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ITINFRASTRUCTUR

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MANAGEMENT

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Infrastructure

• Data and Voice N/w and Communication

• Technical Services• Database Administration• Computer Operations• Help Desk

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TERMINOLOGY

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• The environment in which IT entities coexist and thrive is called IT infrastructure

• The process of managing the many attributes that contribute to a stable, responsive IT infrastructure is known as systems management.

• People, process and technology are the three key ingredients in any successful implementation of systems management

• Service Management deals with the full management – maintenance and operations – of the IT infrastructure

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IT SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

• The activity of identifying and integrating various processes and products in order to provide a stable and responsive IT environment.

– Management Activity• No H/w or S/w creation• No Product or Service installation• Analysis of existing products and procedures that

interact with each other

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STABILITY

• The systems should be always up and accessible as scheduled– Metrics

• Percentage of available uptime• Actual Downtime (in min/Day or Hrs/Month)• MTBF• MTTR

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RESPONSIVENESS

• How quickly jobs or transactions can be processed and completed– Batch Environment

• Throughput = no. of jobs processed per hour• Turnaround = average time required to complete a job

– Online Environment• Response Time = no. of completed transactions per

second = average time in seconds to complete a

single transaction

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• Availability• Performance & Tuning• Production Acceptance• Change Management• Problem Management• Storage Management• Network management• Configuration

Management• Capacity Planning• Strategic Security• Disaster Recovery• Facilities Management

FUNCTIONS OF IT INFRASTRUCTURES

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FUNCTIONSAvailability

• The process of optimizing the readiness of

production systems by accurately measuring,

analysing and reducing outages to those

production systems.

• Different meaning to customers and managers.

• Analogy to traditional phone system

• Proper adjustment of metrics necessary.

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FUNCTIONSPerformance and Tuning

• A methodology to maximise throughput and minimise response time of batch jobs, online transactions and internet activities.

– We tune infrastructure H/w and S/w and their interrelationships to improve the performance of systems

– Aim : Maximum throughput and Minimum response time

– P & T activities are ongoing, highly iterative processes

– Five infrastructure areas that are most impacted• Servers

• Disk Storage

• Databases

• Networks

• Desktop Computers

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• Production Application : Any IT application software system that is designated as necessary for a company to conduct normal business

• Critical Production Application : Any IT application software system that is designated as critical for a company to conduct essential business activities like revenue generation, service delivery, providing wages and paying suppliers etc.

• Production Environment : Any hardware, software or documentation (electronic or hard copy) component that directly supports a production application

Production Environment

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FUNCTIONSProduction Acceptance

• A methodology to consistently and

successfully deploy application systems into a

production environment regardless of

platform.

– Provides the first and most lasting impression to users

– Deploying into a production environment implies that the

process is not complete until all users are fully up and

running on the new system.

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FUNCTIONSChange Management

• A process to control and co-ordinate all changes to an IT production environment.

– The most critical Systems Management process

– A change is any modification that could impact the stability or responsiveness of an IT production environment

– Control involves requesting, prioritising, and approving changes.

– Co-ordination involves collaborating, communicating, and implementing changes.

– Change can be planned change or emergency change

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FUNCTIONSProblem Management

• A process to identify, log, track, resolve, and analyse problems impacting IT services.

– Investigates the infrastructure and all available information about the problem, to identify the underlying cause of actual and potential failure in the provision of service.

– Managing the volume and variety of problems distinguishes world class infrastructures from mediocre ones.

– Problems are logged and stored in databases for subsequent tracking, resolution and analysis.

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FUNCTIONS Storage Management

• A process to optimise the use of storage devices and to protect the integrity of data for any media on which it resides.

– Optimising – making sure that maximum amount of usable data is written to and read from storage devices at an acceptable rate of response.

– Protecting the integrity – data is always available to authenticated users and cannot be changed by any unauthenticated user or in an unauthenticated way.

– Major concerns

• Capacity

• Performance

• Reliability

• RecoverabilitY

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FUNCTIONSNetwork Management

• A process to maximise the reliability and

utilisation of network components in order to

optimise network availability and

responsiveness.

– Decisions to be made by organisation to manage IT Networks

– Maximising reliability means emphasising high availability by

ensuring that N/w lines and components like routers,

switches and hubs etc maintain high levels of uptime

– Maximising Utilisation implies that P & T activities involving

these components are optimising N/w response.

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FUNCTIONSConfiguration Management

• A process to ensure that the interrelationships of varying versions of infrastructure hardware and software are documented accurately and efficiently.

– Documentation of H/w and S/w configurations

– Coordinating and documenting the different levels of H/w, Firmware, and S/w that comprise mainframes, servers, desktops, db, and various N/w devices like routers, hubs and switches.

– Aims to provide accurate, reliable and up-to-date details about the IT infrastructure

– Different from Versioning control

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FUNCTIONSCapacity Planning

• A process to predict the types, quantities and timing of critical resource capacities that are needed within an infrastructure to meet accurately forecast workloads.

– How to plan for the adequate capacity of computer resources within an infrastructure.

– Aims to provide the required capacity for data processing and storage, at the right time and in a cost effective way.

– Ensuring adequate capacity involves 4 key elements• Type of resource capacities reqd. such as disk space, B/w etc• The size or quantities of the resources in question• The exact timing of when the additional capacity is needed• Decisions about capacity that are based on sound, thorough

forecasts of anticipated workload demands.

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FUNCTIONSStrategic Security

• A process designed to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of designated data and programs against unauthorised access, modifications or destruction.

– Managing and coordinating the integration and compatibility of specialised security systems and processes that are protecting infrastructure components.

– Key concerns• Confidentiality• Integrity• Availiability

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FUNCTIONSDisaster Recovery

• A methodology to ensure the continuous operation of critical business systems in the event of widespread or localised disasters to an infrastructure environment.

– Aims to achieve business continuity in face of widespread or local disasters

– A methodology involving planning, preparation, testing, and continual updating.

– Widespread disasters – major or natural disasters like flood, earthquake etc

– Local disasters eg broken water pipes, fire, gas leakages etc

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FUNCTIONSFacilities management

• A process to ensure that an appropriate physical environment is consistently supplied to enable the continuous operations of all critical infrastructure equipment.

– Managing the physical environment of an infrastructure.

– Appropriate physical environment implies that all environmental factors air conditioning, humidity, power supply etc are accounted for at the proper level on a continuous basis.

– Critical Infrastructure equipment refers also to the key infrastructure devices located outside the centalised facility like switch rooms, data warehouses etc.

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No. of Associated RelationshipsProcess No. of

Rel.Related Processes

Change management (CM)

8 AV, PM, PA, CFM, CP, NM, SM, SS

Network Management (NM)

6 AV, PT, PM, CM, CP, SS

Capacity Planning (CP) 6 PT, CM, PA, NM, SM, FM

Problem Mgt (PM) 5 AV, PT, CM, PA, NM

Production Acceptance (PA)

4 PM, CM, CP, SS

Storage Mgt (SM) 4 PT, CM, CP, DR

Performance & Tuning (PT)

4 PM, CP, SM, NM

Availability (AV) 3 PM, CM, NM

Strategic Security (SS) 3 CM, PA, NM

Disaster Recovery (DR) 2 SM, FM

Facilities Mgt (FM) 2 CP, DR

Configuration Mgt (CFM)

1 CM

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1960s• e.g. ENIAC, UNIVAC, UNIVAC II• Foundations of Systems Management laid• Major Issues of concern

– Availability – Outage Reduction– Improving performance and increasing throughput

• Reprogramming OS for changing app.s – highly specialised & manual– Costly and error prone – reducing availability– Time consuming – reduced throughput

• Introduction of General Purpose computer IBM S/360– Multitasking & Multiprogramming – increased performance– Less changes to run multiple jobs – increased availability– Reduction in manual changes – minimal downtime and outages– Use of ICs – improved performance– Error recovery procedures – preventing outages – reliability– Redundant components - reliability

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1970s• Emphasis shifted to Online systems

• Performance and Tuning of Online Systems and transactions

• Emphasis on managing Storage , backups and restorations of critical data.

• More frequent and complex changes to systems

• Help Desks became important to resolve user’s Problems

• Security of critical corporate data– Initially at OS , App. And Db level

• Management of H/w, OS and application S/w configurations

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1980s• Increasing demand for more memory and processing –

formal capacity planning of CPU, memory, i/o channel and disk storage

• Increasing no. of applications being accepted into production environment and increased frequencies of modifications and changes

• Availability of online systems became critical• Increased emphasis on Disaster & Recovery• Emergence of networking as a major infrastructure area• Security of N/Ws became important • Emergence of client server systems – storage mgt

function evolved.

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1990s and Beyond• Re emergence of centralised data centres to reduce

costs requiring proper and continual facilities• Storage mgt evolved into enterprise level.• Availability concerns shifted from computers to LANs• Capacity planning of n/w components• Security• Planning the capacity and managing the ever

increasing n/w traffic• Use of RAD methodology increased no. of applications

being accepted in production systems• Applications matured quickly requiring frequent

changes and updations

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Infrastructure Management Activities Evolution Timeline

DISCIPLINE 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

Availability Emerged(Batch)

Evolved(Online)

Evolved(N/w)

Performance and Tuning

Emerged(Batch)

Evolved(Online)

Evolved(N/w)

Storage Management Emerged Evolved(C/S)

Change Management Emerged

Problem Management Emerged

Strategic Security Emerged Evolved(N/w)

Evolved(Internet)

Configuration Management

Emerged

Network management Emerged

Production Acceptance Emerged Evolved(C/S)

Evolving(RAD)

Disaster Recovery Emerged Evolved(C/S)

Evolving(N/w)

Capacity Planning Emerged Evolved(N/w)

Facility Management Emerged Evolving(Automated Operations)

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Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

• An organisation’s total cost for acquiring and maintaining that system.– All the resources and costs involved in the

deployment and support of desktop computing within the organisation.

– TCO model is used for accurately costing today’s distributed computing systems and for reflecting previously unbudgeted expenses.

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Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

•Acquisition Cost : Cost of acquiring the system

– Research possible products to buy

– Design the system and all its components

– Source the products - getting the best possible deal

– Purchase the products

– Install the system

– Develop or customise the applications to be used

– Train the users

– Deploy the system, including transition of business processes

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Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

• Cost of Maintaining Availability of

the system to the end users

– System Management – Maintaining normal operations like activation, shutdown, backup, recovery etc

– Maintenance of H/w and S/w components including preventive and corrective maintenance and housekeeping

– User Supportincluding ongoing training, help desk facility and problem support

– Environmental factors system’s external requirements for proper operations like power supply, housing, flor space and air conditioning

– Other factors dependimg on the type of systems developed and the prevailing circumstances

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Current IT environment

• Highly Complex– Multiple Technologies and Protocols– Multiple Vendors– Varied Users– Multiple Locations– Rapid Change– Greater Business Demands

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ICTIM

• Information and Communication

Technology Infrastructure Management

• Covers all aspects of infrastructure

management, from identification of

business requirements through the

tendering process to the testing, ongoing

support and maintenance of ICT

components and services.

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Business Context• Need for effective and proactive ICTIM

– The increasing dependence of businesses on ICT.

– The increasing complexity of the systems.

– The flexibility required by businesses.

– The higher demands users make of their systems.

– The increasing proportion of budgets allocated to ICT systems.

– The shorter technology lifecycles.

• Alignment of business and ICT

• ICTIM requires proper measures that can

– Predict for planning purposes

– Compare to demonstrate process improvement

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Goal of ICTIM

To reduce the overall TCO of ICT, while maintaining the overall quality of the ICT services provided

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Benefits of ICTIM• Business benefits:

– better coordination with the business’s plans and activities.

– better business productivity through better ICT services.– quicker and better ICT response to new needs.– cost-effective delivery of ICT services.– lower Total Cost of Ownership.– planned procurement, development and deployment.– better management information about business

processes and services.– better relationships with ICT management.– better management of projects, changes and roll-outs.

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Benefits of ICTIM• ICT benefits:

– ICT services fit in better with the business needs.

– increased effectiveness of ICT personnel when resolving incidents and problems.

– proactive development and improvement of technology and services

– lower risk of service failure.

– higher capacity for implementing projects and changes.

– better informed planning and procurement of ICT components and services.

– better control of suppliers and their performance.

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ICTIM ACTIVITIES

ICTIM processes include identifying business needs, developing a supportive ICT strategy, policy and plans, tendering, testing, and providing, maintaining and supporting ICT resources at reasonable cost. The processes include the management and administration of the required resources, personnel, skills and training levels.

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ICT INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT

Design & Planning(Strategy & Planning)

Deployment(Introduction &

Implementation)

Operations(Management)

TechnicalSupport

ICTIM ACTIVITIES

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ICTIM ACTIVITIESDesign & Planning

• typically as a strategic review that is subject to

revision over time which involves designing and

maintaining ICT strategies and processes for the

development and installation of the ICT

infrastructure.

• Results in the definition and maintenance of the

strategy and policy for the development and

installation of the ICT infrastructure.

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ICTIM ACTIVITIESDesign & Planning

• The process is based on a recurring cycle

– Reviewing the current position

– Defining the target state

– Designing and implementing the plans to migrate to the

target state

– Review and evaluation

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ICTIM ACTIVITIES

Deployment

• typically as individual projects which include the planning, design, build, acceptance test and roll-out of the business or ICT solutions, with the minimum adverse impact on the business processes.

• This process creates or modifies an ICT solution, made up of one or more technical aspects, ensuring that technical and support capabilities are in place that enable the solution to become fully operational.

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ICTIM ACTIVITIESDeployment

Deployment projects progress through four stages:• Initiation - defining the project objectives and business

case, identifying risks, selecting stakeholders to sit on the steering group.

• Planning - development of the plans into a project structure, division into deliverables, detailing of the deliverables, budgeting, and determining the cycle times.

• Execution - design, build, testing, deployment, and hand-over of the technical and organizational components.

• Completion - evaluation of the project and discharge of the project team.

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Operations

• the routine day-to-day management and maintenance of the ICT infrastructure.

• The operational process ensures a stable and safe basis for the ICT services and compliance with the agreed service levels

• concerned with the business-related performance rather than individual technical performance

• The operational processes within the ICT organization concern not only the Managed Objects but also the interaction between them and their contribution to the delivery of ICT services.

ICTIM ACTIVITIES

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Operations

• Operations includes the following management processes:– Management of infrastructure events.

– Operational control of services, components and configurations.

– Monitoring the workload, job scheduling, resilience testing.

– Management of the storage capacity, back-ups and service recovery.

– Security management.

– Management of the operational support processes.

– Proactive operational management

ICTIM ACTIVITIES

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Technical Support

• providing a structure for the ICTIM processes supporting the other ICTIM processes.

• Technical Support consists of the process and functions that develop expertise about the current and future ICT infrastructure

• Technical Support plays an important role within the Planning, Deployment and Operations processes of ICTIM.

ICTIM ACTIVITIES

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Technical Support • Examples of activities

– Analysing the o/p of ICTIM tools to verify progress

– Designing and maintaining test environment

– Specialist support to incidents and problems

– Writing reports about the performance of infrastructure

– Supporting infrastructure deployment– Maintaining and improving technical expertise and skills

of support staff.– Training other personnel on new infrastructure

components.– Budget planning and management.– Systems and services procurement.

ICTIM ACTIVITIES

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Costs of ICTIM

• Greater mgt time and attention for resource planning

• More personnel, training and facilities• More overhead in processes, procedures

and documentation• Procurement of additional tools – H/w and

S/w• Communications strategies and publications• Implementing culture change

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Possible problems

We can identify the following obstacles:1. Lack of management commitment.2. Inadequate resources, budgets and time.3. Resistance against working to plans.4. Lack of business strategies and policies.5. Lack of awareness of the impact on

business activities.6. Great diversity of technology and

applications.7. Resistance against culture change.8. Poor planning leading to ad hoc

procurement.

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Possible problems9. Poor communications and cooperation

between ICT and business activities.10. Inadequate management of training and staff

replacement.11. Limitations due to legacy systems and

outdated technology.12. Unrealistic expectations on the side of the

customer (business).13. Inadequate information, metrics and

monitoring.14. Overloading personnel.15. Poor management of contracts with suppliers.16. Poor cost awareness within the company.