book

IT Service Management Best Practices Using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk

Name: IT Service Management Best Practices Using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk
ISBN: 0738438677

by Bo Batty, Jason Brown, Axel Buecker, Alex Chung, Samuel Hokama, Aurelien Jarry, Leonardo Matos, Daniel Wiegand

December 2013

Intermediate to advanced

802 pages

18h 57m

English

IBM Redbooks

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Front cover
Notices
Trademarks
Preface
AuthorsNow you can become a published author, too!Comments welcomeStay connected to IBM Redbooks
Part 1 Business context and solution overview
Chapter 1. Business context
1.1 Business drivers for IT service management1.2 Challenges: Aligning IT with the business1.2.1 Recommendations for a service catalog1.2.2 Service asset and configuration management using relationships and attributes1.2.3 Setting service level expectations1.2.4 Request fulfillment1.2.5 Identification and resolution of incidents1.2.6 Rising to problem management1.2.7 Handling change management: Identifying impact and increasing availability1.2.8 General guidelines for a support organization1.2.9 Extra challenges that you might face1.2.10 Service Provider Edition1.2.11 The unique IBM value proposition1.3 Conclusion
Chapter 2. Solution overview and deployment strategy
2.1 Meeting customer needs2.1.1 Cloud or no cloud2.1.2 The benefits of IBM SmartCloud Control Desk2.2 Solution components2.2.1 Main features and enhancements2.2.2 Common services2.2.3 IT asset management2.2.4 IT change, configuration, and release management2.2.5 IT service request, incident, and problem management2.3 Deployment models2.3.1 Editions2.3.2 Deployment options2.4 Deployment strategies2.4.1 Initial assessments2.4.2 System architecture2.4.3 Determining suitable system hardware and software2.5 Deployment planning2.5.1 Deployment topologies2.5.2 Deployment security planning, serviceability planning, and language support2.5.3 Installation options2.5.4 Middleware2.5.5 Installing SmartCloud Control Desk2.6 Conclusion
Part 2 Implementing processes in IBM SmartCloud Control Desk
Chapter 3. IT foundations configuration
3.1 General configuration for SmartCloud Control Desk3.2 IT foundations for SmartCloud Control Desk3.2.1 Organization3.2.2 Work types3.2.3 Financial configuration3.2.4 Classifications3.2.5 Security groups and users3.2.6 Profile information3.2.7 Import content packages3.2.8 Changes in the navigation bar location, tabs, and fields3.2.9 Modifying an object3.2.10 Customizing the options available on application menus3.2.11 Changing applications on the navigation bar3.2.12 Reports3.2.13 Data loading using quick configuration3.2.14 Importing and exporting data from applications3.2.15 Searching with Lucene3.2.16 Field validation3.2.17 Query management and advanced search3.2.18 Domains3.2.19 Customer configuration3.2.20 Extra configuration3.3 Conclusion
Chapter 4. IT asset management
4.1 IT asset management process overview4.1.1 IT resources representation4.1.2 IT asset lifecycle4.1.3 Relation to other processes4.1.4 IT asset management roles4.1.5 Product capabilities4.2 IT asset management using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk4.2.1 IT asset management applications4.2.2 Managing the software catalog4.2.3 Software license management use cases4.2.4 Hardware assets management use cases4.2.5 Assets and configuration items linkage use cases4.3 Integrations4.3.1 IBM discovery tools for IT assets4.3.2 IBM Tivoli Integration Composer4.4 Reports and KPIs4.4.1 KPIs4.5 IT asset management for service providers4.5.1 Customers and assets4.5.2 Asset classifications4.5.3 Customer synchronization4.5.4 Customers, locations, and service addresses4.5.5 Service addresses4.5.6 Charge-back costs4.6 Conclusion
Chapter 5. Configuration management
5.1 Configuration management overview5.2 Using SmartCloud Control Desk with configuration management5.2.1 Actual and authorized CIs5.2.2 Starting with actual CIs5.2.3 Starting with authorized CIs5.2.4 CI lifecycles and status5.2.5 Reconciliation (audit) best practices5.2.6 Impact analysis5.2.7 Baselines5.2.8 Data cleansing and reconciliation5.3 Configuration management for service providers5.3.1 Assigning customers to actual CIs5.3.2 Service Provider considerations for promotion5.3.3 Service Provider considerations for reconciliation5.3.4 Service Provider considerations for baselines

Chapter 6. Service catalog management
6.1 Service catalog management overview6.1.1 Capabilities6.1.2 Roles6.2 Service catalog management using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk6.2.1 Applications6.3 Offering design6.3.1 Offering types6.3.2 Approvals6.3.3 Fulfillment6.3.4 Scripting6.3.5 Presentation and specification attributes6.3.6 Custom MBOs6.3.7 Price and cost6.3.8 Ratings and user comments6.3.9 Adding Offerings to a Catalog6.4 Catalog design6.5 Enterprise App Store scenario6.6 Restricting access to Catalogs and Offerings6.7 Approving a request6.8 Conclusion
Chapter 7. Service level management
7.1 Service level management process overview7.1.1 Benefits7.1.2 Definitions7.1.3 Product capabilities7.2 Service level management using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk7.2.1 Organization SLA options7.2.2 Create a service level agreement7.2.3 Applying a service level agreement7.2.4 Service level agreement calendars7.2.5 Service level agreement hold7.3 Conclusion
Chapter 8. Service Operations
8.1 Service operation overview8.1.1 Service desk8.1.2 Request Fulfillment8.1.3 Incident management8.1.4 Automatic incident assignment8.1.5 Problem Management8.1.6 IBM SmartCloud Control Desk capabilities8.2 Service Operation using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk8.2.1 Logging a service request example8.2.2 Quickly determining important details of a service request, incident, and problem8.2.3 Fulfilling and routing the service request8.2.4 Investigating and diagnosing an incident8.2.5 Resolving and closing the incident, and logging a problem8.2.6 Managing a problem8.2.7 Resolving tickets with solutions8.2.8 Quickly resolving service requests and incidents by using service bulletins8.2.9 Using configuration information for diagnosis8.2.10 KPIs and reporting8.3 Configuring IBM SmartCloud Control Desk8.3.1 Setting Indicated Priority from the Configuration Item8.3.2 Configuring ticket templates8.3.3 Configuring live chat8.3.4 Modifying and disabling the new service request, and new incident and new change dialogs8.3.5 Creating a workflow go button8.3.6 Setting color alerts8.3.7 Changing available Automation workflows for incident resolution8.3.8 Using automations scripts for field validations8.4 Performing remote diagnostics using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk8.5 Conclusion
Chapter 9. Self-service
9.1 Self-service overview9.1.1 Benefits9.1.2 IBM SmartCloud Control Desk capabilities9.2 Self-service using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk9.2.1 Introduction to the Self Service Center9.2.2 Browsing solutions9.2.3 Requesting Services from the Service Catalog9.2.4 Managing and using cart templates9.2.5 Reporting issues9.2.6 Frequent requests9.2.7 Tracking requests9.2.8 Chatting with an agent9.2.9 Working with assets9.2.10 My News9.3 Administering the Self Service Center9.3.1 Setting the Self Service Center as a userâ€™s default application9.3.2 Authorizing users for the Self Service Center9.3.3 Adding and modifying solutions9.3.4 Adding and modifying ticket templates and service offerings9.3.5 Adding bulletin board messages to My News9.4 Configuring the Self Service Center9.4.1 Self Service Center configuration files9.4.2 Modifying the navigator9.4.3 Modifying the pods9.4.4 Changing the number of search results9.4.5 Adding a background image to Self Service Center9.4.6 Extra configuration9.5 Conclusion
Chapter 10. Survey management
10.1 Survey management overview10.1.1 Survey management process10.1.2 Survey management roles10.1.3 Survey management capabilities10.2 Survey management using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk10.2.1 Creating a Survey Template10.2.2 Creating Questions10.2.3 Creating a Survey10.2.4 Defining escalations for survey10.2.5 Activating the survey and sending it to users10.2.6 Checking the survey results10.2.7 Modifying user access for survey management applications10.3 Conclusion
Chapter 11. Change management
11.1 Change management overview11.1.1 Change management roles11.1.2 Change management process flow11.2 Change management using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk11.2.1 Request for change, change acceptance, and categorization11.2.2 Providing change assessments and implementation tasks11.2.3 Scheduling the change11.2.4 Change authorization11.2.5 Change implementation11.2.6 Bringing the change to closure11.2.7 Standard and emergency changes11.2.8 Automated changes11.3 Supporting change applications11.3.1 Blackout change periods11.3.2 Change schedule11.3.3 Change window calendars11.3.4 Impact analysis configuration11.4 Conclusion
Chapter 12. Release management
12.1 Release management overview12.1.1 Release management process overview12.1.2 Product capabilities12.2 Release management using IBM SmartCloud Control Desk12.2.1 Pre-implementation tasks12.2.2 Release management end to end use case12.3 Integrations12.3.1 Integration modules for Operational Management Product12.3.2 Deploying using an Operational Management Product12.4 Conclusion
Chapter 13. Service Provider
13.1 Service provider overview13.2 Service provider capabilities in SmartCloud Control Desk13.2.1 Applications13.2.2 Use cases and scenarios13.2.3 Customer management13.2.4 Customer agreements13.2.5 Customer billing13.3 Conclusion
Part 3 Appendixes
Appendix A. Troubleshooting
What to look forWhat support must help you withMiscellaneous issues
Appendix B. SmartCloud Control Desk Reports
Appendix C. Examining the Actual CI adapter
Supported properties within the ccmdb.properties fileHow Tivoli Integration Composer determines which CIs to processHow Tivoli Integration Composer creates and then deletes the Actual CI relationshipsHow Tivoli Integration Composer marks Actual CIs for deletionHow Tivoli Integration Composer supports a partial execution
Related publications
IBM RedbooksOnline resourcesHelp from IBM
Back cover

Overview

SmartCloud Control Desk is a comprehensive IT Asset and Service Management solution that helps reduce cost and minimize service disruptions. It does so through automated service request handling, efficient change management, and optimized asset lifecycle management across IT and enterprise domains.

SmartCloud Control Desk helps to reduce total cost of ownership by using one unified solution to license, install, and manage multiple ITIL processes under one price point. It can also help reduce business risk by using advanced impact analysis and defining automated change procedures that ensure integrity of existing infrastructure while supporting business agility.

SmartCloud Control Desk improves efficiency and quality of service by unifying asset, change, and problem management. It lowers cost and mitigates license compliance risk by performing end to end software asset management.

It also delivers an adaptive, role-based simplified UI that can be more intuitive for novice users, which reduces training costs, while allowing access from anywhere at anytime through mobile device support that includes BlackBerry, iOS, and Android.

In addition, SmartCloud Control Desk supports both a profit center business model for internal IT organizations, and an external Service Provider model. It allows organizations to manage customers and customer agreements and bills for managed assets, usage, and work activities while improving utilization rates and reducing unnecessary purchases by managing the IT asset lifecycle.

You can deploy SmartCloud Control Desk in a variety of ways; traditional on-premise, SaaS, VM image. This approach can make it more affordable to meet your current business needs, and seamlessly move between delivery models while keeping the same functionality.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication covers IBM SmartCloud® Control Desk product configuration, customization, and implementation best practices.

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