What is our primary use case?
We utilize Splunk ITSI to enhance our IT operations within our infrastructure. Our goal is to monitor only the most critical KPIs. Additionally, we have access to a detailed overview of the KPI services and entities, allowing us to identify issues in real time.
We deploy Splunk ITSI both on-premises and in the Splunk cloud.
We implemented infrastructure monitoring using ITSI to track various aspects such as latencies and specific components like CPU and memory. I can now provide detailed information about the specific cause of CPU-related issues. The problem lies in determining the process through which we can obtain a high-level overview of our services. When we delve deeper, we have access to numerous details to identify the KPI responsible for disrupting the service application. I can now explore ways to monitor its performance and locate the service in question. With ITSI, we can receive alerts and easily navigate to the precise location to resolve the problem.
How has it helped my organization?
The end-to-end visibility of Splunk ITSI in our network environment depends on the individual utilizing it. While it may be present, it is crucial to possess a solid understanding of ITSI. In order to illustrate this aspect, we require a well-defined use case that demonstrates our intention to employ ITSI. Overall, I would describe the end-to-end view as highly effective. It facilitates seamless data acquisition and enables us to easily analyze the data afterward.
Splunk ITSI can be utilized for predictive analytics to prevent incidents before they happen. It is regarded as the superior option for observability. While observability is commendable, we also make efforts to view data from SignalFX and leverage ITSI's capabilities to analyze and access large volumes of data. ITSI serves as a tool for analytics, but we can also employ it for observability, albeit SignalFX remains our primary choice for that purpose.
Splunk ITSI has helped us streamline our incident management, particularly through its correlation searches and event policies. With these features, we can efficiently handle multiple tasks by grouping them together under correlations. We can easily search for and identify these tasks and then review them in-network, allowing us to determine the specific episode and identify any high alerts. This enables us to drill down and investigate further, depending on our proficiency with ITSI. Additionally, we have the ability to create a dashboard for editing reviews. This way, we can access our episodes, drill down into our dashboard, and examine the detailed information about the issues we are facing.
ITSI has helped reduce our alert noise by thirty percent. We don't need to extract a large amount of information from our correlation strategies. We can simply refine them and obtain the essential details, thus avoiding unnecessary noise in our environment. We just need to grasp the main idea.
Splunk ITSI has helped us reduce our mean time to detect by approximately fifteen percent. I have been collaborating with individuals who also utilize ITSI for the past five years, and we have observed its continuous improvement each year. The mean time to detect is contingent upon our level of dedication to ITSI in that aspect.
Splunk ITSI has helped us reduce our mean time to resolve by approximately fifteen percent. If we also have a good dashboard alongside it, we can drill down and go straight to the issue.
What is most valuable?
One of the excellent features is the service analyzer, which is truly impressive. Additionally, we have the infrastructure review, which allows us to assess our infrastructure comprehensively. That is fantastic! Furthermore, the latest ITSI connects the new tenant we have for tenant management. This feature enables us to retire an entity instead of merely deleting it, and if needed, we can easily reactivate it. There are numerous exciting new additions. Splunk ITSI itself is highly interactive, making the overall service experience truly remarkable.
What needs improvement?
Splunk ITSI could function even better, particularly when it comes to refreshing the service infrastructure. If we could have the option to go back not just sixty minutes, but also one or five minutes, it would enhance our capabilities.
The service analyzer component is excellent, particularly the default analyzer. However, I believe the refresh time should be faster. If it also takes five minutes to complete, as suggested by the KPI requirements, then the refresh time should be significantly reduced. If the data doesn't load within five minutes, our service and KPI will not function properly. Therefore, it is crucial to make it faster.
I would appreciate having more customizable dashboards to assist with in-depth analyses.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Splunk ITSI for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Since I started using Splunk ITSI, it has remained stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
How are customer service and support?
The documentation for Splunk Doctors is excellent, particularly when it comes to addressing installation issues. However, when it comes to Splunk Processing Language, Splunk itself is unable to assist us. I would recommend relying on the documentation as a valuable resource.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is complex. Even if we have installed ITSI, we still need to install the other apps that accompany ITSI. Perhaps we want to work on this matter, so it depends on whether I am deploying it in a large environment or just a single environment with minimal activity. Therefore, we need to include all of these in the architecture. The ITSI app is one component, but the other apps that derive from it must also be taken into consideration.
We have a tool that we use in our team to expedite the deployment process. However, we are unable to disclose the details as it is a proprietary system. On an average day, if we have access to ITSI, I can personally complete the task within a few hours due to my prior experience. However, for someone without technical expertise, it may take up to a day. Although one knowledgeable person can complete the deployment, it is easier with two people.
What was our ROI?
I have witnessed a significant return on investment in that aspect. However, it ultimately depends on the customer's use case. Everyone desires to acquire Splunk, but not everyone understands its functionality in that aspect. So, if we have a customer and a strong use case, and we know what they want, we will definitely be able to achieve it. But if we don't have a customer and lack knowledge about it, it will just remain as is.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Splunk ITSI is expensive; however, with the appropriate use case, it justifies the cost.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
What other advice do I have?
I rate Splunk ITSI an eight out of ten.
Anyone who is considering a point monitoring system instead of Splunk ITSI should know that with ITSI, we gain access to several other features. Even just with the service analyzer, we can observe our KPIs and identify their affected components. We can determine which settings are causing the issues and make informed decisions, such as trying alternative options. We can also evaluate if a particular KPI has significant importance, as it has a substantial impact on the overall order of operations. This provides us with a detailed perspective in terms of data and other relevant aspects. While it may not offer a purely granular view, having everything consolidated into a single interface is extremely convenient. Working with ITSI requires a considerable level of willingness and experience. However, as we are transitioning towards various new tools, including the ability to easily integrate plug-and-play devices, the only issue with ITSI might be the initial setup. Once we have it implemented, we will have the capability to accomplish all our desired tasks.
The way Splunk sells ITSI is not the way we use it. We can make much better use of ITSI. The most important aspect, in my opinion, of ITSI is the episode review. For instance, when we encounter an issue that is not immediately visible, how can we evaluate that aspect? Therefore, ITSI is beneficial. From my perspective, we need individuals to sit down and explain how it works, as it can be confusing initially. However, once we have a clear understanding, it works well.
In my organization, my team is the only one working with ITSI. We handle all deployments, and typically, we deploy on public cloud infrastructure such as Azure, AWS, and GCP. Nowadays, most deployments are cloud-based. Additionally, with the rapid growth of Splunk Cloud, installation is not a concern as it is taken care of. Our focus is on the implementation if we choose to go the Splunk Cloud route. However, we still handle the installation process ourselves, so we need to ensure our preparedness in that regard.
We have roughly 20 people in our organization that use Splunk ITSI.
In the beginning, we need to ensure that the data we receive is valid. Once we have confirmed its validity, we can rest assured that the system will generate alerts, eliminating the need to worry about maintenance.
I recommend Splunk ITSI for organizations that are interested in IT operations, monitoring, or analytics. By ensuring optimal utilization of Splunk ITSI, organizations can achieve a good return on investment that justifies the purchase.
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner