IT Operations

5.2.1 Console Management/Operations Bridge

These provide a central coordination point for managing various classes of events, detecting incidents, managing routine operational activities and reporting on the status or performance of technology components.

Observation and monitoring of the IT Infrastructure can occur from a centralized console – to which all system events are routed. Historically, this involved the monitoring of the master operations console of one or more mainframes – but these days is more likely to involve monitoring of a server farm(s), storage devices, network components, applications, databases or any other CIs, including any remaining mainframe(s), from a single location, known as the Operations Bridge.

There are two theories about how the Operations Bridge was so named. One is that it resembles the bridge of a large, automated ship (such as spaceships commonly seen in science fiction movies). The other theory is that the Operations Bridge represents a link between the IT Operations teams and the traditional Help Desk. In some organizations this means that the functions of Operational Control and the Help Desk were merged into the Service Desk, which performed both sets of duties in a single physical location.

Regardless of how it was named, an Operations Bridge will pull together all of the critical observation points within the IT Infrastructure so that they can be monitored and managed from a centralized location with minimal effort. The devices being monitored are likely to be physically dispersed and may be located in centralized computer installations or dispersed within the user community, or both.

The Operations Bridge will combine many activities, which might include Console Management, event handling, first-line network management, Job Scheduling and out-of-hours support (covering for the Service Desk and/or second-line support groups if they do not work 24/7). In some organizations, the Service Desk is part of the Operations Bridge.

The physical location and layout of the Operation’s Bridge needs to be carefully designed to give the correct accessibility and visibility of all relevant screens and devices to authorized personnel. However, this will become a very sensitive area where controlled access and tight security will be essential.

Smaller organizations may not have a physical Operations Bridge, but there will certainly still be the need for Console Management, usually combined with other technical roles. For example, a single team of technical staff will manage the network, servers and applications. Part of their role will be to monitor the consoles for those systems – often using virtual consoles so that they can perform the activity from any location. However, it should be noted that these virtual consoles are powerful tools and, if used in insecure locations or over unsecured connections, could represent a significant security threat.

Date: 2014-12-29; view: 863