All You Need to Know About an Efficient IT Infrastructure Playbook [Free PDF Attached]

Why is IT Infrastructure Essential?

Today, almost every organization requires setting up an IT infrastructure deployed with a cloud computing system. But what every organization fails to understand is complete guidelines for its set-up.

Henceforth, there comes the need for a competent IT Infrastructure playbook that can guide you through the overall exchange of information optimally. Thus, we have done the same for you in this playbook.

Additionally, IT Infrastructure playbook is vital for an organization as it reduces communication barriers and inconsistencies inherent in its structure. Moreover, IT Infrastructure enables firms to:

• Improve employee productivity
• Collect data in real-time
• Provide a positive customer experience & make quick decisions
• Launch & develop solutions for market

Also, technology has proved itself nearly in every aspect of businesses. So, let’s take a quick dive into more functionalities of IT Infrastructure, where we will read about its types.

Types of IT Infrastructure

Primarily, there are 2 types of IT Infrastructure, they are:

# Cloud Infrastructure

It is the on-demand availability of computer system resources that defines the components required for cloud computing. Additionally, it helps to drive down the costs for economies of scale and enables the virtualization of resources.

# Traditional Infrastructure

It comprises hardware, software, data centers, servers, enterprise application software, etc. Thus, it uses physical data centers to store information for daily operations and efficiently run a complete networking system.

How Does the Components of IT Infrastructure Work?

The two core components of IT Infrastructure include hardware and software. Additionally, the components are made up of interdependent elements. Consequently, the other four components responsible for the management of enterprise IT services and IT environments include:

# Data Center

These are the core of most networks. It is a large group of networked computer servers.

# Server

It allows multiple users to share and access the resources. It’s a core hardware component.

# Network

It is used for sharing resources & is comprised of routers, hubs, switches, etc.

# Facilities

It includes network cabling to connect components of IT infrastructure & provides space for data centers, servers, etc.

# Hardware

It includes components such as:

• Switches
• Routers
• Data Centers
• Servers
• Desktop Computers
• Facilities, etc.

# Software

It includes components such as:

• Web servers
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Operating Systems, etc.

Furthermore, the operating system manages hardware, hardware uses software (operating system), and likewise, all the IT Infrastructure components are interdependent. One works with the working of others, and the other works on either networks or using physical resources.

Build an Optimal IT Infrastructure Playbook By Taking Guidelines from our Efficient & Ready-Made Playbook

Organization's whole team should work together on one project. But they can't do it unless they completely understand what they are doing in the project and how they can contribute to it.

Thus, the best way to make all these things clear is through our IT Infrastructure playbooks. Also, this playbook helps keep the entire team organized and aligned toward their goals.

Let's Look at the Key Slides Included in This Playbook:

Slide 1: IT Infrastructure Playbook – Cover Page

Start your playbook presentation with a competent and insightful cover page. It will present your playbook title and company name with a remarkable image.

Thus, this slide displays the title, i.e., IT Infrastructure Playbook, and your company name.

State the reason for constructing an IT playbook like a story to stakeholders and how & which necessary guidelines to follow.
Moreover, grow their interest in you from this point of presentation.

After that, you can start with your playbook’s principal elements and the agenda of the IT Infrastructure playbook.

Download this 100% Editable Slide from Ready-Made Playbook

Slide 2: Determine IT Infrastructure Management Framework

Now, start presenting essential guidelines for the playbook. The first guideline to include in the playbook is IT Infrastructure Management Playbook. Thus, this slide provides information regarding the framework depicting critical tasks associated & with customer service help desk support levels.

Henceforth, some of the essential tasks associated with IT Infrastructure include:

• Network operations (traffic management & network reviews)
• System operations (account management, performance monitoring)
• Security management (perform vulnerability scans, monitor IPS logs)

Another essential framework you require to include in your playbook is the client environment framework and ABCs Integrated Platform. Thus, it presents details for common monitoring and Level 1 teams.

There are three customer service help desk support levels: first level support (L1) and second/third level support (L2/L3). Vital elements highlighted in the client environment framework are:

• Data Center monitoring & management
• Event correlation
• Client application users
• Client service desk, etc.

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Slide 3: IT Infrastructure Core Areas Assessment Checklist

The next guideline for the IT Infrastructure playbook is the core areas assessment checklist. Hence, this slide provides the IT infrastructure core areas checklist defining key activities essential for effective infrastructure management.

Also, some of the core areas to mention in the checklist for assessment include:

• IT Strategy & performance
• Data and cloud storage
• Hardware and software capabilities
• Risk Management & compliance
• Workflows & additional procedures

Each of the core areas has its defined key activities mentioned in the checklist. Likewise, successive columns for ‘yes’ or ‘no’ are added in front of them where you can select the option as per your IT Infrastructure.

Moreover, one can add comments for each key activity wherever required. Likewise, one has to prepare their IT infrastructure core areas assessment checklist.

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Slide 4: Consolidation of IT Infrastructure Services

Now comes exhibiting IT infrastructure service in the playbook. Thus, this slide provides information regarding the consolidation of IT infrastructure services, such as:

• Web server management
• IAM solution management
• Firewall rule management
• Switch re-configuration

Similarly, in this consolidation of the IT infrastructure services table, one must illustrate details for six essential elements. They are:

• Service phase
• Action
• Prerequisites
• Approver
• Skills/roles
• Expected results

Consequently, showcase information for each service phase, i.e., provision, configure, run, and destroy. The guideline highlights the consolidation of IT Infrastructure services, and one can implement the same for their organization's requirements.

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Slide 5: IT Infrastructure Management - Monitoring & Capacity Planning

Another guideline for the playbook is the display of capacity planning of IT infrastructure using tables and pyramids. Hence, this slide provides information regarding IT infrastructure management through monitoring & capacity planning.

Also, the capacity planning table includes the following elements for IT infrastructure management:

• Monitor (CPU Utilization, memory utilization, network utilization, etc.)
• VMWARE ESX/ESXi (VMWARE)
• Oversized (Yes/No)
• CPU utilization (100% of time CPU utilization, 0% of time memory utilization, etc.)

Moreover, this capacity planning ensures efficient allocation of the enterprise’s capacity & utilization of IT resources such as servers, databases, applications, etc.

Whereas infrastructure monitoring includes:

• Tracking insights about performance diagnostics
• Assessing organizational networks, detecting data centers, etc.

Similarly, one must display this guideline in their playbook that exhibits the structure for the operating system, hardware, & application (software and server).

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Slide 6: IT Systems Automation through Infrastructure Provisioning

Next comes highlighting infrastructure provisioning. Hence, this slide provides information regarding the automation of IT systems through infrastructure provisioning in terms of:

• Server provisioning
• User provisioning

Furthermore, IT infrastructure provisioning improves productivity, enhances cost-effectiveness, allows developers and testers to manage work sessions, etc. It will enable firms in:

• Managing Cloud
• Enable firm in automating deployment, configuration & management functions, etc.

We have also explained server provisioning & user provisioning in this slide of the playbook. Thus, the exact structure must be used while preparing the same IT Infrastructure provisioning through DevOps implementation.

Grab our ready-made playbook that will display every instruction for IT system automation.

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Slide 7: Infrastructure as Code for Overall Process Automation

One must include this guideline in their IT Infrastructure playbook. Thus, this slide provides information regarding infrastructure as a code for overall process automation by managing infrastructure such as virtual machines, networks, etc.

Additionally, we have highlighted the information insightfully in the playbook, and the elements included are:

• IaaC allows infrastructure management in terms of networks, load balancers, etc.
• Plays a vital role in application development by provisioning compute, networking, etc.
• Enables automated provisioning and code management of application running
• Management of infrastructure through source control
• Enable infrastructure testing in terms of unit testing, functional testing, etc.
• Ensure collaboration among infrastructure configuration & provisioning
• Usage of the identical environment throughout the development process
• Faster deployment of infrastructure
• Automated manifests provision in every environment

Likewise, you have to exhibit information for IaaC in your IT infrastructure playbook.

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Slide 8: ITIL Process Areas - Service Strategy & Design

Another vital guideline includes service strategy & design. Henceforth, this slide provides details regarding ITIL process areas in terms of service strategy, service design, & associated sequential activities.

Thus, service strategy includes 2 heads, i.e., processes & sequential activities. The most vital processes to exhibit in the playbook include:

• Demand management
• Strategy management
• Service portfolio management
• Financial management
• Business relationship management

Similarly, service design also includes 2 heads, processes & sequential activities. Also, the processes mentioned in the slide for the service design category are:

• Service catalog management
• Availability management
• Information security management
• Service level management
• Supplier management
• Capacity management, etc.

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Slide 9: Additional Roles Pivotal for Successful Infrastructure Management

Next vital guideline for the IT Infrastructure playbook is defining additional roles. Thus, this slide provides information for additional roles considered pivotal for successful infrastructure management in terms of:

• Release manager
• Automation architect/Integration specialist
• Software tester/developer
• Security Engineer

Thus, all these roles have to be defined in the slide. As a release manager, focus on maintaining end-to-end application delivery, managing coordination, integrity, handling product management, etc.

Likewise, software developers focus on transforming new requirements into code, unit testing deployment, & consistent monitoring. The role of a security engineer is to work simultaneously with developers.

Automation architects perform analysis, design & implement rules for consistent deployments. So, keep track of all these guidelines while preparing a playbook for your organization.

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Slide 10: Selecting Suitable IT Infrastructure Monitoring Tool

Explain ways and assessment of monitoring tools in your playbook while selecting one for your IT infrastructure. Thus, this slide provides information regarding the selection of suitable tools through a comparative assessment based on various features such as:

• Real-time visibility
• Capacity planning
• Network infrastructure monitoring
• Slack notification
• Virtual machine monitoring
• User friendly

• Server & application monitoring, etc.

Furthermore, while selecting a suitable IT infrastructure monitoring tool from assessing these features, one can even mention details for their:

• Platform
• Free trial
• Price

Green tick the features in your IT infrastructure, selecting the most suitable monitoring tool.

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Slide 11: Overall IT Cost Management Dashboard

Last guideline for your IT Infrastructure playbook is to present the cost management dashboard. It provides the IT cost management dashboard information to track IT costs breakdown, return on investment, budget monitoring, etc.

Additionally, to exhibit the cost management for IT Infrastructure, four graphs are used to show the necessary details. They are:

• Return on investment trend during the last 12 months - line chart
• IT cost break down in software, hardware, personal, & SP - pie chart
• Yearly spend vs. budget line graph that depicts total IT cost
• Yearly IT costs vs. revenue line charts that show IT costs in terms of revenue

Similarly, you can illustrate the cost details for your organization’s IT infrastructure using charts. Don’t forget to miss this guideline while preparing your IT Infrastructure playbook.

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End Notes

Here's a 100% Editable IT Infrastructure Playbook. You can use it as a business template or as an inspiration for your own.

This playbook is readable, concise, and actionable. It will give an overview of the feature with enough detail to highlight infrastructure details.

Also, it doesn't need to be too detailed that it becomes hard to maintain over time.

Henceforth, become a member to download top presentations out of thousands of options.

Download the free IT Infrastructure Playbook PDF.