| ITIL Book Descriptions |
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The management of changes to IT services and the supporting infrastructure, from proposal through impact assessment, authorization and building to implementation are all covered. A single, coordinated change management function is described and recommended, and the benefits outlined. Without a comprehensive change management system, IT services - and the business that depends upon them - are at risk.
All aspects of configuration
management are covered, including identification and control (in particular
change control) of the components of 'live' IT services (assets), such as hardware,
software, documentation and network items. Recording of the configuration item
status and the relationships between items are described in this module.
Provides guidance on creating and operating a help desk to provide an efficient channel of communication between the customer community and the IT provider. The module includes topics such as selecting the right structure, tools and staff and setting the procedures in place for managing the help desk. Emphasis is placed on provision of quality customer support.
IT Infrastructure Support Tools
Provides a hierarchy of criteria that may be used to evaluate tools that support the functions in the Service Support set. It is useful to those who are procuring such tools when setting out their requirements and in evaluating supplier responses. It will also be helpful to suppliers who wish to provide products to support the Service Support set functions
Takes the incidents identified
by the help desk and diagnoses and rectifies the underlying problems. The module
gives advice on planning and managing this reactive process and also the proactive
process of preventing problems from occurring and recurring.
Software Control and Distribution
Software, whether developed in-house or by a third party, is a valuable asset without which most businesses cannot function, and as such it needs safeguarding, especially in distributed environment in which software may be replicated. This module provides guidance on planning and managing a software control and distribution function that controls, stores distributes and implements software efficiently and effectively.
A recent European Commission
survey suggested that one in five companies would be unable to function for
more than a few hours in the event of a major computer breakdown causing the
loss of IT services. This library module provides guidance to organizations
on how to achieve and sustain the IT service availability which customers need
to efficiently support their business at a justifiable cost. The module focuses
on the procedures and systems, including specification and monitoring of suppliers
contractual obligations regarding availability, required to support availability
requirements in Service Level Agreements.
Good capacity management
assures that there are no surprises. It will enable an organization to manage
resources in times of crisis and predict the need for additional hardware in
advance. The purpose of this module in the IT Infrastructure Library is to provide
guidance on how to justify and establish a capacity management function, and
the procedures necessary for the planning, implementation and running of that
function.
If it's not worth protecting it's not worth doing! This module gives guidance on the plans that are needed to ensure that satisfactory levels of IT service can continue to be provided in the event of a disaster, such as fire or flood, affecting the IT infrastructure of an organization.
Cost Management for IT Services
Covers both costing of IT services and charging for their provision. The guidance enclosed reviews how to plan and implement a costing system. The management decisions that need to be made before charging for IT services are considered. The module provides a step-by-step guide to identifying and apportioning costs. It is likely to be of interest to customers of IT services to help them understand how charges are derived.
Service Delivery Tools
The acquisition and use
of appropriate software tools can have a major influence on the quality of service
that an IT directorate can deliver to its customers. Although, the benefits
to both service provider and customer are real and achievable, choosing from
the many and varied tools available is a difficult, time-consuming and skilled
task. This book provides a hierarchy of criteria for evaluating tools that support
the functions in the ITIL Service delivery set. It will help both those buying
such tools and also suppliers who wish to provide such products.
Service Level Management, Customer Focused
This is a completely revised
and rewritten version of the original ITIL title Service Level Management.
It outlines the processes and procedures required to ensure that an IT service
organization provides the services its customers and users need. It reinforces
throughout the need for a customer focus. Each phase of the activity is dealt
with, from establishing and agreeing to the customer's service requirements,
through quantifying the services and establishing a service quality plan, to
monitoring and maintaining service levels. The book will be of value to both
organizations implementing service level management for the first time, and
those wishing to improve their current service level management processes. Guidance
on various approaches and appropriate techniques is provided, together with
samples of relevant documents and practical examples drawn from the considerable
experience of the authors and other contributors.
Customer Liaison
Effective customer liaison will, in the long-term, enable organizations to achieve a better return on IT investment through the more effective use of IT by customers. Implementing the guidance in this module will help IT services to develop a co-operative partnership with their customers to their mutual benefit.
IT Services Organization
Provides guidance on how
IT Service Management personnel can be most effectively organized by providing
a framework of functions, as described in other modules, and describing interfaces
to other parts of the IT directorate. The skills and experience of staff required
to manage functions are detailed. The module concentrates on functions rather
than staff posts since the latter is greatly influenced by the size of the organization,
although it will indicate which functions can be combined in a single job.
Managing Facilities Management
Interest in facilities management is growing. Unfortunately the outsourcing of an existing operation to a new facilities management provider does not guarantee significantly better quality or cheaper IT services. However, if organizations follow the advice given in this module they can have reasonable confidence that quality IT services will be provided.
Managing Supplier Relationships
This module describes the management of relationships with the suppliers and maintainers of hardware, software, support services and network items from the time of first contact with them. It provides guidance on managing the IT services-supplier relationship to ensure that products and services are supplied which meet the standards of quality required.
Planning and Control for IT Services
What is the best way to
effectively plan and control IT service provision and support? This module looks
at this and links the operational plans for IT services to the business and
IS strategic and tactical plans.
Quality Management for IT Services
Summarizes how an organization
can plan and implement a quality management system for IT Service Management,
with references to all other modules in the IT Infrastructure Library. This
module complements and enhances information provided in the CCTA Quality Management
Library.
Business & Management Skills
This book describes and
discusses the management and business skills required by a professional working
within the IT Service Management field who, commonly, will have moved from a
job with a high degree of technical content into one predominantly occupied
with staff management.
The author draws heavily
on his considerable personal experience, and that of other IT Service Management
professionals, to provide a useful handbook complete with hints and tips based
on practical knowledge. The many examples are taken directly from the IT Service
Management field. The book gives the clear message that, while those taking
up their first management post will require new attitudes, there is much of
benefit to bring from previous experience. Our cover illustrates this; the new
manager, equipped for the new role and responsibilities, is still getting good
mileage from a technical past.
Computer Installation and Acceptance
When installing new computers
it is important that organizations satisfy several objectives. They need to
ensure that they meet budgets and time-lines; satisfy IT requirements in relation
to business needs; avoid disrupting existing IT services; protect IT assets;
protect the organization's rights in the event of conflict with suppliers; avoid
the costs of poorly managed projects; and avoid or reduce the risk of failure.
This module gives guidance on meeting these objectives to organizations planning
for and managing the installation and acceptance of large-scale computer equipment
for integration into an IT infrastructure.
Computer Operations Management
Covers all aspects of the
day-to-day running of an operations function, including guidance on the planning,
implementation and review of the function. It helps solve the problems of skill
shortages, cost pressures and rapid technological change using a structured
approach to operations management.
Third Party and Single Source Maintenance
Guidance to help organizations
decide whether to consider Third Party or Single Source Maintenance, by drawing
attention to the potential benefits and risks. It also suggests ways to maximize
the former and reduce the latter by the precise specification of requirements
and the effective use of contracts.
Unattended Operating
A checklist of steps is
provided for planning and implementing unattended operating. This module outlines
the considerable benefits that can be achieved and highlights the enormous potential
for increasing IT processing capacity with minimal increases in overheads. Various
cost comparisons are detailed which can be used to cost justify unattended operating.
Software Lifecycle Support
The purpose of this module
is to provide IT infrastructure management with an understanding of the concept
of software lifecycles, and to explain how software lifecycles can be used to
build in good practice for IT infrastructure managers, and how the lifecycle
support processes can improve the quality of delivered IT services to customers.
Information is given on: software lifecycle modeling and task decomposition;
planning the infrastructure support for new software projects and existing systems;
incorporating maintenance requirements into the software development process;
and phasing the implementation of new procedures necessary to ensure co-operation
between IT infrastructure managers, software developers and customers of IT
services.
Testing an IT Service for Operational Use
The aim of the operational
testing function is to show that an IT service is suitable for operational use.
This module provides advice and guidance to senior IT managers and their staff
on the planning and implementation of an efficient and effective operational
testing function which will provide customers and IT Service Management staff
with confidence in the quality and reliability of IT services.
Understanding and Improving
A guide for business managers
on all aspects of understanding and improving their organizations IT infrastructure.
Topics include What is IT Infrastructure Management? What is my role as Business
Manager? Strategy for improving IT What to measure?
Surviving IT Infrastructure Transitions
A guide for business managers
offering issues to address and ways of dealing with problems caused by major
changes to the IT infrastructure. Includes sections on Your role in IT infrastructure
applications development, and several case studies.
In Times of Radical Change
A similar format to Surviving
IT Infrastructure Transitions in that topics covered in the book are again
expanded upon in case studies. The book provides guidance for the business manager
about how to assess the value of current IT in the context of change, redefine
IT and plan the necessary alternations, prepare IT for change, and harness IT
to better effect during and after this radical change.
A Guide to Business Continuity Management
It is vitally important to the success of any organization that it can continue to carry on its business without interruption in the event of fire, flood or other disaster. This book provides practitioners with an in-depth BCM implementation guide that is applicable generally to all organizations and business processes.
An Introduction to Business Continuity Management
In both the public and private
sector, a condition for success is that the business should continue to function
in the face of fire, flood and other disasters. The discipline that ensures
that business can continue is business continuity management. This volume describes
the need for business continuity management (BCM) and outlines the processes
involved. It also describes typical management structures for BCM and explains
how to establish a BCM initiative and how to generate awareness and commitment.
The guidance draws on practical experience in BCM in both the public and private
sectors. The application of this guidance will help organizations carry out
BCM in accordance with the new British Standard, BS 7799, entitled A Code of
Practice for Information Security Management.
An Introduction to IT Infrastructure Planning
An organization’s IT infrastructure
and supporting information systems play a vital role in the successful function
of its business operations. Planning the IT infrastructure cannot necessarily
be delegated as the sole responsibility of the information systems providers.
The business managers of the organization need to be confident that the IT that
is built for the organization will be able to support the business and its changing
requirements. This guide introduces the reader to all stages of IT infrastructure
planning and identifies issues that need to be addressed to ensure that IT will
enable business effectiveness and not constrain it.
IT Infrastructure Library Practices in Small IT Units
The IT Infrastructure Library
documents best practice in IT Service Management and has become the de-facto
standard in many sectors. This book has been written for those people working
with ITIL ideas in small IT units. It considers the underlying differences between
working in small and large units, and offers advice on adapting ITIL guidance
and in combining roles to suit small staff numbers. The content sets out to
cover the whole range of ITIL as it applies to small units at a high level,
concentrating in more detail on aspects which can be constructively adapted
to the smaller environment.
IT Service Management Case Studies
A set of ten case studies
that will be of interest and use to organizations involved with or contemplating
an approach to IT Service Management as contained in the IT Infrastructure Library.
The case studies have been selected to show how the contributors set about tackling
problems they met when implementing certain elements of IT Service Management
in a live situation, and clearly reflect the different organizations who have
prepared them.
Network Services Management
Gives guidance on the planning
and ongoing management of networks and network services. Good planning, administration
and management are keys to ensuring that network services provide the information
systems on which organizations depend to meet business needs effectively.
Accommodation Specification
When considerable sums of
money are invested in accommodation and the supporting environmental services,
it is essential that the organization’s long-term requirements are taken into
account. This module will assist organizations in defining their requirements
for a computer center and describes the steps to be taken in preparing an accommodation
design.
Environmental Standards for Equipment Accommodation
The environmental standards
described here were developed in conjunction with Property Services Agency and
the computer manufacturers' trade association. They are incorporated into contracts
negotiated by CCTA on behalf of government departments.
Fire Precautions in IT Installations
Any fire in the vicinity
of IT equipment can cause significant damage. This IT Infrastructure Library
module draws upon the latest knowledge of fire protection engineering and discusses
how to apply this information to computer centers and the office environment.
Fire precautions include checking out and, if necessary, redesigning building
aspects, electrical services, air conditioning and furnishings and fittings;
so called passive measures. Active measures range from every day operational
precautions to the provision of fire detection and extinguishing systems.
Maintaining a Quality Environment for IT
Guidance is provided on
the procedures and standards to be used when drawing up specifications for auditing
and cleaning computer accommodation. Regular site audits of environmental equipment
and conditions, both within the computer suite and offices accommodating IT
equipment, will help to ensure that the correct environment is maintained, thereby
reducing the risk to IT operations.
Management of Acoustic Noise
How relevant is acoustic
noise to the quality of the working environment? This module provides information
on the identification of sources of noise and measures which may be undertaken
to reduce such noise or ameliorate the effects. It also considers how noise
levels can be specified in a procurement requirement, including the use of relevant
standards and testing techniques.
Management of Electrical Interference
Although IT equipment may be designed, constructed and installed to high technical standards, it may still be seriously affected by electrical interference. The risks are not widely appreciated and this new volume in the IT Infrastructure Library provides guidance to help avoid or eliminate potential interference. It includes information on effective identification, diagnosis and prevention of electrical interference problems which could cause costly IT systems failures. In addition, current standards and codes of practice aimed at achieving electromagnetic compatibility are reviewed
Secure Power Supplies
The primary purpose of this
module is to give guidance to organizations on what they should consider when
they are deciding on the standard of the power supply they need to support their
IT equipment. It also looks at the technical issues that need to be understood
to draw up a User Requirement for a secure power supply.
Specification and Management of a Cable Infrastructure
Flexible, adaptable, and
maintainable cable infrastructures will alleviate, if not obviate, the problems
associated with 'tactical' cabling. The implementation of a cable strategy is
often a major undertaking and must be regarded as a project in its own right.
This detailed module is a practical guide to planning, specifying and managing
a cable infrastructure installation project.
Managing a Quality Working Environment for IT Users
Emphasizes the four key
areas associated with the quality of working environment necessary for working
with IT: vision, concentration, posture, and workspace. These issues do not
exist in a vacuum and other related factors, such as training, flexibility,
work practices, etc., are also covered.
Office Design and Planning
This latest module from
the IT Infrastructure Library aims to help organizations realize the full benefits
of IT applications in the office, by creating a supportive working environment
for the users of IT equipment. Office design and planning is a complex, iterative
process, the purpose of which is to integrate people, tasks, ergonomic factors,
equipment and available space to produce a supportive working environment. Recommended
actions are made in this module.
The Office Working Environment and IT
This module gives an overview
of ergonomic issues and is aimed particularly at raising awareness on the part
of those responsible for IS strategies.