1.1.2 Elements involved in service template development
Service templates define the information necessary to automate operating procedures. The following figure shows the elements involved in service template development.
Development environment
The environment in which the service template is developed. You can also conduct debugging and operation testing in this environment to validate the operation of the service templates you develop. Although you can develop service templates in an active environment, we recommend that you keep the development and active environments separate.
Active environment
The environment in which you can create and execute services based on service templates you have developed. The actual automation of operating procedures takes place in this environment.
Service template
Defines the processing that automates the operating procedures in an IT system. A service template incorporates flows and steps.
Development service template
A service template that is being developed by a user. Service templates created by copying a release service template are also classified as development service templates. Development service templates are used in the development environment.
Release service template
When you release a development service template, it becomes a release service template, which cannot be edited. The service templates provided by JP1/AO are also classified as release service templates. Release service templates are used in the active environment.
Flow
Defines the flow of the operating procedure you are automating.
Component
Plug-ins and release service templates that can be placed as steps.
Plug-in
The smallest unit of processing you can define when automating IT operations.
Step
An element of a flow. Each step executes a plug-in.