Introduction to NonStop Operations Management

Application Management
Introduction to NonStop Operations Management–125507
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Implementation of Recommendations
Implementation of Recommendations
While each of these problems can be easily fixed, the larger issue is a lack of standards.
NASL had no standards for managing the new applications at each of the data centers.
The standards that had been developed previously by each application department in the
distributed environment were no longer effective in a centralized environment.
Application standards and requirements needed to be developed. The following
recommendations were implemented at NASL:
•
Establish a production-assurance control group.
•
Establish application requirements.
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Provide training.
Establish a Production-Assurance Control Group
Users of the application, not the operators, should be responsible for entering application
input data. By establishing a production-assurance (PA) control group that acts as a
liaison between the operators and the user departments, NASL ensures that an
application user’s request translates into the job so that the work will get done. NASL
assigned a PA person to each department in which there were users using the
applications. This enabled the PA person to become familiar with the assigned group’s
requirements and problems. At NASL, the new production-assurance control group will:
•
Provide the primary production support for applications.
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Set up all jobs that require input data.
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Use NetBatch-Plus to schedule the jobs to run at the appropriate times.
•
Convey any special instructions to the operators regarding the runs.
•
Check the outputs and distribute them when jobs are completed. If there are any
discrepancies, they will correct the problem and rerun the jobs.
•
Implement new versions of the application programs.
Establish Application Requirements
NASL needs to establish application requirements for all applications being managed in
each of the three data centers. All applications should be written to conform to a set of
programming standards as well as operational standards. Operations must help develop
and document the operational standards that will enable NASL’s applications to run
smoothly.
The application requirements would provide the operations staff with instructions for
monitoring, starting, and stopping applications; the PA group with the required
application input; and the application developers with guidelines for application
development, naming conventions, and message management. For a check list of other
possible requirements, refer to “Establishing Application Requirements,” earlier in this
section.