- Management Reference Guide
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Strategic Management
- Establishing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
- Aligning IT Goals with Corporate Business Goals
- Utilizing Effective Planning Techniques
- Developing Worthwhile Mission Statements
- Developing Worthwhile Vision Statements
- Instituting Practical Corporate Values
- Budgeting Considerations in an IT Environment
- Introduction to Conducting an Effective SWOT Analysis
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part One
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part Two
- Customer Management
- Identifying Key External Customers
- Identifying Key Internal Customers
- Negotiating with Customers and Suppliers—Part 1: An Introduction
- Negotiating With Customers and Suppliers—Part 2: Reaching Agreement
- Negotiating and Managing Realistic Customer Expectations
- Service Management
- Identifying Key Services for Business Users
- Service-Level Agreements That Really Work
- How IT Evolved into a Service Organization
- FAQs About Systems Management (SM)
- FAQs About Availability (AV)
- FAQs About Performance and Tuning (PT)
- FAQs About Service Desk (SD)
- FAQs About Change Management (CM)
- FAQs About Configuration Management (CF)
- FAQs About Capacity Planning (CP)
- FAQs About Network Management
- FAQs About Storage Management (SM)
- FAQs About Production Acceptance (PA)
- FAQs About Release Management (RM)
- FAQs About Disaster Recovery (DR)
- FAQs About Business Continuity (BC)
- FAQs About Security (SE)
- FAQs About Service Level Management (SL)
- FAQs About Financial Management (FN)
- FAQs About Problem Management (PM)
- FAQs About Facilities Management (FM)
- Process Management
- Developing Robust Processes
- Establishing Mutually Beneficial Process Metrics
- Change Management—Part 1
- Change Management—Part 2
- Change Management—Part 3
- Audit Reconnaissance: Releasing Resources Through the IT Audit
- Problem Management
- Problem Management–Part 2: Process Design
- Problem Management–Part 3: Process Implementation
- Business Continuity Emergency Communications Plan
- Capacity Planning – Part One: Why It is Seldom Done Well
- Capacity Planning – Part Two: Developing a Capacity Planning Process
- Capacity Planning — Part Three: Benefits and Helpful Tips
- Capacity Planning – Part Four: Hidden Upgrade Costs and
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 1
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 2
- 20 Major Elements of Facilities Management
- Major Physical Exposures Common to a Data Center
- Evaluating the Physical Environment
- Nightmare Incidents with Disaster Recovery Plans
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process – Part Two
- Automating a Robust Infrastructure Process
- Improving High Availability — Part One: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Two: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Three: The Seven R's of High Availability
- Improving High Availability — Part Four: Assessing an Availability Process
- Methods for Brainstorming and Prioritizing Requirements
- Introduction to Disk Storage Management — Part One
- Storage Management—Part Two: Performance
- Storage Management—Part Three: Reliability
- Storage Management—Part Four: Recoverability
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part One
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part Two
- Meeting Today's Cooling Challenges of Data Centers
- Strategic Security, Part One: Assessment
- Strategic Security, Part Two: Development
- Strategic Security, Part Three: Implementation
- Strategic Security, Part Four: ITIL Implications
- Production Acceptance Part One – Definition and Benefits
- Production Acceptance Part Two – Initial Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Three – Middle Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Four – Ongoing Steps
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part One – Objectives
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part Two – SWOT
- Case Study: Implementing an ITIL Service Desk – Part One
- Case Study: Implementing a Service Desk Part Two – Tool Selection
- Ethics, Scandals and Legislation
- Outsourcing in Response to Legislation
- Supplier Management
- Identifying Key External Suppliers
- Identifying Key Internal Suppliers
- Integrating the Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
- Enhancing the Customer/Supplier Matrix
- Voice Over IP, Part One — What VoIP Is, and Is Not
- Voice Over IP, Part Two — Benefits, Cost Savings and Features of VoIP
- Application Management
- Production Acceptance
- Distinguishing New Applications from New Versions of Existing Applications
- Assessing a Production Acceptance Process
- Effective Use of a Software Development Life Cycle
- The Role of Project Management in SDLC— Part 2
- Communication in Project Management – Part One: Barriers to Effective Communication
- Communication in Project Management – Part Two: Examples of Effective Communication
- Safeguarding Personal Information in the Workplace: A Case Study
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 1: Building a Manageable Schedule
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 2: Tracking and Reporting Availability
- References
- Developing an ITIL Feasibility Analysis
- Organization and Personnel Management
- Optimizing IT Organizational Structures
- Factors That Influence Restructuring Decisions
- Alternative Locations for the Help Desk
- Alternative Locations for Database Administration
- Alternative Locations for Network Operations
- Alternative Locations for Web Design
- Alternative Locations for Risk Management
- Alternative Locations for Systems Management
- Practical Tips To Retaining Key Personnel
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Using IT Consultants and Contractors
- Deciding Between the Use of Contractors versus Consultants
- Managing Employee Skill Sets and Skill Levels
- Assessing Skill Levels of Current Onboard Staff
- Recruiting Infrastructure Staff from the Outside
- Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate
- 7 Tips for Managing the Use of Mobile Devices
- Useful Websites for IT Managers
- References
- Automating Robust Processes
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part One: Quality and Value
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part Two: Benefits and Use of a Quality-Value Matrix
- When Should You Integrate or Segregate Service Desks?
- Five Instructive Ideas for Interviewing
- Eight Surefire Tips to Use When Being Interviewed
- 12 Helpful Hints To Make Meetings More Productive
- Eight Uncommon Tips To Improve Your Writing
- Ten Helpful Tips To Improve Fire Drills
- Sorting Out Today’s Various Training Options
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 1
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 2
- 12 Tips for More Effective Emails
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part One
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Two
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Three
- Asset Management
- Managing Hardware Inventories
- Introduction to Hardware Inventories
- Processes To Manage Hardware Inventories
- Use of a Hardware Inventory Database
- References
- Managing Software Inventories
- Business Continuity Management
- Ten Lessons Learned from Real-Life Disasters
- Ten Lessons Learned From Real-Life Disasters, Part 2
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 1
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 2
- 15 Common Terms and Definitions of Business Continuity
- The Federal Government’s Role in Disaster Recovery
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 1
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 2
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 3
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 4
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 1
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 2
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 3
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 4
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part One
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Two
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Three
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Four
- The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
- The Origins of ITIL
- The Foundation of ITIL: Service Management
- Five Reasons for Revising ITIL
- The Relationship of Service Delivery and Service Support to All of ITIL
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part One
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part Two
- Characteristics of ITIL Version 3
- Ten Benefits of itSMF and its IIL Pocket Guide
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Delivery Processes
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Support Processes
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part One: Service Delivery Processes
- Case Study: Recovery Reactions to a Renegade Rodent
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part Two: Service Support
- Case Studies
- Case Study — Preparing for Hurricane Charley
- Case Study — The Linux Decision
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at an Aerospace Firm
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at a Defense Contractor
- Case Study — Evaluating Mainframe Processes
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part One: Quantitative Comparisons/Natural Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Two: Quantitative Comparisons/Man-made Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Three: Qualitative Comparisons
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Four: Take-Aways
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part One: Planning
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Two: Planning and Walk-Through
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Three: Execution
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Four: Follow-Up
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part One: Qualitative Measures
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part Two: Quantitative Measures
- Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part One: What Did the Team Do Well
- (d) Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part Two
Achieving high availability does not happen by accident. Careful planning, clever design, flawless execution and reliable support are just some of the characteristics required to keep critical systems up and operating for months on end. In this third segment of my four-part series on improving high availability, I describe several characteristics I believe are essential for achieving maximum availability. I refer to these attributes as the Seven R's of High Availability.
The Seven Rs of High Availability
The goal of all availability process owners is to maximize the uptime of the various online systems for which they are responsible—in essence, to make them completely fault tolerant. Constraints inside and outside the IT environment make this challenge close to impossible. Budget limitations, component failures, faulty code, human error, flawed design, natural disasters, and unforeseen business shifts such as mergers, downturns, and political changes are just some of the factors working against that elusive goal of 100% availability —the ultimate expression of high availability.
There are several approaches that can be taken to maximize availability without breaking the budget bank. Each of these approaches start with the same letter, so we refer to them as the seven Rs of high availability (see Figure 9).
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Figure 9. The Seven Rs of High Availability
Let's begin with redundancy. Manufacturers have been designing this into their products for years in the form of redundant power supplies, multiple processors, segmented memory, and redundant disks. This can also refer to entire server systems running in a hot standby mode. Infrastructure analysts can take a similar approach by configuring disk and tape controllers, and servers with dual paths, splitting network loads over dual lines, and providing alternate control consoles—in short, eliminate as much as possible any single points of failure that could disrupt service availability.
The next three approaches—reputation, reliability, and repairability—are closely related. Reputation refers to the track record of key suppliers. Reliability pertains to the dependability of the components and the coding that go into their products. Repairability is a measure of how quickly and easily suppliers can fix or replace failing parts. We will look at each of these a bit more closely.
The reputation of key suppliers of servers, disk storage systems, database management systems, and network hardware and software plays a principle role in striving for high availability. It is always best to go with the best. Reputations can be verified in several ways. Percent of market share is one measure. Reports from industry analysts and Wall Street are another. Track record in the field is a third. Customer references can be especially useful when it comes to confirming such factors as cost, service, quality of the product, training of service personnel, and trustworthiness.
The reliability of the hardware and software can also be verified from customer references and industry analysts. Beyond that, you should consider performing what we call an empirical component reliability analysis. Figure 2 lists the steps to perform to accomplish this. An analysis of problem logs should reveal any unusual patterns of failure and should be studied by supplier, product, using department, time and day of failures, frequency of failures, and time to repair. Suppliers often keep onsite repair logs that can be perused to conduct a similar analysis.
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Figure 10. Empirical Methods for Component Reliability Analysis
Feedback from operations personnel can often be candid and revealing as to how components are truly performing. This can especially be the case for offsite operators. For example, they may be doing numerous resets on a particular network component every morning prior to start-up, but they may not bother to log it since it always comes up. Similar conversations with various support personnel such as systems administrators, network administrators, and database administrators may solicit similar revelations. You might think that feedback from repair personnel from suppliers could be biased, but in my experience they can be just as candid and revealing about the true reliability of their products as the people using them. This then becomes another valuable source of information for evaluating component reliability, as is comparing experiences with other shops. Shops that are closely aligned with your own in terms of platforms, configurations, services offered, and customers can be especially helpful. Reports from reputable industry analysts can also be used to predict component reliability.
Repairability is the relative ease with which service technicians can resolve or replace failing components. Two common metrics used to evaluate this trait are how long it takes to do the actual repair and how often the repair work needs to be repeated. In more sophisticated systems, this can be done from remote diagnostic centers where failures are detected and circumvented, and arrangements are made for permanent resolution with little or no involvement of operations personnel.
The next characteristic of high availability is recoverability. This refers to the ability to overcome a momentary failure in such a way that there is no impact on end-user availability. It could be as small as a portion of main memory recovering from a single-bit memory error, and as large as having an entire server system switch over to its standby system with no loss of data or transactions. Recoverability also includes retries of attempted reads and writes out to disk or tape, as well as the retrying of transmissions down network lines.
Responsiveness is the sense of urgency all people involved with high availability need to exhibit. This includes having well-trained suppliers and in-house support personnel who can respond to problems quickly and efficiently. It also pertains to how quickly the automated recovery of resources such as disks or servers can be enacted.
The final characteristic of high availability is robustness, which describes the overall design of the availability process. A robust process will be able to withstand a variety of forces—both internal and external—that could easily disrupt and undermine availability in a weaker environment. Robustness puts a high premium on documentation and training to withstand technical changes as they relate to platforms, products, services, and customers; personnel changes as they relate to turnover, expansion, and rotation; and business changes as they relate to new direction, acquisitions, and mergers.
In part four of this series I will discuss techniques for assessing and measuring the quality and robustness of an infrastructure's availability process.
References
Schiesser, Rich, IT Systems Management, Prentice Hall, 200