Software Proactive Services
Overview
Software Proactive Services consists of 100+ tasks and IT related activities performed on a regular basis in support of Line of Business (LOB) systems. Black Line monitors and regularly reviews your systems to spot issues before they happen.
Data Protection:
- Regular Backup checks
- Regular Backup coverage review
- Periodic Database Backup Restore:
Security:
- Security: Alert review, analysis, missing patches, unsupported components/integrations, review of suspicious services
- Log Review: Periodic log review, looking for security issues, bugs, performance and generally review health of software systems
- Certificate Renewals: SSL certificates applied properly, are active and websites are secure
Performance:
- Cloud Infrastructure Maintenance: Cost optimizations, CPU usage, right-sizing the infrastructure to match system need
- Performance review: Memory usage, memory characteristic review, comprehensive index analysis
Reliability:
- Database maintenance: Regular review of application databases, analyze results and define action plan for addressing issues
- Database Corruption: Regular review of data corruption indicators
Monitoring:
- Database server monitoring: Monitoring of specific services required by a database server to function properly.
- Application performance monitoring: Monitor critical components of business applications to ensure operational effectiveness. Configured to provide alerts, failures, trending and other data points to support troubleshooting efforts and recommendations.
- Integrated systems management: Monitor and notification for processes that integrate between systems.
- Scheduled tasks: Monitoring and notification of scheduled task execution
Configuration:
- File Configuration: Database location, temporary database configuration, file growth settings
- Software system assessments: Evaluate, assess and provide recommendations for current software applications. Reviewing the support lifecycle of each software component.
Findings are broken into the following categories:
- Remediated: Low effort findings could be addressed during review.
- Deferred: Finding requires more communication with Client, downtime coordination or requires higher amount of effort.
- Informational: Finding is purely informational, but the stakeholder should be aware to decide how to react. For example: “{Username} has the sysadmin role can do absolutely anything, including dropping databases and hiding their tracks.”
Why Does This Matter?
Typically, Clients fail to recognize that their business systems, and associated platforms, require proactive review and monitoring similar to other IT Infrastructure systems. Very often, issues that manifest themselves could have been resolved if regular and proactive work was performed on LOB systems. Most IT Engineers do not have the experience or training to perform these proactive services because they are database or software development skillsets. Since Black Line has these Engineers we are able to provide a comprehensive solution.
What Value Does This Add?
- Reduces effort
- Reduces complexity
- Decreases hassles
- Time Savings
- Provide access to information
Common Problems
Data volume related performed problems, scheduled tasks fail to batch update data, database servers become unresponsive, data access is suddenly slow or generates errors, website stops responding, performing backups and backup verification
Why Is A Solution Needed?
The skills, experience, and training necessary for support LOB applications is very specific to Software Development Engineers and Database Administrators. LOB systems require the same maintenance as IT Infrastructure systems and therefore requires the appropriate attention by trained and skilled Engineers. This level of maintenance ensures these critical systems are optimally performing, security and data is appropriately protected
What To Expect
Business Leaders can expect
- Regular review of critical LOB systems by qualified and experienced Engineers. Comparing the state of systems against best practices, current trends and taking action if necessary to maintain optimal system effectiveness
End Users can expect
- LOB applications they rely on for their work will be available, perform as expected and associated data is protected. Systems are monitored and if there is evidence of potential failures they are addressed with appropriate urgency
How Does Black Line Do It Better?
Just like other Black Line proactive services, there must be operational disciplines in place to ensure regular proactive tasks are performed, thoroughly documented, and appropriate action is taken if necessary