5. Organizing for vCloud Operations : 5.2 vCloud Infrastructure Operations : 5.2.1 vCloud Infrastructure Operations Center of Excellence
   
5.2.1 vCloud Infrastructure Operations Center of Excellence
The vCloud Infrastructure Operations Center of Excellence (COE) model is an extension of the VMware Center of Excellence model. The VMware Center of Excellence model has been used by many organizations of various sizes to facilitate the adoption of VMware technology and to simplify the complexity of managing a VMware virtual infrastructure.
The vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE model defines cross-domain vCloud Infrastructure Operations Management accountability and responsibility within team roles across an organization. These team roles enable an organization to consistently measure, account for, and improve vCloud infrastructure operations management.
The COE model further extends operations by including many of the responsibilities previously reserved for the traditional operations team. As vCloud-specific infrastructure operations tools advance they, combined with automated remediation capabilities, reduce the need for dedicated operations roles. Roles evolve to have a deeper relationship to tools and associated operations. For example, instead of having an Availability Management role, availability management capabilities are built into the infrastructure architecture using a tool such as the VMware vCenter Operations Management Suite™ to proactively monitor availability. Automated remediation scripts help resolve anomalies before services are affected.
The vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE is a focused “virtual” team of vCloud infrastructure operations specialists and related functional groups that together form a vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE ecosystem, as shown in the following figure. The ecosystem serves as the focal point for all decisions and actions involving vCloud infrastructure operations.
Figure 7. vCloud Infrastructure Operations Center of Excellence Ecosystem
vCloud Infrastructure refers both to internally provided vCloud infrastructure and to infrastructure provided by an external vCloud provider. The primary roles for members of the vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE core team are described in the following sections.
5.2.1.1. Executive Sponsor
*Provides clear messaging, leadership, and guidance to the entire IT organization and affected organizations about the vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE.
*Drives the cross-domain alignment required to establish a successful, functioning vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE extended team. This level of sponsorship is important for breaking down organizational barriers and mandating integrated process design and implementation across the affected organizations. Cross-domain alignment and integrated process implementation are required to sustain a vCloud infrastructure at the level needed to support service offerings based on vCloud and associated service levels.
5.2.1.2. vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE Leader
This function is referred to as “Leader” in Figure 7.
*Provides leadership and guidance to vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE members.
*Has a direct line of communication to the executive sponsor.
*Works with vCloud Tenant Operations regarding the planned vCloud-based service offering portfolio and any portfolio changes.
*Is responsible and accountable for making sure that the vCloud infrastructure can support service offerings based on vCloud and service levels.
*Actively promotes awareness of the impact of vCloud infrastructure on service offerings and service level support and delivery.
*Facilitates integration of the vCloud infrastructure, for example, for change management, into existing traditional IT operations management processes as needed.
*Coordinates and assists with planning Cloud infrastructure initiatives.
*Provides guidance to Change Management for changes related to the vCloud infrastructure. Might authorize low risk, low impact changes to the vCloud infrastructure. Lobbies on behalf of the vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE for preapproved changes.
*Facilitates development and maintenance of vCloud infrastructure capacity forecasts.
*Manages the acquisition and installation of vCloud infrastructure components.
*Maintains management level relationships with the vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE ecosystem teams.
*Is involved in managing vendor relationships for vCloud infrastructure components.
*Is involved in managing provider relationships with external vCloud providers.
5.2.1.3. vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE Architect
This function is referred to as “Architect(s)” in Figure 7.
*Responsible for including operational considerations in vCloud infrastructure architecture and design.
*Responsible for development and maintenance of vCloud infrastructure architecture and design documents and blueprints.
*Works closely with storage and network groups to architect and design vCloud infrastructure extensions.
*Works with enterprise architects to make sure that the vCloud infrastructure architecture is aligned with company architectural standards and strategies.
*Responsible for architecting and designing the vCloud layer in support of the planned service offering portfolio based on vCloud and any portfolio changes.
*Responsible for working with the IT security team to make sure any architecture or design decisions address security and compliance.
*Responsible for architecting and designing solutions for vCloud infrastructure integration points with ecosystem team systems.
*Provides subject matter expertise to support build, configuration, and validation processes.
*Maintains awareness of VMware software patches and their impact on the environment.
*Develops and maintains operational guidelines for the maintenance and support of the vCloud infrastructure.
*Mentors and provides subject matter expertise to vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE core and ecosystem team members.
*Assists with Tier 3 support to resolve issues related to vCloud infrastructure.
*Develops software and hardware upgrade plans.
*Develops and maintains the availability policy for the vCloud infrastructure consistent with Operating Level Agreement (OLA) requirements.
5.2.1.4. vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE Analyst
This function is referred to as “Analyst(s)” in Figure 7.
*Responsible for the development and maintenance of the vCloud infrastructure capacity forecast.
*Responsible for the day-to-day capacity and resource management of the vCloud infrastructure.
*Works with the IT security team to make sure that the vCloud infrastructure aligns with IT security and compliance policies; assists in developing automated compliance policies.
*Initiates requests for new vCloud infrastructure components.
*Assists with Tier 3 support for issues related to vCloud infrastructure capacity and performance.
*Assists with change management process as applied to the vCloud infrastructure.
*Responsible for maintaining the vCloud infrastructure asset management data.
*Responsible for tracking and analyzing vCloud infrastructure performance, usage, and other operational analytics.
*Responsible for validating billing metering data collected for the service offerings based on vCloud.
5.2.1.5. vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE Administrator
This function is referred to as “Administrator(s)” in Figure 7.
*Deploys and configures vCloud infrastructure components.
*Executes the validation plan when deploying new infrastructure components.
*Works with vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE ecosystem team members to configure vCloud infrastructure components.
*Responsible for auditing vCloud infrastructure component configuration consistency.
*Develops and maintains vSphere and vCloud internal user access roles.
*Creates, configures, and administers vCloud provider-related components, such as vCloud Networking and Security, vCenter Chargeback, and vCloud-specific operational management tools.
*Works with the IT security team to implement vCloud-related security and compliance policies.
*Determines maintenance windows for the vCloud infrastructure consistent with Operating Level Agreement requirements.
*Provides Tier 3 support of the vCloud infrastructure.
*Tests and installs vCloud infrastructure patches.
*Verifies that the vCloud infrastructure is correctly instrumented for monitoring and logging purposes.
*Responsible for working with developers and other teams to implement any required vCloud integration with external systems.
*Works with developers to implement workflows that impact the vCloud infrastructure.
5.2.1.6. vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE Developers
This function is referred to as “Developer(s)” in Figure 7.
*Works with COE ecosystem teams to implement any required vCloud integration with other applications.
*Develops, tests, and deploys vCloud-impacting automation workflow.
*Evangelizes and mentors vCloud COE ecosystem teams about vCloud integration and automation.
*Develops and maintains vCloud integration and automation workflow documentation.
*Works with vCloud COE members and the ecosystem team to establish integration and automation monitoring.
*Works with vCloud COE members and the ecosystem team to establish automated event remediation wherever possible and appropriate.
*Provides Tier 3 vCloud integration and automation workflow support.
Because these roles and responsibilities require unique skills, each role should be filled by a different person. With the exception of the vCloud Infrastructure Operations COE Leader, the number of people taking on each role depends on the scale and scope of the vCloud infrastructure.