Diagramming ITS Infrastructure

and ITIL Services with Visio

David Cuthbertson

www.assetgen.com
www.squaremilesystems.com
 AssetGen Overview
• Based in UK Business Processes
Departmental, Company

Services
• Develop software for End user, infrastructure, supplier
documenting medium/large
Applications
IT infrastructure with Visio PC, server, mainframe, SOA
automation a key feature Virtual Infrastructure
PCs, Network, Servers, Storage, DBMS

• Training and project support Hardware Infrastructure

PCs, Network, Servers, UPS, Storage, Other
via sister company
– Square Mile Systems Fixed Infrastructure
(Cabling, Power, Cabinets, Rooms, Buildings)
 Agenda
• Understand different ways to use Visio
– Data centres, networks, cabling, ITIL services
• Quick tips for ITS diagramming using Visio
• Some features that you should know about
• Automating the diagramming process

• Plus any questions you may have

 A Few Questions From Me
• Who has created or viewed more than 10
Visio diagrams this year?

• Who typically documents inventory data in

Excel and diagrams in Visio?

• Who has had a Visio training course in the last

3 years?
 Visio History
• Stand alone business, acquired by Microsoft
• Last non-MS versions had auto-discovery,
extensive equipment templates
• Current Versions
– Visio 2007/10 Standard
– Visio 2007/10 Professional*
– Visio 2010 Premium
– Visio 2007/10 Viewer (runs in IE browser)
* recommended
Version Differences (1)
Templates and Shapes
Version Differences (2)
Data Integration

Diagram Sharing
 Visio Concepts and terms
• Shape
• Shape properties
• Connector
• Background
• Layer
• Stencil RTR-BHAM-01

• Template
 Visio Resources And Help
• Microsoft web site
• Books
• Linkedin group – Visio Enthusiasts
• Equipment manufacturer web sites
– Cisco, Commscope, Siemon
– HP, Dell, IBM, others www.visiocafe.com
• 3rd Party stencils
– netZoom, others www.altimatech.com
• Visioguy www.visguy.com
Good or bad?
 Basics of Diagramming
1. What you see

2. The extra data you

get if you click on a
symbol

3. How you get to

more / less detail
 Best Practice Diagramming
1. Title
Contoso, Inc.
2. Purpose IT Purchase Request
Sales team proposed expansion

3. Author Windows Server

2003, Datacenter
Edition
CPU (MHz) 3

4. Version Windows Storage

Server 2003
Memory (MB) 2048
IP Address 10.0.1.51
sql-sales-01
CPU (MHz) 1.4
Memory (MB) 1024 web-sales-02
5. Date IP Address 10.0.1.5 Windows Server
2003, Datacenter
Edition
Administrator
Don Hall
filestore-sales-01
CPU (MHz) 3.2
Memory (MB) 2560

6. Instructions Windows Storage

Server 2003
IP Address 10.0.1.52
sql-sales-02
CPU (MHz) 1.26
Memory (MB) 768

7. Symbols IP Address 10.0.1.6

filestore-sales-02
Windows Server
2003, Datacenter
Edition
web-sales-03
Administrator
CPU (MHz) 3 Don Hall

Memory (MB) 2048

Windows Server

8. Attributes 2003, Standard

Edition
IP Address 10.0.1.53
sql-sales-03
CPU (MHz) 2
Memory (MB) 1536
IP Address 10.0.1.14
9. Connections ftp-sales-01

10. Grouping

11. Background / layers

 Diagram Navigation

1. Double click on a shape Drill into

2. Hyperlink - web page Portal, monitoring

3. Hyperlink – document Recovery doc,

test results

4. Hyperlink - to a Visio page Drill down / across

5. Hyperlink - to a specific Visio shape Other instance of device

What happens to the links when we save to a web page?

 The Diagram Creation Process
1. Purpose

2. Gather data

3. Define shapes 1. Which takes the most time?

Transfer data
4. to diagram
2. Where can errors creep in?
5. Layout

Add extra detail

6. for readability

7. Save

Send / publish
8. diagram
 Advanced Visio Concepts
• Keeping file sizes small
• Linking Visio to external data – Excel, dB
• Data graphics and display
• In House templates / stencils
• Visio “add ons”
 Why a difference in file size?
Blank Diagram 1 1995kB
Blank Diagram 2 12kB

Why is one file 166 times greater than the

other, when neither has any thing on a page?

Tip – be careful reusing an old diagram!

 Multiple Diagrams

Rack Position
Service impact
BLADE_BIRM01

Floor Plan
UK_BIRM01_BLADE-01

UK_BIRM01_BLADE-02

UK_BIRM01_BLADE-03

UK_BIRM01_BLADE-04

UK_BIRM01_BLADE-05
BLADE-BIRM01.BLADE-SW1
H/W Build

BLADE-BIRM01.BLADE-SW2
UK_BIRM01_BLADE-09

UK_BIRM01_BLADE-10

UK_BIRM01_BLADE-12

UK_BIRMCC_PDU1

SW-BHAM- SW-BHAM- 9 9 9 9 9
CORE1 CORE2
PWR01- PWR01- PWR01- PWR01-06- PWR01-
03-A 04-A 05-A A 07-A

UK_BIRM_UX05 UK_BIRM_UX07

SW-BHAM-01 SW-BHAM-03 SW-BHAM-06 SW-BHAM-05 SW-BHAM-04 SW-BHAM-02

UK_BIRM_UX01 UK_BIRM_UX02 UK_BIRM_UX09 UK_BIRM_UX10 UK_BIRM_UX03 Power Supply
UK_BIRM_UX04 UK_BIRM_UX06 UK_BIRM_UX08

PWR01- PWR01-04- PWR01-05- PWR01-06- PWR01-07-

03-B B B B B

Network Connections
UK_BIRM_UX01 UK_BIRM_UX02 UK_BIRM_UX09 UK_BIRM_UX05 UK_BIRM_UX03 UK_BIRM_UX06 UK_BIRM_UX07 UK_BIRM_UX04 UK_BIRM_UX08 UK_BIRM_UX10
9 9 9

UK_BIRMCC_PDU2
9 9
 Linking to Excel / Databases
Lists/Inventory Diagrams Examples

Inventory to rack layout

Excel Visio
Inventory to network diagram

Rack list to floor plan

Power usage to floor plan

Application list to service map

Database Visio
Switch links to network diagram
 Visio Data Graphics
• Standard feature 2007/10 Professional

• Enables use of embedded data

– Display multiple text fields around a shape
– Data bars to show capacity
– Use icons for status differences
– Change shape colour based on data value
 Quick Ways (1)
• Floor plan
• Cabinet layout
• Floor boxes
• Networks
• ITIL Service Map
• Data Graphics
• Web pages
 Quick Ways (2)
Get a System to Create Them For You!

Data Software Visio

Source(s) Application Diagrams

Create
Compare
Update

Examples:
Infrastructure management toolsets
Auto-discovery
Testing
Monitoring
 Questions?
• Visio features

• Visio “standards” for consistency

• Automation of Visio diagrams

 Visio Summary
• Great tool with lots of features, many of
which are unknown or misunderstood
• To spend less time using Visio
– Have common templates and stencils
– Link Visio to a data source
• For creation and updates
• For different views of a component
• Look at specialist tools that automate the
creation and maintenance of Visio diagrams
 Thank You For Listening
Diagramming ITS Infrastructure and
ITIL Services with Visio

David Cuthbertson

www.assetgen.com
www.squaremilesystems.com