Diagramming ITS Infrastructure and ITIL Services with Visio David Cuthbertson www.assetgen.com www.squaremilesystems.com
AssetGen Overview Based in UK Business Processes Departmental, Company Develop software for documenting medium/large IT infrastructure with Visio automation a key feature Services End user, infrastructure, supplier Applications PC, server, mainframe, SOA Virtual Infrastructure PCs, Network, Servers, Storage, DBMS Training and project support via sister company Square Mile Systems Fixed Infrastructure Hardware Infrastructure PCs, Network, Servers, UPS, Storage, Other (Cabling, Power, Cabinets, Rooms, Buildings)
Agenda Understand different ways to use Visio Data centres, networks, cabling, ITIL services Quick tips for ITS diagramming using Visio Some features that you should know about Automating the diagramming process Plus any questions you may have
A Few Questions From Me Who has created or viewed more than 10 Visio diagrams this year? Who typically documents inventory data in Excel and diagrams in Visio? Who has had a Visio training course in the last 3 years?
Visio History Stand alone business, acquired by Microsoft Last non-ms versions had auto-discovery, extensive equipment templates Current Versions Visio 2007/10 Standard Visio 2007/10 Professional* Visio 2010 Premium Visio 2007/10 Viewer (runs in IE browser) * recommended
Version Differences (1) Templates and Shapes
Version Differences (2) Data Integration Diagram Sharing
Visio Concepts and terms Shape Shape properties Connector Background Layer Stencil Template RTR-BHAM-01
Visio Resources And Help Microsoft web site Books Linkedin group Visio Enthusiasts Equipment manufacturer web sites Cisco, Commscope, Siemon HP, Dell, IBM, others www.visiocafe.com 3rd Party stencils netzoom, others www.altimatech.com Visioguy www.visguy.com
Good or bad?
Basics of Diagramming 1. What you see 2. The extra data you get if you click on a symbol 3. How you get to more / less detail
Best Practice Diagramming 1. Title 2. Purpose Contoso, Inc. IT Purchase Request Sales team proposed expansion 3. Author Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition 4. Version 5. Date 6. Instructions Windows Storage Server 2003 CPU (MHz) 1.4 Memory (MB) 1024 IP Address 10.0.1.5 Windows Storage Server 2003 CPU (MHz) 1.26 filestore-sales-01 CPU (MHz) 3 Memory (MB) 2048 IP Address 10.0.1.51 Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition CPU (MHz) 3.2 Memory (MB) 2560 IP Address 10.0.1.52 sql-sales-01 sql-sales-02 web-sales-02 Administrator Don Hall 7. Symbols Memory (MB) 768 IP Address 10.0.1.6 filestore-sales-02 Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition CPU (MHz) 3 web-sales-03 Administrator Don Hall 8. Attributes Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition CPU (MHz) 2 Memory (MB) 2048 IP Address 10.0.1.53 sql-sales-03 9. Connections Memory (MB) 1536 IP Address 10.0.1.14 ftp-sales-01 10. Grouping 11. Background / layers
Diagram Navigation 1. Double click on a shape Drill into 2. Hyperlink - web page Portal, monitoring 3. Hyperlink document Recovery doc, test results 4. Hyperlink -to a Visio page Drill down / across 5. Hyperlink - to a specific Visio shape Other instance of device What happens to the links when we save to a web page?
The Diagram Creation Process 1. Purpose 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Gather data Define shapes Transfer data to diagram Layout Add extra detail for readability Save 1. Which takes the most time? 2. Where can errors creep in? 8. Send / publish diagram
Advanced Visio Concepts Keeping file sizes small Linking Visio to external data Excel, db Data graphics and display In House templates / stencils Visio add ons
Why a difference in file size? Blank Diagram 1 Blank Diagram 2 1995kB 12kB Why is one file 166 times greater than the other, when neither has any thing on a page? Tip be careful reusing an old diagram!
Multiple Diagrams Floor Plan Rack Position BLADE_BIRM01 BLADE-BIRM01.BLADE-SW2 UK_BIRM01_BLADE-05 UK_BIRM01_BLADE-04 UK_BIRM01_BLADE-12 UK_BIRM01_BLADE-03 UK_BIRM01_BLADE-02 UK_BIRM01_BLADE-10 UK_BIRM01_BLADE-01 UK_BIRM01_BLADE-09 BLADE-BIRM01.BLADE-SW1 H/W Build Service impact UK_BIRMCC_PDU1 SW-BHAM- CORE1 SW-BHAM- CORE2 9 9 9 9 9 PWR01-03-A PWR01-04-A PWR01-05-A PWR01-06- A PWR01-07-A SW-BHAM-01 SW-BHAM-03 SW-BHAM-06 SW-BHAM-05 SW-BHAM-04 SW-BHAM-02 UK_BIRM_UX01 UK_BIRM_UX02 UK_BIRM_UX09 UK_BIRM_UX10 UK_BIRM_UX03 Power UK_BIRM_UX05 Supply UK_BIRM_UX07 UK_BIRM_UX04 UK_BIRM_UX06 UK_BIRM_UX08 Network Connections UK_BIRM_UX01 UK_BIRM_UX02 UK_BIRM_UX09 UK_BIRM_UX05 UK_BIRM_UX03 UK_BIRM_UX06 UK_BIRM_UX07 UK_BIRM_UX04 UK_BIRM_UX08 UK_BIRM_UX10 9 9 9 PWR01-03-B PWR01-04- B PWR01-05- B 9 UK_BIRMCC_PDU2 PWR01-06- B PWR01-07- B 9
Linking to Excel / Databases Lists/Inventory Diagrams Examples Excel Visio Inventory to rack layout Inventory to network diagram Rack list to floor plan Power usage to floor plan Database Visio Application list to service map Switch links to network diagram
Visio Data Graphics Standard feature 2007/10 Professional Enables use of embedded data Display multiple text fields around a shape Data bars to show capacity Use icons for status differences Change shape colour based on data value
Quick Ways (1) Floor plan Cabinet layout Floor boxes Networks ITIL Service Map Data Graphics Web pages
Quick Ways (2) Get a System to Create Them For You! Data Source(s) Software Application Visio Diagrams Create Compare Update Examples: Infrastructure management toolsets Auto-discovery Testing Monitoring
Questions? Visio features Visio standards for consistency Automation of Visio diagrams
Visio Summary Great tool with lots of features, many of which are unknown or misunderstood To spend less time using Visio Have common templates and stencils Link Visio to a data source For creation and updates For different views of a component Look at specialist tools that automate the creation and maintenance of Visio diagrams
Thank You For Listening Diagramming ITS Infrastructure and ITIL Services with Visio David Cuthbertson www.assetgen.com www.squaremilesystems.com