LiveTime Service Manager is an ITIL Certified service management tool which is heavily dependent on persistent data. For purposes of this certification the RDBMS used was MySQL Enterprise 5.0 and 5.1 running on 64 Bit Solaris 10 update 4 on SPARC and x86.

Testing comprised of two components, firstly validation of the installation test cases by generating and deploying the schema at run time on the target database. Functional testing followed as LiveTime’s Quality Assurance team executed the LiveTime Service Manager test suite.

As expected, all tests were passed successfully, demonstrating LiveTime Service Manager is fully functional when run in an environment with MySQL Enterprise 5.0 and 5.1.

MySQL LiveTime Certification - 336.42 KB pdf

Newport Beach, CA – October 7, 2009 – LiveTime Software, a leading provider of Web based ITIL Service Management and Help Desk software, today announced it has signed a MySQL OEM licensing agreement with Sun Microsystems. As a MySQL OEM licensee, LiveTime offers its customers a commercial version of MySQL with its products, along with first line support and free migration services from SQL Server and Oracle.

Growing demand for MySQL, specifically, the number of current LiveTime customers looking to migrate from other databases to MySQL has resulted in a stronger relationship between LiveTime and Sun. LiveTime recently joined Sunʼs MySQL Enterprise Connection Alliance (MECA) partner program as a Gold partner.

“This is a great solution for customers wishing to reduce costs and increase performance compared to traditional databases”, said Jason Andrews, VP of Application Engineering, LiveTime Software. “With no ongoing administration costs, customers are permitted to use MySQL with our software on any server supporting an unlimited number of connections and databases”.

LiveTime also provides highly tuned 64 bit versions of MySQL for Solaris and its hardware appliance. Specifically tuned for high concurrency and large call volumes, LiveTime with MySQL 5.1 is able to support thousands of users per instance and more than fifty thousand calls per month.

Hit the Ground Running

The LiveTime Appliance reduces the hassle and wasted time which is generally associated with installing, configuring, and using a server. LiveTime engineers have tuned every part of the system for maximum throughput, from the filesystem and web server to database caching and fetching.

Strong Foundations

Based on Solaris 10, the LiveTime Appliance benefits from the highly scalable TCP/IP connection stack which has been optimized for short transactions and lower overhead. Additional performance gains in the File System mean that text based searches can scan through millions of incidents and articles with millisecond resolution. All this with complete fault tolerance so the system will always be available.

With 64 bit Java 5 pre-installed, the system can scale to very high loads. With a totally new threading model in the underlying operating system and a specifically tuned version of LiveTime, it is possible to achieve four to five times the number of concurrent transactions than in previous versions.

Best Practices

Your customers demand higher service than ever before, so it is important that your service solution is up to the task. With a built-in search engine, LiveTime provides instant access to any case information and constant monitoring of service level agreements. Customers will have access to their entire support history and complete access to the knowledge base, saving your technicians significant time answering routine questions and procedures. You can also be confident that you are following best practices, as LiveTime is completely ITIL compliant.

Always Available

Not only does the appliance deliver exceptional performance. With models based on both AMD and Intel processors from Sun Microsystems you can ensure that the system is always available. With built-in fault tolerance, all parts of the appliance are constantly monitored. If any part of the infrastructure fails that component is automatically restarted. In addition, standard ECC memory and Chipkill technologies will keep the appliance running and data intact even if a DRAM chip fails.

Each model can be configured as a database server or application server for improved redundancy and failover, or as a single standalone system.

Every appliance ships preconfigured with Apache 2.0, PostreSQL 8.3, MySQL 5.1, Apache Tomcat 6.0 and Java 6. Each system is highly tuned for high concurrent access and fault tolerance.

Instant Service Delivery

The LiveTime Appliance leverages the power of LiveTime’s Service Management software with leading Enterprise Operating Systems and Hardware to provide a complete plug and play solution. Designed for organizations who want a highly tuned, pre-configured, hardened service and support solution with virtually no maintenance. The LiveTime Appliance can be deployed within minutes.

Plug and Play

No need to spend weeks installing and configuring the solution. Everything has been installed and optimized for you. Simply plug the appliance into the network, configure your hostname and address and login.

Secure

The system has been designed from the ground up to be totally secure. Based on Solaris 10 from Sun Microsystems, the operating system has been completely hardened with only the minimum core services required by LiveTime. The only ports that need to be exposed through your firewall are HTTP (port 80) and / or SSL (port 443).

Fault Tolerant

The LiveTime Appliance incorporates fault tolerance for all core services so you can easily diagnose problems wherever they appear. Automatic restart and error recovery systems gracefully bring the system up and down as network faults are detected and resolved.

Zero Maintenance

LiveTime’s unique web based administration gives you control over every aspect of your service delivery. With automated maintenance facilities built-in, there is no need to login to the operating system. Automated tasks take care of every aspect for you, leaving you free to attend to more critical issues.

Open Source Infrastructure

As a completely vendor neutral solution customers can utilize the built-in MySQL 5.1 or PostgreSQL 8.3 RDBMS, or alternatively connect to any third party database such as Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Sybase and many others. In addition, the appliance leverages the Apache Web Server 2.0, Tomcat 6.0 and Java 6 as the best of breed products for maximum uptime and service delivery to your customers.

High Performance

The LiveTime Appliance has been highly tuned for maximum performance and uptime. Specifically designed for high volume concurrent transactions, it provides unparalleled performance. The result is a support service that is always available to your customers. As your needs grow you can cluster the machines for even more failover and performance.

Effortless Control

Complete with Active Directory and LDAP server integration, user access can be centrally administered for seamless automation of all user and group information across the enterprise. LiveTime’s unique Web 2.0 interface provides easy access to all features. With support for every major web browser, you can access the system from across the room or across the globe. With no plugins required, LiveTime is truly a zero footprint solution.

Certifications for LiveTime Service Manager and Help Desk include:

	LiveTime Service Manager has received PinkVERIFY™ ITIL 3 Certification from Pink Elephant for 11 Processes. LiveTime Service Manager 6 has been certified for Request Fulfillment, Incident, Problem, Change, Release and Deployment, Financial, Service Level, Knowledge, Service Catalog, Service Portfolio, and Service Asset and Configuration Management.
	LiveTime has certified Service Manager and Help Desk 5.5 against MySQL Enterprise 5.0 and 5.1. This certification assures customers that they are deploying a production-ready, enterprise-grade solution when using MySQL. Download the Testing methodology and results here.
	LiveTime Service Manager and LiveTime Helpdesk have been “Yes Certified” to run on Novell NetWare 6.5. “This certification will help NetWare users implement a quality service management solution for either internal or external customers within their environment,” said Rick Fowler, NetWare product line manager for Novell. View Certification
	LiveTime Service Manager and Help Desk have been certified by Sun as J2EE applications that meet or exceed the testing criteria outlined on the Compatibility and Java Verification web site. The Java-verification authenticates LiveTime’s compatibility with all Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) technologies and platforms, and confirms that LiveTime Help Desk and Service Manager are true ‘Write Once, Run Anywhere’ Java applications. Java and the Java Powered logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
	The AT&T enterprise software testing and certification program validates that LiveTime’s ITIL service management suite is accessible via the iPhone over AT&T networks. This certification ensures customers can enjoy the best possible experience when using the LiveTime applications across AT&T’s wireless network. Read the Press Release for further information.
	LiveTime has received Red Hat Ready status from Red Hat Software. LiveTime Service Manager and LiveTime Help Desk deploy right out of the box, having already been fully tested and certified against a wide range of hardware platforms. Currently Certified against Red Hat Enterprise 2.1, 3 and 4. Red Hat Ready 2.1 Press Release.

Appliances

LiveTime has also partnered with Oracle to deliver the world’s first Service Management Appliance.

Based on Solaris 10 and leading Oracle Sun Hardware, the system is designed for organizations that want a highly tuned, pre-configured, hardened service and support solution with no maintenance.

In addition, LiveTime has been able to leverage the key advantages of the 128 bit ZFS file system to provide additional data integrity for its embedded Configuration Management System (CMS), Knowledge Base and Request Management processes. This not only provides customers with greater assurance, but also provides significant performance improvements in sequential reading and writing using the embedded MySQL or PostgreSQL databases.

Scalabilty and Performance

The operating system of any enterprise infrastructure is the key to stability, performance and scalability. LiveTime deployments on Oracle’s new Solaris 10 OS enables customers to benefit from the many performance optimizations found in the 10 release, and capitalize on a broader range of high-end servers including AMD Opteron, and SPARC based systems. LiveTime also supports Oracle’s Open Solaris for users wishing to run LiveTime on hardware not currently supported by Solaris.

Authentication Services

LiveTime’s ability to pre-integrate with Oracle’s Java System Directory Server delivers centralized user management throughout the enterprise. In addition, LiveTime supports Oracle’s Identity management system to provide Single Sign On (SSO) capabilities for all LiveTime users.

Collaboration

Oracle’s Java System Collaboration & Communication Suite includes essential collaboration services for the enterprise such as email, instant messaging and Calendar services. LiveTime integrates seamlessly with many of these services. With automatic email parsing built-in, users can effortlessly manage calls raised from specific devices, clients or configuration items.

LiveTime uses this multi-tiered approach to achieve maximum performance and scalability. LiveTime applications run on any standard J2EE or J2SE server and support multiple instances, load balancing and clustering.

This model allows LiveTime applications to operate at over 5 times the speed of competing applications. Additional speed gains are achieved through the use of intelligent caching and database fetching. Server load is subsequently very low, enabling a high number of users per server. The applications have been designed to operate very well over low speed links so managers can work well from across the room or the other side of the globe.

Business Benefits

Using a multi-tiered application model gives your business great flexibility and data interoperability. By utilizing open standards and modern application design LiveTime provides unique opportunities of leveraging this knowledge in other parts of the organization.

By separating the system into layers or tiers it is easy to exchange underlying systems to improve performance, increase redundancy and improve scale. This makes it possible to initially deploy on MySQL for example, and then upgrade to Oracle as your needs grow. This also enables LiveTime applications to read legacy data sources and integrate into your overall enterprise.

Deployment Servers

LiveTime applications can be deployed on virtually any J2EE capable server including IBM WebSphere, Sun Glassfish, Oracle WebLogic, Apache TomCat, Red Hat JBoss and Apache Geronimo. ]]> http://www.livetime.com/itil-service-management/ntier-architecture/feed/ 0 http://www.livetime.com/itil-service-desk-appliance-with-zfs-mysql-enterprise-and-postgresql/ http://www.livetime.com/itil-service-desk-appliance-with-zfs-mysql-enterprise-and-postgresql/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:21:12 +0000 admin http://www.livetime.com/?p=76 New IT Service Desk appliance available with Dual Quad Core processors from AMD, Intel, and LiveTime Service Manager 5.5. Includes 128-bit ZFS file system support, plus embedded MySQL Enterprise and PostgreSQL.

Newport Beach, CA – February 17, 2009 - LiveTime Software, a leading provider of ITIL based Web 2.0 Service Management and Help Desk Software, today announced the general availability of LiveTime’s Hardware Appliance v5.5. This hardware is based around Sun Microsystems Sun Fire x4140 (AMD) and x4150 (Intel) Quad core processors and LiveTime 5.5 with ZFS, MySQL Enterprise and PostgreSQL.

LiveTime has been able to leverage the key advantages of the 128 bit ZFS file system for its service management product line to provide additional data integrity for its embedded Configuration Management System (CMS), Knowledge Base and Request Management processes. This not only provides customers with greater assurance, but also provides significant performance improvements in sequential reading and writing using the embedded MySQL or PostgreSQL databases.

Performance testing against tuned versions of MySQL Enterprise 5.1 and PostgreSQL 8.3 achieved over 30% more transactions than previous editions. LiveTime was able to achieve more than 30,000 read write requests per second on the x4150 Dual Quad Core appliance with RAID 5 and ZFS. Results were attained using SysBench 0.4.10.

These new appliances also benefit from the new additions in LiveTime 5.5 such as streamlined request management and the automation of common requests and change management procedures. Most notably, customers can now raise requests through the customer portal in as little as 2 clicks. LiveTime 5.5 introduces more than 100 new additions and enhancements.

LiveTime Service Manager 5.5 continues to expand its global reach and appeal to large enterprises with its integrated approach to ITIL best practices, open standards, intuitive interface and embedded Configuration Management Database (CMDB). LiveTime is available as a virtual appliance, hardware appliance and traditional server software, servicing more than 10 million users around the globe.

Newport Beach, CA – February 5, 2009 - LiveTime Software, a leading provider of ITIL based Web 2.0 Service Management and Help Desk Software, today announced that it has achieved MySQL Enterprise Certification against MySQL 5.0 and 5.1. This assures customers that they are deploying a production-ready, enterprise-grade solution when using Sun Microsystems’ MySQL database.

Growing customer demand for MySQL solutions, specifically, the number of migrations to MySQL from other RDMS vendors currently using LiveTime has meant a strengthening of relationship between the two companies. LiveTime recently became a Gold Partner in Sun’s MySQL Enterprise Connection Alliance (MECA) partner program, and continues to work closely with Sun to provide first line support for installations based around MySQL Enterprise.

Certification tests were performed on Sun X4100 M2 and Sun T2000 servers running Solaris 10 update 4, MySQL Enterprise 5.0.45 and 5.1.30 using both InnoDB and MyISAM storage engines, Java 6 u10, Tomcat 6.0.18 and LiveTime 5.5. Approximately 900 functional test cases were executed and passed in their entirety, representing all functional aspects of LiveTime Service Manager functioning to specifications. Complete details of the testing methodology are available here.

LiveTime continues to expand its global reach and appeal to large enterprises with its integrated approach to ITIL best practices, open standards, unified web 2.0 interface and embedded Configuration Management Database (CMDB). LiveTime is available as a virtual appliance, hardware appliance and traditional server software, servicing more than 10 million users around the globe.