Capture virtual server data

Virtual servers are software assets classified as devices. Virtual servers run on physical servers which are located in different locations around the world. Documenting physical servers and their virtual servers and where they are located is critical for disaster recovery management.

Users with the user profiles Portfolio Manager and Portfolio Admin can add and edit virtual servers in Alfabet. Click for an overview of permission concepts.

In the navigation panel, click Technical Architecture > Virtual Servers.​ Per default, the data workbench displays only a set of basic attributes. You can add more columns to capture other attributes directly in the data workbench or you can navigate to a virtual server's content area and define it in more detail there. Click to learn about how to use data workbenches.

Go to Technology Architecture > Virtual Servers data workbench and click New > Virtual Server.

Click the Navigate   button next to a virtual server to open its content area. Specify the virtual server's attributes as well as the relationships that the virtual server has to other assets in the repository.

Or specify and analyze the virtual server in detail in its content area . In the data workbench, click the Navigate button for a virtual server to open its content area > Overview page.

Define the virtual server's basic data. All mandatory fields must be defined to create the virtual server and save it.

• Name: (Mandatory) Enter a unique name for the virtual server.
• Version: (Mandatory) Enter a version number for the virtual server. The name and version number of the virtual server should be unique.
• Release Status: (Optional) This is an approval status and typically indicates the level of quality of the information about the virtual server. The release status determines whether a virtual server can or cannot be deleted. Possible values are:
  • Draft: The virtual server has only mandatory data defined.
  • Under Review: The virtual server is documented and being reviewed. A virtual server with this release status cannot be deleted.
  • Approved: The virtual server has been approved by the responsible stakeholders. A virtual server cannot be deleted when it has an approved release status. A virtual server with this release status cannot be deleted.
  • Data imported: The data regarding this virtual server has been imported from an external system. Additional changes may be required to improve the data quality. A virtual server with this release status can be deleted.
  • Trash: The virtual server is no longer valid and can be deleted.
• Server Type: Select whether the server is an application server, Web server, mail server, FTP server, collaboration server, or another type of server.
• Physical Server: Select the physical server that the virtual server runs on.

  physical server

  A physical server is a hardware device that deploys applications and components. Virtual servers may run on physical servers that are located in different locations around the world.

• Description: Enter a meaningful description that will clarify the purpose of the virtual server.
• Authorized Access tab: The user who creates the virtual server is the authorized user per default. This can be changed. Select one or more authorized user groups that shall have write permissions to the object. All users in the authorized user group can edit the virtual server.

  authorized user

  An authorized user has primary responsibility to maintain the data for an object. Typically this is the user that has created the object. The authorized user as well as members of authorized user groups have write permissions to objects they are responsible for.

  authorized user group

  An authorized user group is a set of users that have been granted write permissions to an object. More than one authorized user group may be specified for an object.

Define the virtual server's lifecycle. Go to the Lifecycle Data attribute section and specify the following:

• Start Date and End Date: (Mandatory) The start and end date captures the period when the virtual server is actively running and can be used in the company. This is also when the Object State attribute should be specified as Active. Click the calendar icon to select the date or enter the date in the date format Month/Day/Year. For example: 4/30/2023
• Object State: (Mandatory) The object state describes the use of the virtual server in the real word. This can be understood as the operational status of the virtual server. Possible values are:
  • Plan: The virtual server is proposed to be used and still in the stages of planning and building.
  • Active: The virtual server is currently and used now. The active period begins with the virtual server's start date and ends with the end date.
  • Retired: The virtual server is no longer used

  The object state should be changed from Plan to Active once the virtual servers start date is reached. It should be changed to Retire when the virtual server's end data is reached.

Responsibilities are based on preconfigured role types. Your company may also configure custom role types via the Portfolio Admin user profile. Depending on the role type, a specified user and/or a specified organization may fulfill the responsibility for the virtual server. A user assigned responsibility via a role has read-only permissions to the virtual server. To change data about the virtual server, they must also be specified as an authorized user or member of an authorized user group.

Roles can be assigned to a virtual server in the Physical Servers data workbench or the virtual server content area via Overview > Responsibilities.

Each role column represents the responsibility that a user or organization has for the virtual server. A person or organization can have one of the following roles or a custom role added by your company:

• Asset Owner: A person or IT organization that owns the virtual server and thus typically responsible for approval decisions.
• Stakeholder: A person or organization that has an interest in the virtual server and therefore requires read-only access permissions.

1. Click a column cell to open a selector to define the role for the physical server. Depending on the role column, the selector may have a section for both Person and Organization.
2. Expand the relevant section and select the person or organization to assign their role to the physical server.

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