Overview

The purpose of this step is to facilitate communication with stakeholders and benchmark applications. It ensures a comprehensive understanding of the technology stack and its relationship to vital services.

Note: This step of the methodology is optional. It is recommended for teams that need a deeper understanding of infrastructure dependencies.

IT Operations-defined Infrastructure Services

The mapping is based on a list of services defined by IT Group Production. These services form the "Core IT Infrastructure & Production" Vital Service.

Not all services are meant to remain operational in a worst-case scenario. The mapping helps identify if an application requires a service that might be unavailable during a disaster or outage.

Core IT Infrastructure & Production Services

The following table lists the seven infrastructure categories and their associated services:

CategoryServices
Network Services Micro-segmentation, External Internet Access, Datacentre Interconnections, Domain Name Services (incl. DHCP), Remote Access Services (AnyConnect)
Security Services Authentication (incl. SSO, Secure ID), Active Directory, Password Vault, Mainframe Security (IBM MFA)
Data Services DB Storage Mainframe, NWK Storage NAS / SAN, Back-Up & Archive Services
Collaborative Services Desktop Infrastructure (SCCM), Messaging Collaboration (email exchange), Office 365 (for Vital documents)
Operations Services Scheduler Open (Linux, AIX, Windows), Scheduler Mainframe, DevOps Toolchains, Robotic
Compute Services Virtualisation Open, Virtualisation Mainframe
Communication Services Mainframe Transactional (GOAL, WAM, IMS, CICS...), Messaging Open (MQ), Messaging Mainframe (MQ), File Transfer Open (CFT, XFB), File Transfer Mainframe (CFT), API Platform

Each application is analysed to identify which of these infrastructure services it relies on. The results distinguish between critical services (absolutely required for the application to function) and important services (relied upon but not immediately fatal to the core function if unavailable).

Example: Infrastructure Service Mapping

The following diagram illustrates the mapping for the MTM Application against the Core IT Infrastructure & Production Services.

MTM — Infrastructure Services Mapping
Example of an infrastructure service mapping
NETWORK SERVICES
Micro-segmentation
External Internet Access
Datacentre Interconnections
Domain Name Services (DHCP)
Remote Access (AnyConnect)
SECURITY SERVICES
Authentication (SSO, Secure ID)
Active Directory
Password Vault
Mainframe Security (IBM MFA)
DATA SERVICES
DB Storage Mainframe
NWK Storage NAS/SAN
Back-Up & Archive Services
COLLABORATIVE SERVICES
Desktop Infrastructure (SCCM)
Messaging Collaboration (Email)
Office 365 (Vital docs)
OPERATIONS SERVICES
Scheduler Open (Linux, AIX, Windows)
Scheduler Mainframe
DevOps Toolchains
Robotic
COMPUTE SERVICES
Virtualisation Open
Virtualisation Mainframe
COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Mainframe Transactional (GOAL, WAM, IMS, CICS)
Messaging Open (MQ)
Messaging Mainframe (MQ)
File Transfer Open (CFT, XFB)
File Transfer Mainframe (CFT)
API Platform
Critical (required for operation)
Important (relied upon but not immediately fatal)

Detailed Mapping

Each application is analysed to identify dependencies and interconnections. This helps in infrastructure optimisation, capacity planning, and resilience.

The mapping summarises infrastructure services required by vital applications, distinguishing between critical and important services. For worst-case scenario planning, critical services must be preserved, while important services may be temporarily discontinued.

⚠ Modeling rules
  • Diagrams are based on "Core IT Infrastructure & Production" sub-services
  • The vital application serves as the title block
  • Colour coding is used to distinguish between critical and important services:
    • Blue — Critical: the application absolutely requires this service to function
    • Grey (light) — Important: the application relies on this service, but its absence is not immediately fatal
  • Each infrastructure service should be linked to the specific application(s) that depend on it

Footnotes

  1. The "Core IT Infrastructure & Production" vital service list is maintained by IT Group Production.
  2. This step is optional but recommended for teams establishing resilience baselines for the first time.