3. Do you have IT challenges ?
• Do you know what machines you have got and what is
installed on them ?
– How easily can you find out ?
4. Do you have IT challenges ?
• Why do some machines regularly cause outages while
others never seem to fail ?
• Do you know what machines you have got and what is
installed on them ?
– Do you have sufficient analysis tools to help find out ?
– How easily can you find out ?
5. • Why do some machines regularly cause outages while
others never seem to fail ?
• Do you know what machines you have got and what is
installed on them ?
Do you have IT challenges ?
– How easily can you find out ?
– Can you validate consistency on a regular basis ?
• Are you absolutely sure, for a given application, that all
machines running it are configured identically ?
– Do you have sufficient analysis tools to help find out ?
6. – Do you understand the infrastructure needs for both ?
• Why do some machines regularly cause outages while
others never seem to fail ?
• Do you know what machines you have got and what is
installed on them ?
Do you have IT challenges ?
– How easily can you find out ?
• Are you able to deploy applications via both push and
pull methodologies ?
– Can you validate consistency on a regular basis ?
• Are you absolutely sure, for a given application, that all
machines running it are configured identically ?
– Do you have sufficient analysis tools to help find out ?
8. I can help you meet these
challenges and more
My name is John Pember and over the years I have
developed a number of tools that help address many of
these everyday challenges. I have saved organizations
millions on expensive institutional software and the (even
more costly) consulting services that come with it.
9. This presentation highlights one suite of tools that is
geared towards analyzing, planning and managing a
complex environment. Many of the components are in
use today, helping to meet ITIL and other demanding
standards within the IT environment.
I can help you meet these
challenges and more
My name is John Pember and over the years I have
developed a number of tools that help address many of
these everyday challenges. I have saved organizations
millions on expensive institutional software and the (even
more costly) consulting services that come with it.
10. It will not matter if you are an Opera enthusiast or not, the Verdi suite
of tools will be like music to your ears, as it helps you reclaim control
of your environment.
11. It will not matter if you are an Opera enthusiast or not, the Verdi suite
of tools will be like music to your ears, as it helps you reclaim control
of your environment.
12. • The VERDI Suite Includes:
– Rigoletto + Opera, (PUSH) software deployment
13. • The VERDI Suite Includes:
– Rigoletto + Opera, (PUSH) software deployment
– Falstaff + Operetta, (PULL) software deployment
14. • The VERDI Suite Includes:
– Rigoletto + Opera, (PUSH) software deployment
– Falstaff + Operetta, (PULL) software deployment
– Aida + Attila + Nabucco, conformance tools
15. • The VERDI Suite Includes:
– Rigoletto + Opera, (PUSH) software deployment
– Falstaff + Operetta, (PULL) software deployment
– Aida + Attila + Nabucco, conformance tools
– Aroldo, System and Application analysis
16. • The VERDI Suite Includes:
– Rigoletto + Opera, (PUSH) software deployment
– Falstaff + Operetta, (PULL) software deployment
– Aida + Attila + Nabucco, conformance tools
– Aroldo, System and Application analysis
– Otello, Process analysis
17. • The VERDI Suite Includes:
– Rigoletto + Opera, (PUSH) software deployment
– Falstaff + Operetta, (PULL) software deployment
– Aida + Attila + Nabucco, conformance tools
– Aroldo, System and Application analysis
– Otello, Process analysis
– Oberto, Service analysis
18. – Maestro, data scanning and collection
• The VERDI Suite Includes:
– Rigoletto + Opera, (PUSH) software deployment
– Falstaff + Operetta, (PULL) software deployment
– Aida + Attila + Nabucco, conformance tools
– Aroldo, System and Application analysis
– Otello, Process analysis
– Oberto, Service analysis
19. • All reports and logs are produced in CSV format so
that data can easily be incorporated into a CMDB or
other management database.
– Maestro, data scanning and collection
• The VERDI Suite Includes:
– Rigoletto + Opera, (PUSH) software deployment
– Falstaff + Operetta, (PULL) software deployment
– Aida + Attila + Nabucco, conformance tools
– Aroldo, System and Application analysis
– Otello, Process analysis
– Oberto, Service analysis
20. RIGOLETTO has been used for several years to deploy updates for
the major mission critical application of a leading HMO.
21. RIGOLETTO has been used for several years to deploy updates for
the major mission critical application of a leading HMO.
22. • RIGOLETTO has been updated to meet some of the
new demands for today’s application delivery systems,
including:
– A new OPERA agent for remote installations
– Payloads can be individual files or complete folder structures
– Pre and Post deployment cleanup
– Built-in progress monitoring
– Job completion checking
23. • It also supports:
– Deployment staggering - deliver one night, execute another
– Simultaneous deployments
– Automatic creation of failed delivery target lists
• RIGOLETTO has been updated to meet some of the
new demands for today’s application delivery systems,
including:
– A new OPERA agent for remote installations
– Payloads can be individual files or complete folder structures
– Pre and Post deployment cleanup
– Built-in progress monitoring
– Job completion checking
24. FALSTAFF provides the (pull method) alternative to Rigoletto software
distribution. It will be the distribution tool of choice when a large non
critical deployment is needed.
25. FALSTAFF provides the (pull method) alternative to Rigoletto software
distribution. It will be the distribution tool of choice when a large non
critical deployment is needed.
26. • FLASTAFF provides the front end management for
OPERETTA. That includes setting up jobs and
kicking them off.
27. • OPERETTA is a more intelligent agent [than OPERA]
that takes control of things once FALSTAFF has
passed over the details. It will be responsible for
obtaining the software and starting any installation or
setup process that is needed.
• FLASTAFF provides the front end management for
OPERETTA. That includes setting up jobs and
kicking them off.
28. • OPERETTA will pass information back to FALSTAFF
as work is completed. This gives FALSTAFF the
ability to monitor progress, even though it has no
control over OPERETTA once it has started.
• FLASTAFF provides the front end management for
OPERETTA. That includes setting up jobs and
kicking them off.
• OPERETTA is a more intelligent agent [than OPERA]
that takes control of things once FALSTAFF has
passed over the details. It will be responsible for
obtaining the software and starting any installation or
setup process that is needed.
29. – 0% Client CPU overhead
– Simple (less to go wrong)
inherently reliable
– Very low network utilization even
for 00’s of deployments.
– Other than repository for
payloads, no significant
infrastructure needed.
– < 2% Client CPU overhead
– More complex – has to do more,
so more to go wrong
– Can result in extremely high
network utilization
– Needs significant infrastructure to
support performance
PUSH vs PULL
30. – Reasonable performance in data
center environments. Best for
deployments to low 00’s of
machines.
• Example:
100Mbyte application
100Mbit N/W
180 Installations in a
6 Hour change window
– Very high performance with the
right infrastructure. Able to support
large deployments to 000’s of
machines.
• Example
100Mbyte application
100Mbit N/W
180 Installations in
< 5 Minutes (est.).
Potentially: 1800 Installations in
< 30 Minutes
– 0% Client CPU overhead
– Simple (less to go wrong)
inherently reliable
– Very low network utilization even
for 00’s of deployments.
– Other than repository for
payloads, no significant
infrastructure needed.
– < 2% Client CPU overhead
– More complex – has to do more,
so more to go wrong
– Can result in extremely high
network utilization
– Needs significant infrastructure to
support performance
PUSH vs PULL
31. In general, the Rigoletto + Opera option would be used for critical deployments to servers
within a data center. As it is possible to run simultaneous deployments, perhaps it is all that will
be needed in a small organization.
– Reasonable performance in data
center environments. Best for
deployments to low 00’s of
machines.
• Example:
100Mbyte application
100Mbit N/W
180 Installations in a
6 Hour change window
– Very high performance with the
right infrastructure. Able to support
large deployments to 000’s of
machines.
• Example
100Mbyte application
100Mbit N/W
180 Installations in
< 5 Minutes (est.).
Potentially: 1800 Installations in
< 30 Minutes
– 0% Client CPU overhead
– Simple (less to go wrong)
inherently reliable
– Very low network utilization even
for 00’s of deployments.
– Other than repository for
payloads, no significant
infrastructure needed.
– < 2% Client CPU overhead
– More complex – has to do more,
so more to go wrong
– Can result in extremely high
network utilization
– Needs significant infrastructure to
support performance
PUSH vs PULL
32. Falstaff + Operetta is typically the option that would be used for application deployments to
large numbers of workstations. Both options are essential to a large organization.
– Reasonable performance in data
center environments. Best for
deployments to low 00’s of
machines.
• Example:
100Mbyte application
100Mbit N/W
180 Installations in a
6 Hour change window
– Very high performance with the
right infrastructure. Able to support
large deployments to 000’s of
machines.
• Example
100Mbyte application
100Mbit N/W
180 Installations in
< 5 Minutes (est.).
Potentially: 1800 Installations in
< 30 Minutes
– 0% Client CPU overhead
– Simple (less to go wrong)
inherently reliable
– Very low network utilization even
for 00’s of deployments.
– Other than repository for
payloads, no significant
infrastructure needed.
– < 2% Client CPU overhead
– More complex – has to do more,
so more to go wrong
– Can result in extremely high
network utilization
– Needs significant infrastructure to
support performance
PUSH vs PULL
In general, the Rigoletto + Opera option would be used for critical deployments to servers
within a data center. As it is possible to run simultaneous deployments, perhaps it is all that will
be needed in a small organization.
33. AIDA made a significant impact to the speed and accuracy in testing
software consistency across deployments for a major HMO’s mission
critical application.
34. AIDA made a significant impact to the speed and accuracy in testing
software consistency across deployments for a major HMO’s mission
critical application.
35. ATTILA is a companion tool for AIDA. It is used to create the registry
checking lists that are needed. It also includes the ability to check
registry consistency itself.
36. ATTILA is a companion tool for AIDA. It is used to create the registry
checking lists that are needed. It also includes the ability to check
registry consistency itself.
37. NABUCCO is the other companion tool for AIDA. It is used to produce
the file checking lists. The real power of NABUCCO and AIDA come
from their ability to check consistency using MD5 checksums.
38. NABUCCO is the other companion tool for AIDA. It is used to produce
the file checking lists. The real power of NABUCCO and AIDA come
from their ability to check consistency using MD5 checksums.
39. • AIDA made the single biggest contribution to
ensuring consistency in a large environment. How
else can you quickly and reliably detect a 1 byte
difference in a text file across hundreds of
machines?
40. • The beauty of ATTILA is that it enables the user to
create accurate representation of registry entries (to
be checked), without typographical errors - via an
easy to use interface.
• AIDA made the single biggest contribution to
ensuring consistency in a large environment. How
else can you quickly and reliably detect a 1 byte
difference in a text file across hundreds of
machines?
41. • NABUCCO’s appeal is obviously the ability to create
MD5 checksums on a large scale, via a user friendly
interface.
• The beauty of ATTILA is that it enables the user to
create accurate representation of registry entries (to
be checked), without typographical errors - via an
easy to use interface.
• AIDA made the single biggest contribution to
ensuring consistency in a large environment. How
else can you quickly and reliably detect a 1 byte
difference in a text file across hundreds of
machines?
42. AROLDO, in some respects, is the first tool that any IT department
really needs. Especially if they want to maintain a CMDB.
43. AROLDO, in some respects, is the first tool that any IT department
really needs. Especially if they want to maintain a CMDB.
44. • AROLDO is the tool that is going to tell you what you
need to know in order to make many decisions. A few
examples include, what O/S is running, how much
memory each PC has, disk space utilization,
processor speed or how many instances of a piece of
software you have installed.
45. • Other advantages include the ability to track changes
to machines and to look at the history for specific
machines.
• AROLDO is the tool that is going to tell you what you
need to know in order to make many decisions. A few
examples include, what O/S is running, how much
memory each PC has, disk space utilization,
processor speed or how many instances of a piece of
software you have installed.
46. • It also includes the ability to set up a list of approved
applications and test against it. This can help
determine if non-approved software is being used in
the environment (and where, of course).
• Other advantages include the ability to track changes
to machines and to look at the history for specific
machines.
• AROLDO is the tool that is going to tell you what you
need to know in order to make many decisions. A few
examples include, what O/S is running, how much
memory each PC has, disk space utilization,
processor speed or how many instances of a piece of
software you have installed.
47. OTELLO makes tracking those memory leaks a lot easier. It also
provides a much overlooked ability to compare process operation
between different machines.
48. OTELLO makes tracking those memory leaks a lot easier. It also
provides a much overlooked ability to compare process operation
between different machines.
49. • OTELLO makes the tracking of processes easy.
There is no shortage of tools to allow you to observe
a single process and change its state, if desired. But
how many let you look at processes en masse?
50. • OTELLO makes the tracking of processes easy.
There is no shortage of tools to allow you to observe
a single process and change its state, if desired. But
how many let you look at processes en masse?
• When you want to examine the operation of a
process more closely, it is necessary to set up
inconvenient performance monitoring tools (usually
after an event, when it is too late). OTELLO can
immediately analyze the data results collected by
MAESTRO (soon to be discussed), to see what
changes may have occurred before an event.
51. • In the same vein, the ability to compare process
resource utilization between different machines can
help identify the sources of failure - a useful exercise
that is often overlooked because of the distraction
caused by PIDs.
• When you want to examine the operation of a
process more closely, it is necessary to set up
inconvenient performance monitoring tools (usually
after an event, when it is too late). OTELLO can
immediately analyze the data results collected by
MAESTRO (soon to be discussed), to see what
changes may have occurred before an event.
• OTELLO makes the tracking of processes easy.
There is no shortage of tools to allow you to observe
a single process and change its state, if desired. But
how many let you look at processes en masse?
52. OBERTO does for services what OTELLO does for processes. It
also provides a convenient mechanism to examine devices as well
as services.
53. OBERTO does for services what OTELLO does for processes. It
also provides a convenient mechanism to examine devices as well
as services.
54. • OBERTO is a key tool to help you find undesirable
configuration variation in your environment. While it is
easy to find tools to help perform service
management on an individual basis, Oberto is one of
the few to allow easy and regular comparisons
between systems.
55. • It also includes the ability to manage individual
services and devices on those machines, which may
be identified as non compliant.
• OBERTO is a key tool to help you find undesirable
configuration variation in your environment. While it is
easy to find tools to help perform service
management on an individual basis, Oberto is one of
the few to allow easy and regular comparisons
between systems.
56. There are two core components of VERDI that are essential in
helping to realize its overall benefits. The first are server lists, used
by all tools, the second is MAESTRO data scanning.
57. There are two core components of VERDI that are essential in
helping to realize its overall benefits. The first are server lists, used
by all tools, the second is MAESTRO data scanning.
58. • Server Lists are used everywhere and are an
important part of the VERDI management
organization. Having appropriately configured server
lists can significantly improve that efficiency of
systems management. VERDI is equipped with the
strong support for creating and managing these lists.
59. • To gain the full benefits from the Verdi suite, all
machines in the environment need to be examined
regularly. Although each tool is capable of getting the
data it needs, it is best to have that data readily
available; this is the job of the MAESTRO data
scanner. It can be programmed to go out and obtain
needed data in the background, without manual
intervention.
• Server Lists are used everywhere and are an
important part of the VERDI management
organization. Having appropriately configured server
lists can significantly improve that efficiency of
systems management. VERDI is equipped with the
strong support for creating and managing these lists.
60. • The VERDI suite started life as independent tools, with a variety
of names – each designed to meet a different challenge. All
solutions were developed by me, in my own time, and then
adapted to meet the needs of the organization. They can also be
adapted to meet the needs of your organization.
• Some of the tools have remained true to their original purpose,
while others have evolved to meet more generalized needs.
There are yet other tools that have not been included here,
because they do not fall into the Systems Management category.
They include monitoring solutions, packaging, O/S builds,
guaranteed transfers and copies, reboot management, a GUI
interface for PSTools and many other minor utilities.
If you are as keen to make a difference as I am, call me now:
Home: 925 935 4313
Mobile: 925 313 1892
Email: jlpember@hotmail.com
