ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) is a set of best practices for IT service management and delivery. It was developed in the 1980s by the British government and consists of several books focused on processes like service support, service delivery, security management, and planning. Adopting ITIL helps align IT with business goals, reduces costs through standardized processes, and improves relationships through communication. The service desk is a key function for incident and problem management, and works closely with change management, release management, and configuration management. Implementing ITIL's service support processes can increase customer satisfaction and make IT more efficient.

1. ITIL:
Why Your IT Organization Should
Care
Service Support
Wendy Shih
Wshih@kent.edu
Kent State University

2. History
ITIL - IT Infrastructure Library
Developed by British government in 1980’s
Focus on continuously improvement
Consists of 8 books, currently in version 2
•Service Support (blue book) - core book
•Service Delivery (red book) - core book
•Security Management
•Business Perspectives
•Application Management
•Planning and Implementation
•Software Asset Management
Version 3 released May 30, 2007 has 5 books

3. 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

4. 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:

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

6. 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

7. Incident Activities
Detection & ReportDetection & Report
Classification & supportClassification & support
Investigation & diagnosisInvestigation & diagnosis
Resolution & recoveryResolution & recovery
Monitoring,Monitoring,
tracking andtracking and
communicationcommunication
Incident ClosureIncident Closure
Service Request
Escalate

8. 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

9. End Users
Service
Support
Service
Desk
Incident
Management
Change
Management
Release
Management
Configuration Management
Problem
Management

10. 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 Incidents Problems Known Error RFC
Solutions

11. 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

12. Service Desk & Problem Management
Incidents vs Problems
Propose incidents
Incident Matching
Identify recurrences of solved problems
Report and identify new work-around
Identify trend

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

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

20. Release Management
Activities:
Policy
Schedule
Design /Develop
Build
Test
Accept
Plan Rollout
Distribute / install
Review
Test
Development
Production
Archive

21. Service Desk and Release Management
Identify incidents from rollout
Assist in release planning
Record and report
Provide feedback
Ensure staff can support new releases

22. End Users
Service
Support
Service
Desk
Incident
Management
Change
Management
Release
Management
Configuration Management
Problem
Management

23. 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

24. Service Support
The common area to implement ITIL
Increase customer and user satisfaction
IT will be more efficient and effective
Decrease IT financial cost

25. Useful ITIL Links
Th e Of f ic ial ITIL Sit e
h t t p:/ / w w w .o gc .gov.uk /
ITSMF —ITIL gl o bal f or um
h t t p:/ / w w w .it smf .c o m/
ITIL COMMUNITY FORUM
h t t p:/ / w w w .it il c o mmun it y.c o m

26. Questions and Discussion
Wendy Shih wshih@kent.edu
Thank you!