That's not to say the ASX has achieved management Nirvana just yet. It has taken a phased approach to the implementation, beginning with integrating management data from all its disparate server platforms.
The next step is to tie in network data which is currently being managed through HP OpenView and from there it will integrate other elements like storage, security and so on. Of course, some elements will prove harder to integrate than others.
Olsson said the job of integrating its middleware platforms appears to be particularly complex as will tying in data from its storage area network.
Despite these difficulties, Olsson is convinced that an end-to-end management solution is the only way to go. By having that holistic view, not only does it support the business process but it also helps keep down the cost of maintaining and supporting the infrastructure, he said.
"I believe that while the unit cost price of various components may be decreasing, technology is becoming increasingly complex and as a result the cost of owning technology, and in particular the cost of maintaining technology is rising," Olsson said.
"In times like these, where there is an economic slowdown it's particularly difficult for industry to bear that burden. So if I can at least stabilise the cost of maintaining our technology infrastructure, that is a significant achievement, and I think the way to do that is through end-to-end management."
Olsson said the complexity of the ASX infrastructure, coupled with the need for most systems to be available on a 24-hour, seven-day basis meant that "without comprehensive monitoring systems we would require many multiples of the current support infrastructure".
"The use of centralised coordinated monitoring means that systems can be managed on an exception basis with fewer staff deployed in the data centre and a better use of resources overall," he said.
"These systems are never cheap, but at the end of the day they provide a much clearer picture end to end for the customer than distributed support staff trying to piece together all of the critical information from a straight-through processing operation."
The other benefit of having a thorough understanding of how your systems are operating is that, when it comes time to upgrade, you know exactly how much new capacity you will need.
It also becomes easier to plan upgrade strategies because being able to track data flows lets you forecast more accurately when you are going to need the additional muscle.