Infrastructure and Platform Management Process Template
The goal of any business should be to make money while providing a valuable service or product to its customers. To achieve this, a company must have a well-run IT infrastructure and platform. ITSM is a framework that helps organizations manage their IT infrastructure and platform more effectively. IT infrastructure and platform management includes planning, designing, operating, and continuously improving an organization's information technology infrastructure. This can consist of physical and virtual components, such as servers, storage, networking, and applications.
Components of Infrastructure and platform Management
As organizations become more reliant on cloud-based services, it's essential to understand the different components of Infrastructure and platform management. In this blog post, we'll explore the four critical elements of infrastructure management:
- Monitoring- Monitoring is the process of tracking, recording, and analyzing an organization's IT infrastructure for potential issues. This can be done manually or through automation. Monitoring can identify performance bottlenecks, capacity issues, and security vulnerabilities.
- Logging- Logging stores information about an organization's IT infrastructure in a centralized location. This information can be used for troubleshooting, auditing, and reporting.
- Patch Management- Patch Management is installing and maintaining software updates to an organization's IT infrastructure. This includes both security patches and feature updates. Patch management can be done manually or through automation.
- Performance monitoring: Performance monitoring is a crucial component of Infrastructure and platform management. It enables you to track the performance of your system in real-time, identify issues, and take corrective action if necessary. Performance monitoring can be performed using various tools, including servers, networks, applications, databases, etc.
How ITSM v4 contributed to Infrastructure and platform management
ITSM v4 is the most recent framework version and introduces several changes to the previous version. ITSM v4 was released in 2019, presenting several modifications to the earlier version of the framework. This blog post will explore how ITSM v4 has contributed to Infrastructure and platform management.
- One of the most significant changes in ITSM v4 is introducing the concept of value streams. Value streams are a way of thinking about workflows through an organization from start to finish. In ITSM v4, value stream management is a process that helps organizations map out their value streams and identify ways to improve them.
- Another change in ITSM v4 is the introduction of DevOps practices. DevOps is a set of rules emphasizing collaboration between development and operations teams. ITSM v4 includes implementing DevOps practices in an organization's infrastructure and platform management processes.
- ITSM also includes new guidance on digital transformation. Digital transformation is the process of using technology to improve business performance radically. ITSM v 4 helps organizations to understand how to move from the traditional, linear delivery of IT services (i.e., ‘waterfall’) to a more responsive and collaborative way of working. Known as Service Value System, this holds much stronger implications for IT as a strategic partner in business operations and planning.
The Benefits of ITSM v4 Infrastructure and Platform Management
ITSM v4 infrastructure and platform management can bring numerous benefits to organizations, including:
- Efficiency improvements: ITSM v4 helps organizations to use their resources more efficiently by introducing new concepts and practices. For example, it raises the idea of demand management, which allows organizations to understand the needs of their customers better. Additionally, it introduces the practice of change management, which helps organizations to manage changes to their IT systems more effectively. As a result, these improvements can lead to increased efficiency and reduced costs.
- Improved quality: ITSM v4 also introduces new concepts and practices that can help organizations improve the quality of their services. For example, it emphasizes measuring service levels and customer satisfaction. Additionally, it recommends using comparative analysis to identify areas for improvement. As a result, these improvements can lead to increased quality and customer satisfaction.
- Greater agility: ITSM v4 helps organizations to use their resources more efficiently by introducing new concepts and practices. ITSM v4 infrastructure and platform management is a process-based approach to managing IT infrastructure and supporting assets. It includes guidance on planning, designing, building, testing, operating, and improving infrastructure and platforms.
- Increased efficiency and productivity: By automating manual processes, ITSM v4 infrastructure and platform management can help organizations to achieve greater efficiency and productivity. In addition, ITSM v4 can help ensure that these operations are carried out more efficiently by providing a clear and concise framework for managing infrastructure and platform operations.
What to include in your Infrastructure and platform management process?
- Roles and responsibilities- The part of Infrastructure and platform management are to ensure that the underlying infrastructure and platforms that support applications are functioning correctly. This includes ensuring that servers, storage, networks, and other components are configured correctly and performing optimally. Additionally, infrastructure and platform management teams are responsible for monitoring the environment for issues and responding to incidents.
- Infrastructure improvement plan- The ITSM Infrastructure improvement plan is a framework for organizations to improve their IT infrastructure systematically. It provides a structured approach for identifying and addressing infrastructure problems and opportunities. The goal of the ITSM Infrastructure improvement plan is to optimize the use of resources, improve service quality, and reduce costs.
- Hardware infrastructure management- As our dependence on technology grows, so does the need for reliable hardware infrastructure. Therefore, hardware infrastructure management is a critical component of any business or organization. Proper hardware infrastructure management can help ensure the smooth operation of business processes and the delivery of services.
- Network Infrastructure management- Network infrastructure management is critical to any organization's IT operations. Organizations rely on the network infrastructure to connect employees, customers, and partners. Well-managed network infrastructure can help an organization improve communication and collaboration, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.
- Mapping infrastructure to business metrics- In our fast-paced, ever-changing business landscape, it's more important than ever to align our business goals with our Infrastructure. Doing so can ensure that our resources are being used efficiently and effectively to achieve our goals. The purpose of infrastructure mapping is to help businesses understand how their various systems and components work together and identify opportunities for improvement.
