MANAGED infrastructurE

Although here at Quanza, we do everything in our power to prevent it, in some cases, incidents occur. Quanza works with a ‘fix first, fight later’ mentality. This means that we first solve the incident and only then look at the exact cause. This way, your organization will always perform optimally.

An incident is an individual event in which a component of your Network & Cloud infrastructure does not perform as it should. This can be detected by Quanza’s active monitoring, by your own organization, or in some cases, even by end-users.

Nobody is waiting for a long process to reconstruct the situation when the incident is resolved. Still, we want to prevent an incident from occurring again. That is why we make sure that we record everything in an Incident Management System. Every step of the process, from the first signal in the monitoring to our solution, is recorded.

When it comes to incidents, it is most important that they are resolved as quickly as possible. Quanza is set up in such a way that employees are always on standby to resolve any incidents. Solving incidents has priority over all other work. Hence, the maximum resolution time is low and is fixed in The Service Level Agreement.

Your organization is dynamic. The same should apply to your Network & Cloud infrastructure. This means that changes can always take place. Quanza defines a change in the same way as the ITIL framework: “an action that leads to a new status of one or more configuration items.”

In a network, all kinds of devices are linked together, which means that changes to one device almost always have an impact on other devices. Whether the change is simple or complex, the governance model within Change Management helps mitigate these risks. In most cases, this can be estimated within our standard services.

A prerequisite for guaranteeing the stability of your network is an overview of all devices and connections in the network. Making and keeping this list is called Asset Management.

Each new asset is added to the list, which we call your Installed Base. This also happens when assets are removed, or properties change.
In addition, Quanza will periodically review the entire Installed Base to rule out any inaccuracies. After this periodic check, the Service Manager will discuss this list with you. This way, you are always assured of a clean and minimally complex network.

We store the Installed Base in a secure database. In addition to an overview of assets, we also keep track of the characteristics of these assets. These include the brand and type of an asset, but also things like serial numbers, capacity, current firmware or the (vendor) support contract.

Upon request, we link the Installed Base to the Knowledge Portal. This gives your organization 24/7 access to the most current data.

Up-to-date hardware and software are vital for organizations that always want to perform optimally. With Patch Management, Quanza ensures your hardware and software is up-to-date. We monitor your devices to see to what extent they are equipped with the most optimal software or firmware. Patch Management helps in multiple areas:

Security

Patch management fixes vulnerabilities in software or firmware that could expose you to cyber-attacks.

Availability

Patch management ensures that software and firmware are up-to-date and run as smoothly as possible to positively contribute to the highest uptime.

Compliance

With a continued increase in cyber-attacks, many organizations need to proactively take steps to comply with certain corporate standards or legislation. Patch management is essential to meeting this as an organization.

We make sure that your devices are up-to-date, so you don’t have to worry about known risks or new software and firmware. Quanza will proactively check if newer versions of software or firmware are available. We always check first if it is necessary from a security point of view to roll out these versions. It is also possible that a new firmware leads to new functionality that benefits the stability of the network. Both situations fall under Patch Management.

Virtually all equipment purchased (or taken under management) as part of Managed Infrastructure requires a Support Contract to function optimally. This contract ensures that you are entitled to software and firmware updates that are necessary for Patch Management. In addition, it is often the case that you can fall back on technical support from the vendor in case of problems with equipment with a support contract.

Vendor Support is a service where these renewals are automatically arranged for your organization. This applies of course, to the equipment you have purchased through us, but also to your own equipment that is not managed by us but is signed up for this service.

We will notify you well in advance of upcoming renewals. Prices change, and when the current Support Contract is no longer the most advantageous, we will offer an alternative. When we are your preferred supplier, your organization also benefits from commercial advantages.

So, with Vendor Support Management, you don’t cover the cost of the renewals themselves, but they are executed on time at the most advantageous terms.

When the entire network is in the hands of an external party, it is extra important that there is a clear overview of how the network is organized. Configuration Management by Quanza provides that overview and is a standard part of every Managed Infrastructure environment. Quanza uses a CMDB (Configuration Management Database) for this purpose.

A CMDB stores all the information related to the equipment within your network. They are components that are used for the delivery of Network & Cloud services. Among other things, a CMDB contains a list of devices and their mutual relationships. And that is not just for information purposes. Quanza uses that same CMDB to gain insight into the mutual relationships within the network. At a minimum, the following information can be found in a CMDB:

1. Technology – Details of your equipment such as software versions, model numbers, hardware specifications and other details, such as network speeds and storage space.
2. Ownership – Component of financial asset management. Ownership characteristics, purchase date and warranty period, location, and responsible contact person.
3. Relationships – The relationships between devices, for example, which device is connected to which port of a switch or router.
4. Vendor support and license management – the current status in terms of support and support contracts as well as associated licenses.

Configuration Management is more than managing the CMDB. It helps the organization perform service management processes such as incident management, change management and problem management. This is an essential tool for decision makers who need this information to improve the cost, quality and performance of Network & Cloud service.

Lifecycle Management is one of the most valuable services within Quanza Managed Infrastructure, when it comes to the long term. Like an aging car, there comes a point when the risk becomes too great to continue driving. At the same time, you don’t replace a car the first time you have a repair. You make the same consideration when it comes to your Network & Cloud infrastructure.

With a clear status of current equipment, it is possible to make good decisions about your infrastructure needs and services. Whether it be the consolidation or replacement of equipment, with Lifecycle Management, we help make better purchasing decisions by comparing the age of a piece of equipment with its economic and technical lifetime. We do this proactively, both when the situation arises and also at least once a year via an extensive report. The advantages:

• Better predictability of future needs in your network
• Better informed purchasing decisions
• Improved quality of Network & Cloud services
• Proactive replacement of equipment
• Assist in the preparation of budgets and your multi-year budget
• Reduces risk through timely replacement of obsolete equipment

With Capacity Management, you can solve capacity problems before they occur. Quanza keeps exact track of the current load on your devices. Based on continuous analyses, we determine exactly the capacity needed and when it is needed. This not only prevents capacity shortages but also the risk of disruptions. With Capacity Management, Quanza also ensures that surpluses of capacity are prevented as much as possible. Our experts take much pleasure in reducing your monthly costs. For example, by preventing overcapacity, we signal upcoming overloads or a required expansion.

By default, the following key performance indicators are read and recorded:

• CPU usage
• Available memory
• Current temperature
• Disk usage
• Bandwidth usage
• Network interfaces
• License Management

We produce a clear monthly report. This consists of actual measured data, visualizations and an analysis of the infrastructure. When significant problems are predicted (or have occurred), we proactively formulate a solution for the situation and implement it upon consultation.