IIJ Adds the Configuration Management and ITSM Tool functions to IIJ Unified Operation Management Service

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TOKYO-September 15, 2021-Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (TSE1: 3774), one of Japan's leading Internet access and comprehensive network solutions providers, today announced the addition of new functions to its Unified Operation Management (UOM) Service, which automates monitoring and operation tasks for enterprise systems, from on-premise to the cloud. The new Configuration Management and ITSM(*) Tool functions will help make multi-cloud management more efficient. IIJ will start offering them on October 1, 2021.

In recent years, IT systems departments have seen their roles change drastically. These changes come from companies which have been increasingly using multi-cloud computing through AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and other public cloud services, depending on their business needs. In addition to ensuring security and license management, multi-cloud system operations require a more advanced framework to control and manage the entire IT system distributed over multiple clouds, including integrated monitoring, system configuration management, and operational status overview. As such, growing administrative burdens and labor shortages are becoming problems for IT systems departments.

The UOM Service offers abundant features which IIJ has developed in-house through many years of experience. It also includes a full lineup of templates packed with the expertise of the system administrators who created them. In response to the issues that arise when using multi-cloud services, IIJ is now adding two functions to its existing system monitoring and operation automation tools: a Configuration Management and ITSM tool developed based on its knowledge of multi-cloud operations cultivated through SI and outsourcing services. The Configuration Management function automatically collects and centrally manages system configuration information (inventory) distributed within the company and on multiple clouds. On the other hand, the ITSM tool centralizes process management for system operation tasks after standardizing and visualizing them as workflows.

IIJ will continue to expand its function lineup, and by FY2022, IIJ plans to provide an automated build function that automatically delivers system build, monitoring, and operational settings based on registered templates, alongside a help desk function that provides FAQs and announcements for system users and administrators. It will develop UOM as an "operations hub" that provides integrated support for system monitoring and operations and business operations in multi-cloud environments.

• (*)IT Service Management (ITSM): A framework for the information system department to stably provide the necessary IT services to the end-user departments and manage continual improvements.

Conceptual diagram

• Visit the following websites for more details on the different service options:
  https://www.iij.ad.jp/biz/uom/ (Japanese language only)

The new functions offer the following features

Configuration Management

This function collects information of configuration, license, and maintenance management from each system distributed on multiple clouds. With an automatic inventory management system, it then creates an always up-to-date system management ledger on the configuration management DB. It automatically records and inventories various system configuration data on the DB, including data on nodes (CPU, memory, disks, and IP addresses), software (middleware and patch information), and public clouds (configuration management data acquired through APIs). System administrators can review and change the latest system information on a screen, while registering and setting notifications for maintenance and license expiration dates to prevent missed updates. Moreover, configuration data is automatically updated and always kept up-to-date, eliminating the need for periodic inventory counts and improving operational efficiency.
IIJ provides configuration management templates specialized in AWS and Microsoft Azure services, and monitoring settings among UOM's monitoring function, Amazon CloudWatch and Azure Monitor.

ITSM Tool

The ITSM tool creates tasks for system administration operations, including responding to inquiries from service desks, troubleshooting, performing system updates, and releasing new functions. It also allows system administrators to manage process chains that involve investigating the impact of related systems, sharing findings with relevant personnel, and reviewing results with managers. The GUI visualizes work processes through graphical workflows. System operators can manage test and live operation records using standardized workflows, preventing gaps in work quality across various tasks in multi-cloud administration. Rapidly create workflows by customizing existing templates that include management tools for incidents, system changes, requests, and issues.
The tool bolsters IT administration systems by incorporating system administrator approval processes into all workflows. Furthermore, when an incident occurs in system monitoring, the tool automatically issues a ticket in response to an alert to prevent omissions and delays.

Pricing

	Initial Fee	Monthly Fees
IITSM Tool	N/A	Monthly fee: JPY50,000 base, with user licenses at JPY2,500 per user
Configuration management	N/A	Monthly fee: JPY500 per node

IIJ will continue developing UOM's functionality, reducing system operation loads and improving operation quality through efficiency and standardization, and supporting its customers' multi-cloud usage.

The statements within this release contain forward-looking statements about our future plans that involve risk and uncertainty. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results.

• (*) All company names and service names used in this press release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.