User Service: concept, configuration and best practices

Objective

The objective of a User Service (US) is to do macro supervision (higher level supervision) to ensure that the services used by users: email, Internet access, printing, etc., are in working order to be able to quantify this time with availability rates and make commitments.

In order to increase the coherence of the user services, it is recommended to define them with the customer before the deployment phase of the supervision.

The rules

The status of a user service is defined in relation to the status of its component parts and according to the rules listed below:

• If an SU with at least one blocking relationship component is Out of Use/DOWN/CRITICAL, then it is Out of order.
• If an SU with at least one blocking relationship component is Unknown, and if there is no blocking relationship component in Out of Order/DOWN/CRITICAL status, then the SU is in UNKNOWN.
• If an SU consists only of degrading relationship components, if all components are in Out of Order/DOWN/CRITICAL state then the SU is Out of order.
• If all components of an SU are in indeterminate status, then the SU is in UNKNOWN.
• If at least one degrading relationship component is in Out of Order/DOWN/CRITICAL or Alert or UNKNOWN status, then the SU status is Gradient

Thanks to these rules and to the supervised elements, ServiceNav allows to model the functioning of any business application, network architecture, system architecture,...

Creating a user service

To create a new user service, go to : Configuration > User Service then click on " + Add .

General information configuration

• Indicate the name which will be visible in the service weather for all users.
• Indicate a course of further information in the description in addition to the name if necessary.
• Select in the field " Associated with " the company/site to which the user department is attached.
• Indicate for Availability period the time range for which you want to calculate the availability.
• Enter the objective of availability rate that you wish to achieve, to be applied to the selected availability period.
• Show or hide, defines whether the user service is visible in the service weather.
• Choose the criticality of the user department towards the customer.

Notification configuration

• NotificationsEnables or disables notifications for this user service.
• Type of notification Choose the events on which the user service will notify the contacts defined previously.
• Related contacts/group of contacts : Selection of contacts to notify. The list on the left contains the available contacts and the list on the right the selected contacts.

Configuration of user service elements

• Choose the user services on which the one being created will depend. The lists contain the available user services. Depending on the impact it will be set to either "blocking" or "degrading".
• Choose the equipment on which the SU will depend. The lists contain the available equipment. Depending on the impact of the selected equipment, it will be set either "blocking" or "degrading".
• Choose the unitary services on which the SU will depend. The lists contain the available unit services. Depending on the impact of the selected unit service, it will be set either "blocking" or "degrading".

Modeling a user service

We will decompose the modeling of a user service through a case study.

Environment

Infrastructure : we have two Windows servers running Active Directory in redundancy, SRV CD1 and SRV CD2.

Service to be modeled

We would like to create a user service that represents the global functioning of the service. Active Directory ". This is provided by two different servers in order to have a redundant effect.

Step 1: Define the final objective

Step 2: Define the elements necessary for the proper functioning of the user service

SVR CD1 : represents the proper functioning of the first server providing the active directory service.

AD-check on CD1 : represents the proper functioning of the first active directory service.

SVR CD2 : represents the proper functioning of the second server providing the active directory service.

AD-check on CD2 : represents the correct operation of the second active directory service.

Step 3: Decomposition into user sub-services

Q: When is my user service operational?
A: It is operational when the first service active directory is OK, AND/OR the second service active directory is OK, and vice versa.

Q: When is my user service out of order?
A: It is out of order when both active directory services are in an out of order state.

Q: How does each of the active directory services work?
R :

Directory-CD1 : works ONLY if the "SRV CD1" equipment AND the "AD-check on CD1" control are functional. Both are mandatory for the proper functioning of the user service Directory-CD1 their relationship with the service will therefore be of the "Blocking" type.

Directory-CD2 : works ONLY if the "SRV CD2" equipment AND the "AD-check on CD2" control are functional. Both are mandatory for the proper functioning of the user service Directory-CD2 their relationship with the service will therefore be of the "Blocking" type.

The rule that applies is:

If an SU with at least one blocking relationship component is Out of Order/DOWN/CRITICAL, then it is Out of Order.

 The decomposition into user sub-services is not always necessary
necessary depending on the complexity of the user service to be
to model.

Step 4: Define the relationship of user sub-services

The user sub-services represent each of them the functioning of an active directory service. In order for users to have access to the resources of the information system (mail, network shares, etc.), at least one of the two user sub-services must be functional. They therefore have a "degrading" type relationship. If one of the two user sub-services is out of order, then the Directory user service will be in degraded status according to this rule:

If at least one degrading relationship component is in Out of Order/DOWN/CRITICAL or Alert or UNKNOWN status, then the SU status is Degraded.

However, if both user sub-services are in out of order status then the following rule applies:

If an SU consists only of degrading relationship components, if all components are in Out of Order/DOWN/CRITICAL state then the SU is Out of Order.

  With these rules we can model the redundancy
and operation of any business application.

Questions to answer before creating a user service

We remind you that we always put ourselves in the shoes of a user to ask the following questions:

What are the services provided by the information system necessary for the company's production?

This question defines the user services to be created.

When is the service not available to the user?

This question allows to understand the technical functioning of the service. The objective is to list all the controls to be implemented in the supervision, as well as their impacts on the service (blocking or degrading) to model it by a user service. Once this question has been answered, the supervision must be configured in such a way as to have the right feedback.

When is this service used?

The answer defines the time range that will be configured for the "availability period" parameter, which is used to calculate the availability rate.

What is the percentage of availability to be achieved to which the partner commits?

Represents the level of service desired by the customer. This level must be defined contractually, according to the customer's needs, his infrastructure, and the service he is buying.