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How many servers does it take to support Remedy?

RightStar TeamMarch 26, 2013
Provisioning the infrastructure to support your new BMC Remedy ITSM Suite is critical to the successful adoption of your solution.  If your users are experiencing a system that is slow and unresponsive, it’s going to be difficult to get them to use it. There seem to be varying opinions regarding the infrastructure needed to support the Remedy solution.  In some instances, it seems as if those that purchase the ITSM Suite have the idea that the software will install and run on one server.  The Remedy solution is made up of multiple servers and applications.  The ITSM Suite is just one of them. In this example, a client would like to implement a module to track changes, and they would like to be able to view the impact of the change on their environment.   Also, they have a set time to complete the change and would like to track those times in the system as well.  In addition, they want to send emails to their end users regarding the status of their changes.  They have plans to implement the Incident, Knowledge, and Service Request Management modules.   The above requirements, on the surface, may appear to include a server and one or two Remedy modules. However, to meet these requirements, the following servers and modules in the environment should be implemented (at a minimum): Server 1: ARS Server 1*
  • The AR System Server which is the engine for running the applications
  • The CMDB Core which contains the CIs and their relationships as well as the Product Catalog
  • The Atrium Impact Simulator to view the impact of the change on the environment
  • The ITSM Suite which includes Change Management and Asset Management.
  • The Change Management Module for submitting and working change requests.
  • The Asset Management Module is the view into the CMDB and one of several methods for conducting an impact analysis.
  • The Service Level Management module to manage defined service targets
  • The SMPM Model for work instruction and Process
  • Install Help for supporting information regarding the modules
  • The email engine to send emails
Server #2:   Mid-Tier Server
  • The Remedy Midtier so users and support staff can access the system via a web browser
Server # 3:   Database Server
  • A SQL or Oracle Database
* The ARS server can be scaled for larger implementations by using server groups and integration servers.  Also, the email server can be implemented on a dedicated server to improve performance. Note that only loading one module of the ITSM Suite can cause significant difficulties when trying to install and integrate the applications in a later phase.  We recommend installing the entire ITSM Suite, then implementing and license the module on an ongoing basis. The solution architecture is sized depending on the volume levels and activity you expect.  BMC does provide best practice minimum sizing recommendations.   Our technical consultants are well-versed on the sizing requirements and can assist in helping to define the architecture that will work best in your environment. Once the infrastructure is provisioned and the applications are installed, then what?  The next blog article will detail the foundation data and configurations to be completed to utilize the applications.