Systems Management Requirements

Systems management includes processes and tools for effectively operating computer systems. A rule of thumb is that process problems cause 40 percent of outages. Good systems management processes can greatly reduce the occurrence and duration of outages. Here are the systems management tasks you must perform:

• Train all personnel who are responsible for implementing or operating the systems. Complex systems, such as clusters, require personnel trained to handle crisis situations.

• Produce and maintain runbooks. Store documentation in a library that has continuous access. Online access is convenient, but keep physical copies of important troubleshooting and recovery documentation.

• Archive system logs and accounting records for reference.

• Use the Sun Management Center software to monitor and manage Sun systems.

• Use web-based enterprise management (WBEM) and complex information manager (CIM) tools to manage Sun systems using web-based interfaces.

• Perform regular audits of system configurations.

• Use capacity planning tools to record trends in capacity usage, and use the Sun HighGround™ Storage Resource Manager to manage heterogeneous storage.

• Implement change control procedures for all systems management processes.