An Opportunistic Entry Point into IT Process Automation

An Opportunistic Entry Point into
IT Process Automation
®LANDesk Process Manager
White PaperLANDESK WHITE PAPER: an opportunistic entry point into it process automation
Table of Contents
Executive Summary................................................................................................... 3Introduction................................................................................................................ 3Automating the Desktop Environment through Workflows.......................................... 3®LANDesk Process Manager as an Effective RBA Solution......................................... 4Run Book Orchestration....................................................................................... 4Intelligent Process Workflow................................................................................. 5Product Integration............................................................................................. 10Build Trust and Confidence in RBA Incrementally..................................................... 11Conclusion............................................................................................................... 11References............................................................................................................... 11
This document contains confidential and proprietary information of LANDesk Software, Inc. ("LANDesk") and its affiliates (collectively "LANDesk") and is provided in connection with the ®identified LANDesk product(s). No part of this document may be disclosed or copied without the prior written consent of LANDesk. No license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted by this document. Except as provided in LANDesk's terms and conditions for the license of such products, LANDesk assumes no liability whatsoever. LANDesk products are not intended for use in medical, life saving, or life sustaining applications. LANDesk does not warrant that this material is error-free, and LANDesk reserves the right to update, correct, or modify this material, including any specifications and product descriptions, at any time, without notice. Copyright © 2006, LANDesk Software Ltd. All rights reserved. LANDesk is a trademark or registered trademark of LANDesk Software, Ltd. and its affiliated companies in the United States and other countries. Other brands and names may be claimed as the property of others. LSI-0588 11/06 JBB/NH www.landesk.comLANDESK WHITE PAPER: an opportunistic entry point into it process automation
Executive SummaryAutomating IT procedures such as repetitive maintenance, patch management, stopping and restarting services, checking network connectivity, and routine application and OS deployment should be a key objective of IT directors working to decrease the cost and complexity of IT operations. As IT departments work to transition from "firefighting mode" to becoming more proactive and responsive, a key step along the path is to implement labor-saving automation tools that allow more tasks to be done more rapidly, using fewer resources and with greater predictability and reliability.The term "run book automation," traditionally at home in the data center domain, is finding a place in the lexicon of the distributed computing environment as IT directors and managers seek ways to eliminate redundant tasks, capture expert knowledge of key employees, reduce incident resolution time, adhere more closely to regulations and boost infrastructure efficiency. In this whitepaper, ®LANDesk introduces how its LANDesk Process Manager technology represents a way for customers of LANDesk systems and security management solutions to define and execute repeatable and measurable processes on an opportunistic, as-needed basis in order to keep systems up to date, lower operational costs, reduce risk and improve service delivery.
IntroductionRun books have existed for years in the data center. Sometimes resembling the thickness of telephone books, run books typically contain resource information about the data center's hardware and software, as well as process information, including step-by-step procedures for operational and emergency processes. They can also contain procedures for starting, stopping and monitoring the system or network; for handling special requests such as the mounting of a storage device containing archived material;... [download for more]