Lecture Notes on Operations Management and Cloud Security

Flashcards about Operations Management, Monitoring, Maintenance, Change and Configuration Management, Release and Deployment Management, DevOps Security, and Problem and Incident Management

What is the purpose of reducing variability in cloud security?

To minimize changes to a cloud environment and mitigate potential security risks arising from unexpected configuration changes.

What key functions of IT service management are fulfilled by data center operators understanding their resource utilization and demand?

Service-level management, availability management, and capacity management.

What is the purpose of service-level management?

Ensures that the IT organization is fulfilling its obligations to internal and external customers.

What is the purpose of availability management?

Improves the resiliency of IT services to ensure their ability to meet customer needs.

What is the purpose of capacity management?

Ensure that IT resources are sufficient to meet current and future business demands.

Name tools used for monitoring software, hardware, and network components in real-time.

OS logging, Cloud Application Telemetry, Hardware monitoring, and Network monitoring.

What ambient conditions are important to monitor in a data center?

Temperature and humidity.

What are the general ASHRAE recommended temperature ranges for a data center?

64 degrees to 81 degrees F (18 degrees to 27 degrees C)

What are the general ASHRAE recommended humidity ranges for a data center?

Dew point of 15 degrees to 59 degrees F (-9 degrees to 15 degrees C), relative humidity of 60%

What tasks must be successful when a device is put into maintenance mode?

All operational instances are removed, new logins are prevented, logging is continued/enhanced.

What are the elements to include in the update process within the operator's governance?

Document initiation details, move through change management, apply update, verify update, validate modifications, return to normal operations.

How are upgrades different from updates, and what documentation detail is crucial?

Upgrades replace older elements, require documentation of changes in the asset inventory, including removal and disposal of old elements.

What are patches in software management and what differentiates them from updates?

Patches are similar to updates but are differentiated by their frequency, often for immediate response or routine purposes.

What are the two options for patch implementations and what is a benefit of each?

Automated (faster delivery, reporting function) and Manual (trust in personnel to identify anomalies).

What information is needed for Change and Configuration Management?

The asset inventory, the hardware/software, media, documented records of configuration, versioning, deviations, exceptions, and rationale.

Define Change Management.

The process used to review, approve, and document any modifications to the environment.

Define Configuration Management.

Documenting the approved settings for systems and software, which helps establish baselines within the organization.

What is a Baseline?

An accurate account of the desired standard state for change and configuration management, including a comprehensive asset inventory and standard system build.

What should be included in the security controls within a baseline?

Thorough description of each control’s purpose, dependencies, and supporting rationale.

Why is it important to continually test baselines?

To determine that all assets are accounted for and to detect anything that differs from the baseline.

What is the purpose of the CM board (CMB)?

Review change and exception requests to determine enhancement of functionality, funding, security impacts, and necessary measures.

What does the initial baseline process look like?

Full asset inventory, codification of the baseline, secure baseline build, deployment of new assets

What is Release Management (RM)?

A software engineering process concerned with arranging all required elements to successfully, repeatably, and verifiably deploy new software versions

Name things encompassed by the scope of Release Management.

Planning, scheduling, and deploying new software

What is the purpose of DevOps Security?

Aims to create cross-functional teams to ensure smoother, more predictable software delivery by encouraging tighter collaboration and more feedback.

In IT service management, what is the definition of an incident and a problem?

An incident is an unplanned event that causes a service disruption, and a problem as a potential cause of an incident.