IT Infrastructure Best Practices and Resources

Hi @vincentdidden 

Explore Lucid Software's IT resources for broader ideas

Lucid chart for IT Management
This is where experienced Lucid users can be most helpful. Lucidchart allows you to visually map your entire IT infrastructure, including:

Local and cloud software applications for each user.
The interfaces between these applications.
Data storage locations and how data flows between them.
An experienced Lucidchart user can help you design clear and comprehensive visuals that will be a valuable asset in your planning process. You can find resources and examples for IT infrastructure management on the Lucidchart website: https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/

Lucid Software Solutions for IT:
Lucid offers a wider suite of tools under the Lucid Software umbrella. Their website has resources specifically aimed at IT departments looking to design, document, and optimize their technology infrastructure: https://lucid.co/

This might be helpful for getting a general understanding of how Lucid's suite can be applied to your situation.

Hope this helps - Happy to help further!!
Thank you very much and have a great one!

Warm regards

PS: This response inputs might also carry some research outcomes from the open source / blogs / user guide articles from Lucid.
 

hi Huma thanks for your reply. Looking at your suggestions (much appreciated), I have a few follow-up questions.

• where can I find Lucid chart for IT Management (through templates in the tooling or looking at: https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/examples/it-management-software or through my regular subscription)?
• where can I find an experienced Lucidchart user?
• Lucidchart website: https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/ directs me to our subscription page. Can you tell me where the examples for this particular subject can be found

Sorry for asking, but hopefully this will make it a bit easier for me to get to know Lucid a bit better.

Many thanks!

Greetings, Vincent

or is a Data Flow Diagram (DFD) the best way Lucid provides. If so, do you have any examples/templates where there is an overview of all software applications and interfaces with all data storage.

Hi @vincentdidden 

Happy to help more.

Here are some directions to fulfill your data points:

While there isn't a specific IT management template, explore general-purpose templates like network diagrams, flowcharts, and process maps. These can be adapted to visualize your IT infrastructure.

Diagram Templates | Lucidchart

UML diagram software | Lucidchart

Lucidchart users have also shared their experiences in the blog, Incredible UX Design Stories From Our Users | Lucidchart Blog

ITIL and ITSM templates - Lucidchart has worked with Pink Elephant to provide best practice templates for incident response, service desk, knowledge management, and more

https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/examples/it-management-software

Some of DFD:

Data flow diagram (DFD): Level 2 | Lucidchart

Data flow diagram (physical) example | Lucidchart

• The provided link (https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/) showcases the use of Lucidchart for various IT needs, including network diagrams and process flows. Use these examples as inspiration for your own IT infrastructure maps.
• Your existing Lucidchart subscription should provide access to all the shapes and tools needed to create IT infrastructure diagrams.
• You can post a question there seeking advice from experienced users on building IT infrastructure diagrams.

Hope this helps - Happy to help further!!
Thank you very much and have a great one!

Warm regards

Hey Vincent, I like Huma’s recommended templates above, those are some good starting points. 

Two other elements to consider (check out http://training.lucid.co for more info on these features):

• Hierarchy (using Actions) - I’d suggest using actions to connect shapes into a hierarchy of content, so for instance, if you have a high level systems diagram where one shape has a lot of additional detail, then link that to another document (that also links back to the higher view) that has that detail and gives you the ability to drill up and down the hierarchy of detail in a system
• Custom data / Data linking - Much of the data you’re highlighting, like data about a system, is great for setting up as custom data on a shape. Alternatively, if you have data in a spreadsheet about each system, you can use data linking and drag and drop that data on the shapes, then use conditional formatting to make that data come to life on the shape.

Two examples of customers we’ve worked with to use these features (and more) to do what you’re looking for: 

• Process System Customer Case Study
• Enterprise Architecture System Customer Case Study

Let us know if you have more questions, our Professional Services team at Lucid is happy to help customers build solutions like these if you need our help: Lucid Professional Services

Many thanks both (!) for your comments, much appreciated! I will take a look in all the suggested advises. This will take a while and will definitely help!

Greetings, Vincent

@vincentdidden One more suggestion to finish off these excellent ones from @Humas1985 and @cbailey - you might also be interested in joining our Lucid for IT user group! It’s full of IT professionals like you, and it would be a great sounding board to discuss best practices and ask questions. Check it out here!