Streamline IP address management processes and cut administrative costs with Alcatel-Lucent s VitalQIP Workflow Manager

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1 Alcatel-Lucent VitalQIP Workflow Manager Streamline IP address management processes and cut administrative costs with Alcatel-Lucent s VitalQIP Workflow Manager

2 Easy-to-use workflow management tool helps rapidly create and implement IP address processes and policies Benefits Automate IP address management Easily adapt to changing organizational policies and processes Provide standardization of processes and centralized control of workflows Rich and growing catalog of workflows and interfaces to VitalQIP software Capture IP domain operations expertise into workflows for error-free, consistent implementation Enable self service for non-experienced users to run IPAM processes 2 Alcatel-Lucent VitalQIP Workflow Manager

3 Streamline IP Address Management Market-leading VitalQIP software helps efficiently configure, automate, integrate and administer IP services across the entire network locally or globally. This powerful management software centralizes planning and administration, enabling the rapid provisioning of address space and reliable delivery of critical IP name and services throughout the network. Compatible with multiple technologies and platforms, it helps streamline management tasks with a comprehensive suite of integrated tools and user interfaces. Centralized management and control of workflows VitalQIP Workflow Manager (WFM) software s core engine gives network administrators a graphical representation of business flows. As the VitalQIP Workflow Manager guides the flows through the process steps (tasks), it calculates milestones/due dates for key events in the process flow. WFM tracks data as the tasks complete while monitoring and reporting on jeopardy conditions. WFM enables automated and error-free sharing of relevant data across various application interfaces such as VitalQIP command line interfaces (CLI). WFM software also provides activity management through a Web-based GUI, giving extensive user management capabilities, and acts as a natural flow integrator between applications. Creating and modifying workflows VitalQIP Workflow Manager includes a process design tool to create and modify workflows. The tool exports graphical representations of business flows to XML files that can be interpreted by WFM to execute the processes. This tool is Java-based and runs on a standalone PC. Connectivity to the WFM server is only required when loading the workflows. The tool enables a business analyst to design the process exactly the way you want it to be run. Any process changes can be done in seconds and then loaded to the workflow engine. This provides a seamless integration between process design and implementation. In addition, Workflow Manager Task and Interface Configurator provide a comprehensive development environment for building custom application interfaces that can be stored and re-used. Rich and growing catalog of pre-packaged workflows The product includes a catalog of pre-packaged workflow, ready to be used as is, or modified to fit your specific operational needs: VitalQIP QuickStart (create initial organization, domain, servers, network and subnets) Server Management (add or delete and DNS or DHCP server, perform a manual push) Domain Management (add/update/delete a domain) Network Management (add or delete a network) Subnet Management (add or delete a subnet on a network) Object Management (add, change, move or delete a static IP objects) Alias Management (add, move, swap or delete aliases) Contacts and Locations (add or delete a contact or location) Address Allocation (send update to RIR DB, send request to RIR, assign customer address) Organization Management (add a new organization) Others: Copy VitalQIP Administrator, Send external notification via SOAP More workflows are being added. Alcatel-Lucent VitalQIP Workflow Manager 3

4 An example: Swapping Aliases The following scenario illustrates how WFM works with VitalQIP. Alias names are used by applications to point to a server, so moving the alias from one object to another allows for switching computing environments without having to reprogram the application. In this example we are swapping two aliases. Without WFM, a person would put in a request to the IT Help Desk via an , phone call, or web form. The IT Help Desk would evaluate the request and make sure the data is correct and complete. The requestor may be contacted for additional information. Companies often have a maintenance window whereby all IPAM changes need to be made during certain hours such as only between 12 midnight and 6 in the morning or days such as only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Administrators prefer to make network changes during hours when network use is at a minimum. Or sometimes a project may require all changes to be done in the same time window making off hours more ideal. The IT Help Desk person who is responsible for the request waits until the maintenance window timeframe and then proceeds to remove the aliases and then add them back. After the work is done, he or she may notify the original requester. Some things that can go wrong are: The original request may be incomplete or incorrect When trying to reach the requester, the requester could not be contacted The request to swap aliases may be done too soon or too late (outside the maintenance window) The person doing the actual deletion and adding of aliases may make a mistake The swapped aliases may not be actually in DNS, causing calls to the Help Desk The IT Help Desk person may neglect to notify the requester. Also, there is no mechanism to undo all the work. If the requester changed his or her mind, a new request is required. 4 Alcatel-Lucent VitalQIP Workflow Manager

5 With WFM, the process is far more reliable and faster. The requestor enters the request on a web page The data entered are validated After the request is sent, an is automatically sent to the requester with the information entered WFM will then communicate with VitalQIP to retrieve the records for the aliases, determine the primary DNS servers, the subnets and the IP addresses WFM will perform an nslookup to make sure the aliases are in DNS WFM will wait until the maintenance window (if present) and then execute the swapping of aliases in a matter of seconds After the swapping, another nslookup is performed to make sure the aliases are in DNS with their new IP addresses If needed WFM may also clear the cache on the DNS servers An can be sent to the requester indicating that the request has been completed The requester may close the request by clicking on an embedded link in the or may chose to undo the work by clinking on another link. The advantages are clear: Requesters do not need to know VitalQIP Requesters do not need to know the IPAM processes Routine requests can be handled through self service. IT Help Desk personnel can concentrate on more complex problems Processes are performed uniformly. Each time the process is run, it is run the same way and no steps are bypassed Processes are performed more accurately and faster Complete log is available of who did what and what task was executed when Summary of Features Web-based GUI Tool to create and modify workflows that can be loaded to the workflow engine Pre-packaged workflows - Over 35 workflows are included and more will be added Pre-packaged application interfaces: VitalQIP CLI commands Workflow based automated tasks are included with the product. Besides executing CLI commands in VitalQIP, WFM can also perform process branching based on the value of an attribute, set an attribute to a specific value, establish (or break) parent/child relationships between requests, perform lookups, send s, suspend and activate processing, and more. Over 25 automated tasks are part of the system s task catalog. More tasks will be added based on market needs. VitalQIP 7.x SOAP interface Hardware, OS, database, and software requirements Sun low/midrange servers (depending on your operational needs) Operating system- Solaris 9/10 (Solaris 10 preferred) Database - Oracle 9.x/10x (Oracle 10.2 preferred) Software - VitalQIP Release 6.1 SP1/QIP6.2/ QIP7.x Alcatel-Lucent VitalQIP Workflow Manager 5

6 V i t a l Q I P I P M a n a g e m e n t S o f t w a re delivers services without boundaries Alcatel-Lucent is a proven global provider of market leading IT management solutions that maximizes profitability and productivity and helps you leverage IT investment for a competitive advantage. Alcatel-Lucent s award-winning Vital software is used today by more than 900 customers world-wide, including over 75% of the Fortune 100. Alcatel-Lucent leverages innovations from Bell Labs and experience and expertise from Worldwide Services to provide high performing and highly scalable solutions that increases IT staff productivity by enabling user technology and ensures network and applications performance for improved service availability. Alcatel-Lucent partners with world-class business partners, system integrators and hardware vendors to deliver proven solutions that maximize the return on your IT investments. To learn more about these and other management solutions, contact your Alcatel-Lucent sales representative, authorized reseller or sales agent. You can also visit our web site at Alcatel, Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent and Alcatel-Lucent logo are trademarks of Alcatel-Lucent. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The information presented is subject to change without notice. Alcatel-Lucent assumes no responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein Alcatel-Lucent. All rights reserved. P/N Rev. B 2/09