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How to Integrate your IT Service Desk and Fault Management Systems

Integrate

Although having a two-way integration between your Ticketing System and the Fault Management platform is common within large Service Providers, it’s less frequent within other sectors.

That’s probably because within Service Providers it’s typical to have whole teams to review the tools that are used to facilitate IT Service Delivery. Anywhere else, it’s usually just another job on a long list!



That’s a shame though because the benefits are obvious; both the system types manage data that is incoming, providing information about faults, or potential faults with the IT Service that are being delivered.

One is typically providing information from users and customers (the Ticketing System) and the other machine data from the managed objects within a complete IT service (your Fault Management / Monitoring tools).

While its fairly simple within most enterprise class ticketing systems to configure the ability for a trap or email from the monitoring software to open a ticket, it is sometimes less easy to develop this further and instigate a work flow that is a little more sophisticated…
For integration between these two technology stacks to truly pay dividends, an audit of requirements needs to be completed and documented from which a configuration design can be created.
Option Description Pros Cons

Buy a 1 Vendor Solution

Example

There are a number of vendors out there that provide both ticketing systems and monitoring platforms that integrate together.

• One source of support.
• Usually designed or developed to work together.

Requires 1 vendors strategy across the multiple teams in the business
• Sometime they may only have a strong offering in one aspect

Use Established API’s
 

Example

Start from either the Ticketing System or the monitoring platform and check out what established partner API’s they have available, this then becomes your shortlist.

• Usually tested and approved by both vendors.
. Supported

• May be limited number of options to possible workflows.
• Established API’s may not contain your first choice.

Manager of Managers

Example

Correlate information from multiple monitoring tools and your ticketing system to create custom dashboard and reports combining both knowledge sources.

• Does not require a change to the vendors already used in your environment.

• Lots of configuration work may be required.
• Requires an additional layer of technology.
• Not a direct integration (visualization of data only).

Custom Integration
 

Example

Some vendors / partners offer fully supported custom integrations that are designed for their customers on a case by case basis.

• Delivers exactly what the customer wants.
• Supported

• Not off the shelf.
• Requires some development time.

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