Modelling Infrastructure Services in a Business Service

[Rob Mollee]

I'm currently working on a design for a Customer where we provide several Infrastructure related Services, such as WAN, Firewall, Remote Access, etc.. All of these are in essence Technology Services and will be modelled as such, using a cmdb_service CI and the necessary Service Offerings, which in turn will have a 'Contains' relationship to the Component CI's.

However, we have agreed with our Customer a set of Commitments that span the entire set of Technical Services, so we would need to (also?) define these services as Application Services, I guess; So we would then have, for example the following Application Services: 

• Firewall Application Services
• WAN Application Services
• Remote Access Application Services

I'm struggling a bit with the term 'Application' here, as the nature of these services is typically Technology based, and there is not really one single application that is representing the entire stack related to an Application Service...

So how would I define a Business Service Offering, that can provide the desired result? In reality I would need to create a Business Service Offering, that 'depends on' a series of Technical Services, rather than Application Services...

Would this comply with CSDM, or are there any suggestions on how this can/should be modelled?

Would welcome any suggestion on this!

[DaveHertel]

Rob --  using your example, focused on tech services, I'm suggesting something like the diagram below.  I'm NOT saying this is right... but food for thought.  The examples you mentioned don't sound like BUSINESS service/offerings since they aren't outwardly focused on the business.  Those 3 examples are supporting IT infrastructure needed by the company of course... but inwardly, IT-focused.

The 3 IT relates services sound like offerings of a service to me, but I'm keenly interested from the community & other perspectives.

Example of 3 tech components as stratification of a broader "network services" and its relation to / support for other application services.

How would others model this?   Curious to hear from the community

Hope this example model helps somewhat?

[mikkojuola]

Hi Dave,

Good suggestion you have here. I would suggest the same. Depending on the case, WAN, Firewall and Remote Access could have their own Technical Service records as parent where those particular services are described in more detail. And then have the Network Services as a Service Taxonomy node (if using Service Portfolio Management plugin).

More detailed relationships between these technical service offerings and "infrastructure CIs" could be on different levels under the Application Service CI, if those are maintained in the CMDB.

Cheers,

--Mikko

[Rob Mollee]

Hi Mikko, 

Thanks for your contribution also..  And, yes I agree with the suggestion to use these Services as Taxonomy, when SPM is used...

I'm still hoping to get a response from ServiceNow, as I have seen posts that there are plans to split the Business Service and Technology Service into separate tables...

Best regards, Rob

[Rob Mollee]

Hi Dave, 

Thanks for your contribution; Yes I agree that the examples are actually not very Business-like, and are indeed Technology Services; But as we are a Managed Service Provider, delivering Technology Services (i.e. Infrastructure platforms) is actually our Business... 

So from that perspective, I would think that we should maybe create an Application Service that does not include the application, but directly 'Depends on' the Operational CI(s) as pictured here:

I guess that's actually what your suggestion is... 

I'm very interested to hear any other opinion on this!