CSDM and reporting per managed environment

[Jan Ujcic1]

I am mapping standalone infrastructure environments (IAAS) into CSDM.

Typically, technology services (e.g., network, hosting, database) are created with related service offerings. However, we have a key requirement: we must report on CIs, tickets, and time spent per specific environment delivered to a consumer.

We provide multiple environments, internally and externally (as a business service/offering). Some can be modeled as application services (when tied to a specific business application). Others cannot, as they are pure infrastructure environments where consumers can host multiple business applications. 

How should this be modeled in CSDM? While we can define the underlying technology services, we need a way to group VMs, servers, network components, etc., under a single reportable entity per environment (for time and ticket tracking).

My current thinking and options:

• Would modeling this as an IAAS technology service, with separate service offerings per environment and all related CIs attached, be appropriate? I am aware of potential operational drawbacks, but environment-level grouping is a critical business requirement. 
• Or would it be rather acceptable to put everything under an application service even if it doesn't meet the description of a deployed instance stack that delivers functionality?
• I also see options on potentially grouping these things on the contract level based on the related service offerings but that can introduce additional complications. 

Anyone had similar experience or challenges? I'm happy to provide more information or discuss it in more detail.

[CasperJT]

Hi Jan,

I do not know your licensing model, but sounds like a fairly clear case to use Sold Products and Install Base Items.

The offering should not reflect a deployment, but as the name suggests an offer of a product. So I would not recommend creating offerings per thing you have sold, but rather for each thing you intend to sell.

I suggest checking out Sold products as well as Install base items 

//CasperJT

[Jan Ujcic1]

Hi CasperJT,

"So I would not recommend creating offerings per thing you have sold, but rather for each thing you intend to sell." - I think this is a very good point to keep in mind, thanks. 

If I understand correctly, you are suggesting that we define services/service offerings for what we sell, but then gather those under sold products if we want to report on all the CIs that make up their "environment"? The environment is in the end composed of multiple of our services but reporting on it as a whole is a strict business requirement.

Jan

[CasperJT]

Hi Jan,

The way I understand sold product it is each instance of an offering that you have sold, but perhaps it is enough to create one per customer.

I would use the Install Base Item to reference the actual infrastructure that you have deployed as part of the product that you have sold. We have only just started looking in to this ourselves, so I will refrain making too many recommendations.

I did find this video that might help: CIS - CSM Batch 1 | Day 10 | Sold Product - Install Base Item - Installed Products - Original

//Casper