Automated systems administration of remote computer servers

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product for remotely administrating a computer server. An alert message is received from a remote server at a central support site. The alert message is matched to a contact person, i.e., systems administrator, for the server stored in a database at the central support site. A message is transmitted from the central support site to the systems administrator. When a call is received from the systems administrator at the central support site, the call is then matched to the alert message, and any further attempts to contact the systems administrator in response to the alert message is terminated at the central support site. The central support site waits for a call from the systems administrator for a predetermined period of time. If the time expires without a return call, a backup contact for the server is retrieved from the database at the central support site, and the message is re-transmitted from the central support site to the backup systems administrator. Once the systems administrator contacts the processor, they may enter either voice commands or Touch-Tone keypad commands that are then translated into server commands and transmitted to the remote server. The central support site may also transmit status queries to the remote server, and receive responses therefrom that are then communicated to the systems administrator.