Provisioning
From eg
See category:provisioning for an overview of all articles in this general field.
For a general reference refer link wikipedia: provisioning. This definition focuses on open configuration of free software-based web, email, wiki, chat and other services. See eg:provisioning for all such services underlying/supporting this wiki, open host for an exact definition of all information typically required in any such provisioning, SPML for further terms.
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[edit] what "provisioning" is
From new troll point of view, provisioning gets the user to their first wiki edit. The infra trades therefore all become involved. By contrast, getting to the final edit requires the ultra methods, and sysopping to manage the underlying systems set up during provisioning.
(n.) (1) The process of providing users with access to data and technology resources. The term typically is used in reference to enterprise-level resource management. Provisioning can be thought of as a combination of the duties of the human resources and IT departments in an enterprise, where
- users are given access to data repositories or granted authorization to systems, applications and databases based on a unique user identity, and
- users are appropriated hardware resources, such as computers, mobile phones and pagers. The process implies that the access rights and privileges are monitored and tracked to ensure the security of an enterprise's resources.
In telecommunication, provisioning includes all associated transmission, wiring, and equipment. In NS/EP telecommunication services, "provisioning" equates to "initiation" and includes altering the state of an existing priority service or capability. Source: US Federal Standard 1037C
If you google the term "provisioning" you discover many virtualization, orchestration, utility computing and open configuration concepts and projects.
[edit] within OVAL
For instance, OVAL defines security vulnerability, compliance and patches. Also OASIS Provisioning Services Technical Committee or PSTC defines an XML-based framework for exchanging user, resource, and service provisioning information called Service Provisioning Markup Language (SPML) for "managing the provisioning and allocation of identity information and system resources within and between organizations." Other OASIS standards like DCML [1] for data center management, LegalXML [2], UDDI metadata for locating web services [3], and even CGM for diagrams, may be required. See open configuration for complete discussion about information required to be able to do provisioning.
[edit] beyond telecom
Thus for a modern signal infrastructure the term provisioning has also come to include:
- Server provisioning: selecting a server from a pool, e.g. of open hosts, creating a boot image with appropriate software: (operating system, device drivers, middleware, and applications) - in a dom0; appropriately customizing and configuring the system, software, and associated network and storage resources; then finally starting the server and its newly-loaded software for full use.
- Service provisioning or service-specific provisioning that meets identified configuration constraints in an SSdomU speciic to each user or, a virtual host from an Internet Service Provider offering standard packages configured by SFTP or SSH access to modify configurations within the limits of standing policy:
- DNS configuration including the name server specified at domain registrar
- email configuration including lists that will rely on hosts using that DNS
- web configuration including password-protected services accessed using HTTP/SHTTP
- wiki configuration if any which includes MySQL and PHP support necessarily
- FTP configuration if any
- storage requirements especially if they affect partition configuration
- Service provisioning or service-specific provisioning that meets identified configuration constraints in an SSdomU speciic to each user or, a virtual host from an Internet Service Provider offering standard packages configured by SFTP or SSH access to modify configurations within the limits of standing policy:
- User provisioning provides customers or clients with accounts, the appropriate access to those accounts, all the rights associated with those accounts, and all of the resources necessary to manage the accounts. When used in reference to a client, provisioning can be thought of as a form of customer service. Specifically, it refers to the creation, maintenance and deactivation of user objects and user attributes, as they exist in one or more systems, directories or applications, in response to automated or interactive business processes. User provisioning software may include one or more of the following processes: change propagation, self service workflow, consolidated user administration, delegated user administration, and federated change control. User objects may represent employees, contractors, vendors, partners, customers or other recipients of a service. Services may include electronic mail, inclusion in a published user directory, access to a database, access to a network or mainframe, etc. User provisioning is a type of identity management software, particularly useful within organizations, where users may be represented by multiple objects on multiple systems.
- Mobile subscriber provisioning refers to the setting up of new services, such as GPRS, MMS and text chat for an existing subscriber of mobile phone network. Here, the operator sends the settings to the subscriber's handset using SMS or WAP.
[edit] problems of multiple domain management
While each individual domain may have any or all of the above problems associated with it, there are many domain name portfolio owners and others who have the above problems multiplied by scale. An administrator of many domains has unique problems including potentially treating all customers or clients fairly. Example scenarios of MDM that stress provisioning skills:
- Party wide election campaign web administration, potentially involving hundreds of domains that might be only temporarily under control of the party hub to assure syndicated content appears and various libel issues, privacy issues and security issues aren't aggravated by individual web administrator behaviour in the heat of a campaign. Under some circumstances one may need to dispute domains or take preliminary steps to contest rights to use them, e.g. opposing candidates registering your own party's candidates' names
- Domain name portfolio managers usually employ multiple web traffic optimization strategies which are constantly changing. This proliferates their web server configuration options, each of which might be used by dozens to hundreds (even thousands) of domains at once, and which might shift based on relative performance of one strategy over another. For instance, to park domains with dotzup or WhyPark, or develop domains using some customized software like SNAPP or free software like mediawiki, would require varying degrees of provisioning intervention. Dealing with multiple ICANN TLDs and the varying rules of each is another extreme headache when provisioning includes the need to register domains or renew domains (or, worst, dispute domains).
- Business incubator and microcreditor needs to set up basic or even advanced services that may integrate with the legal, banking, accounting and other needs of new businesses. Special problems include the fact that the business registrations required to make the entity a valid customer may be new, or that agents may be undertaking transactions for new businesses using personal or recently transferred funds. Since most microcredit takes place across international borders, and increasingly business incubators facilitate global teams, there are likely time zone, international funds clearing and language clarity issues in communicating provisioning needs or instructing those who are to use the service in how exactly they can use them.
See training and dispute resolution for more on problems arising from the above that are not generally considered to be part of sysopping processes.
[edit] must occur before sysopping
Once provisioned, the process of sysopping ensures that services are maintained to the expected standards. Provisioning thus refers only to the setup or startup part of the service operation, and sysopping to the persistent part.
