The benefits of virtualization can be bogged down in outdated management methods, says Yankee Group.
Yankee Group paper analyzes how virtualization challenges traditional IT management tools and demands a new approach, dubbed IT management 2.0.
Managing enterprise IT systems has long left something to be desired, but the broad adoption of x86 virtual server technology pushed traditional approaches of managing technology to the edge of extinction as IT managers must ensure the end-user experience isn’t impacted by infrastructure failures.
Virtualization management takes center stage
Virtualization is greatest network management challenge
That is, according to a recent white paper by Yankee Group. Commissioned by network management start-up Xangati, “Managing virtualization in 2009 – A double-edged sword” examines how enterprise IT management approaches need to be updated to take on advanced environments that feature varied virtual elements. Yankee Group Senior Vice President Zeus Kerravala authored the report that says not only does IT need to align itself with the business, but also management systems need to understand the business to properly manage IT elements.
“The dramatic increase in the complexity and mission-critical role of IT infrastructure for the business has created new demands on technology management platforms,” the report reads. “If IT must align with the business, then the IT management model must be driven from a business perspective.”
For most businesses today, the most critical alert could be linked to the end-user experience. If customer service or IT help desk representatives continue to receive calls regarding poor performance of Web sites or internal applications that means IT isn’t adequately supporting the business. Kerravala argues in the paper that traditional approaches to infrastructure management can detect problems with specific elements in the environment such as servers or network devices, but not always in enough time to prevent a disruption in service to end users. And in many cases the end user is often the alerting system for IT, pointing out slow performance – which doesn’t necessarily mean any one element failed in the environment.
Enterprise IT management needs to be flipped on its head, so to speak, and the end-user experience must become the first indication of potential problems. IT management 2.0, Kerravala says in the report, takes on the environment from the top, the end user, and “works its way down to IT infrastructure elements.” In this scenario, administrators are alerted not when an infrastructure element slows down, but when an end user is forced to slow down because IT systems are not performing.
“This provides the service desk a laser sharp view of the user experience and how the various objects across all IT domains support them,” the report reads. “Rapid problem identification allows the service desk to focus the troubleshooting efforts at the actual problem rather than spending time simply trying to identify it.”
Built on collaboration, visual streaming and user-generated content – all of the Web 2.0 world – IT management 2.0 promises benefits for IT departments as well as the end-user communities they serve. IT groups can more easily use advanced technologies such as virtualization and cloud computing, while also seeing faster problem resolution times and overall better visibility into infrastructure trends. End users, on the other hand, are able to take control of their problems with self-service portals and enhanced training. IT managers must adapt their management tools to take advantage of today’s technologies and enable end users to better experience and appreciate technology, Yankee says.
“Traditional management systems also known as 1.0 management were built for a different era of IT. An era where the infrastructure was static, users were located in corporate offices and virtualization did not exist,” the report reads. “The infrastructure has evolved and the management tools must keep pace.”
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