- Management Reference Guide
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Strategic Management
- Establishing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
- Aligning IT Goals with Corporate Business Goals
- Utilizing Effective Planning Techniques
- Developing Worthwhile Mission Statements
- Developing Worthwhile Vision Statements
- Instituting Practical Corporate Values
- Budgeting Considerations in an IT Environment
- Introduction to Conducting an Effective SWOT Analysis
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part One
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part Two
- Customer Management
- Identifying Key External Customers
- Identifying Key Internal Customers
- Negotiating with Customers and Suppliers—Part 1: An Introduction
- Negotiating With Customers and Suppliers—Part 2: Reaching Agreement
- Negotiating and Managing Realistic Customer Expectations
- Service Management
- Identifying Key Services for Business Users
- Service-Level Agreements That Really Work
- How IT Evolved into a Service Organization
- FAQs About Systems Management (SM)
- FAQs About Availability (AV)
- FAQs About Performance and Tuning (PT)
- FAQs About Service Desk (SD)
- FAQs About Change Management (CM)
- FAQs About Configuration Management (CF)
- FAQs About Capacity Planning (CP)
- FAQs About Network Management
- FAQs About Storage Management (SM)
- FAQs About Production Acceptance (PA)
- FAQs About Release Management (RM)
- FAQs About Disaster Recovery (DR)
- FAQs About Business Continuity (BC)
- FAQs About Security (SE)
- FAQs About Service Level Management (SL)
- FAQs About Financial Management (FN)
- FAQs About Problem Management (PM)
- FAQs About Facilities Management (FM)
- Process Management
- Developing Robust Processes
- Establishing Mutually Beneficial Process Metrics
- Change Management—Part 1
- Change Management—Part 2
- Change Management—Part 3
- Audit Reconnaissance: Releasing Resources Through the IT Audit
- Problem Management
- Problem Management–Part 2: Process Design
- Problem Management–Part 3: Process Implementation
- Business Continuity Emergency Communications Plan
- Capacity Planning – Part One: Why It is Seldom Done Well
- Capacity Planning – Part Two: Developing a Capacity Planning Process
- Capacity Planning — Part Three: Benefits and Helpful Tips
- Capacity Planning – Part Four: Hidden Upgrade Costs and
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 1
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 2
- 20 Major Elements of Facilities Management
- Major Physical Exposures Common to a Data Center
- Evaluating the Physical Environment
- Nightmare Incidents with Disaster Recovery Plans
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process – Part Two
- Automating a Robust Infrastructure Process
- Improving High Availability — Part One: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Two: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Three: The Seven R's of High Availability
- Improving High Availability — Part Four: Assessing an Availability Process
- Methods for Brainstorming and Prioritizing Requirements
- Introduction to Disk Storage Management — Part One
- Storage Management—Part Two: Performance
- Storage Management—Part Three: Reliability
- Storage Management—Part Four: Recoverability
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part One
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part Two
- Meeting Today's Cooling Challenges of Data Centers
- Strategic Security, Part One: Assessment
- Strategic Security, Part Two: Development
- Strategic Security, Part Three: Implementation
- Strategic Security, Part Four: ITIL Implications
- Production Acceptance Part One – Definition and Benefits
- Production Acceptance Part Two – Initial Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Three – Middle Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Four – Ongoing Steps
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part One – Objectives
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part Two – SWOT
- Case Study: Implementing an ITIL Service Desk – Part One
- Case Study: Implementing a Service Desk Part Two – Tool Selection
- Ethics, Scandals and Legislation
- Outsourcing in Response to Legislation
- Supplier Management
- Identifying Key External Suppliers
- Identifying Key Internal Suppliers
- Integrating the Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
- Enhancing the Customer/Supplier Matrix
- Voice Over IP, Part One — What VoIP Is, and Is Not
- Voice Over IP, Part Two — Benefits, Cost Savings and Features of VoIP
- Application Management
- Production Acceptance
- Distinguishing New Applications from New Versions of Existing Applications
- Assessing a Production Acceptance Process
- Effective Use of a Software Development Life Cycle
- The Role of Project Management in SDLC— Part 2
- Communication in Project Management – Part One: Barriers to Effective Communication
- Communication in Project Management – Part Two: Examples of Effective Communication
- Safeguarding Personal Information in the Workplace: A Case Study
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 1: Building a Manageable Schedule
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 2: Tracking and Reporting Availability
- References
- Developing an ITIL Feasibility Analysis
- Organization and Personnel Management
- Optimizing IT Organizational Structures
- Factors That Influence Restructuring Decisions
- Alternative Locations for the Help Desk
- Alternative Locations for Database Administration
- Alternative Locations for Network Operations
- Alternative Locations for Web Design
- Alternative Locations for Risk Management
- Alternative Locations for Systems Management
- Practical Tips To Retaining Key Personnel
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Using IT Consultants and Contractors
- Deciding Between the Use of Contractors versus Consultants
- Managing Employee Skill Sets and Skill Levels
- Assessing Skill Levels of Current Onboard Staff
- Recruiting Infrastructure Staff from the Outside
- Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate
- 7 Tips for Managing the Use of Mobile Devices
- Useful Websites for IT Managers
- References
- Automating Robust Processes
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part One: Quality and Value
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part Two: Benefits and Use of a Quality-Value Matrix
- When Should You Integrate or Segregate Service Desks?
- Five Instructive Ideas for Interviewing
- Eight Surefire Tips to Use When Being Interviewed
- 12 Helpful Hints To Make Meetings More Productive
- Eight Uncommon Tips To Improve Your Writing
- Ten Helpful Tips To Improve Fire Drills
- Sorting Out Today’s Various Training Options
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 1
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 2
- 12 Tips for More Effective Emails
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part One
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Two
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Three
- Asset Management
- Managing Hardware Inventories
- Introduction to Hardware Inventories
- Processes To Manage Hardware Inventories
- Use of a Hardware Inventory Database
- References
- Managing Software Inventories
- Business Continuity Management
- Ten Lessons Learned from Real-Life Disasters
- Ten Lessons Learned From Real-Life Disasters, Part 2
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 1
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 2
- 15 Common Terms and Definitions of Business Continuity
- The Federal Government’s Role in Disaster Recovery
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 1
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 2
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 3
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 4
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 1
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 2
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 3
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 4
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part One
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Two
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Three
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Four
- The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
- The Origins of ITIL
- The Foundation of ITIL: Service Management
- Five Reasons for Revising ITIL
- The Relationship of Service Delivery and Service Support to All of ITIL
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part One
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part Two
- Characteristics of ITIL Version 3
- Ten Benefits of itSMF and its IIL Pocket Guide
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Delivery Processes
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Support Processes
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part One: Service Delivery Processes
- Case Study: Recovery Reactions to a Renegade Rodent
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part Two: Service Support
- Case Studies
- Case Study — Preparing for Hurricane Charley
- Case Study — The Linux Decision
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at an Aerospace Firm
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at a Defense Contractor
- Case Study — Evaluating Mainframe Processes
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part One: Quantitative Comparisons/Natural Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Two: Quantitative Comparisons/Man-made Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Three: Qualitative Comparisons
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Four: Take-Aways
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part One: Planning
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Two: Planning and Walk-Through
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Three: Execution
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Four: Follow-Up
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part One: Qualitative Measures
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part Two: Quantitative Measures
- Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part One: What Did the Team Do Well
- (d) Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part Two
When developers of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) introduced their first version of their efforts in 1989, the library consisted of over 40 books. By the late 1990s, those who updated and revised the library streamlined it to a more manageable number of seven primary books consisting of the following:
- The Business Perspective
- Integrated Computing-Telecommunications Infrastructure Management
- Applications Management
- Security Management
- Planning To Implement Service Management
- Service Delivery
- Service Support
The last two of these books, Service Delivery (sometimes referred to as the red book) and Service Support (sometimes referred to as the blue book), are what comprise the majority of best practices for IT infrastructure processes. These two books form the framework for managing complex IT infrastructures in the best possible manner. They, along with portions of the Security Management book, are the basis for the certifications on ITIL fundamentals that so many IT professionals seek these days.
Service Delivery and Service Support sound fairly similar and would seem to be both based on the notions of service management. So what are the main characteristics that distinguish one form the other? Of what value is it to know, understand and apply these characteristics? The next section answers these and other questions about these tow key books of ITIL.
Understanding the Components of Service Delivery and Service Support
There are five infrastructure processes associated with each of the books on Service Delivery and Service Support and these are shown in Table 1. The process of Security Management is now closely associated with Service Delivery even though security is not one of its five processes but rather is a separate book onto itself. The reason security is grouped in with Service Delivery is because of the close tie-in of security to Availability Management. One of the primary charters of Availability Management is to ensure that data, programs, systems and networks are up and accessible to authorized users. Security Management helps ensure that the accessibility is to ensure the users are indeed authorized.
Table 1 Infrastructure Processes Associated with Service Delivery and Service Support
|
Service Delivery Processes |
Service Support Processes |
|
1. Service Level Management |
1. Incident Management |
|
2. Financial Management |
2. Problem Management |
|
3. Availability Management |
3. Configuration Management |
|
4. Capacity Management |
4. Change Management |
|
5. Service Continuity Management |
5. Release Management |
|
Security Management* |
Service Desk** |
|
* Security Management is part of the Security Book. ** Service Desk is a function, not a process. |
There is a similar anomaly with Service Support processes in that the Service Desk, while not a process in and of itself, is closely associated with these processes. A Service Desk is a function within an organization. It occupies a box within an org chart, it is staffed with people who are trained, developed and usually reviewed for performance. This is how the Service Desk function differs from a Service Support process. But the function of a Service Desk is so integral to the processes of Service Support that the two are closely entwined. For several years now a Certification in the Fundamentals of ITIL require some in-depth knowledge of both the Security Management process and the Service Desk function.
Distinguishing ITIL Service Delivery from Service Support
In addition to the processes and functions that separate Service Delivery from Service Support, there other attributes that distinguish these two service entities. Table 2 below shows four of these characteristics.
Table 2 Characteristics that Distinguish Service Delivery from Service Support
|
Service Delivery |
Service Support |
Category |
|
Customer-Facing |
User-Facing |
Human Interface |
|
Tactical |
Operational |
Process Focus |
|
Weeks-to-Months |
Hours-to-Days |
Planning Horizon |
|
Management-Oriented |
Enduser-Oriented |
Orientation |
The first category is of the human interface and this refers to the individuals who are most involved with the processes in questions. For Service Support, this interface is known as customer-facing because delivery processes such as service level management and financial management primarily involve customers rather than users. In ITIL parlance, users are the individuals who use IT services day in and day out, while customers are normally the managers of those users. These managers, or customers, negotiate costs, service levels and time-frames for needed services. Users focus on the daily operation and function of the services provided.
The second category of process focus and the third category of planning horizon go hand in hand. Again, using ITIL terminology, Service Delivery processes are said to be tactical in nature while Service Support processes are described as operational. In this case, tactical is thought of as activities that extend out over weeks or months. Operational is thought of as activities that occur on an hourly or daily basis.
The fourth category of orientation refers to the primary responsibilities of Service Delivery and Service Support. For Service Delivery this includes such responsibilities as accounting for the service levels, finances and availability of services. For Service Support, such responsibilities would include tracking incidents, restoring services back to normal levels, and authorizing changes to the production environment.
All of these characteristics combine to distinguish Service Delivery from Service Support. The reason it is important to know and understand these differences is that they can play an important role when deciding how to go about implementing the ITIL framework, and how much of it to start with. If tactical, management-oriented issues are of a more pressing need in your environment, you may want to start with Service Delivery processes. If improvements in the day-to-day resolving of incidents and problems are of greater concern, then implementing Service Support processes may be your starting point. Some ITIL experts recommend that all ten processes be implemented together as parts of an overall project. But in reality, implementing the ITIL processes in phases is a much more realistic approach.