ITIL:

Why Your IT Organization Should Care

Service Support

Wendy Shih
Wshih@kent.edu

Kent State University

History
ITIL - IT Infrastructure Library Developed by British government in 1980s Focus on continuously improvement Consists of 8 books, currently in version 2
Service Support (blue book) - core book ICT Infrastructure Management (Vol. I and II) Service Delivery (red book) - core book Application Management Security Management Business Perspectives Planning and Implementation

Software Asset Management

Version 3 released May 30, 2007 has 5 books

Why adopting ITIL?

It aligns with IT business goals and service objectives It is process driven, scaleable and flexible Reduce IT cost yet providing optimal services Increase relationship and communication among different departments, employees, customers and users Successfully adapted by HP, IBM, PG, Shell Oil, Boeing, Microsoft, Proctor and Gamble, State of CA

How Is It Different?
Provide common language for IT Not a methodology but guidelines with best practices Connect processes Provide a framework It is public domain not proprietary Core books consist - one function and ten processes:

Service Support
The Service Desk - a function
Incident Management Problem Management Change Management Release Management Configuration Management Service Level Management Financial Management IT Continuity Management Availability Management Service Support Service Support Service Support Service Support Service Support Service Delivery Service Delivery Service Delivery Service Delivery

Capacity Management

Service Delivery

Incident Management
A disruption in normal or standard business operation that affects the quality of service Goal: restore normal service as quickly as possible and minimize the adverse effect on business operation

Incident Activities
Detection & Report
Classification & support
Service Request

Investigation & diagnosis

Escalate

Monitoring, tracking and communication

Resolution & recovery Incident Closure

Service Desk Function

SPOC - Single Point of Contact
Record and resolve incidents Provide work-around, escalate if not resolved Produce incident reports Keep users and customers informed of progress Responsible for incident life cycle

Service Support
Incident Management

Service Desk

End Users

Change Management Release Management

Problem Management

Configuration Management

Problem Management
A problem is an unknown underlying cause of an error or failure in the IT infrastructure Known error - incidents or problems that the underlying cause is
known (root cause) and a temporary work-around or alternative fix has been identified

Goal: Minimize the impact of incidents caused by errors

Reduce recurrence of incidents due to these errors

Error in Infrastructure

Incidents

Problems

Known Error

RFC
Solutions

Problem Management
Activities
Problem Control
Identify, classify and solve problems Root cause identification Provide work-around to the Service Desk

Error Control
Review and assess Known Error identified from Root Cause
Eliminate known errors using the Change management Prevent incidents - trend analysis and place preventive measures

Service Desk & Problem Management

Incidents vs Problems
Propose incidents
Incident Matching

Identify recurrences of solved problems

Report and identify new work-around Identify trend

Change Management
Goal: All changes are controlled and managed with

standardized procedures and minimum interruption

A change is when a state of supported hardware, network,

software, application, environment, system, or associated documentation is different because of: Addition Change Move

Change Management Activities

Log /Filter requests for change (RFC)
Prioritize and categorize RFCs Assessing resource requirements and impact Authorize and approve RFCs by Change Advisory Board Schedule and build the change Create back-out plan and test the change Implement and review implemented changes

Review the change management process

Service Desk & Change Management

Receive and forward Request for Change (RFC)

Provide feedback to users about the changes

Ready to support and understand the impact

Identify and report failed changes

Report and feedback to Change management

Configuration Management
Accounts for relationship between assets Owner of Configuration Management DB - CMDB

Account and track for all IT assets & configuration items (CI) in the CMDB
Verify configuration records against the infrastructure for accuracy A sound basis for Incident, Problem, Change and Release Management

Configuration Management
Activities Plan Identify - CI Control - CI and change authorization Status Accounting - keep CI up-to-date Audit / Verification - accuracy Report of CI life cycle

Service Desk and Configuration Mgmt

Use CMDB retrieve incident and problem records

Report and identify inaccurate CMDB relationship

Assess severity and priority with CMDB info

Provide customers with CMDB changes

Assist Configuration Management team with CMDB audit

Release Management
Goals:
1. Plan and oversee successful rollout 2. Design and implement efficient procedures 3. Communicate and agree to the rollout plan through Change

Management
4. 5.

Ensure master copies are secured in DSL and DHS Ensure CMDB is updated and changes are traceable
Owner of DSL - Definitive Software Library Owner of DHS - Definitive Hardware Store

Release Management
Activities:
Policy Schedule
Development Test

Design /Develop
Build Test

Production

Accept
Plan Rollout Distribute / install
Archive

Review

Service Desk and Release Management

Identify incidents from rollout Assist in release planning Record and report

Provide feedback
Ensure staff can support new releases

Service Support
Incident Management

Service Desk

End Users

Change Management Release Management

Problem Management

Configuration Management

Successful ITIL Service Desk

Increasing customers and users satisfaction Decrease incident numbers First call resolution goal Accurate incident identification and escalation Excellent communication with other areas SLA compliance

Service Support
The common area to implement ITIL

Increase customer and user satisfaction

IT will be more efficient and effective Decrease IT financial cost

Useful ITIL Links

The Official ITIL Site http://www.ogc.gov.uk/

ITSMF ITIL global forum http://www.itsmf.com/

ITIL COMMUNITY FORUM

http://www.itilcommunity.com

Questions and Discussion

Wendy Shih wshih@kent.edu

Thank you!