1 / 19

The Value of the Configuration Management database A Joint Presentation of 11 April 2006 Robyn McGregor

All Rights Reserved

lysander
Download Presentation

The Value of the Configuration Management database A Joint Presentation of 11 April 2006 Robyn McGregor

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    2. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Overview Configuration Management Overview The Configuration Management dB Value Role & Relationship Best Practices Key Performance Measures Defining Your Configuration Management Process Benefits & Constraints Plan for Success Maturity the Process Q & A

    3. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Configuration Management Provide a logical model of the IT infrastructure by identifying, controlling, maintaining and verifying the versions of all Configuration Items (CIs) in existence. Provide support to the Incident Management process and Service Desk function. Goals: Track for all IT assets and configurations within the organization and its services Provide accurate information on configurations and their documentation to support all the other Service Management processes Provide a solid foundation for Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management and Release Management Verify the configuration records against the infrastructure and correct any exceptions

    4. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Configuration Management Scope: Covers the identification, recording, and reporting of IT components, including their versions, constituent components and relationships. Items that should be under the control of Configuration Management include hardware, software and associated documentation. Differs from Asset Management Asset Management is an financially driven process that includes depreciation accounting. Asset Management systems maintain details on assets above a certain value, their business unit and their location. Configuration Management maintains detailed records of the relationships between assets

    5. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com CMDB Value Statement The ability to monitor, manage and control changes to all Configuration Items (CIs) in an environment requisite to delivery of Vital Business Functions (VBFs) and services to the Business’ customers and users. Business value is tied to High Visibilty and Impact Business Services, functions and projects Security, auditing, process re-engineering efforts, regulatory compliance, availability of critical applications and services (VBFs) Meet evolve with the Business needs quickly, effectively and efficiently at lower cost Increase reliability of Change Management Improved Risk assessment Improved Root Cause Analysis Real-time (near) view of CIs and dependencies Improve the Quality of Services and Service Management

    6. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes.The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes.

    7. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com The CMDB with other processes The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes. The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes.

    8. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com CMDB Best Practice - Functional Reconciliation Ability to reconcile CIs that may be updated from various sources within the CMDB (ex. one instance of each server) Common errors result from variant naming conventions; and Failure to identify one source of record (trusted source) Federation Provides for data feeds or links between data storage utilities with relational information from trusted source Not just integration or consolidation of discovery data The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes. The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes.

    9. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com CMDB Best Practice - Functional Mapping and Visualization Logical & physical illustration of peer-to-peer and hierarchal relationship between CIs Reports of what apps or tools run where Change & Release mgmt can thereby accurately identify impact to associated CIs and services Synchronization Update of CMDB for approved changes Regular intervals of measurement against baselines Alert and address unauthorized changes The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes. The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes.

    10. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com CMDB Best Practice – People & Process Dedicated Configuration Manager Centralized management Configuration team is comprised of dedicated and matrixed personnel Includes SMEs from all environments to be managed and monitored Well defined and communicated Configuration management process Includes goals, time frames, milestones and maturity measures Tightly integrated with Change and Release processes Eliminate duplication and inaccuracy Management and Performance metrics that are aligned and realistic Initial measures include accuracy, time to change and Incidents resulting from change The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes. The repository of Configuration Management information is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The CMDB is normally a relational database with associated software which allows: Interactive data retrieval and updating Report production Bulk imports and exports Configuration Management is an integral part of all other Service Management processes. With current, accurate and comprehensive information about all components in the infrastructure the management of Change, in particular, is more effective and efficient. The Configuration Management system identifies relationships between an item that is to be changed and any other components of the infrastructure, thus allowing the owners of these components to be involved in the impact assessment process. The CMDB should be made available to the entire Service Support group so that Incidents and Problems can be resolved more easily by understanding the possible cause of the failing component. It is also of value to the Service Delivery processes.

    11. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Performance Measures Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Targets: service quality excellence and improvement Lowered impact of Changes and Releases Reduction of user cost associated with Incidents and Problems resulting from unauthorized configurations. Improvements in Service Quality Lower time required to apply or implement approved Changes Reduce and eliminate unsuccessful RFCs Reduce number of Incidents and Problems affecting service to Customers improved response time to the business for service disruptions Increased licensing accuracy and compliance – reduce wasted and unused licenses Lower time to detect unauthorized modifications in controlled environment

    12. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Performance Measures (continued) Secondary Performance measures Increase Service Desk first call resolution levels Lower number and impact of Incidents and Problems Reduce time required to resolve and quantity of undiagnosed Problems Cost reduction of Changes to include lowered number of changes to CMDB resulting from Known Errors

    13. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Benefits & Constraints Benefits Provide Accurate information on each CI and its associated documentation Control Valuable (VBF) CIs Facilitate legal and regulatory compliance Provide significant assistance with budgetary and financial planning for Services Minimize impact of Changes Ensure visibility of software changes Contribute to Contingency planning Support and Improve Release Management processes Provide a measurable history for the Change Management process. To include impact analysis information Allow increased security and control over CIs and versioning Reduce and move towards elimination of unauthorized software and hardware in the environment. Provide Problem Management process with trending data

    14. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Benefits & Constraints (continued) Constraints CIs defined at the wrong level Too much detail or Too little detail Lack of thorough planning, analysis and design for purpose Inhibits ROI and perceived value of CMDB Results in Tactical bottlenecks Lack of commitment Makes CMDB null; or Increases personnel, maintenance and circumvents controls Complexity creates circumvention Manual processes are error prone Tool or tools selected lack requisite flexibility Increase in manhours required for maintenance Unrealistic Expectations of Configuration Management and the CMDB. Not a replacement for release control, user acceptance Insufficient resources and controls Lack of Management support

    15. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Configuration Maturity Measurement Level 4 – Management Information Do you provide management with information concerning configuration items affected by major changes ? Do you provide feedback on achievement of targets and goals set for Configuration Management ? Level 4.5 – External Integration Do you receive notification from or provide information to Change management relating to every CI to be changed, introduced or removed ? Is information exchanged with Release Management to maintain the DSL’s consistency with the CMDB? Level 5 – Customer Interface Are you monitoring the customer's value perception of the services provided to them by configuration management?

    16. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Key Configuration Mgmt Plan Components Identify and agree to purpose of process and implementation Align scope and priorities with Business plans Include corporate policies, security and finance Identify & Invoke Project team Ensure Communication plan is multi-tiered Include SMEs from all areas designed to control; i.e., Desktops, telecom, external providers and suppliers Plan to stage adoption CMDB population should occur at each stage Change and control immediately Detailed Implementation schedule Continuous improvement of deployment parameters and overall process (Review and Refine)

    17. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com CMDB CI Attributes

    18. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Configuration Maturity Measurement Level 1 – Prerequisites Are at least some configuration activities established within the organization ? Have you identified so of the CI attributes important to your organization, i.e., location, ownership, current status and service relationships ? Level 1.5 – Management Intent Has the purpose, benefits and management support of the adoption of Configuration management been communicated throughout the organization ? Level 2 – Process Capability Have you adopted configuration item naming conventions ? Are the established procedures for identifying, controlling, updating, auditing and analyzing CI information ? Have roles and responsibilities for Configuration management activities been assigned ?

    19. All Rights Reserved & Property of Robyn McGregor Phone: 1.512.238.6227 E-Mail: mcgregr@aol.com Configuration Maturity Measurement Level 2.5 – Internal Integration Have steps been taken to reduce and avoid duplication and anomalies in CI records ? Level 3 – Products Are standard reports concerning CIs regularly produced and routinely reviewed ? Is there a configuration management database ? (ideal = centralized) Level 3.5 – Quality Control Are standards and other quality criteria for the registration of CIs explicit, clear and concise ? Are they applied ? Are the personnel assigned to maintain CMDB & Configuration process adequately and sufficiently trained ?

    20. Question & Answer Period

More Related