When it comes to researching resources, there are several aspects worth considering, to ensure that business and operational needs are met. From the basics of implementing a software solution to automate tasks such as provisioning, patching and software distribution, to a full blown multi-tier architecture, data center automation is key.

When industry’s most demanding companies need to increase the power of their data center investments and sustain the growing demand of IT services, they look for automation tools to better control the performance, security, compliance and availability of applications, machines and servers. IT management requires a platform that can integrate with their existing infrastructure, driving greater value throughout the organization. IT managers struggle to find the right tools to automate business system administration. The solution is a technology architecture that provides organizations the ability to sustain applications, infrastructure requirements and IT processes.

Medium to large enterprises must be setup to adequately monitor and measure the performance of the data center environment. Managing tasks from troubleshooting, performing analysis and conducting basic metrics is an ongoing battle. In the typical data center landscape, application management can be quite an undertaking. Large enterprises may have thousands of servers, sustaining numerous applications.

In order to effectively manage the alignment of business needs and IT provision requirements, data center automation is a necessity. Supporting, running and serving the potentially thousands of applications, processes and services can be costly, in terms of time, money and valuable IT resources. Standardization of the provisioning process lays the groundwork for successful data center automation. By automating the server provisioning best practices of an organization, servers are provisioned identically, providing consistent quality and higher levels of predictability.

Confirmation of the customization capabilities will help determine if the solution can work with even the most complex of environments. It is also wise to look at the various change management tools designed to improve servers, storage and networking, all of which are critical to an organization’s data center automation requirements. Lastly, by ensuring that the configuration management capability is sufficient for the organizations data center needs is imperative.

Standardizing business rules and procedures is conducive for transparent managed resources. Data center automation can reduce labor and hardware costs, and improve IT availability and responsiveness. The result is more productive administrators and a higher level of quality IT service. Automation for pre-determined conditions can alleviate the headaches normally associated with manually implementing these required operations. By scheduling and automating IT tasks such as system maintenance, server provisioning, deployments, migrations, ITIL service management and database backups, IT resources are better aligned with the operational needs.

Whether you are looking for a stand alone application management solution where simple process management tasks such as starting, stopping or monitoring applications; or a complete IT automation solution, for multi-tier management of one or more application servers, Web servers and various applications, data center automation is essential. Deploying cutting–edge technology, can improve the availability and performance of applications and services both internally and externally.



By: Sam Brown

About the Author:

As is normal in the world of computers things change rapidly and there’s always a bigger, better piece of software or hardware waiting in the shadows patiently for its chance to dethrone current technology. This is perhaps even truer when dealing with technologies surrounding networks. Though it’s been in existence for some time aspects of IT automation are just beginning to take foot within businesses.

When it first began to make it’s rounds in the business world, IT Automation was extremely expensive to have implemented and the technology was in an obviously unproven state. As time went by and the technology advanced more businesses began to take notice and begin implementing things like Run Book Automation and ITIL automation. These businesses quickly discovered that implementation of such things freed up not just network resources but human resources as well.

Prior to implementation the majority of businesses whom relied on their networks for business were frequently forced to dedicate one or two individuals to a network for the sole purpose of tracking down bugs and then manually create patches for those problems. This naturally consumed payroll and did not allow talented individuals to assist in the creation of new applications, perform alpha and beta testing, and even keep things running smooth for those in the company who used a computer. As it became known that automation would free up these types of resources and allow the network to patch itself this technology really began to garner attention from businesses that may have once been apprehensive about adopting a new technology.

These days the majority of companies be them small or large have implemented some type of automation. Some have begun to use services like ITIL Management while others still have gone to full automation and streamlined their IT staff considerably, saving their company both money and time. In fact those companies who do not plan to automate to even a small degree should take heed and learn from those who’ve already chosen that path. Data Center Automation has become such a powerful tool that those that choose not to automate often find themselves struggling to keep applications online and running properly and generally have no choice but to employ an unnecessarily large IT staff. In many cases these companies have failed and are no more however it’s never to late to begin the automation process.

As with all things once it approaches commodity status and is no longer the new thing prices drop, healthy competition takes root, and there are endless choices both in terms of services and cost for entrepreneurs and IT professionals to consider. Most experts predict that the majority of networks will be completely autonomous by 2016 and while that’s difficult to argue, it may happen much sooner should the technology continue on the road it’s on.



By: Scott Jarvis

About the Author:

What is ITIL?

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a set of best practices that allow IT groups to offer the highest possible level of service to their customers. The ITIL framework identifies best practices related to core aspects of IT such as Service Desk, Change Management, and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s).

Where is ITIL Used?

Currently, ITIL is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. The ITIL framework was developed in England and is widely adopted in Europe. Over the last few years ITIL has become increasingly popular in the US.

What are the features and benefits of ITIL?

ITIL is a great tool for a management team to use in the constant effort to offer higher levels of services to their customers. ITIL outlines an extensive set of management procedures that are intended to support businesses in achieving both quality and value for money in IT operations. The service support component of ITIL focuses on improving day-to-day support activities such as problem management. The service delivery component of ITIL focuses on improving strategic activities such as capacity planning.

Why should IT departments implement ITIL?

Most people feel that after implementing ITIL their customer service, both internally and externally, is greatly improved. Most IT departments are reactive and always feel that they are running behind. This is stressful and costly. When implementing ITIL you’ll review your current processes and think about how you can make them more efficient. By implementing new processes you’ll save time and money.

ITIL helps IT departments make better technology choices, manage IT more effectively and drive greater business value for all IT investments.

Lorenzo Balsamo

Lorenzo graduated in 1988 from Bentley College with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems. In 1992 he completed his Master’s degree at U-Mass Boston in English Literature and Technical Writing. Since then he has worked the last 15 years in the IT industry in the roles of Systems Engineer, Network Manager, and Trainer. As a Senior Engineer, he helped design and build a 3,000 node global LAN/WAN for a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, MA. As a Network Manager, he led a team of 12 Analysts and Engineers primarily responsible for desktops, servers, OS patches, software distribution, antivirus software, and backups. In his current role as a Technical Instructor, he focuses on core engineering courses such as Cisco/CCNA and Microsoft/MCSE. He also teaches courses related to IT best practices such as ITIL (InformationTechnology Infrastructure Library).

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston provides learning solutions that help organizations achieve business results, such as increasing productivity and efficiencies, driving revenue, and reducing costs. New Horizons provides customer-focused training choices in multiple formats and delivery methods, offering organizations and individuals top-quality training that can be tailored to meet individual learning styles and specific needs.

Whether you are in search of a solution for the complex training needs of a large, multi-location business, or you are an individual seeking the skills to excel in a new or blossoming career path, New Horizons is your integrated learning solution. New Horizons of Boston offers Desktop Applications Training, Technical Training, Certification Programs, Business Productivity Solutions, Professional Services and Enterprise Learning Solutions.

www.nhboston.com



By: Lorenzo Balsamo

About the Author:

Software Asset Management is a business practice involving managing and optimizing the purchase, deployment, maintenance, utilization, and disposal of software applications within an organization. Software asset management is one of the facets of a broader business discipline known as IT asset management, which includes overseeing both software and hardware that comprise an organization’s IT platform

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), UK, defines Software asset management as the infrastructure and processes necessary for the effective management, control and protection of the software asset in an organization. The goals of Software asset management are to reduce information technology (IT) costs and limit business and legal risk related to the ownership and use of software, while maximizing IT responsiveness and end-user productivity.

Software asset management serves various functions within organizations, depending on their software portfolios, IT infrastructures, resource availability, and business goals. In many organizations, the goal of implementing a Software asset management program is very tactical in nature, focused specifically on balancing the number of software licenses purchased with the number of actual copies installed.

While doing so, organizations can minimize liabilities associated with software piracy in the event of an audit by a software vendor or a third party such as the Business Software Alliance (BSA). Software asset management, according to this interpretation, involves conducting detailed software inventories on a periodic basis to determine the exact number of software installations, comparing this information with the number of licenses purchased, and establishing controls to ensure that proper licensing practices are maintained on an ongoing basis.

This can easily be accomplished through a combination of IT processes, purchasing policies and procedures, and technology solutions such as software inventory tools. Microsoft maintains a list of Software Asset Management (SAM) providers to help customers manage their software.



By: anaya

About the Author:

Outsourcing: A love / hate relationship for U.S. I.T. professionals.  Ask the average employee in any I.T. organization, and hearing about fear of jobs going to India and China is almost unavoidable.  Although many have started the move toward business service management (BSM) to address the chaotic labor trends, I.T. labor itself still consumes over one-third of I.T. budgets.  This figure is perfectly in line with a recently published Gartner report stating that 37% of the typical I.T. budget goes directly to personnel costs.  What are you as the CIO going to do to manage this frenzied situation?  Is outsourcing, or “offshoring,” the answer?  

 

How can you outsource your operations to a foreign country and still maintain compliance with best practice frameworks such as ITIL or MOF?  How do you maintain Sarbanes-Oxley, PCI, or HIPAA compliance when utilizing 100% offshore resources with far less control?  

 

Almost everyone in the I.T. sector has at least one story about various operational tasks being “offshored” to India, and no call-center, network operations center (NOC), or infrastructure team has been immune to rumors of jobs going offshore.  No longer are the cities of Mumbai and Delhi simple manufacturing hubs and suppliers of raw materials.  The country is home to some of the largest corporate call centers and development centers in the world.  In late 2005, the Indian outsourcing workforce numbered 350,000 individuals.  That total is now estimated at well over 800,000, with many new positions going unfilled due to the lack of qualified candidates.

 

Eleven years ago this month, USA Today published an article titled “Can political instability be eliminated in India?”  Looking solely at the news of the past six months, the answer to that question is an obvious NO.

 

The trend toward a twenty-first century India has not fostered the sort of sweeping political change one might expect from the world’s most populous democracy.  Moreover, the unwillingness of the Indian government to more robustly combat intellectual property theft is the stuff that causes your legal team to lose MANY nights of sleep.

 

Recession has made its way to India as well.  The 4 December 2008 issue of The New York Times ran an article discussing the wave of outsourcing firms scaling back their daily operations in India due to the unhealthy global financial climate.  As of this week, the Indian rupee is at a record low.

 

India makes a strong case as the “global back office,” yet it has failed to produce an environment supporting front-office operations such as product innovation and corporate strategies.  The prevailing thought of the past 5 years has been that Indian outsourcing firms are masterful in the art of efficiency and product development measures.  What about now?

 

On 7 January 2009, Indian stocks took a nosedive in the wake of announcements by Satyam Computer Services that corporate profit summaries had been inflated for several years.  The announcement by Satyam’s chairman and co-founder that he had directly falsified accounting documents on an ongoing basis has thrown the entire Indian outsourcing industry into dramatic turmoil.  As a provider of back-office services for many of the largest banks and healthcare institutions in the world, the result of the SATYAM crisis is nothing short of devastating.

 

By Friday, January 9, 2009 news sources were reporting that interim CEO Ram Mynampati does not have faith that the firm can continue past the next few weeks.  Mynampati stated they were working to find the liquidity to pay current employees, suppliers, and creditors. 

 

In less than a week, the crisis has crossed the Pacific Ocean and hit U.S. shores.  Auditing giant PricewaterhouseCoopers is expected to pay a hefty price for the emerging fraud.  The auditor has been responsible for Satyam financial oversight for over eight years, and Satyam investors are expected to go to court in attempts to recoup losses. According to legal sources from within India, most are likely to attack PricewaterhouseCoopers directly rather than Satyam.

 

The tragic events of November 2008 in Mumbai clearly show that the concerns go much deeper. Over 200 people were killed in the attacks, and the entire central business district in Mumbai ground to a halt for several days, resulting in billions of dollars in lost labor.   Within one week of the attacks, five high-profile Indian cabinet members were forced to resign.  On 1 December, TIME magazine posed the question “Will India’s Government Survive the Mumbai Massacre?”

 

Many companies are selecting alternate destinations, and some trends show an actual migration OUT of India to other knowledge-rich environments such as Singapore, The Philippines, Armenia, Pakistan, and various Latin American countries.  Companies requiring less interaction with the public (for example, a software development center) may select destinations where English is not the primary language, or in some cases, is not a language spoken at all.  Companies building public-facing operations such as helpdesks or call centers are being forced to reconsider earlier decisions, and many are moving to more English-centric countries like Taiwan and the Philippines.

 

Key players are making a strong case for themselves as these trends develop.  In the Western Hemisphere, Costa Rica and Peru have marvelous records of rock-solid software development and high customer satisfaction ratings.  In Europe, Armenia is emerging as a major powerhouse and model of efficiency.  In Asia, many are discovering that the almost-perfect English spoken in Taiwan and the Philippines combined with some labor costs equal to or less than those in India make each a destination of choice.  In fact, the November 30 edition of The New York Times Magazine featured a four-page article touting the viability of the Philippines as a premier outsourcing destination.

 

While China, Russia, and Korea have fantastic talent pools, the labor cost and in some cases difficulty dealing with local and national governments make them less attractive to some U.S. based companies.

 

While being one of the lesser-mentioned yet more historically colorful European countries, Armenia is a virtual strongbox of extraordinary talent.  As mentioned by the CIA World Factbook, 18% of Armenia’s current population is under the age of 15, meaning the talent pool is poised for huge growth.

 

Armenia declared independence from the former Soviet Union on 21 September, 1991 and is now a bastion of political stability (a particularly attractive factor for the O&O industry).  A healthy GDP real-growth rate of 13.7% makes Armenia one of the top producers in the EU.

 

Additionally, Armenia is rapidly becoming a major challenger in the index of relative economic freedom. As reported by the Heritage Foundation, the change has been nothing short of amazing. In 2000, Armenia ranked 84th in relative economic freedom. As of late 2008, Armenia ranked 28th – ahead of European powerhouses Spain (31st) and France (48th) and just behind Sweden at 27th.

 

Hong Kong ranked #1 on the list for 2008, with the U.S.A. at #5.

 

The appraisal of economic freedom is based on 50 economic indicators within the following categories: capital flow and foreign investment; financial systems; monetary, budget, and trade policies; salaries and prices; government interference in the economy; property rights and regulations; and black markets.

 

Many outsourcing experts are finding a presence in Armenia quite successful for many of their clients and partners.  The cooperation offered by the Armenian government to ease immigration and visa restrictions for executives and other technical employees traveling between Armenia and the United States has been a huge advantage to many, and this is compounded by great satisfaction with the talent pool offered by this European country.

 

Having a stable presence in Armenia is but one example of alternatives to the current Indian instability.  There are numerous other alternatives as well, and diversification is going to be the keystone to success over the next few years.  

 

As pointed out by one CEO, “…the logical approach for today’s global economy is to diversify.  Many of my contacts who previously invested heavily in Indian resources are already asking for new alternatives, and we believe the best approach is to simply avoid the old cliché of “putting all the eggs in one basket.”

 

Singapore has emerged as another destination of choice, with an extremely stable economy and government as well as strictly enforced laws on intellectual property rights.  Perfect English is widely spoken, and the country is considered one of the top-five technical innovators in the world.

 

Originally founded as a British trading colony in 1818, Singapore joined the Malaysian federation for a short two years ending in 1965. Now completely independent, Singapore is undeniably one of the most prosperous, diverse, and cosmopolitan destinations in the world and has a per capita GDP greater than that of many “leaders” in Western Europe.  

 

In 2006, the World Bank rated Singapore as “the most business-friendly economy in the world.”  Immediately behind London, New York, and Tokyo, Singapore is the fourth largest foreign exchange trading hub in the world.  

 

The country is home to three major state universities:  The National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University, resulting in a literacy rate over 93%.  The island nation accomplishes it all with a geographic size only three times that of Washington, DC.

 

The Philippines and U.S.A. share not only a very similar legal system but the English language as well. Companies in the legal sector consider this fact especially attractive. Once a U.S. colony, the Philippines has a workforce that is already familiar with many legal factors not readily obvious to those in countries with less of a seasoned relationship with the United States. 

 

A few facts about the Philippines:

 Population of 91,000,000 as of 2008  550,000 college graduates per year on Average  Educated labor pool of Over 30,000,000  Entry-level I.T. salaries average $2500—$8000 USD P.A.  Top-quality CBD real-estate costs average $17 PSF  95% literacy rate  English as a primary language

 

One of the top-three law firms in the world relocated their entire network operations center from Chicago to Fort Bonifacio, Manila, in 2003. That operation has since grown much larger, also encompassing legal operations and software development.

 

From 1997 to 2008, companies such as Citibank, Fluor, IBM, Convergys, Telus, HSBC, Dell, JP Morgan, Siemens, and Deutsche Bank have all opened major offshore facilities in the Metro Manila area of the Philippines.

 

More than just a country filled with call centers, the Philippines is home to dozens of offshore operations involving network operations, wireless services, energy, shipping and logistics, legal and medical transcription, finance and accounting, and software development.

 

The country is now recognized by some as the top destination of choice in Southeast Asia. In 2006, the country generated in excess of $3.0 billion in outsourced operations, and that figure is expected to more than double by the end of 2009. The Philippine government has targeted a global market share of 8 to 10% in the O&O market by 2011.

 

Regardless of where you go, there is no “single best answer” to every situation.  When looking for that “trusted advisor” to help you make your next outsourcing, offshoring, development, or infrastructure decision, you need a firm with the knowledge, process, devotion, and proven direction to make it a success.

 

Only by in-depth knowledge of your core business can any firm help in an effective O&O engagement. You need a firm that endeavors to understand and optimize how the process will enhance not only the I.T. department, but all other business units as well.

 

 O&O will continue to gain momentum over the next few years, regardless of what happens in the Indian subcontinent.   The recent events in India and the surrounding territories are but a small stumbling-block to an ever-evolving global business model.  

 

Businesses today realize that three very important factors have emerged in the outsourcing and offshoring industry: 



O&O cannot and should not be based on the “one size fits all” methodology anymore.   Diversification is the key. Every situation is different. Unless you are prepared to invest in learning foreign tax and H/R systems, unfamiliar holidays, unique infrastructure, governmental regulations, and possibly a few foreign languages, you NEED a trusted advisor on your side.



 

Companies and their investors who spent the billions of dollars (and thousands of man-hours) building outsourced operations based solely in India have found that trying to separate the technology from the actual business process is not only foolish—it is futile.   Outsourcing and offshoring can provide limitless possibilities, but they must be done with precision , care, and proper distribution.  Rather than outright withdrawal from offshoring operations, now is the time for diversification.

 

“There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this..” 

Miyamoto Musashi , 1645

 

DOWNLOAD the full PDF version of this article.



By: Jack R. Lesley, Jr.

About the Author:

Though it’s not exactly new, Data Center Automation is sweeping through the world of IT Automation and is changing not only the way networks and their data are managed but is freeing up network resources as well as man power. Of course with the implementation of IT Automation comes many a benefit for companies large and small. As a long time computer user I wanted to know a lot more about this process so I decided to speak with a few key individuals.

After having spoken with several different heads of IT departments and teams it became very obvious very quickly that not only is data managed more efficiently but networks incorporating such things as runbook automation and itil service management find that their networks have fewer recourses being eaten up by processor and memory consuming tasks. This then leads to a faster and more secure network and allows programs dependant on a network to work faster and have less down time.

One of the gentlemen I spoke with early on in my research told me that putting IT Automation into practice equates to “showing an individual who is struggling with his/her workload how to manage their time and resources better and get the work done properly and out on time” Though I know only the basics of IT but as someone who’s quite competent with computers this explanation really made it clear just how automation works and how much good it has brought about for those companies whom rely on their networks heavily for both organization and for their day to day business.

I was also quite shocked to find that once automation takes root within a company many IT professionals who where once used to chase bugs and holes in the network where now being given more meaningful and productive tasks such as programming new proprietary software, alpha and beta testing, and many other duties that serve their companies in more dynamic means than they used to. Of the four individuals I spoke with, only one made little to no emphasis on this particular benefit. The other three touted this as the sole motive behind the decision to automate parts of their network. As a former business owner I can see just how motivating something like that would be too as making an employee more productive and efficient always helps the bottom line.

The one thing that all four of these gentlemen stressed however was just how important it is to spend time researching services and programs before any decisions are made. I was given one example of an ex employer who had rushed into and through the automation process only to find the services they had opted for delivered either to much or to little in the areas of need and therefore created a situation that created more problems for the network than it solved. There was further emphasis on research and planning as a lack of detail in those phases can help to speed a company to its demise in worst case scenarios.

So what have I learned through my inquiries with these four people? Well, I certainly have better understanding of the benefits automation carries with it and I now can say I understand why it’s taking businesses by storm and quickly becoming commonplace. It was also made clear how automation can hurt an unprepared and negligent company when care isn’t taken in the early stages. My new understanding of IT automation really leads me to believe that in just a few short years data center automation will be part of every business both small and large and will give companies an opportunity to fine tune their networks and the teams they employ to run them. The world of IT can at time be challenging and overbearing but opting for things like itil service management and even exin services can positively push the boundaries of your IT department.



By: Scott Jarvis

About the Author:

IT Organisations need well defined Processes, Procedures and work instructions for day to day management of IT/IS Operations. That will help the organisation to be consistent in what they do, and keep up the high service levels. The structured processes and procedures also provide opportunities to improve and scale up existing service levels. To do so, one can take guidance from many existing standards, and quality processes. ITIL is one among those which is highly customised for IT Operations.

ITIL offers standards towards all aspects of IT Operations. Thus it is vast, or broad, and deep. Depending on the bandwidth, and type of organization you belong, ITIL can be implemented different ways. Note that the objective or motivation for ITIL compliance could be also different for different organisations. Typically an organisation may decide to comply with complete ITIL standard.  So will opt to implement all aspects of IT Operations, which I consider as big-bang approach. This is very common approach of ITIL implementation. For the big bang approach, one needs bigger implementation team, big budgets, organizational focus and organizational commitment – to complete the compliance within a defined time frame. Big bang approach also involves training every one on ITIL concepts, certifyng most of managers, etc. As part of this big bang approach, some teams may need to shift their focus on ITIL – away from operational areas, though it is all for good.

However, there could be organizations, groups or teams which may be interested in ITIL practices, but cannot afford to go big-bang way. That could be becuase – no time, no money, no people, or all of ITIL could be an overhead for their organisations… or as simple as “let me try one area”. Thus same approach of big-bang implementation may not fit to everyone.

If some one is looking for ways to get started in a simple way to comply with ITIL – I suggest following:

First point is – organisation or division or team should be convinced that ITIL to be implemnted in their IT operations, though in a small way.There need not be any objective or specific issue resolution. If there is one such, probably my suggested method may not be the best.

Second area is – they need to exclusively identify 2-4 individuals – probably from within their team, or from different teams who have interest in success of IT Operations – to form a control committee.

Third step is – Head of IT Operations – should be also part of the control comittee (CC).  A person should be made as CC Manager. However Head IT cannot be CC Manager. Note that this person should have organisation capabilities, but need not have IT Technical capabilities.

Now the critical part – which area of ITIL should be implemented?

I recommend to go with Change Management. So any changes in IT operations – hardware, software, planned or unplanned – should be reviewed and approved by the CC. It could be interesting to begin with… but a committed compliance to Chanage management will bring in many of other areas covered and lot of uniformity.

THere could be many learnings too… like, what to do when the change process not followed, how do we take care if the change is required immediately to resolve a major crisis … which you need to tailor the procedures and document them, and importantly practice them.

I am sure Change Management is the way to go, and best place to start for ITIL compliance. Get started and drop me a note in case you need any help or you want any information.

Wish you all the best …

Swamy



By: Sone

About the Author:

What Your Organization Needs to Keep the Data Gears Rolling

With virtualization and automation tools abound, what is truly the line in the sand between necessity and luxury? ITIL automation, data center automation and ITIL management can help achieve big results with a relatively small drain on resources. Like a well played game of chess, the least amount of moves can often times lead to the most effective and strategically successful end result. A well primed data center environment amped with automation tools, can not only automate provisioning and lifecycle management across both physical and virtual environments, but it can easily integrate with ticketing and monitoring systems.visit at http://online-typingwork.blogspot.com

When it comes to researching resources, there are several aspects worth considering, to ensure that business and operational needs are met. From the basics of implementing a software solution to automate tasks such as provisioning, patching and software distribution, to a full blown multi-tier architecture, ITIL automation and data center automation are key.

As a CIO, wouldn’t you love if your organization’s data center environment had the flexibility to allow your operations teams to have the freedom of automated repair and maintenance tasks? By implementing automated solutions into the data center, you can direct your resources to handle the more business critical applications and allocate the financial investment to areas of the business the that will more directly impact the bottom line.

Regardless of platform, version or vendor, managing a data center environment can be one of the more challenging roles within an organization. From virtualization, to server consolidations, migrations and expansions simply ensuring the day to day operations are conducted can be more effectively processed through sound ITIL management applications. There are many resources available, but data center automation is one that provides increased value as well as reducing IT service costs.http://online-typingwork.blogspot.com

Whether your organization needs to increase the power of the data center investments or sustain the growing demand of IT services, you can look to ITIL Automation tools that address the needs of data center automation and ITIL Management. Gain better control of the performance, security, compliance and availability of applications, machines and servers with a platform that can integrate into your existing infrastructure, driving greater value throughout the organization. The solution is a technology architecture that provides the ability to sustain applications, infrastructure requirements and IT processes.http://online-typingwork.blogspot.com



By: Boris Tomson

About the Author:

What is ITIL v2?

ITIL® stands for the IT Infrastructure Library.  It emerged  during the 1980’s in the UK as a set of high level processes for providing consistent, low risk IT service management to an organisation.  The copyright is owned by the Office of Government Commerce [OGC (formerly known as CCTA)] and is covered in several publications from the British Standards Institution (BSI).

The core ITIL v2 (IT Infrastructure Library) components are contained within two main publications – ITIL Service Support & ITIL Service Delivery.  Additional OGC publications include: 

Planning to Implement Service Management

Service Support  

Service Delivery  

The Business Perspective

Applications Management

ICT Infrastructure Management

Security Management

All the above ITIL v2 material is available as a set of books and on CD. The latter may be purchased for stand alone or networked use.  To purchase these books or CD sets, go to our bookshop and use the search function.

The British Standards Institute (BSI) published the Code of Practice for IT Service Management in 1998 (PD0005) and subsequently the British Standard (BS15000) was launched in November 2000. Both publications are based entirely on the ITIL guidelines, particularly focusing on Service Support & Delivery. BS15000 as at 2007 was replaced by ISO 20000 – The international Standard for IT Service Management.  Publications from both the BSI and OGC are complementary sets.

The 11 core ITIL v.2 components (functions and process areas) are:

Service Support –

Service Desk Customer-facing and focused on its main objectives which are to drive and improve service to and on behalf of the business. Operationally, its objective is to provide a single point of contact (SPOC) providing advice, guidance and the rapid restoration of normal services to its Customers and Users.

IITIL Incident Management An incident is defined as ‘any event which is not part of the standard operation of a service and which causes, or may

cause, an interruption to, or a reduction in, the quality of that service’.   The aim of the Incident Management Process is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible and minimise the adverse impact on business operations, thus ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. 

ITIL Problem Management Meant to be both reactive and proactive.  It’s goal is to minimise the adverse impact of Incidents and Problems (that require root cause analysis) on the business that are caused by errors within the IT infrastructure and, to prevent recurrence of these errors.

ITIL Configuration Management Provides a logical model of the infrastructure or a service by identifying, controlling, maintaining and verifying the versions of Configuration Items (CIs) in existence e.g., desktop PCs, Printers, Servers.

ITIL Change Management The purpose of CM is to ensure that standardised methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of all changes, in order to minimise the impact of change-related Incidents on service quality.  Risk Management.

ITIL Release Management Plans and oversees the successful rollout of software and related hardware.

Service Delivery –

ITIL Service Level Management The name given to the process of planning, co-ordinating, agreeing, monitoring and reporting on SLAs – internally with the business or externally with 3rd party providers.  Additionally, the on-going review of service achievements ensuring the required service quality is maintained and gradually improved.  SLAs provide the basis for managing the relationship with the Customer.

ITIL Financial Management for IT Services Incorporates budgeting, IT Accounting and Charging.  Enables the organisation to fully account for the spend on IT services and to attribute these costs to the services delivered to the organisation’s Customers. To assist management decisions on IT investment by providing detailed business cases for changes to IT services.

ITIL Capacity Management Is the focal point for all IT performance and capacity issues.  Though other technicians may do most of the work, overall responsibility lies with the Capacity Management process (both operational and developmental).  Including; all hardware, all networking equipment, all peripherals, all software and personnel.

ITIL IT Service Continuity Management Supports the overall Business Continuity Management process by ensuring that the required IT technical and services facilities – including computer systems, networks, applications, telecommunications, technical support and Service Desk – can be recovered within required, and agreed, business timescales.

ITIL Availability Management The main goal is to optimise the capability of the IT Infrastructure, services and supporting organisation to deliver a cost effective and sustained level of availability that enables the business to satisfy business objectives.

© www.bestpracticehelp.com 2008.

Visit http://www.bestpracticehelp.com for totally free ITIL forum, articles, jobs, market rates, online quizzes, downloads, video presentations and more about ITIL v2, ITIL v3, COBIT, TOGAF, PRINCE2, MSP, Six Sigma, MOF and much more.  No sign up or registration required.



By: BestPracticeHelp

About the Author:

What is ITIL?

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a set of best practices that allow IT groups to offer the highest possible level of service to their customers. The ITIL framework identifies best practices related to core aspects of IT such as Service Desk, Change Management, and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s).  

Where is ITIL Used?

Currently, ITIL is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. The ITIL framework was developed in England and is widely adopted in Europe. Over the last few years ITIL has become increasingly popular in the US.  

What are the features and benefits of ITIL?

 ITIL is a great tool for a management team to use in the constant effort to offer higher levels of services to their customers. ITIL outlines an extensive set of management procedures that are intended to support businesses in achieving both quality and value for money in IT operations. The service support component of ITIL focuses on improving day-to-day support activities such as problem management. The service delivery component of ITIL focuses on improving strategic activities such as capacity planning. 

Why should IT departments implement ITIL?

 Most people feel that after implementing ITIL their customer service, both internally and externally, is greatly improved. Most IT departments are reactive and always feel that they are running behind. This is stressful and costly. When implementing ITIL you’ll review your current processes and think about how you can make them more efficient. By implementing new processes you’ll save time and money.  

ITIL helps IT departments make better technology choices, manage IT more effectively and drive greater business value for all IT investments. 

Lorenzo Balsamo

Lorenzo graduated in 1988 from Bentley College with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer InformationSystems. In 1992 he completed his Master’s degree at U-Mass Boston in English Literature andTechnical Writing. Since then he has worked the last 15 years in the IT industry in the roles ofSystems Engineer, Network Manager, and Trainer. As a Senior Engineer, he helped design and builda 3,000 node global LAN/WAN for a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, MA. As a NetworkManager, he led a team of 12 Analysts and Engineers primarily responsible for desktops, servers, OS patches, software distribution, antivirus software, and backups. In his current role as a Technical Instructor, he focuses on core engineering courses such as Cisco/CCNA and Microsoft/MCSE. He also teaches courses related to IT best practices such as ITIL (InformationTechnology Infrastructure Library). 

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston provides learning solutions that help organizations achieve business results, such as increasing productivity and efficiencies, driving revenue, and reducing costs. New Horizons provides customer-focused training choices in multiple formats and delivery methods, offering organizations and individuals top-quality training that can be tailored to meet individual learning styles and specific needs. 

Whether you are in search of a solution for the complex training needs of a large, multi-location business, or you are an individual seeking the skills to excel in a new or blossoming career path, New Horizons is your integrated learning solution. New Horizons of Boston offers Desktop Applications Training, Technical Training, Certification Programs, Business Productivity Solutions, Professional Services and Enterprise Learning Solutions.



By: Lorenzo Balsamo

About the Author: