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Trope Collaborative
A human-centered design consultancy that collaborates with clients & users to be more focused, adaptive & competitive.

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File Restore

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Opportunity

IBM Storage is moving to both virtual machines and Software Defined Environments, which is a federated model of linking abstracted storage infrastructure together. While the server side of data centers that would have the databases for enterprise storage, the problems of backup from a client perspective was in need of being addressed in order to both reduce the number of client backup failures as well as allow line-of business users access to storage snapshots without opening up a ticket to do so.
Existing generalized VM system This diagram was used to demonstrate the current relationship between clients, on premise server infrastructure and VMWare & TDP virtual infrastructure.

Existing generalized VM system
This diagram was used to demonstrate the current relationship between clients, on premise server infrastructure and VMWare & TDP virtual infrastructure.

Field research documentation Adam designed this format for documenting field research content that could be used for later analysis.

Field research documentation
Adam designed this format for documenting field research content that could be used for later analysis.

Initial findings As a team we identified several key findings based on original assumptions vs. what our field research was telling us so far. These were helpful to get alignment from management, engineering and design.

Initial findings
As a team we identified several key findings based on original assumptions vs. what our field research was telling us so far. These were helpful to get alignment from management, engineering and design.

Variables That Affected Scope Three key variables were identified that would affect project scope : organizational structure, collaboration, and tasks which became helpful to discuss the "to be" state for File Restore.

Variables That Affected Scope
Three key variables were identified that would affect project scope : organizational structure, collaboration, and tasks which became helpful to discuss the "to be" state for File Restore.

To Be Journey Map Using IBM Design's six experiences, we linked key personas to what File Restore could deliver upon in a desired to be stat

To Be Journey Map
Using IBM Design's six experiences, we linked key personas to what File Restore could deliver upon in a desired to be stat

File Restore Hills Working closely with sponsor users, design and engineering we developed three key hills that were then broken down into sub-hills, technical foundation and epics.

File Restore Hills
Working closely with sponsor users, design and engineering we developed three key hills that were then broken down into sub-hills, technical foundation and epics.

To Be State Attributes Adam's UX team identified four key attributes for File Restore that would support the three hills and guide UX recommendations to make sure we were delivering market value.

To Be State Attributes
Adam's UX team identified four key attributes for File Restore that would support the three hills and guide UX recommendations to make sure we were delivering market value.

Line of business persona Since File Restore would be used primarily by Susan, we were able to use real field work to define her.

Line of business persona
Since File Restore would be used primarily by Susan, we were able to use real field work to define her.

File Restore Login Using the design patterns in part from Tivoli Storage Manager, Adam created a sister branded web log in that could be customized by outside enterprises.

File Restore Login
Using the design patterns in part from Tivoli Storage Manager, Adam created a sister branded web log in that could be customized by outside enterprises.

Overview of File Restore Capabilities Adam heard from all users that they wanted a quick tutorial of capabilities on first log in. We used video overviews along with key messaging to highlight File Restore value.

Overview of File Restore Capabilities
Adam heard from all users that they wanted a quick tutorial of capabilities on first log in. We used video overviews along with key messaging to highlight File Restore value.

Dynamic messaging File Restore had dozens of informational, non-dismissable warning and critical messages with choice options. These would slide down from the browser and would either disappear after a few moments, or go away once conditions have

Dynamic messaging
File Restore had dozens of informational, non-dismissable warning and critical messages with choice options. These would slide down from the browser and would either disappear after a few moments, or go away once conditions have been met.

Active and Recent Restore Activity During an active restore, a user could activate a drawer which would slide from the side of the browser and show the progress of a rest

Active and Recent Restore Activity
During an active restore, a user could activate a drawer which would slide from the side of the browser and show the progress of a rest

Methods & Practices

Adam's UX team researched the many client environments and determined which ones had promise of investing in. Several customers in data centers, healthcare, government and universities were visited. Each had network administrators, VM administrators, help desk and line of business users to determine similarities and differences based on backup and recovery tasks and needs - as well as how these roles were connected together.

​ His team used both observational and contextual inquiry techniques and small workshops to understand their "as is" states. They then looked at market competitors to understand their approach to file restore for virtual machines and compared their approaches to what their research began to tell in terms of key insights.

​ Adam's UX Team began to prototype using an early version of IBM Design Language and went out in the field with their concepts to get direct feedback from administrators. They felt the File Restore tool was visually simple and automated for their users to successfully restore a file without opening up a ticket.

Impact & Outcome

Most customers, when seeing our approach to a web-based tool for line-of-business users to use, they asked if we had outsourced our concepts to an outside company to solve because it looked too simple for IBM to accomplish. Adam's UX team told them that IBM did not outsource it and was done by a whole storage team. Administrators were impressed that IBM was able to create a valuable restore tool that would be simple to use and reduce the need for system administrators and help desk to restore files. This solution was released in Q4 of 2015 as TSM File Restore for VE.