Modeling IT operations to derive provider-accepted management tools

In this paper a process-oriented approach to derive requirements on IT management tools is presented. The starting point is given by the processes that have to be carried out to run a distributed system. The better a management tool supports these processes the more useful it is from the viewpoint of the provider. Hence, the more accepted the tool is by the operators doing their work in the IT organization. The process model describing IT operations of a distributed networked system stems from an industrial project. The project goal was to introduce a process-oriented quality management system into a complex IT environment. One of the operational processes of the model, the process operation of changes is described in detail which demonstrates the method to derive demands on management tools from the process description. The result of this method is a collection of tools supporting request, commitment, performance and evaluation of an IT change. The integrated software architecture and the central software modules of our solution are outlined. The method described in this paper has been successfully applied to various fields of IT management