FedSM · Service Management in Federated e-Infrastructures

The FedSM project aims at formalising IT Service Management (ITSM) and introducing industry-standards-based ITSM processes in Federated e-Infrastructures. In the last decade, Federated e-Infrastructures have evolved from a set of ad-hoc academic services to a European scale resource for the science and technology sector.<br/>ITSM approaches (like ITIL or ISO/IEC 20000) provide sets of processes and good practices, widely used in the commercial sector, that are used to build business and service provisioning models, structure business and management activities, and define, agree and operate services based on binding, well-understood agreements (service level agreements, SLAs) or contracts.<br/>FedSM will act in a way analogous to commercial ITSM consultancy, engaging with three 'client organisations': two National Grid Infrastructures and the European Grid Initiative, which are all part of the project consortium and committing to adopting an ITSM approach. FedSM will analyse their specific situations, provide new models for their processes and support them in assessing and implementing this new ITSM approach. To this end, FedSM will focus on (1) supporting the definition and implementation of business models, services, processes and a proto standard for Federated Infrastructure ITSM, (2) building up ITSM knowledge in the 'client organisations' through professional training and internationally recognised certification, and (3) consulting the 'client organisations' in defining their specific requirements for automated solutions and selecting adequate tools.<br/>FedSM will not be limited to supporting the involved 'client organisations' in implementing ITSM. Based on the client-specific ITSM programs and the lessons learned, a generic conceptual framework for implementing ITSM in Federated e-Infrastructures based on different business models in the areas of Grids and federated clouds will be developed.