IT Infrastructure Management Services

Cyrus-XP Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) are categorized as:

Networks facilitate communication between various ‘appliances’ (servers, desktops, phones, handhelds, kiosks, mobile stations…etc) within the enterprise. There are many considerations that dictate the design and implementation of the networking system. Some of these considerations are:

	Security
	Performance (latency)
	Load (amount of data)
	Topology (layout, structures…etc)
	Type of access (mobile, remote, intranet, extranet)
	Volume (number of users)
	Fault Tolerance

Depending on resources available, organizations have to make decisions regarding extensibility, scalability, maintainability, and availability aspects of the network architecture. Some aspects of network design, especially security are increasingly regulated by State and Federal government. Cyrus-XP architects and consultants have several years of experience designing and maintaining networks or various sizes.

Security

Enforcing information security involves developing and implementing policies and procedures. These policies and procedures dictate how users handle sensitive data. They also dictate the level of checks and balances instituted as part of the infrastructure. The Information Security infrastructure monitors, prevents and protects the network from outside attacks. The Information Security Infrastructure also continually monitors the network for unauthorized access.People in an organization are assigned Roles and Responsibilities. These Roles and Responsibilities in the physical world have to translate into corresponding Roles and Responsibilities in the Information Management Infrastructure. System users are not be allowed access to information that does not pertain to their Role and set of Responsibilities.However, Roles and Responsibilities change continually in the business environment. The Information Security Infrastructure should audit and save all changes made in the security infrastructure as a response to changes in Roles and Responsibilities. The process of auditing and saving changes can result in large amounts of data. This data must be archived and protected to preserve the integrity of the Information Security Infrastructure. Examples of audit information are:

	System logon/logoff
	Change to patient/customer records
	Failed logon attempts
	Electronic signatures

Desktop Management

Desktop management services include:

	Centralized Patch Management
	Anti-virus deployment and management
	Internet Security and Content Filtering

These services can be applied to achieve the following:

	Prevent users from making unauthorized changes to their workstations
	Deploy applications and upgrades automatically; from a remote location
	Cut down on the number of service/support requests generated by users. This can be accomplished by creating facilities by which users can perform self-service operations, instead of having to call support services
	Escalate only serious issues to support services personnel
	Prevent and contain the spread of computer viruses

Server Management

In client-server environments, servers perform intensive data processing operations. Results of these operations are typically sent back to the client systems. Examples of some server types are:

	File servers host ‘shares’ (quotas) of disk space used to store/manage various types of files or documents
	Database servers host database server systems
	Application servers host various types of applications (including web applications, COM, COM+…etc)

Servers are a critical component of the Information Management Infrastructure. Organizations have to continually monitor the “health” of these systems, so that employees are able to complete their tasks efficiently. Server management involves tasks such as:

	Maintenance
	Performance Monitoring and Optimization
	Load Balancing
	Virtualization

Monitoring the health of server systems involves monitoring the health of server components (disks, peripherals…etc), the environment (temperature, dust…etc), adequate power supply and other such factors. Maintenance tasks have to be carried out regularly to ensure the optimal health of server systems.

The “usability” of server systems depends on how well they perform. If a user is unable to perform a task because of very slow server response (latency), the system is deemed “unusable”. Measuring and optimizing performance begins by establishing a baseline level of performance. Using the baseline, server administrators can attempt to improve (or maintain) performance using a number of optimization techniques. These optimization techniques differ depending on type of server and storage hardware and software.

Virtualization is a relatively new “buzz word” in the server technology space. Virtualization involves running multiple servers (operating systems) on single machine. This can lead to some benefits in terms of optimizing use of hardware, disaster recovery…etc. However, virtualization can also lead to problems; of which performance degradation is the most common. Typically, virtualized environments are great for development and test environments. Some application vendors do not offer support when their applications are hosted in a virtualized environment. However, changes in server virtualization technology may make virtualization of production environments popular as well.

Disaster Recovery Planning and Implementation

Disasters, pertaining to Information Management Systems may involve loss of operational data (disk failure, virus attack or malicious attack…etc), interruption in communication (internet, email, phone…etc) or complete system failure (blackout). These types of failures are not uncommon. Organizations need to perform assessments to ascertain factors such as:

	Criticality of data/systems
	Internal Impact (analysis of failure on business)
	External Impact (analysis of failure on other businesses, partners and customers)
	Maximum Tolerable Downtime

Depending on factors such as those listed above, organizations need to make wise investments into protecting themselves from loss and possible litigation.

Disaster Recovery (D/R) planning and implementation involves creating redundancy (via stand-by systems, alternate network pathways, system/data back-up…etc) in the architecture. Together with hardware and software systems implementation, policies and procedures guide systems administrators and staff personnel on the steps to be followed in the event of failure.

Proper planning and implementation of Disaster Recovery measures can save mitigate risk and protect organizations from lost revenue, litigation or other serious issues.

Configuration Management Services

Change is an integral part of doing business. Change happens. Change can originate from influences external to the organization or internal. The key to succeeding in today’s competitive business environment is the ability to anticipate, capitalize on and manage change.Cyrus-XP’s Configuration Management Services are a set of tools that help organizations manage changes in their Information Management Infrastructure. This toolset includes the following services:

	Software Configuration Management
	Hardware Configuration Management
	Standard Operating Procedures

Software Configuration Management

During the life-cycle of a software development project, several versions of software components are generated. When a project team is comprised of more than one developer, lack of versioning can lead to problems. Without a proper versioning system, there can be confusion among team members regarding versions of files or components they should be working with. Version control helps team members share a common understanding regarding the status of project artifacts. Version control answers questions such as – the last time a file was checked out, who it was checked out to and the changes made to the file.Software configuration management involves the definition of build schedules and guidelines for code check-in or check-out. It also defines software prerequisites (such as developer tools, software ‘drivers’ and other applications) for development, test and production environments. SCM can ensure that team members follow guidelines for Unit, Integration, System and User Acceptance tests.CM can also help by developing guidelines for the deployment stage of a project. These guidelines provide the following benefits:

	Simplify management a new application roll-out or the deployment of a version upgrade to an existing application
	Provide users with advance notice regarding changes to their work environment
	Allow organizations the opportunity to schedule user training
	Allow for parallel deployments of old and new systems so that users transition as smoothly as possible into new environments

Hardware Configuration Management

Hardware Configuration Management is similar to Software Configuration Management, except that it helps manage change in the organization’s hardware environment.

Standard Operating Procedures

Standards Operating Procedures (SOP) documents provide system administrators with guidelines regarding the best practices to follow in maintaining enterprise infrastructure. These guidelines are not generic best practices, but are specific to a particular enterprise. Standard Operating Procedures can help personnel not familiar with a specific Information Management Infrastructure, get quickly acclimated. SOPs can be specific to areas of the infrastructure such as - security (frequency of password change), installation of software, server maintenance…etc.Well maintained Standard Operating Procedures can, if applied consistently, help administrators keep software and hardware systems running at optimal performance levels.