Intel Open Port: Intel vPro Expert Center Blog: Relevance of Architecture: Part 3

Manageability & Automation - It is all about planning!!!

How can Architecture help:

The primary role of architecture is to provide an orchestrated plan to meet short term and long term Manageability & Automation (M&A) objectives. Architecture is all about technical planning and can enable reduced operational costs and agility if done correctly. I strongly believe that architecture can help accelerate the rate of change and provide real value for "M" and for "A".

Some specific Architecture-enabling activities include:

Service Definition - Define the core Services and what are in/out Scope. Example below.

http://communities.intel.com/openport/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/1613/Scope.jpg

Taxonomy - Define the next level of Services details. Example below.

http://communities.intel.com/openport/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/1614/Taxonomy.jpg

Establish a high-level Strategy and Conceptual Architecture (5-10 year vision). Example below.

http://communities.intel.com/openport/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/1615/Architecture.jpg

Define a strategy with a set of guiding principles / policies to enable the M&A. These may include:
- Vendor strategy (single / multiple sourcing)
- Integration "Frameworks and/or Point Solutions" (or combo) strategy
- Operation model strategy (centralized / distributed)
- Data strategy

Define a 3-year horizon "capabilities" roadmap with the first year committed (partnership of Architecture, Operations and Engineering) and the last two years a best guess based on realistic funding, estimated vendor product delivery schedules, business trends, emerging / disruptive technologies, etc. Use this roadmap to communicate and synchronize with vendor roadmaps, driving your requirements into their products.

Establish governance to insure compliance to guiding principles and capability roadmaps.

Define specific detailed architecture (reference, service and solution) to connect the dots. Depending on the detail, they may include: logical diagrams, ports, protocols, product names, configuration standards, naming conventions, etc.

Be vocal when it comes to new concepts/technologies and push back it they do not make sense or pull if they do. In our enterprise, some worthy examples include: SOA, OS/Apps streaming, virtualization, IAMT.

We have seen architecture help. Two years ago, we started assembling an architecture plan (definition of the business, conceptual architecture and a capabilities roadmap). We focused resources and funding (consistent with the roadmap) on improving the "M" (Manageability) first. We have been very successful in key areas like compliance auditing, patching, basic autonomic responses to exceeded thresholds, etc. for servers and clients. We will focus the next couple of years on: increased "A" (Automated responses) and prevention for core platforms, integrating data (for business health reporting and enabling Automation), extending capabilities (like more event sources from storage and data center facility), extending remote management (IAMT), developing Capacity & Performance Mgt to a new level of sophistication and actively enabling automation to meet the operational business needs. The key is to have an agreed to vision and deliverables with some meat around governance to make it happen. This is more like a marathon, not a sprint.

I hope this was thought provoking.

Regards,

Bob

For context, Introduction of the "Relevance of Manageability & Automation Architecture" topic.

Supporting content is at: