Dennis Adams

associates

Management and Infrastructure SIG Meeting

Beginners Guide to
ITIL
- help or hindrance?
Can it help me?
What are the pitfalls?

Dennis Adams
4th October 2006
 Introduction

• Why we are doing this … (Target Audience)

– Confused by what ITIL is?
– Heard the buzz-words, but not sure of the substance?
– Scared by the prospect of being inundated with too much
processes, so that your teams are unable to get any work done?

• These are all typical reactions from technical leaders and

managers when faced with the ITIL “hype”.
• The purpose of this presentation is to introduce what ITIL is
really about, and take away the mystery.

• Explain and Justify PROCESS to TECHNICAL Audience.

“ITIL for Dummies” ?

 Topics to Cover

• What is ITIL ?
• What do we mean by a “Process Approach” to the world as a
different way of looking at how we work together ?

• What are the main Processes within ITIL ?

• What some of the main Processes look like in more Detail

• The importance of the Configuration Management Database

(CMDB)

• Conclusions: Don’t “Implement ITIL?” (!?)

• Time for Questions…
The ITIL definition of IT “Service” - is this helpful ??

“An integrated composite

that consists of a number of components

such as management processes,

hardware, software, facilities and people

that provides a capability to satisfy

a stated management need or objective.”

Dictionary of IT Service Management

 Think of MANAGING IT as PROVIDING a SERVICE

BUSINESS SERVICE
IT SERVICE
DELIVERY

SERVICE
SUPPORT
Align IT services with the
needs of the Business
Improve the Quality of the
Service
Reduce the long-term costs
 Think in terms of PROCESSES rather than SKILLS

Functional Organization

Process Approach

Using a Process Approach, we no longer think in terms of

individual technical teams “doing their own thing”.
Rather we think in terms of the overall goal which should be
directed to the main goals of the organization.
 What is ITIL?

• ITIL = “Information Technology Infrastructure Library”

• A Library of Processes books outlining “good practice” for
managing IT Infrastructure.
• A set of ready-made “how to” references.

• ITIL IS A NON-PRESCRIPTIVE REFERENCE

• ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark, and a Registered Community

Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce, and is
Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• ITIL revision 3 is currently being written.

• A British Standard (BS 15000) certification (BS 25000 to come).

• Linked to ISO 9000 Quality Certification.
An Analogy: Remember Development Methodologies?

Hobby Quick Prototype Waterfall Structured

craft and and User Develop Design
developer Dirty Design ment Method

Anarchy ? JFDI ? Paralysis of Analysis ?

Development Methodologies define Ways of Working

to ensure that we do things in a Repeatable,
Professional manner.
PRINCE 2 (Projects) ITIL (Infrastructure)

DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTION
Initiate Document the Configuration

Design New Application Releases

Infrastructures Changes

Build
Identify root-cause of Problems

Resolve Customer Incidents

Test

Service Desk / Help Desk

Deploy
 The ITIL Library of Process Books

ICT
ICT Infrastructure
Infrastructure Security Management
Management
Management

The Business Perspective

Service Delivery

Application Management

Service Support
Planning to Implement
Service Management

Key: “CORE ITIL” Main Volumes Supplementary Volumes

 The Core ITIL Books: IT Service Management

Service Delivery Service Support

• Capacity Management • Service Desk

• Availability Management
• Incident Management
• IT Service Continuity • Problem Management
Management.

• Service Level Management • Change Management

• Release Management
• IT Financial Management • Configuration Management

User Support Control Processes

 EXAMPLE: Process to manage CHANGE

Request for Change Change Review

Log RFC Inform Users

Assess Priority Approval

Impact Analysis Change Scheduling

Categorize Testing Plans

 EXAMPLE: What is CAPACITY PLANNING ?

BUSINESS SERVICE RESOURCE

CAPACITY CAPACITY CAPACITY
MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT
• Future Service • What are the • How well are we
requirements from existing using existing
the Business requirements? technology?
• Future Capacity • Are we meeting • Are we using
from the Business SLAs? each component
appropriately?
• Resource • How well are we
Requirements in utilising existing • What future
future. resources today? technologies
could be better?
• CAPACITY
PLAN
 EXAMPLE: The activities in CAPACITY PLANNING

Resource
Utilisation
Business Strategy
Service Monitoring
Level Business Planning
Analysis
Thresholds
Tuning
Service
IT Strategy
Level Implementation
IT
Exceptions
Business
Resource
Plan
Utilisation
Exceptions
Ensuring we can meet our SLAs
 Some Best Practices in the ITIL Library
• How to get the best benefit from a SERVICE DESK
– Single point of contact, Monitoring and escalation on behalf of customers.
• A systematic way of managing INCIDENTS:
– Log / Classify / Investigate / Diagnose / Resolution
• Being Pro-Active: PROBLEM MANAGEMENT
– Root Cause Analysis, Kepner & Tregoe Analysis, Ishikawa diagrams.
• Keeping track of IT Assets: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT
• Stopping dangerous changes: CHANGE & RELEASE MANAGEMENT
– Impact Analysis and Authorisation before Changes
• Being Customer-Focused: SERVICE LEVEL MANAGEMENT
• Bean-Counting: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
– Charge-back to reflect the cost to the Business.
• CAPACITY: Prediction instead of Panic
• AVAILABILITY
– Design for continual up-time
• DR and BCP: IT SERVICE CONTINUITY
– Risk Assessment and Planning
 Why implement ITIL-based processes?

• ITIL emphasises that IT should be seen as a service to the

business.
• ITIL could be (part of) a Quality Management strategy to
improve the quality of the IT Service for the business.

• Introducing clear processes should enable the company to grow

and/or bring on more staff more easily.
• Being based on a “best practice” approach means that you do
not have to reinvent the wheel.

• Cost reduction - Standardising “how you do things” can simplify

and reduce costs.
• Professionalism / Clear points of contact with external
organisations and stakeholders.
 The BEST WAY to Implement ITIL Service Management?

Service
ServiceDesk
Desk

Incident
Incident

Problem
Problem

Change
Change

Release
Release

Configuration
Configuration
Configuration
ConfigurationManagement
Management Database
Database(CMDB)
(CMDB)
 …or MORE LIKE THIS ?

Service
ServiceDesk
Desk

Incident
Incident

Problem
Problem

Change
Change

Release
Release

Configuration
Configuration
Configuration
ConfigurationManagement
Management Database
Database(CMDB)
(CMDB)
 .. Just Some parts of a theoretical CMDB
HARDWARE
USERS INCIDENTS CHANGES
Specification
SOFTWARE
Applications Applications Applications
Location
Licenses
Contracts Hardware Users
Owner
Versions
Incidents Resolutions Equipment
Financials
Software
APPLICATIONS
SLA
O/S Users RELEASES
Applications KNOWN
Equipment Hardware ERRORS Applications
Users
Incidents
INFRASTRUCT Contracts
URE
SOFTWARE PROBLEMS BCP
SERVICES AVAILABILITY
e.g. Oracle Incidents DOCS
Applications STATISTICS
Resolutions
NETWORK
Linkages
DEFINITIVE SOFTWARE LIBRARY DEFINITIVE HARDWARE STORE
Dependancies
Case Study: Understanding Applications and Machines

Data Collection Processes

Hardware in Data New Equipment

Centre Purchasing

Server Configuration Management:

Naming Naming Conventions

Applications on Change Control:

machines Usage of Machine

Application Release Management:

Listing Applications

Objective: Impact Analysis of Applications <=> Machines

 Pitfalls and Warnings

• “Organisations should not be over ambitious when implementing

Service Management” (IT Service Management “Little ITIL”).

• DON’T “IMPLEMENT ITIL”

– ITIL is a Framework of Best Practices, not a Prescriptive Manual
– Use what is useful, when and where it is useful.

• Remember that any IT Process will only work if the participants

have the right data in the right place at the right time.
– Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

• Remember that the objective is to document and implement

repeatable processes in order to make the organisation more
efficient and/or more responsive to customers.
– ITIL should never been seen as an end in itself.
 Some Recommendations

• See ITIL processes as a way of standardising what is already

done / should be already done.
– Everyone should benefit from simplified and clearer ways of doing
things.

• Consider the ITIL Foundation Exam

– For most IT Infrastructure Professionals, it is “common sense”
– Looks good on the CV
– Gives you a common “vocabulary” for discussing how things are
done
– Emphasises “customer focus” and “process”
– 40 questions multiple-choice, pass mark is 25.

• Keep asking “what is the business benefit ?”

 Further Useful Information

• OGC Home Page for ITIL: http://www.itil.co.uk

• TSO (The Stationery Office): http://www.tso.co.uk
http://www.get-best-practice.co.uk/itilProducts.aspx
• IT Service Management Forum (itSMF): http://www.itsmf.com
• Interactive Forum: http://www.itilcommunity.com

• ITIL Toolkit: http://www.itil-toolkit.com

• Key Skills Training: http://www.ksl.org,
http://www.itiltraining.com

• Square Mile Systems: http://www.squaremilesystems.co.uk

• Pink Elephant Consultancy: http://www.pinkelephant.com
• Dennis Adams Associates: http://www.dennisadams.net
 Questions?

• Is ITIL a panacea for all IT Infrastructure Management

challenges?
– It never claims to be !
– It is a set of good practice processes to be used as a “toolkit”
– ITIL itself speaks about:
• Process / Product / People.
– Implement ITIL as part of a Strategic Cultural change in the
organisation, which should include:
• Metrics, Operational Tools, Processes, Standards.

• Can you implement “parts” of ITIL and ignore the rest?

– Yes.
– Remember that to make processes succeed you need appropriate
data.
 Dennis Adams
associates

More Questions ?
 Dennis Adams
associates

Management and Infrastructure SIG Meeting

Beginners Guide to
ITIL
- help or hindrance?
Can it help me?
What are the pitfalls?

Dennis Adams
http://www.dennisadams.net 4th October 2006