Operations Center 5.6

June 2015

Implementation Checklist

If installing and configuring Operations Center for the first time, use the following checklist as a guide. Operations Center offers a multitude of features with a high degree of customization to give you optimal flexibility in setting up a solution that works with you and your environment.

1	Install Operations Center server and tools Before you start, review the following information: Operations Center 5.6 Getting Started Guide for an overview of the platform, system requirements, deployment planning and environmental considerations. Operations Center 5.6 Release Notes for release announcements and technical considerations. Consider the Operations Center default ports and how they fit within your environment. For information, see Configuring Network Communication Settings in the Operations Center 5.6 Server Configuration Guide. Install Operations Center software along with the latest patch updates. See the following guides for Instructions: Operations Center 5.6 Server Installation Guide Operations Center 5.6 Dashboard Guide Operations Center 5.6 Configuration Management System (CMS) Guide NetIQ AppManager Operations 5.6 Portal Getting Started Guide
2	Configure the Operations Center server Run the Configuration Manager, an Operations Center utility used to set configuration settings for the Operations Center servers and for Configuration Storage. Specify server settings for networking, trace logs, java, memory, and more. For instructions, see Updating Server Settings Using the Configuration Manager in the Operations Center 5.6 Server Configuration Guide. Configure start options. For instructions, see Configuring Operations Center Start Conditions in the Operations Center 5.6 Server Configuration Guide. Configure trace logs for the Operations Center server and other components. Define settings applicable for the current session and those that will persist for each session. For instructions, see Configuring Trace Logs in the Operations Center 5.6 Server Configuration Guide.
	The Java Virtual Machine is configured with parameters for memory allocation and installs with these default values. Before adjusting the memory, it is important to understand how memory is allocated. For information, see Configuring Java and Memory in the Operations Center 5.6 Server Configuration Guide. Setup and configure databases: For information, see Configuring and Administering the Database in the Operations Center 5.6 Server Configuration Guide.
3	Create adapters to integrate with third-party applications, management systems, discovery tools and trouble ticket systems For supported third-party integrations, see Supported Versions and Hardware Requirements in the Operations Center 5.6 Getting Started Guide. For instructions, see Operations Center 5.6 Adapter and Integration Guide.
4	Create custom integrations when an adapter integration is not available or does not meet your specific needs Leverage business metrics from your databases. Define, configure and deploy adapters that extract data from specified sources and display it in Operations Center. For instructions, see Operations Center 5.6 Data Integrator Guide. Generate alarms and events from log files, ASCII streams, and SOAP. Process this raw data using predefined rule sets to create standard alarm messages that provide the status of network components, messages that create or delete elements, or messages that initiate certain actions. For instructions, see Operations Center 5.6 Event Manager Guide. Monitor Web site and application availability in real time from the user perspective, so you can identify and resolve potential infrastructure issues before customers experience problems. For instructions, see Operations Center 5.6 Experience Manager Guide. Translate XML files from third-party products to create objects, elements or devices; as well as alarms. For instructions, see Operations Center 5.6 F/X Adapter Guide. Listen on a TCP port and process a pre-formatted text stream into elements and alarms using custom scripts. For instructions, see NOC Universal Adapter in the Operations Center 5.6 Adapter and Integration Guide. Fill monitoring gaps by using SNMP polling to retrieve MIB values on a routine basis to understand health and availability. For instructions, see Operations Center 5.6 SNMP Integrator Guide.
5	Customize your installation Customize the display of monitored elements and alarms by doing any of the following: Use a custom icon for a class of elements Display simple uptime for element availability Define custom operations for element and alarm menus Configure suppression and acknowledgement on elements and alarms Control the display of alarms by setting maximum alarms or limiting roll up Define alarm filters for service model alarms For instructions, see Customizing Monitored Elements and Alarms in the Operations Center 5.6 Server Configuration Guide. Capture, store, and display alarm history and historical performance information. For instructions, see Time Categories, Calendars, and Schedules and Capturing Alarm and Performance History in the Operations Center 5.6 Server Configuration Guide.
6	Build element hierarchies that model your business Manually add elements to define attributes and relationships of enterprise resources using the Service Models element hierarchy. Enterprise resources can include any component or aspect of a business units, such as IT infrastructure components, personnel, or events and transactions. For instructions, see Creating Service Models in the Operations Center Console in the Operations Center 5.6 Service Modeling Guide. Dynamically generate new element hierarchies from varied data sources that can: Automatically discover dependencies and identifies scheduled and unscheduled changes Integrate the mapping of element relationships across an enterprise Integrate asset, configuration, and change sources into one business view For instructions, see Introduction to the Service Configuration Manager (SCM) in the Operations Center 5.6 Service Modeling Guide.
7	Visualize your data by creating drawings in the Layout view Layout drawings provide a visual analysis of critical relationships and conditions across multiple branches of an element hierarchy. Graphics are dynamically linked to element conditions and attributes, to automatically update when elements change. For instructions, see the Operations Center 5.6 Service Modeling Guide.
8	Define Service Level Agreements to provide a specific standard of service to customers For instructions, see the Operations Center 5.6 Service Level Agreement Guide.
9	Configure the Dashboard to provide users with a personalized and portable view into the Operations Center server For instructions, see the Operations Center 5.6 Dashboard Guide.
10	Build a CMDB (Configuration Management Database) repository The CMDB becomes a more accurate representation of your actual IT infrastructure as everyone contribute data and share knowledge about configuration items (CIs). A CMDB can help your organization understand the relationships between these components and track their configuration. For instructions, see the Operations Center 5.6 Configuration Management System (CMS) Guide and Operations Center 5.6 Version Tracking Guide.
11	Secure your implementation For information and instructions, see Operations Center 5.6 Security Management Guide.
12	Analyze performance and deliver reports Use the Performance view to chart historical performance data for elements associated with specific management systems or for monitoring service level agreements For basic information about the Performance View, see Charting Performance Data in the Operations Center 5.6 User Guide. For information about comparing charts for multiple elements in the Performance Analyzer view, see Analyzing Performance in the Operations Center 5.6 Service Level Agreement Guide. Use the Dashboard to deliver performance information or report on SLAs. For instructions, see Configuring the Performance Portlet and SLA Reporting Portlets in the Operations Center 5.6 Dashboard Guide. Use SQL Views to create reports and charts in third-party reporting tools such as Microsoft Excel and Business Objects Crystal Reports. For instructions, see the Operations Center 5.6 SQL Views Guide. For access to sample reports, see Queries and Reports.

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