Operational Support

Operational support is the practice of monitoring production systems 24x7 for proper function and high performance. It includes taking rapid action to correct problems that might occur. Typically, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) define the requirements for support. SLAs usually define the levels of criticality of problems and the required response time for each level. If there's a system for submitting and resolving trouble tickets, operational support includes responding to tickets and closing tickets once resolved. Operational support might also include a help desk function.

Providing a high level of operational support requires rapid response to a wide variety of problems:

• Regularly scheduled data feeds in or out might fail or run at the wrong time
• Servers might crash or encounter hardware problems
• Databases and system software might malfunction or run low on space
• Performance might degrade to unacceptable levels
• Networks might have outages or bandwidth problems
• Problems can occur when a new version of an application, system software, or a patch is installed
• Users call or email with questions and problems

The first requirement of operational support is to have trained staff available to respond within the requirements of the SLA. Notifications of problems are normally issued through some combination of email alerts, telephone calls, and/or pages. When Johnston McLamb receives a notification, we:

• Quickly diagnose the cause of the problem
• Devise a solution
• Perform testing to ensure the solution solved the problem
  • If the problem is solved, we close the ticket
  • If further problems arise, or it appears that the problem can't be solved within the limits of the SLA, we escalate the problem as defined in the SLA

Throughout this entire process, we keep the appropriate stakeholders aware of progress and estimated time until the problem is solved.

We bring additional skills to the operation of a help desk:

• Typically, the help desk staff responds to telephone calls and emails from users who have application-related questions. Our help desk staff is very knowledgeable about the application and common problems. They can solve most issues while the caller is on the line.
• We publish Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), eliminating the need for many phone calls.
• If help desk support is provided beyond normal 8am-5pm M-F working hours, we provide multiple shifts of staff.
• Most systems don't require a full time help desk, so our help desk staff members usually support multiple systems. Our people are well trained in each system they support, and the training is updated when systems change or are enhanced.

An important part of the communication process, we keep track of the most frequent problems. We report issues and suggested solutions to IT managers. Here are some examples:

• If a high call volume results from a confusing user interface, we can suggest design improvements to greatly reduce calls and tickets.
• If a recurring problem is evidence of a bug, we report it immediately.
• We also strive to anticipate problems before they occur and take action to prevent the problems. For example, we use automated tools to monitor space and performance and notify the support staff when performance begins degrading or space starts becoming scarce.

We have extensive experience with all facets of operational support:

• Often after we complete the full life cycle development of a system, we continue to provide ongoing operational support.
• Our staff is skilled in providing operational support, including help desk support. Our people are used to functioning in a 24x7 environment where response time must often be within one hour.
• It's our standard procedure to monitor systems and react early to head off potential problems.
• For the U.S. Postal Service alone, we have provided 24x7 operational support for dozens of systems over more than 12 years.