4.6.4 Example of execution for periodic evaluation of the status of monitored services

(1) Prerequisites

The conditions for this execution example are as follows:

• Registration of monitored services and the setup required for monitoring have been completed and a specified period of time has elapsed since monitoring started.

• The following figure shows the relationship among the personnel involved in this task.

  Figure 4‒18: Relationship among personnel involved in periodic evaluation of the status of monitored services (execution example)

  1. Person who monitors all services

     Evaluates the status of the monitored services periodically and evaluates with the system operator whether current system performance (such as server memory and CPU) is adequate to maintain the service level. This person also creates monthly reports on service levels and reports periodically to the outsourcing company's (service provider's) agent. This person might use these reports to suggest system enhancements when appropriate.

  2. System operator

     Runs the system, including IT equipment and networks in the company. When system enhancements are suggested by the person who monitors all services, this person evaluates them.

  3. Outsourcing company's agent

     This person is in charge of providing the outsourced services. This person receives periodic reports from the person who monitors all services at the outsourced contractor. If requested during periodic reporting, this person evaluates suggestions for system enhancements and authorizes them if determined to be appropriate.

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(2) Checking the status of the monitored services

Tasks in ITSLM

The person who monitors all services decided to display the Preview report window to check the status of currently monitored services for the past month. This person displayed the report using a template in which report items have already been set up.

The following figure shows a display example of the Preview report window that contains the status of a monitored service for the past month.

Figure 4‒19: Display example of the Preview report window that contains the status of a monitored service for the past month

This window shows for the one-month period starting November 11, 2012, the average value, SLO compliance rate, comparison to the previous month for average response time (as a percentage), throughput, and error rate. The graphs show the one-month trend in changes in service performance.

Results of the task

While reviewing data in the Preview report window, the person who monitors all services noticed upward trends in the maximum and average values for each of the monitoring items. Because these trends might lead to overage of the SLO threshold if left unattended, this person decided to contact the system administrator to evaluate whether system enhancement is needed and then, if appropriate, to suggest system enhancements to the outsourcing company's agent at the time of the next periodic reporting.

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(3) Periodic report of the status of the monitored services

Tasks in ITSLM

Because the time for a periodic report has approached, the person who monitors all services decided to create a report to the outsourcing company's agent.

To create the report, this person decided to output from the Preview report window to a CSV file the results of monitoring the status of the monitored services.

The following figure shows the results of monitoring the status of the monitored services that have been output to a CSV file.

Figure 4‒20: Results of monitoring the status of monitored services that have been output to a CSV file

The service performance average, maximum, and minimum values and their times are output to the CSV file.

Results of tasks

A graph was created from the results of monitoring the status of the monitored services that was output to a CSV file by using a spreadsheet program, and the graph was included in the report.

The person who monitors all services explained in the periodic report that based on the graph, some system enhancement is needed in order to maintain the service level. Approval for the proposed enhancements was obtained from the outsourcing company's agent.

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