RE: iSeries Support Question

Lot of folks are making good points about how this is a tough number to
come by, so please consider this to be just an example.  At my current
employer, there are distinctions between systems administration,
operations, application administration, and end-user support.  You could
also add an infrastructure group that handles the network aspect.

Sys Admin - Hardware & OS upgrades & maintenance, capacity planning, 2nd
level support for HW & OS, handles some calls to IBM support, web server
configs, all aspects of system configuration, SOX compliance, SAS70
compliance, change management, loosely supervise operations activities,
BCDR activities.

Operations - 27x7 monitoring for system messages, tape handling, backups
and offsite tape rotation, scheduled procedures, some calls to IBM
support (mostly for hardware issues like failed disks).

Application Administration - 2nd level support for in-house & ISV apps
including ERPs and utilities, developers, work with sys admin on
relevant issues like app compatibility with new OS releases/CUMEs, sys
config changes, capacity planning, etc.

End-user Support - 24x7 help desk.  Scripts to handle the most basic
stuff ("0 level support"), then escalate to a first level app support
team.  They can handle just about everything but can escalate to Sys
Admin for systems issues after some diagnostics or to App Admin for
major app issues.

Infrastructure Group - 24x7 network operations staff to actively monitor
the network and state of all servers.  If something goes down they
notify the appropriate team/person.  Ideally they see outages before end
users do.  There's also a network group that maintains the networking
components - routers / switches / firewalls / etc.

We're a global company with two iSeries machines, both 570s. The systems
are LPARed and the apps we run are deployed in 45 countries at last
count.  Thankfully we're not truly 24x7.  24x5.5 (Sunday afternoon
through Friday night) is closer to reality for us although we have our
fair share of weekend workers.

Operations and Infrastructure are outsourced and end-user support is a
blend of internal staff & outsourced (initial call level is outsourced).
It's proven easier and more cost effective for us to outsource these
functions.  Prior to about 18 months ago we didn't do too much on a
truly global scale.  Now, it's easier to go with a service provider who
can handle the time zones and language issues than it is to bulk up on
internal staff.  And, as a service provider ourselves, we're drinking
our own Kool Aid.

I am currently the sole iSeries Sys Admin and it is not near a full time
job.  I've taken on other duties as well, hence my current job title.
iSeries management takes less than half my time.  There is a Server Team
to handle the couple hundred Windows machines and a smattering of
Solaris.


John A. Jones, CISSP
Americas Information Security Officer
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.
V: +1-630-455-2787 F: +1-312-601-1782
john.jones@xxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Ashok.Dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 5:29 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: iSeries Support Question

Hello all,
does anyone know of any benchmarking or best practice regarding number
of system admin. staff required per system?
Eg. is the ratio 5 systems/sysadmin, or 9 systems per sysadmin, etc.

thanks
Ashok 

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