Datacenter Service Hierarchy

Hi,

 

Following our discussions from last week I want to comment
on the Datacenter Service Hierarchy presented.

This actually relates to the definitions of the terms we
use.

The terms used in the proposed hierarchy are:

 
Industry

 
  
Business

  
   
IT Service

   
    
Resource -> ManagedElement

   
  
 

 

There are no suggested definitions for those terms (not any
that I found in the DCML docs that is).

 

I looked for reference at the terms used in the ITIL for
example:

Industry - isn’t defined

Business - isn’t an item by itself (a business
unit is for example)

Service (referring to IT service)

Resources

 

System

Host is what we call a server, including the application running
on it

 

I suggest we first define the following:

 
Everything one can manage can be a ManagedElement, not
     just the Resources. An IT service, one is sure to manage, for example can
     be a ManagedElement as well.

 
As suggested, a resource can be any combination of
     resources as well.

 
An IT service is easily defined. It could also be
     comprised of a combination of any IT services.

 
By a business I think we should refer to an IT service that
     serves a business purpose. The term that was used was Business Process
     Service, why not keep it?

 
Industry still needs better definition

 

Specific examples would get us going easily…

 
A server is a resource

 
A bunch of servers are yet another resource

 
A Storage device is a resource

 
An IT personnel is a resource

 
A web service is an IT service

 
A naming service is an IT service

 
Printing is an IT service

 
CRM is a business (I suggest we call it a business process
     service)

 
A call center is a business (I suggest we call it a business
     process service)

 

Some questions and suggestions

 
As the name of the TC goes – what is an
     application?

 
  
I think that by application we actually refer types of
      Services

 
 
How do we relate to the Networking TC?

 
  
Is Networking a Resource?

  
Is Networking a Service?

  
I suggest we let Networking be a combination of
      Resources and Services

 
 
How do we refer to the SW application part of the
     service? 

 
  
We defined the web application by a group of resources
      but the web application doesn’t have to be part of the resources

  
How do we refer to the web application SW?

  
We can enlarge the server resource as the ITIL does to
      include the application it runs. This would mean that a service is
      comprised of physical resources, logical resources (i.e. application SW)
      and human resources

 
 
How do we differ between IT services and business
     process services?

 
  
I think we should allow both of them to be types of
      services

  
The only difference is the User/Customer perspective

  
This means that Business Process Services are just
      another type of services

 

 

The new proposed hierarchy looks like:

 
Industry (needs better definition)

 
  
Services – Business Process Services, IT
      services

  
   
Resource – Physical Resources, Logical
       Resources, Human Resources

  
 

Where all of the above can be ManagedElements.

 

Barak Perlman

VP
R&D

           
 

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