entility® Playbook

entility® Playbook™ ( ePlaybook™ ) is an essential component of Maryville’s Information Technology Resource Optimization (ITRO®) methodology for implementing Service Level Management (SLM). Based on IT Service Level Objectives (SLOs) defined in the SLM process, entility Playbook library modules are a set of pre-defined, best practice process definitions for the management of IT service levels applied to a variety of functional Information Technology domains.

ePlaybook is a knowledge management application that automates the process of creating and maintaining playbook content within an IT organization. The ePlaybook application incorporates a “publishing” metaphor to transition playbook content from authorship, through editing to final production publishing. ePlaybook is available stand-alone, to support the authoring of new playbooks within an IT organization, or in combination with entility Playbook modules available from Maryville Technologies, for a head start on implementing an organization’s Service Level Management process.

entility Playbook modules are organized into a Best Practice Library. The existing entility Playbook modules in the Maryville Technologies Best Practice Library contain process definitions which have been developed and documented by practicing engineers with many years of experience in performing, managing and implementing Service Level Management processes within medium and large-scale IT organizations. One or more entility Playbook modules from the Best Practice Library can be purchased to initially populate your playbook content to provide an extensible, knowledge foundation.

The entility Playbook library modules provide value to the IT organization by assisting management and administrative personnel to focus systems management activity, to organize the SLM processes employed on a daily basis, to gain maximum results and information from existing and planned systems management tools, and to facilitate improved service levels to the enterprise business users and other IT Organization customers.

**Current Library of entility Playbook™ Best Practice Modules:**

entility Playbook for Microsoft Windows® Servers
entility Playbook for UNIX®-based Servers
entility Playbook for Network Elements
entility Playbook for Microsoft SQL Server
entility Playbook for Oracle® Databases
entility Playbook for Microsoft Exchange
entility Playbook for Apache/Tomcat
entility Playbook for IBM Websphere®

ePlaybook™ Overview

The ePlaybook application automates the process of creating, maintaining and retrieving IT operational knowledge. It brings your playbooks on-line.

IT management can delegate responsibility for knowledge authorship and monitor progress through final completion and publication to production usage. Within the ePlaybook application, 4 primary roles are defined (Publisher, Editor, Author and Reader) that have access to specific functionality and process execution. At various states of module development, content is integrated with revision control software for quality control and recovery.
The ePlaybook application implements a publishing workflow in accordance with Maryville’s ITRO® process methodology. Both users of the application and third party management tools can access the knowledge in context to enhance IT operational efficiency.
A robust search engine provides for user and third party tool knowledge access.
The entility Playbook Best Practice library modules are extensible and can be augmented to incorporate customer specific needs. The ePlaybook application has an output generation engine to support playbook content review and distribution.
The user interface is a rich but clean design that combines strong navigation capabilities with “wizard” facilities to assist with playbook knowledge creation and processing.
entility Playbook presentation is abstracted from the process logic to facilitate customization and customer look and feel preferences.
The entility Playbook application can be integrated with a number of commercial event and performance management consoles via the ePlaybook Adapters.
The entility Playbook application provides for basic user login and role administration upon installation. Integration modules are available to administer login and role administration via Active Directory® or generic LDAP directories.

The knowledge content and associated process workflow are focused on a number of key items including:

Significance of the IT feature or function managed by this process to the Service Levels provided by IT;
Methods for identifying faults that may be produced by the particular IT service or function;
Methods for proactively preventing faults from occurring;
Definition of the intended and agreed-to delegation of diagnostic and remedial activity from administrative personnel to operations and help desk personnel; and,
Definition of service level reporting requirements.

Application Specifications

Java servlet application (accessed using standard desktop Web browsers such as Internet Explorer)
Utilizes Open Source components which are distributed with the application:
Apache, Jakarta Tomcat, Java SDK, Xalan/J, CVS
Supported Platforms
Solaris® 8, 9 & 10, HP-UX 11+, AIX 5.x and Generic Linux distributions
Microsoft Windows 2000 and 2003
Minimum hardware configuration
Generally low-end CPU (Pentium III 700 MHz and above on Intel class), 550 MHz UltraSPARC III, 500 MHz PowerPC, PA-7200LC
512M Memory
2 GB Disk Availability



		Home\|Contact\|Support Login entility® Playbook entility® Playbook™ ( ePlaybook™ ) is an essential component of Maryville’s Information Technology Resource Optimization (ITRO®) methodology for implementing Service Level Management (SLM). Based on IT Service Level Objectives (SLOs) defined in the SLM process, entility Playbook library modules are a set of pre-defined, best practice process definitions for the management of IT service levels applied to a variety of functional Information Technology domains. ePlaybook is a knowledge management application that automates the process of creating and maintaining playbook content within an IT organization. The ePlaybook application incorporates a “publishing” metaphor to transition playbook content from authorship, through editing to final production publishing. ePlaybook is available stand-alone, to support the authoring of new playbooks within an IT organization, or in combination with entility Playbook modules available from Maryville Technologies, for a head start on implementing an organization’s Service Level Management process. entility Playbook modules are organized into a Best Practice Library. The existing entility Playbook modules in the Maryville Technologies Best Practice Library contain process definitions which have been developed and documented by practicing engineers with many years of experience in performing, managing and implementing Service Level Management processes within medium and large-scale IT organizations. One or more entility Playbook modules from the Best Practice Library can be purchased to initially populate your playbook content to provide an extensible, knowledge foundation. The entility Playbook library modules provide value to the IT organization by assisting management and administrative personnel to focus systems management activity, to organize the SLM processes employed on a daily basis, to gain maximum results and information from existing and planned systems management tools, and to facilitate improved service levels to the enterprise business users and other IT Organization customers. *Current Library of entility Playbook™* Best Practice Modules: entility Playbook for Microsoft Windows® Servers entility Playbook for UNIX®-based Servers entility Playbook for Network Elements entility Playbook for Microsoft SQL Server entility Playbook for Oracle® Databases entility Playbook for Microsoft Exchange entility Playbook for Apache/Tomcat entility Playbook for IBM Websphere® ePlaybook™ Overview The ePlaybook application automates the process of creating, maintaining and retrieving IT operational knowledge. It brings your playbooks on-line. IT management can delegate responsibility for knowledge authorship and monitor progress through final completion and publication to production usage. Within the ePlaybook application, 4 primary roles are defined (Publisher, Editor, Author and Reader) that have access to specific functionality and process execution. At various states of module development, content is integrated with revision control software for quality control and recovery. The ePlaybook application implements a publishing workflow in accordance with Maryville’s ITRO® process methodology. Both users of the application and third party management tools can access the knowledge in context to enhance IT operational efficiency. A robust search engine provides for user and third party tool knowledge access. The entility Playbook Best Practice library modules are extensible and can be augmented to incorporate customer specific needs. The ePlaybook application has an output generation engine to support playbook content review and distribution. The user interface is a rich but clean design that combines strong navigation capabilities with “wizard” facilities to assist with playbook knowledge creation and processing. entility Playbook presentation is abstracted from the process logic to facilitate customization and customer look and feel preferences. The entility Playbook application can be integrated with a number of commercial event and performance management consoles via the ePlaybook Adapters. The entility Playbook application provides for basic user login and role administration upon installation. Integration modules are available to administer login and role administration via Active Directory® or generic LDAP directories. The knowledge content and associated process workflow are focused on a number of key items including: Significance of the IT feature or function managed by this process to the Service Levels provided by IT; Methods for identifying faults that may be produced by the particular IT service or function; Methods for proactively preventing faults from occurring; Definition of the intended and agreed-to delegation of diagnostic and remedial activity from administrative personnel to operations and help desk personnel; and, Definition of service level reporting requirements. Application Specifications** Java servlet application (accessed using standard desktop Web browsers such as Internet Explorer) Utilizes Open Source components which are distributed with the application: Apache, Jakarta Tomcat, Java SDK, Xalan/J, CVS Supported Platforms Solaris® 8, 9 & 10, HP-UX 11+, AIX 5.x and Generic Linux distributions Microsoft Windows 2000 and 2003 Minimum hardware configuration Generally low-end CPU (Pentium III 700 MHz and above on Intel class), 550 MHz UltraSPARC III, 500 MHz PowerPC, PA-7200LC 512M Memory 2 GB Disk Availability