Business Application: best practices

[jna2756]

Hi all,

We're working on refining our CMDB and making sure everything in our environment is captured as required one of errors where we got a lot of conflicts internally is business applications. Can some people provide what are common examples of applications and what shouldn't be applications?

For example, I know an application like ServiceNow, ServiceNow ITSM, Salesforce, etc. are applications. However, are there any examples of things that some people might consider an application but shouldn't be consider a business application? some things that seem fuzzy to me is Microsoft Outlook, Apache, Cisco Prime wireless controller.

Thanks

Joshua Anderson

[CMDB Whisperer]

Here's another example:

Business Application:  Order Management System

Application Service:  Order Management System - Production - US

Applications:

• Web Application: oms@omsprd1
• Web Application: oms@omsprd2
• Database Instance: mssql@omsdb1

[theroz]

Maybe the following demo might help?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wD-E5IBzys

[jna2756]

Thanks for the video recommendation!

[scott_lemm]

First and foremost, Business Applications should NEVER include PC/desktop installed applications. Anything you would load onto your PC should not be created as a Business Application. 

After eliminating all desktop installed applications, the methodology provided by @Cassandra Kittl is an effective process to validate your use of Business Applications. 

I would recommend additional guidance:

1. Focus on critical applications / platforms first
2. Business Application hierarchies are acceptable - hierarchy of modules that represent individually licensed capabilities such as what you may find in SAP is an example
3. If you desire to see the individually developed "pieces & parts" of a Business Application, then utilize the SDLC Component CI. These SDLC Component CIs should be related to a singular Business Application thus providing you details into how a single Business Application may be broken into developed components - API's, micro services, etc. Use of SDLC Components are optional and, depending on your requirements, provide greater value to DevOps and Release Management. 

Hope this helps,

Scott

[CMDB Whisperer]

@scott_lemm what is the reasoning behind the assertion that Desktop software should never be part of the application portfolio?  If an organization is using multiple overlapping desktop software such as office productivity software, this could very well be in the scope of Enterprise Architecture, and thus some of the same portfolio rationalization activities might need to occur.  I do agree that not all desktop software should be included, and perhaps most desktop software should not be included.  But "never" seems a bit heavy handed, and there are several posts in the Community where people have made the business decision to track some desktop software as business applications, so I think it would be helpful to have a clear rationale for the recommendation not to.