Question

Misalignment fot IT and Business

FCAPS model unit

SLA

Answer 1

1. Misalignment for IT and Business

Misalignment happens when in a company or an organisation the goals or agendas of the people are not in line with each other and do not lead to a combine purpose.The byprodusts of misaligment in IT and Business is confusion and rumours and failure in business.

The symptoms that can be seen in Misaligned business are:

1.Decision Making:The decision making requires time which indirectly affects the growth and momentum of organisation thus giving the business competitive disadvantage.

2.Excess Meetings and emails:Excess number of meetings and emails not only wastes times but also reduces the productivity at work.

3.Improper Communication:The communication between the different departments or legitimate individuals should be clear.The information flow should be open and free flowing.Improper communication will hinder the decision making power of business.

4.Lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities:The roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined thus making people accountable for their work.Lack in clarity creates confusion thus making delays.

5.Lack in effectively handling manpower:More responsible work should be given to the employees in lower management level thus increasing their momento and making them productive.

2. FCAPS Model Unit

FCAPS is an acronym for fault, configuration, accounting, performance, security, the management categories into which the model defines network management tasks.It is a network management framework created by International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Fault management: At this level, network problems are found and corrected. Potential future problems are identified and steps are taken to prevent them from occurring or recurring. With fault management, the network stays operational, and downtime is minimized.

Configuration management: At this level, network operation is monitored and controlled. Hardware and programming changes, including the addition of new equipment and programs, modification of existing systems, and removal of obsolete systems and programs, are coordinated,inventory of equipment and programs is kept and updated regularly.

Accounting management: At this level, resourcesare distributed optimally and fairly among network subscribers. This makes the most effective use of the systems available, minimizing the cost of operation.This level is also responsible for appropriately billing the users.

Performance management: This levl is involved with managing the overall performance of the network. Throughput is maximized, network bottlenecks are avoided, and potential problems are identified. A major part of the effort is to identify which improvements will yield the greatest overall performance enhancement.

Security management: At this level, the network is protected against hackers, unauthorized users, and physical or electronic sabotage. The confidentiality of user information is maintained.Security systems also allow network administrators to control what each individual authorized user can do with the system.

3. SLA

A service-level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and its internal(within organisation) or external customers(clients) that documents what services the provider will furnish and defines the service standards the provider is obligated to meet.In general terms we can say an SLA contains the services that should be provided to the customer as agreed upon in the contract.

SLA will typically include a statement of objectives, a list of the services to be covered by the agreement and define the responsibilities of the service provider and customer under the SLA.

SLA can further be defined at different levels:

1.Customer based SLA

2.Service based SLA

3.Multilevel SLA