A customer interacts remotely with the service management
component over the network. Before being able to use
any service, the customer has to send a request for service
subscription. Once this request arrives at the management component, the component identifies it as a valid subscription
inquiry and asks the subscription handling component
to respond. After the subscription is made and stored, the
customer can use the subscribed service by simply sending a
request. In the same way as in the subscription handling, the
management component identifies the inquiry as a valid service
request and asks the configuration component to bring
the service up. The configuration component verifies the
service request with its associated license agreement, makes
the request to necessary resources, such as moving a server
out of an idle resource pool or initiating a server instance,
and then starts the requested service. Before the customer
is allowed to use the service, the configuration component
asks the observation component to observe service usage.
The observation component keeps a close eye on the service
status during the session of customer-service interaction,
and controls the service as necessary according to the associated
license agreement. When the interaction finishes,
observation also ends, the service data is updated and the
service is made ready for the next use.