Management Framework Of The Server Environment example essay topic

As part of any server consolidation project and its related TCO calculations, it is imperative that the management framework of the server environment is also taken into account to add logical relevance to the cost calculations. It is commonly understood and accepted that most of the cost benefit from consolidations comes from reductions in on-going operational costs. As such, it is our belief that a general understanding of the management framework needs to be clearly established, as part of any consolidation project. The move from a fully distributed server environment to a fully consolidated or a hybrid solution, reduces the need for a distributed systems management organizations.

In theory, a single management organization would suffice, however, in practice a dual organization strategically placed, is a more functionally effective and safer approach. Issues such as additional costs for shift work, efficiency loss due to out-of-hours workload, and cost of communication lines can be minimized with a dual organization approach while at the same time gaining the benefit of a resilient and redundant fallback organization in the event of a failure in the other. These Systems Management Organizations (SMO) should be responsible to provide a management framework that proactively and re actively notifies system engineers of failures, capacity issues, traffic issues, virus attacks and other transient events, as well as the operational services required to ensure efficient day-to-day server operations from a redundant centralized environment. Use of a quasi-centralized SMO to manage global server environment has the potential to provide a number of other benefits: o Efficient Communications: Integration of systems management and will increase the facilitation of communications, escalations, and enhance sharing of information, resulting in better, more efficient service to end-users o Reduced Staffing Levels: Leveraging shared resources, including management, administration, and operations staff. o Centralization: Using Best Practice Processes to improve standardization of processes and documentation o Leverage centralized facilities and infrastructure o Tighter service integration o Global leverage: Utilizing shared knowledge and experiences from global operations. o Cost reductions and improved services There are multiple options as how the SMO can be constructed. In the event that the employed operational model will be a consolidated hosted model, i.e. consolidation of the server environment to a few strategically placed hosting facilities, there are two options; o Placing an SMO within a hosting facility o Constructing an SMO external to a hosting facility Prior to describing the construction and service components of the SMO, it is important that we looks at the common denominator of both the options shown above, namely the hosting facility. Presumably the hosting facility will be outsourced, however, even if the facility will be constructed and owned by client, the proceeding section can still serve as a basis of understanding of what a hosting facility should entail.