Meta-Update Management Summary

Meta-UpdateManagement SummarySoftware Tool House Inc

Ben ChernysMeta-Update in a Nut ShellARS / ITSM Pain Points, How Meta-Update Helps Features & Benefits Customer Case StudiesSoftware Tool House ServicesRelease 5.17

Software Tool House is a BMC Partner2012-Mar-15www.softwaretoolhouse.comwww.softwaretoolhouse.com1Welcome to Software Tool Houses Meta-Update Management Overview. ObjectivesAgenda

www.softwaretoolhouse.com2Our objectives are to introduce you to Meta-Update, show you how Meta-Update will save you money in your Remedy projects, show you what our customers do with Meta-Update, and finally introduce our services to you.Meta-Update In a Nutshell with no need for API or programming skills

with no staging forms, workflow, customizations, orserver changes

www.softwaretoolhouse.com3Meta-Update is an Extract Transform Load tool that functions through the Remedy API. With Meta-Update, any Remedy administrator or developer can automate any ETL data operation. No staging forms and workflow (or development project) are needed. There are no ARS customizations or server changes needed at all. No programming or API skills are needed. Meta-Update gives you unbridled power with surprising simplicity. Meta-Update In a Nutshell

www.softwaretoolhouse.com4Meta-Update is simple. One single ini file is all that is needed. Scripts can be written in minutes. There is a Script Library on the web where scripts can be freely downloaded. No staging forms and merge workflow need be developed. This is a huge saving that compounds every upgrade.

The development, testing, documentation effort reductions with Meta-Update are in the order of magnitude scale. Need a customer on-boarded? Why deal with an expensive and painful project? Get it done, now and sure with Meta-Update.A UsedBy and OwnedBy column contain lists and need to generate appropriate associations.

Needs 2nd CSV to get Class, CTI.Lists of Login IDs need to build CI Associations.Class dependent attributes.BMC_Disk Size attribute is a decimal. Needs normalization.Meta-Update In a NutshellTime and effort savingsSample CSV CI Import

www.softwaretoolhouse.com5Well use this spreadsheet to demonstrate the savings.

It is an interesting spreadsheet because each row must firstly go into different classes based on another spreadsheet that will give the Class and Categorization for a Type. Each row has a list of used by and owned by users for which associations are needed. Some rows have a parent for which a relationship is needed. Finally there are class based attributes and attributes that need transformation such as the 1.5 TB which must be converted into a number.

This was presented live at the WW RUG and the Meta-Update script was actually done and tested in two hours total. It would be almost impossible to do with AIE.

Methods

TasksARS Import Export, staging forms, workflowTemplate-based ProductsMigrator DSO Panacea AIEARS PerlJava API c APISQLMeta-UpdatePrepare table4#N/A#N/A4000#N/A0Develop mapping010000Develop workflow25250000Develop Script001515201Dev Corrections10105551Documentation555551QA555555Total man-days49503030358Costs permanent employee$30,625$31,250$18,750$18,750$21,875$5,000Time to market in calendar months2.52.51.51.51.80.4AssumptionsFully burdened annual employee costs$150,000Paid holidays20Work days in year260Adequate skills in required areas assumed.Management overhead can fluctuate wildly and is not considered.Columns marked #N/A exceed staging forms and do not provide CSV handling required.Done in two hours for a live WWRUG PresentationTime and effort savingsSample CSV CI ImportMeta-Update In a Nutshell

www.softwaretoolhouse.comThis sheet shows the cost savings with alternatives for this task. Note that five days Q & A are added to all alternatives and this is the largest part of the Meta-Update project. In fact, the script was developed and tested enough for a live presentation in a total of two hours.6Meta-Update In a NutshellTime and effort savingsSample CSV CI Import

Done in two hours for a live WWRUG Presentationwww.softwaretoolhouse.comThis is simply a graphical representation of the cost savings. Template based products cannot be used as they can only handle spreadsheets that they supply which must be filled in manually. DSO and Migrator are not set as they would exceed ARS Imports

As you can see, the costs, and notably, the time to delivery, is significantly reduced with Meta-Update.

7 ITSM Data Pain Points

www.softwaretoolhouse.com8ITSM Data is complex. The tables and structures are undocumented. There are some million fields in the 7.6.04 release.

Foundation data and transaction data are hierarchical chains of many records in many forms. There are hidden, redundant, reference fields that must be set correctly for ITSM to function.

Only Meta-Update can deal with such records as a chain causing the needed value transforms to keep these chains together on extract or import.

Current Set of Tools

www.softwaretoolhouse.com9This slide discussed the available set of tools. ARS Import and Export is the standard way to automate these tasks. A staging table and any required Look Up tables will need to be created. Merge workflow will need to be created. This is a time consuming, expense, development project. Problem solving is difficult at best. Changes to mapping take inordinate amounts of time to effect.

Template products are similar to the Data Management tool. They can only accept as input the spreadsheets they are designed for. The data needing to be imported must be manually transposed into these spreadsheets and this manual task is error-prone and time consuming. The customers filling in of the Data Management sheets is the single biggest impediment to an ITSM implementation. This for data that the customer always has available.

Migrator and DSO perform record by record updates. You cannot change values without adding workflow to the target forms. A customization not generally desired.

The API is a sure way to automate anything. However, the API is complex, requires programming skills and is usually slow and expensive to develop. The programmers may not be ARS people and so a communication delay is also introduced.

Direct SQL is another alternative but is not recommended by BMC simply because it bypasses the Remedy application layer. Like the API, specialized, expensive, non-Remedy resources are required also introducing a communication delay.

All these alternatives leave something to be desired.How Meta-Update Helps

www.softwaretoolhouse.com10Meta-Update is a simple way to automate any ETL operation. Migrations, imports, customer on-boarding, reports, any data operation needed can be developed in a fraction of the time of any other alternative.

With Meta-Update, any sources can be handled. There are no staging forms and no merge filters. In fact, no server changes and no application customizations at all are needed.

With Meta-Update, any Remedy ARS developer can quickly and easily automate any ETL operation. Turn around time is significantly reduced. Full logging and auditing is automatic. How Meta-Update HelpsMigrationsITSM releases, Legacy appsImportsOn-boarding, foundation data, CMDB dataCorrectionsChange, merge, adjust data at willExtractsSave and create files of any kind Integrations.Validations

www.softwaretoolhouse.com11Meta-Update uses are only limited by imagination.

FeaturesFeatures & Benefitswww.softwaretoolhouse.com12FeaturesFeatures & Benefitswww.softwaretoolhouse.com13FeaturesFeatures & Benefitswww.softwaretoolhouse.com14BenefitsFeatures & Benefitswww.softwaretoolhouse.com15Customer Case StudiesAgenda

www.softwaretoolhouse.com16Four customer cases are documented for different examples of Meta-Update usage and Software Tool House services.

In the first case, an international outsourcer used Meta-Update entirely by themselves to perform data migrations of 400+ customers from a heavily customized ITSM 5 to ITSM 7.

The second case is an example of a fixed-price ITSM migration performed by Software Tool House.

The third is an example of ad-hoc scripting services to correct a data problem that the customer has had since their ITSM 7 implementation.

The fourth is a complex time and materials project.

Reference: Logica UKCase Studies

www.softwaretoolhouse.com17Logica UK had four UK managers attend the standard one hour Live Install presentation and then assigned all migration scripting development to their internal off-shore team. Logica used only standard Meta-Update support services from Software Tool House. Reference: Logica UKCase Studies

www.softwaretoolhouse.com18This is what the Transition Manager and Project Manager had to say about their experience with Meta-Update.

Reference: Logica UKCase Studies

www.softwaretoolhouse.com19Reference: DataportCase Studies

www.softwaretoolhouse.com20Dataport is an example of Software Tool Houses fixed-price ITSM migration service.

The migration was aligned over the implementation project. Payments were milestone based.

Mapping session were held with the managers of Change, Help Desk, and Asset. In these mapping sessions, the managers selected a set of different records and the Meta-Update scripts would be changed and rerun on those records, bringing them over as a whole, and refresh was pressed on the screens to show the results.

Reference: DataportCase Studies

www.softwaretoolhouse.com21Reference: Met OfficeCase Studies

www.softwaretoolhouse.com22The Met Office is an example of ad-hoc scripting services.

They had 12,000 Computer Systems that were not computer systems at all but belonged in a range of other classes. These records had been worked over a year and were associated with Incidents, Problems and Changes as well as contracts and people and CMDB relationships.

A single Meta-Update script was developed in two days that read a spreadsheet of Computer System selection data and class changes to perform. That script adjusted the product catalogue and replicated the CI with a new instance id in the new class. It also replicated all its associations, relationships, work logs. The script was rerun after manual validation with the same input spreadsheet to delete the original incorrect Computer System CIs.

Insoluble problem live with over a year was solved in a 5 day Software Tool House Ad-Hoc scripting contract.Reference: Met OfficeCase Studieswww.softwaretoolhouse.com23Reference: Cassidian / EADSCase Studies

www.softwaretoolhouse.com24Cassidian is an example of a time and materials contract. Cassidian had a self-developed CMDB, Service Order, Costing, Identity Management database comprising some 200 database tables. Meta-Update was investigated and found to be the only tool capable of performing the complex migration needed. A separate Cassidian project was the migration of a Clarify Help Desk into ITSM Incidents, Problems, and Tasks.Software Tool House Services Overview

www.softwaretoolhouse.com25Software Tool House provides BMC Remedy and ITSM Consulting Services, Meta-Update Training Services, Ad-Hoc Scripting Services, and ITSM Migrations on fixed-price or time and material basis.

Software Tool House people are experts in Remedy, ITSM, and Meta-Update. They know the internal, undocumented structures of ITSM.

With Software Tool House Services, your projects success is assured.Fixed Price ITSM Migrations

Software Tool House Services

www.softwaretoolhouse.com26Our Fixed-Price ITSM Migration Service is documented on the web. This is a short overview.

The initial consult may be chargeable, is used to determine the complexity and scope of the migration, and allows us to offer you a fixed-price for the migration. It comprises workshops and inspection of the system. Deliverables include a Data Summary which details the data that you have and the data that will be migrated.

Mapping sessions are held with the pertinent managers using selected trees of root records. LookUp spreadsheets are designed and filled in.

Full migration tests are done on a development machine to establish timing and validate data.

For large data volumes, migration of older data is started earlier than the migration weekend. During the migration weekend, the source server is set in Administrator mode and the migration is done. Sunday, customer staff inspect the migration and make a Go / No Go decision.

On Monday, the new server is live with the migrated data. Logs are inspected, lists of failures (LookUp failures, missing foundation data etc) are drawn up, corrected on the server, and rerun. Post-production support allows these few failed records to be migrated as well.More InformationMore DetailsMore about ARS Pain PointsMore about Meta-Update

LinksThese links include more slides. You will return here.

www.softwaretoolhouse.com27For more information, click the links on this slide. You will be returned to this slide. The next slide ends this presentation.Next Stepswww.SoftwareToolHouse.comMore InformationCheck out the web sitePick up a trial license with our Live Install and Scripting 101 presentationDownload the Scripting 101 presentation and the Meta-Update Users GuideLook at the samples in the Script LibraryContact Us at www.softwaretoolhouse.comWe Thank You for Your TimeBen Chernys+49 171 380 2329+ 1 403 240 4377

Software Tool House is a BMC Partnerwww.softwaretoolhouse.com28Thank you for attending this presentation on Meta-Update.

For more information, please check out the Web, pick up a trial license, or contact us.

Thank you again for your time. ARS Data Pain PointsAll ARS Applications represent Requests by trees of data records.Records in different forms are connected by referencing data in those records.ARS / ITSM Data Pain Points ChangeRequest IdChange NumberInstance IdThree different keys for a single table.Work LogWork LogDependent tables have their own set of different keys and various combinations of their parents keys.Request IdInstance IdChange Request IdChange NumberChange Instance IdApproversApproversApproversApprovalswww.softwaretoolhouse.com29ITSM Data Pain PointsThe ITSM 7 Suite contains: ARS / ITSM Data Pain Points 1,800 Forms 25,000 Active Links 8,000 Filters

500 Join FormsData is represented by a complex web of differently related records and tables.Reference fields, and tables, are undocumented.www.softwaretoolhouse.com30ITSM Data Pain PointsThe ITSM 7 Suite contains: ARS / ITSM Data Pain Points

Request IDs (field 1) are used as references.Reference fields, and tables, are undocumented.www.softwaretoolhouse.com31ITSM Data Pain PointsThe ITSM 7 Suite contains: ARS / ITSM Data Pain Points

On import, the symbolic name is looked up and the new ID reference is assigned.

Reference fields, and tables, are undocumented.www.softwaretoolhouse.com32What is Meta-Update?Meta-Update is an ARS API Data Scripting Tool. With Meta-Update, one develops proven, repeatable scripts that can be used over and over again.How Meta-Update HelpsWith Meta-Update, an ARS developer - not a programmer - can harness the power of the ARS API in record time!www.softwaretoolhouse.com33What is Meta-Update?Meta-Update is an ARS API Data Scripting Tool. Meta-Update is a new way to harness the power of the ARS API:with no programming at all!With Meta-Update, one develops proven, repeatable scripts that can be used over and over again.How Meta-Update Helpswww.softwaretoolhouse.com34ReferencesARS:$ Field $ A Tag is a reference to an ARS record, file record, SQL row, a named variable set, a diary entry, program arguments, the environment.Meta-Update:$ Tag, Field $

A Field is an ARS fields database name or id, a field defined in a file or SQL query, a program argument, an environment variable, assigned string variable name, regular expression extract, server process.Meta-Update extends the concept of a reference by specifying a record with a field. This allows multiple records field values to be referenced.How Meta-Update Helpswww.softwaretoolhouse.com35References A Tag is a reference to an ARS record, file record, SQL row, a named variable set, a diary entry, program arguments, the environment.How Meta-Update HelpsARS:$ Field $Meta-Update:$ Tag, Field $

www.softwaretoolhouse.com36References A Field is an ARS fields database name or id, a field defined in a file or SQL query, a program argument, an environment variable, assigned string variable name, regular expression extract, server or client process.How Meta-Update HelpsARS:$ Field $Meta-Update:$ Tag, Field $

www.softwaretoolhouse.com37ReferencesARS:$ Field $ A Tag is a reference to an ARS record, file record, SQL row, a named variable set, a diary entry, program arguments, the environment.Meta-Update:$ Tag, Field $

A Field is an ARS fields database name or id, a field defined in a file or SQL query, a program argument, an environment variable, assigned string variable name, regular expression extract, server process.With a few simple words, query results and files are iterated, records are looked up, references are made and used, and with all these Tags in memory at the same time, updates are made and files are output.How Meta-Update Helpswww.softwaretoolhouse.com38What is Meta-Update?Meta-Update in a Nutshell

www.softwaretoolhouse.com39What is Meta-Update?Scripts

Assignmentswww.softwaretoolhouse.com40Assignments allow you to set script variables, assign field values, parse values using regular expressions, launch client and server processes assigning the results to script variable, include other assignment sections. Assignments offer shortcuts to copy fields across different schema or even between schema and files.What is Meta-Update?Scripts

Iterationwww.softwaretoolhouse.com41Each control section, or Meta-Update unit of work, can iterate through the reqults of q What is Meta-Update?Scripts

Outputwww.softwaretoolhouse.com42What is Meta-Update?Scripts

Launchwww.softwaretoolhouse.com43What is Meta-Update?Scripts

Assignmentswww.softwaretoolhouse.com44ObjectivesAgendawww.softwaretoolhouse.com45

Transaction data is tougher than foundation data!ITSM 6 ITSM 7 Migrationwww.softwaretoolhouse.com46Sessions

www.softwaretoolhouse.com47Data Mapping DocumentsMapping

www.softwaretoolhouse.com48Data Mapping DocumentsMapping

www.softwaretoolhouse.com49Data Mapping DocumentsMapping

www.softwaretoolhouse.com50Data Mapping DocumentsMapping

www.softwaretoolhouse.com51Questions?

www.softwaretoolhouse.com52