by Scott Steve, State of Kansas
In my first post on this topic, I said that management told my team “you need to consolidate operations and increase staff productivity”. We did it and these are the five tips I can pass on from my experience.
Tip #1: Implement standardized management methodologies wherever possible We have an infrastructure that spans dozens of state agencies and services, including the Departments of Labor, Corrections and Transportation--to name a few. Previously we operated in a heterogeneous environment with various operating and management systems. We support hundreds of thousands of citizens, tens of thousands of employees and several hundred contractors accessing our network every day. With a network this complex, it was critical from an efficiency perspective to implement standardized management methodologies. We found that HP provides a number of solutions that fit our needs. This includes NNMi (Network Node Manager) and the iSPI for Performance, for fault and performance management. We also use Network Automation for network change and configuration management, it integrates with NNMi. Using industry-standard integrated software such as this for fault, configuration and performance solutions means different people viewing will see the same data. This also results in reduced training costs, easier product maintenance and better MTTR (Mean Time To Repair). Not to mention we didn’t need to spend money on point products unnecessarily.
Tip #2: Consider replacing point-to-point tool providers After using management software for a while, it became apparent that a number of our “point” management tools could easily be replaced. By doing this replacement, we reduced the number of network management tools, which translated into tens of thousands of dollars saved on an annual basis. With fewer tools, we lowered the software support cost. More important were the efficiencies gained in standardizing our management environment. A common interface--using the same software--reduces complexity in a management environment. This means it’s easier to maintain. In addition, since there are fewer applications running, you’re minimizing training costs. For example, instead of running separate fault and performance tools, iSPI for Performance is an add-on tool to the NNMi fault product. A less complex management environment also reduces the risk of technical glitches that can result in network downtime.
In the next post, I’ll cover tips 3, 4 and 5.
I'm Scott Steves; I work in the Network Analysis Group as a Systems Network Software Consultant for the Division of Information Systems & Communications at the State of Kansas. I provide research and support for the network and configuration management solutions in the Division. Feel free to connect with me via LinkedIn
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Posted
01-30-2009 3:15 AM
by
Michael_Procopio