- Management Reference Guide
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Strategic Management
- Establishing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
- Aligning IT Goals with Corporate Business Goals
- Utilizing Effective Planning Techniques
- Developing Worthwhile Mission Statements
- Developing Worthwhile Vision Statements
- Instituting Practical Corporate Values
- Budgeting Considerations in an IT Environment
- Introduction to Conducting an Effective SWOT Analysis
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part One
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part Two
- Customer Management
- Identifying Key External Customers
- Identifying Key Internal Customers
- Negotiating with Customers and Suppliers—Part 1: An Introduction
- Negotiating With Customers and Suppliers—Part 2: Reaching Agreement
- Negotiating and Managing Realistic Customer Expectations
- Service Management
- Identifying Key Services for Business Users
- Service-Level Agreements That Really Work
- How IT Evolved into a Service Organization
- FAQs About Systems Management (SM)
- FAQs About Availability (AV)
- FAQs About Performance and Tuning (PT)
- FAQs About Service Desk (SD)
- FAQs About Change Management (CM)
- FAQs About Configuration Management (CF)
- FAQs About Capacity Planning (CP)
- FAQs About Network Management
- FAQs About Storage Management (SM)
- FAQs About Production Acceptance (PA)
- FAQs About Release Management (RM)
- FAQs About Disaster Recovery (DR)
- FAQs About Business Continuity (BC)
- FAQs About Security (SE)
- FAQs About Service Level Management (SL)
- FAQs About Financial Management (FN)
- FAQs About Problem Management (PM)
- FAQs About Facilities Management (FM)
- Process Management
- Developing Robust Processes
- Establishing Mutually Beneficial Process Metrics
- Change Management—Part 1
- Change Management—Part 2
- Change Management—Part 3
- Audit Reconnaissance: Releasing Resources Through the IT Audit
- Problem Management
- Problem Management–Part 2: Process Design
- Problem Management–Part 3: Process Implementation
- Business Continuity Emergency Communications Plan
- Capacity Planning – Part One: Why It is Seldom Done Well
- Capacity Planning – Part Two: Developing a Capacity Planning Process
- Capacity Planning — Part Three: Benefits and Helpful Tips
- Capacity Planning – Part Four: Hidden Upgrade Costs and
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 1
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 2
- 20 Major Elements of Facilities Management
- Major Physical Exposures Common to a Data Center
- Evaluating the Physical Environment
- Nightmare Incidents with Disaster Recovery Plans
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process – Part Two
- Automating a Robust Infrastructure Process
- Improving High Availability — Part One: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Two: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Three: The Seven R's of High Availability
- Improving High Availability — Part Four: Assessing an Availability Process
- Methods for Brainstorming and Prioritizing Requirements
- Introduction to Disk Storage Management — Part One
- Storage Management—Part Two: Performance
- Storage Management—Part Three: Reliability
- Storage Management—Part Four: Recoverability
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part One
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part Two
- Meeting Today's Cooling Challenges of Data Centers
- Strategic Security, Part One: Assessment
- Strategic Security, Part Two: Development
- Strategic Security, Part Three: Implementation
- Strategic Security, Part Four: ITIL Implications
- Production Acceptance Part One – Definition and Benefits
- Production Acceptance Part Two – Initial Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Three – Middle Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Four – Ongoing Steps
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part One – Objectives
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part Two – SWOT
- Case Study: Implementing an ITIL Service Desk – Part One
- Case Study: Implementing a Service Desk Part Two – Tool Selection
- Ethics, Scandals and Legislation
- Outsourcing in Response to Legislation
- Supplier Management
- Identifying Key External Suppliers
- Identifying Key Internal Suppliers
- Integrating the Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
- Enhancing the Customer/Supplier Matrix
- Voice Over IP, Part One — What VoIP Is, and Is Not
- Voice Over IP, Part Two — Benefits, Cost Savings and Features of VoIP
- Application Management
- Production Acceptance
- Distinguishing New Applications from New Versions of Existing Applications
- Assessing a Production Acceptance Process
- Effective Use of a Software Development Life Cycle
- The Role of Project Management in SDLC— Part 2
- Communication in Project Management – Part One: Barriers to Effective Communication
- Communication in Project Management – Part Two: Examples of Effective Communication
- Safeguarding Personal Information in the Workplace: A Case Study
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 1: Building a Manageable Schedule
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 2: Tracking and Reporting Availability
- References
- Developing an ITIL Feasibility Analysis
- Organization and Personnel Management
- Optimizing IT Organizational Structures
- Factors That Influence Restructuring Decisions
- Alternative Locations for the Help Desk
- Alternative Locations for Database Administration
- Alternative Locations for Network Operations
- Alternative Locations for Web Design
- Alternative Locations for Risk Management
- Alternative Locations for Systems Management
- Practical Tips To Retaining Key Personnel
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Using IT Consultants and Contractors
- Deciding Between the Use of Contractors versus Consultants
- Managing Employee Skill Sets and Skill Levels
- Assessing Skill Levels of Current Onboard Staff
- Recruiting Infrastructure Staff from the Outside
- Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate
- 7 Tips for Managing the Use of Mobile Devices
- Useful Websites for IT Managers
- References
- Automating Robust Processes
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part One: Quality and Value
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part Two: Benefits and Use of a Quality-Value Matrix
- When Should You Integrate or Segregate Service Desks?
- Five Instructive Ideas for Interviewing
- Eight Surefire Tips to Use When Being Interviewed
- 12 Helpful Hints To Make Meetings More Productive
- Eight Uncommon Tips To Improve Your Writing
- Ten Helpful Tips To Improve Fire Drills
- Sorting Out Today’s Various Training Options
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 1
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 2
- 12 Tips for More Effective Emails
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part One
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Two
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Three
- Asset Management
- Managing Hardware Inventories
- Introduction to Hardware Inventories
- Processes To Manage Hardware Inventories
- Use of a Hardware Inventory Database
- References
- Managing Software Inventories
- Business Continuity Management
- Ten Lessons Learned from Real-Life Disasters
- Ten Lessons Learned From Real-Life Disasters, Part 2
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 1
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 2
- 15 Common Terms and Definitions of Business Continuity
- The Federal Government’s Role in Disaster Recovery
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 1
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 2
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 3
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 4
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 1
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 2
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 3
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 4
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part One
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Two
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Three
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Four
- The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
- The Origins of ITIL
- The Foundation of ITIL: Service Management
- Five Reasons for Revising ITIL
- The Relationship of Service Delivery and Service Support to All of ITIL
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part One
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part Two
- Characteristics of ITIL Version 3
- Ten Benefits of itSMF and its IIL Pocket Guide
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Delivery Processes
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Support Processes
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part One: Service Delivery Processes
- Case Study: Recovery Reactions to a Renegade Rodent
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part Two: Service Support
- Case Studies
- Case Study — Preparing for Hurricane Charley
- Case Study — The Linux Decision
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at an Aerospace Firm
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at a Defense Contractor
- Case Study — Evaluating Mainframe Processes
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part One: Quantitative Comparisons/Natural Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Two: Quantitative Comparisons/Man-made Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Three: Qualitative Comparisons
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Four: Take-Aways
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part One: Planning
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Two: Planning and Walk-Through
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Three: Execution
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Four: Follow-Up
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part One: Qualitative Measures
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part Two: Quantitative Measures
- Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part One: What Did the Team Do Well
- (d) Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part Two
The emergency response to hurricane Katrina by various government agencies has provoked debate on the appropriate use of federal troops in responding to natural disasters. The relatively slow response of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to coordinate the efforts of search, rescue, recovery and relief the forced our military to become more involved in these activities. Troops also assisted local law enforcement in protecting property against looters who went way beyond the theft of basic necessities for human life. As a result, some lawmakers are considering changing the role of the federal government from emergency coordinator to that of first responder. I think this would be a mistake.
Most states and local communities, as well as companies large and small, prepare well for emergencies. But large scale natural or manmade disasters often are beyond the capabilities of local agencies to respond effectively. Institutions such as universities, private and publicly traded companies, and even government agencies themselves have legitimate concerns about the ability of local agencies to deliver effective relief services in the event of a disaster. In these instances, local governments have the obligation to request assistance from its state government who has the authority and the responsibility to deploy National Guard troops.
IT departments in particular are at risk because of the amounts and types of critical data typically stored at a central location. Heightened awareness of these risks have prompted most companies to store their critical data and vital records offsite, but many still locate these valuable assets within 20 miles of their central site. As we recently witnessed, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes can devastate areas far surpassing a 20 mile area.
The deployment of National Guard troops alone may not be sufficient for responding to catastrophic events such hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In these cases federal troops effectively provided, among other activities, logistical support and rescue operations. The professional leadership displayed by the military in these operations has caused some lawmakers to call for the military to become first responders in events of major disaster. In order for this to happen, the Congress would need to revoke a long standing act known as Posse Comitatus. Before commenting on the relative merits or drawbacks of such a revocation, I will spend a few explaining what this act is all about.
Brief Background on the Posse Comitatus Act
The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States Federal Law passed in 1878 after the end of reconstruction that followed the American Civil War. Since 1863 the Army had been used in Southern states to maintain civil order, to enforce the policies of the Reconstruction era, to crush any lingering sentiments of rebellion, and to supervise polling places during elections. Posse comitatus means 'the power of the county' and reflects the inherent power of the old West county Sheriff to call upon a posse of able-bodied men to supplement law enforcement resources to apprehend lawbreakers and to maintain peace.
The act was passed to prohibit Federal troops from supervising elections in former Confederate states, to remove the military from any civilian law enforcement, and to return the Army to its primary role of defending the borders of the United States. The original act applied only to the Army. The Air Force was added in 1956, and the Navy and Marines were later added by a regulation of the Department of Defense.
Risks in Revoking the Posse Comitatus Act
Revoking the Posse Comitatus Act to enable military personnel to lead recovery efforts following major disasters carries more risks than benefits. First responders to a natural or manmade disaster need to be thoroughly familiar with the deployment of local resources, with the characteristics of local terrains, and with the history of past events. Local and state government agencies should be more familiar with these entities than military personnel. If this is not the case, the solution is to better train and better equip local resources rather than to bring in outside personnel. IT managers across the country have dealt with local public safety agencies to prepare their data centers for natural disasters. Using the military as first responders runs the risk of them not being as familiar, or as effective, as local authorities in these matters.
Another risk in using the military as first responders is that it can take away, or conflict, with their primary roles of providing for the national defense. This is not to say that federal troops should not be called in to assist in events of horrific nature such as recent hurricanes in the Gulf coast. Federal troops were used effectively there and likely saved many lives. They may have even saved some critical IT resources. But their mission is, and should remain, that of national defenders, not first responders.
Summary
Requesting assistance from the National Guard or the military is an appropriate reaction for responding to extreme disasters. But I believe the complete revocation of the Comitatus Act would be wrong. The primary mission of the United States military is to provide for the common defense of the country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Natural disasters are not domestic or foreign enemies of the United States. Acts of nature, sometimes referred to as acts of God, do not discriminate according to political ideologies. IT departments need to be protected as effectively as possible with business continuity plans that are thoroughly planned, well designed, and meticulously tested.
But when natural disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita strike, the local agencies of public safety should be ones to serve as first responders, not the military. Local agencies understand, or should know, how to effectively deploy resources, triage problems, safely evacuate areas and provide the four Cs of command, control, communication and coordination. IT planners expect to work with local agencies such as police, fire and emergency medical personnel when developing contingency plans for their data centers. If and when military resources need to be called in to assist during a natural disaster, the decision to do so needs to rest with local or state jurisdictions. That is how emergency preparedness can best be served.
References
The Myth of Posse Comitatus, Major Craig T. Trebilccock, U.S. Army Reserve