Managing the on-premises Ivanti environment

Ensuring that enterprise service management operations are seamless is crucial.

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Effective service management is central to any organization’s ability to support its internal processes, meet customer needs and maintain high standards of operational efficiency. When running a powerful solution like Ivanti Service Manager that is still available in an on-premises environment, it is critical that you remain mindful of your responsibility to maintain your infrastructure to ensure seamless enterprise service management (ESM) operations.

Here, we cover the key aspects of managing an on-premises Ivanti environment and highlight the critical technical skills and processes required to successfully support this system until you migrate to the cloud!

Database management is a key component of any Ivanti Service Manager on-premises installation. The database serves as the central repository for all data created and processed by the system, from event logs to configuration items.

Why is it important:

• Poorly managed databases can lead to performance bottlenecks, data corruption, and system outage, directly impacting your service delivery.
• Lack of regular maintenance, such as managing logs and disk space, optimizing indexes, and monitoring query performance, can slow down your entire ESM environment, affecting users’ response times.

Best practices:

• Schedule regular backups to prevent data loss in case of unexpected problems.
• Monitor database growth and storage to ensure the database does not run out of disk space.
• Regularly review logs and perform consistency checks to catch and fix problems early.

Networking is another cornerstone of the well-protected Ivanti environment. It ensures that all components of the Ivanti system can communicate efficiently and users can access services without interruption.

Why is it important:

• A poorly configured network can cause latency issues, dropped connections, and interruptions in accessing the service manager platform.
• Network problems can disrupt communication between Ivanti servers and client applications, delay response times to service requests, and impact user satisfaction.

Best practices:

• Implement strong firewall and network segmentation to secure communication between different components.
• Regularly review network configurations and optimize performance to ensure minimum latency.
• Use monitoring tools to identify potential issues, such as packet loss or bandwidth constraints, before they impact operations.

Due to growing cybersecurity threats, it is more important than ever to secure your Ivanti environment. The system often hosts sensitive data such as employee information and service records, making it a potential target for attacks.

Why is it important:

• A security breach can compromise sensitive information, disrupt operations, and damage your organization’s reputation.
• Failure to implement security best practices can expose vulnerabilities that malicious actors can use to gain unauthorized access.

Best practices:

• Implement strong access controls and follow the principle of least privilege for both users and administrators.
• Regularly apply security patches and updates to all systems, including Windows servers and databases, to reduce vulnerabilities.
• Monitor access logs and set alerts for suspicious activity such as failed login attempts or unauthorized access attempts.

Active Directory (AD) and Microsoft Exchange are required to manage user identities and ensure seamless communication in the Ivanti Service Manager environment. They provide the foundation for user authentication, role-based access, and email-based notifications and integration with workflows.

Why is it important:

• Proper management of Active Directory ensures that user roles and permissions are correctly assigned, allowing secure access to Ivanti Service Manager based on organizational roles.
• Integration with Microsoft Exchange is critical for automating notifications such as incident or change request updates and ensuring a seamless user experience.
• Mismanagement of AD and Exchange can lead to issues with user access, delayed notifications, or interruptions in email-based communications, impacting overall service management efficiency.

Best practices:

• Check Active Directory regularly to ensure that user accounts, groups, and permissions are up-to-date and in compliance with the organization’s security policies.
• Monitor Exchange server status and mail flow to ensure Ivanti-related notifications are delivered without delay.
• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) in AD to increase the security of users accessing Ivanti Service Manager.

A successful on-premises Ivanti environment depends on the stability and resilience of the broader IT infrastructure, including servers, storage and virtualization platforms.

Why is it important:

• Unplanned shutdowns, power outages, or inadequate server maintenance can lead to extended outages, impacting your ability to provide consistent service.
• Lack of disaster recovery planning and backup strategies can result in significant data loss and operational disruptions.

Best practices:

• Ensure backup power solutions such as generators and UPS systems have been tested and have adequate fuel or charge levels.
• Regularly monitor hardware health, including CPU, RAM, and disk usage, to prevent hardware failures.
• Create a disaster recovery plan that includes data recovery processes, server failover configurations, and periodic testing of these plans to ensure they work when needed.

Keeping an on-premises Ivanti Service Manager environment running smoothly requires more than just installing and configuring the software. It requires a team with versatile skills that can handle a variety of technical issues that arise during daily operations.

Skills that matter:

• Database administration: Expertise in SQL Server or other database platforms used with Ivanti is critical for managing data integrity, troubleshooting performance issues, and ensuring secure backup of data.
• Networking skills: Understanding protocols, routing, and network troubleshooting allows connection problems to be diagnosed faster, reducing downtime.
• Active Directory and Exchange knowledge: AD and Exchange management skills help maintain user access, role management, and seamless email communication between Ivanti and users.
• Security knowledge: The skills to implement encryption, manage certificates, and secure endpoints are critical to protecting sensitive data within the Ivanti system.
• System administration: Proficiency with Windows Server environments, virtualization platforms, and automation tools such as PowerShell ensures smoother operation and maintenance of the Ivanti platform.

Why these skills are important:

Without these skills, organizations may face constant outages and have difficulty resolving issues quickly. Relying on external support services can also become costly and inefficient, as these services may not always be available for immediate intervention. In-house expertise ensures problems are diagnosed quickly and routine maintenance tasks are handled proactively, preventing problems before they become critical.

A structured change management process is key to maintaining stability in your Ivanti Service Manager environment. It helps prevent unexpected outages and ensures that changes to the system are thoroughly tested and approved before implementation.

Why is it important:

• Direct changes to production environments can lead to system instability and data integrity issues.
• Proper change management keeps stakeholders aware of upcoming changes, allowing them to plan accordingly and minimize disruptions.

Best practices:

• Create a clear change approval process and ensure all stakeholders are informed before implementing significant changes.
• Leverage a development or staging environment to test changes; allow potential problems to be identified and resolved before they impact production.
• Track all changes to maintain a clear history of changes, making it easier to troubleshoot when problems arise.

Managing an on-premises Ivanti Service Manager environment requires a holistic approach that includes database management, networking, security, Active Directory and Microsoft Exchange skills. With these capabilities and adherence to best practices, organizations can ensure seamless ESM operations, provide reliable services to their customers, and remain flexible to adapt to changing business needs.

Investing in qualified staff and implementing structured processes ultimately leads to a more stable, secure and effective service management solution.