACDs. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the status records of the ACDs maybe directed to a website, for example, on an enterprise Intranet website to enable any of the company representatives with access rights to access the performance of the ACD network from any location. Other data, such as the trunk inventory record keeping system (TIRKS) may also be displayed on the website to facilitate troubleshooting of alarm conditions. Another aspect of the invention is the ability to provide automatic paging for predetermined alarm status condition.

1 . A system for automatically monitoring the status of one or more automatic call distributors (ACD), the system comprising:
 means for automatically establishing a communication link with said one or more ACDs; and   means for automatically retrieving data from ACDs.   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said establishing means includes means for automatically connecting to said ACD. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said establishing means includes means for automatically logging into said ACD. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , further including means for processing the data retrieved from said one or more ACDs defining processed data. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , further including means for generating one or more web pages containing data retrieved from said one or more ACDs. 
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 5 , further including means for generating one or more HTML files of processed data for presentation on a web page. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 6 , further including means for generating one or more HTML files of retrieved data for presentation on a web page. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further including means for transmitting portions of said retrieved data to a pager platform. 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing status information of one or more call distributors (ACD) comprising the steps of:
 (a) automatically and continuously retrieving data from said one or more ACDs;   (b) displaying portions of said retrieved data on one or more first web pages.   
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein step (a) includes the steps of:
 (c) automatically connecting to said one or more ACDs;   (d) automatically logging into said one or more ACDs;   (e) retrieving data from said one or more ACDs.   
     
     
         11 . A method for providing status information of one or more call distributors (ACD) comprising the steps of:
 (a) automatically and continuously retrieving data from said one or more ACDs;   (b) providing portions of said retrieved data to a paging platform.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein step (a) includes the steps of:
 (c) automatically connecting to said one or more ACDs;   (d) automatically logging into said one or more ACDs;   (e) retrieving data from said one or more ACDs.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , further including the steps of :
 (c) providing other data not retrieved from the ACDs;   (d) displaying said other data on one or more second web pages.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said second web pages are hyperlinked to said first web page. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said other data is static data. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said static data is trunk inventory record keeping system (TIRKS) data.