Itil V3 Glossary

Front 1

Expanded Incident Lifecycle

Back 1

Detailed stages in the Lifecycle of an Incident. The stages are Detection, Diagnosis, Repair, Recovery, Restoration. The Expanded Incident Lifecycle is used to help understand all contributions to the Impact of Incidents and to Plan how these could be controlled or reduced.

Hint 1

AM

Front 2

Balanced Scorecard

Back 2

A management tool developed by Drs. Robert Kaplan (Harvard Business School) and David Norton. A Balanced Scorecard enables a Strategy to be broken down into Key Performance Indicators. Performance against the KPIs is used to demonstrate how well the Strategy is being achieved. A Balanced Scorecard has 4 major areas, each of which has a small number of KPIs. The same 4 areas are considered at different levels of detail throughout the Organisation.

Hint 2

CSI

Front 3

Benchmarking

Back 3

Comparing a Benchmark with a Baseline or with Best Practice. The term Benchmarking is also used to mean creating a series of Benchmarks over time, and comparing the results to measure progress or improvement.

Hint 3

CSI

Front 4

Business Perspective

Back 4

An understanding of the Service Provider and IT Services from the point of view of the Business, and an understanding of the Business from the point of view of the Service Provider.

Hint 4

CSI

Front 5

Capability Maturity Model (CMM)

Back 5

The Capability Maturity Model for Software (also known as the CMM and SW-CMM) is a model used to identify Best Practices to help increase Process Maturity. CMM was developed at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University. In 2000, the SW-CMM was upgraded to CMMI® (Capability Maturity Model Integration). The SEI no longer maintains the SW-CMM model, its associated appraisal methods, or training materials.

Hint 5

CSI

Front 6

COBIT

Back 6

Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) provides guidance and Best Practice for the management of IT Processes. COBIT is published by the IT Governance Institute. See http://www.isaca.org/ for more information.

Hint 6

CSI

Front 7

Effectiveness

Back 7

A measure of whether the Objectives of a Process, Service or Activity have been achieved. An Effective Process or Activity is one that achieves its agreed Objectives. See KPI.

Hint 7

CSI

Front 8

Efficiency

Back 8

A measure of whether the right amount of resources have been used to deliver a Process, Service or Activity. An Efficient Process achieves its Objectives with the minimum amount of time, money, people or other resources. See KPI.

Hint 8

CSI

Front 9

IT Directorate

Back 9

Senior Management within a Service Provider, charged with developing and delivering IT services. Most commonly used in UK Government departments.

Hint 9

CSI

Front 10

Maturity

Back 10

A measure of the Reliability, Efficiency and Effectiveness of a Process, Function, Organisation etc. The most mature Processes and Functions are formally aligned to Business Objectives and Strategy, and are supported by a framework for continual improvement.

Hint 10

CSI

Front 11

Performance Management

Back 11

The Process responsible for day-to-day Capacity Management Activities. These include Monitoring, Threshold detection, Performance analysis and Tuning, and implementing Changes related to Performance and Capacity.

Hint 11

CSI

Front 12

Service Improvement Plan (SIP)

Back 12

A formal Plan to implement improvements to a Process or IT Service.

Hint 12

CSI

Front 13

Service Owner

Back 13

A Role which is accountable for the delivery of a specific IT Service.

Hint 13

CSI

Front 14

Service Reporting

Back 14

The Process responsible for producing and delivering reports of achievement and trends against Service Levels. Service Reporting should agree the format, content and frequency of reports with Customers.

Hint 14

CSI

Front 15

SLAM Chart

Back 15

A Service Level Agreement Monitoring Chart is used to help monitor and report achievements against Service Level Targets. A SLAM Chart is typically colour coded to show whether each agreed Service Level Target has been met, missed, or nearly missed during each of the previous 12 months.

Hint 15

CSI

Front 16

SWOT Analysis

Back 16

A technique that reviews and analyses the internal strengths and weaknesses of an Organisation and the external opportunities and threats which it faces SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

Hint 16

CSI

Front 17

Technical Observation (TO)

Back 17

A technique used in Service Improvement, Problem investigation and Availability Management. Technical support staff meet to monitor the behaviour and Performance of an IT Service and make recommendations for improvement.

Hint 17

CSI

Front 18

Tension Metrics

Back 18

A set of related Metrics, in which improvements to one Metric have a negative effect on another. Tension Metrics are designed to ensure that an appropriate balance is achieved.

Hint 18

CSI

Front 19

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Back 19

A methodology for managing continual Improvement by using a Quality Management System. TQM establishes a Culture involving all people in the Organisation in a Process of continual monitoring and improvement.

Hint 19

CSI

Front 20

Trend Analysis

Back 20

Analysis of data to identify time related patterns. Trend Analysis is used in Problem Management to identify common Failures or fragile Configuration Items, and in Capacity Management as a Modelling tool to predict future behaviour. It is also used as a management tool for identifying deficiencies in IT Service Management Processes.

Hint 20

CSI

Front 21

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)

Back 21

Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Melon University. CMMI provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. It can be used to guide process improvement across a project, a division, or an entire organization. CMMI helps integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes. See http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/ for more information.

Hint 21

CSI

Front 22

Gap Analysis

Back 22

An Activity which compares two sets of data and identifies the differences. Gap Analysis is commonly used to compare a set of Requirements with actual delivery. See Benchmarking.

Hint 22

CSI

Front 23

ISO/IEC 17799

Back 23

ISO Code of Practice for Information Security Management. See Standard.

Hint 23

CSI

Front 24

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

Back 24

A Metric that is used to help manage a Process, IT Service or Activity. Many Metrics may be measured, but only the most important of these are defined as KPIs and used to actively manage and report on the Process, IT Service or Activity. KPIs should be selected to ensure that Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Cost Effectiveness are all managed. See Critical Success Factor.

Hint 24

CSI

Front 25

Metric

Back 25

Something that is measured and reported to help manage a Process, IT Service or Activity. See KPI.

Hint 25

CSI

Front 26

Quality Management System (QMS)

Back 26

The set of Processes responsible for ensuring that all work carried out by an Organisation is of a suitable Quality to reliably meet Business Objectives or Service Levels. See ISO 9000.

Hint 26

CSI

Front 27

Quick Win

Back 27

An improvement Activity which is expected to provide a Return on Investment in a short period of time with relatively small Cost and effort. See Pareto Principle.

Hint 27

CSI

Front 28

Value on Investment (VOI)

Back 28

A measurement of the expected benefit of an investment. VOI considers both financial and intangible benefits. See Return on Investment.

Hint 28

CSI

Front 29

Continual Service Improvement (CSI)

Back 29

A stage in the Lifecycle of an IT Service and the title of one of the Core ITIL publications. Continual Service Improvement is responsible for managing improvements to IT Service Management Processes and IT Services. The Performance of the IT Service Provider is continually measured and improvements are made to Processes, IT Services and IT Infrastructure in order to increase Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Cost Effectiveness. See Plan-Do-Check-Act.

Hint 29

CSI

Front 30

Baseline

Back 30

A Benchmark used as a reference point. For example: • An ITSM Baseline can be used as a starting point to measure the effect of a Service Improvement Plan • A Performance Baseline can be used to measure changes in Performance over the lifetime of an IT Service • A Configuration Management Baseline can be used to enable the IT Infrastructure to be restored to a known Configuration if a Change or Release fails

Hint 30

CSI

Front 31

Benchmark

Back 31

The recorded state of something at a specific point in time. A Benchmark can be created for a Configuration, a Process, or any other set of data. For example, a benchmark can be used in: • Continual Service Improvement, to establish the current state for managing improvements. • Capacity Management, to document Performance characteristics during normal operations.See Benchmarking, Baseline.

Hint 31

CSI

Front 32

Plan-Do-Check-Act

Back 32

A four stage cycle for Process management, attributed to Edward Deming. Plan-Do-Check-Act is also called the Deming Cycle. PLAN: Design or revise Processes that support the IT Services. DO: Implement the Plan and manage the Processes. CHECK: Measure the Processes and IT Services, compare with Objectives and produce reports ACT: Plan and implement Changes to improve the Processes.

Hint 32

CSI

Front 33

Business Continuity Management (BCM)

Back 33

The Business Process responsible for managing Risks that could seriously impact the Business. BCM safeguards the interests of key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value creating activities. The BCM Process involves reducing Risks to an acceptable level and planning for the recovery of Business Processes should a disruption to the Business occur. BCM sets the Objectives, Scope and Requirements for IT Service Continuity Management.

Hint 33

SD

Front 34

Agreed Service Time

Back 34

A synonym for Service Hours, commonly used in formal calculations of Availability. See Downtime.

Hint 34

SD

Front 35

Application Portfolio

Back 35

A database or structured Document used to manage Applications throughout their Lifecycle. The Application Portfolio contains key Attributes of all Applications. The Application Portfolio is sometimes implemented as part of the Service Portfolio, or as part of the Configuration Management System.

Hint 35

SD

Front 36

Application Service Provider (ASP)

Back 36

An External Service Provider that provides IT Services using Applications running at the Service Provider's premises. Users access the Applications by network connections to the Service Provider.

Hint 36

SD

Front 37

Application Sizing

Back 37

The Activity responsible for understanding the Resource Requirements needed to support a new Application, or a major Change to an existing Application. Application Sizing helps to ensure that the IT Service can meet its agreed Service Level Targets for Capacity and Performance.

Hint 37

SD

Front 38

Architecture

Back 38

The structure of a System or IT Service, including the Relationships of Components to each other and to the environment they are in. Architecture also includes the Standards and Guidelines which guide the design and evolution of the System.

Hint 38

SD

Front 39

Availability

Back 39

Ability of a Configuration Item or IT Service to perform its agreed Function when required. Availability is determined by Reliability, Maintainability, Serviceability, Performance, and Security. Availability is usually calculated as a percentage. This calculation is often based on Agreed Service Time and Downtime. It is Best Practice to calculate Availability using measurements of the Business output of the IT Service.

Hint 39

SD

Front 40

Availability Management

Back 40

The Process responsible for defining, analysing, Planning, measuring and improving all aspects of the Availability of IT Services. Availability Management is responsible for ensuring that all IT Infrastructure, Processes, Tools, Roles etc are appropriate for the agreed Service Level Targets for Availability.

Hint 40

SD

Front 41

Availability Plan

Back 41

A Plan to ensure that existing and future Availability Requirements for IT Services can be provided Cost Effectively.

Hint 41

SD

Front 42

Brainstorming

Back 42

A technique that helps a team to generate ideas. Ideas are not reviewed during the Brainstorming session, but at a later stage. Brainstorming is often used by Problem Management to identify possible causes.

Hint 42

SD

Front 43

Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

Back 43

A Plan defining the steps required to Restore Business Processes following a disruption. The Plan will also identify the triggers for Invocation, people to be involved, communications etc. IT Service Continuity Plans form a significant part of Business Continuity Plans.

Hint 43

SD

Front 44

Capacity

Back 44

The maximum Throughput that a Configuration Item or IT Service can deliver whilst meeting agreed Service Level Targets. For some types of CI, Capacity may be the size or volume, for example a disk drive.

Hint 44

SD

Front 45

Capacity Management

Back 45

The Process responsible for ensuring that the Capacity of IT Services and the IT Infrastructure is able to deliver agreed Service Level Targets in a Cost Effective and timely manner. Capacity Management considers all Resources required to deliver the IT Service, and plans for short, medium and long term Business Requirements.

Hint 45

SD

Front 46

Capacity Plan

Back 46

A Capacity Plan is used to manage the Resources required to deliver IT Services. The Plan contains scenarios for different predictions of Business demand, and costed options to deliver the agreed Service Level Targets.

Hint 46

SD

Front 47

Capacity Planning

Back 47

The Activity within Capacity Management responsible for creating a Capacity Plan.

Hint 47

SD

Front 48

Commercial off the Shelf (COTS)

Back 48

Application software or Middleware that can be purchased from a Third Party.

Hint 48

SD

Front 49

Component Failure Impact Analysis (CFIA)

Back 49

A technique that helps to identify the impact of CI failure on IT Services. A matrix is created with IT Services on one edge and CIs on the other. This enables the identification of critical CIs (that could cause the failure of multiple IT Services) and of fragile IT Services (that have multiple Single Points of Failure).

Hint 49

SD

Front 50

Confidentiality

Back 50

A security principle that requires that data should only be accessed by authorised people.

Hint 50

SD

Front 51

Continuous Availability

Back 51

An approach or design to achieve 100% Availability. A Continuously Available IT Service has no planned or unplanned Downtime.

Hint 51

SD

Front 52

Continuous Operation

Back 52

An approach or design to eliminate planned Downtime of an IT Service. Note that individual Configuration Items may be down even though the IT Service is Available.

Hint 52

SD

Front 53

Development

Back 53

The Process responsible for creating or modifying an IT Service or Application. Also used to mean the Role or group that carries out Development work.

Hint 53

SD

Front 54

Do Nothing

Back 54

A Recovery Option. The Service Provider formally agrees with the Customer that Recovery of this IT Service will not be performed.

Hint 54

SD

Front 55

Fast Recovery

Back 55

A Recovery Option which is also known as Hot Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service in a short period of time, typically less than 24 hours. Fast Recovery typically uses a dedicated Fixed Facility with computer Systems, and software configured ready to run the IT Services. Immediate Recovery may take up to 24 hours if there is a need to Restore data from Backups.

Hint 55

SD

Front 56

Gradual Recovery

Back 56

A Recovery Option which is also known as Cold Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service in a period of time greater than 72 hours. Gradual Recovery typically uses a Portable or Fixed Facility that has environmental support and network cabling, but no computer Systems. The hardware and software are installed as part of the IT Service Continuity Plan.

Hint 56

SD

Front 57

High Availability

Back 57

An approach or Design that minimises or hides the effects of Configuration Item Failure on the Users of an IT Service. High Availability solutions are Designed to achieve an agreed level of Availability and make use of techniques such as Fault Tolerance, Resilience and fast Recovery to reduce the number of Incidents, and the Impact of Incidents.

Hint 57

SD

Front 58

Immediate Recovery

Back 58

A Recovery Option which is also known as Hot Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service with no loss of Service. Immediate Recovery typically uses mirroring, load balancing and split site technologies.

Hint 58

SD

Front 59

Information Security Management (ISM)

Back 59

The Process that ensures the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of an Organisation's Assets, information, data and IT Services. Information Security Management usually forms part of an Organisational approach to Security Management which has a wider scope than the IT Service Provider, and includes handling of paper, building access, phone calls etc., for the entire Organisation.

Hint 59

SD

Front 60

Information Security Management System (ISMS)

Back 60

The framework of Policy, Processes, Standards, Guidelines and tools that ensures an Organisation can achieve its Information Security Management Objectives.

Hint 60

SD

Front 61

Information Security Policy

Back 61

The Policy that governs the Organisation’s approach to Information Security Management.

Hint 61

SD

Front 62

Integrity

Back 62

A security principle that ensures data and Configuration Items are only modified by authorised personnel and Activities. Integrity considers all possible causes of modification, including software and hardware Failure, environmental Events, and human intervention.

Hint 62

SD

Front 63

Intermediate Recovery

Back 63

A Recovery Option which is also known as Warm Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service in a period of time between 24 and 72 hours. Intermediate Recovery typically uses a shared Portable or Fixed Facility that has computer Systems and network Components. The hardware and software will need to be configured, and data will need to be restored, as part of the IT Service Continuity Plan.

Hint 63

SD

Front 64

Invocation

Back 64

Initiation of the steps defined in a plan. For example initiating the IT Service Continuity Plan for one or more IT Services.

Hint 64

SD

Front 65

IT Service Continuity Management (ITSCM)

Back 65

The Process responsible for managing Risks that could seriously impact IT Services. ITSCM ensures that the IT Service Provider can always provide minimum agreed Service Levels, by reducing the Risk to an acceptable level and Planning for the Recovery of IT Services. ITSCM should be designed to support Business Continuity Management.

Hint 65

SD

Front 66

IT Service Continuity Plan

Back 66

A Plan defining the steps required to Recover one or more IT Services. The Plan will also identify the triggers for Invocation, people to be involved, communications etc. The IT Service Continuity Plan should be part of a Business Continuity Plan.

Hint 66

SD

Front 67

Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

Back 67

A Metric for measuring and reporting Reliability. MTBF is the average time that a Configuration Item or IT Service can perform its agreed Function without interruption. This is measured from when the CI or IT Service starts working, until it next fails.

Hint 67

SD

Front 68

Mean Time Between Service Incidents (MTBSI)

Back 68

A Metric used for measuring and reporting Reliability. MTBSI is the mean time from when a System or IT Service fails, until it next fails. MTBSI is equal to MTBF + MTRS.

Hint 68

SD

Front 69

Percentage utilisation

Back 69

The amount of time that a Component is busy over a given period of time. For example, if a CPU is busy for 1800 seconds in a one hour period, its utilisation is 50%

Hint 69

SD

Front 70

Reciprocal Arrangement

Back 70

A Recovery Option. An agreement between two Organisations to share resources in an emergency. For example, Computer Room space or use of a mainframe.

Hint 70

SD

Front 71

Recovery Option

Back 71

A Strategy for responding to an interruption to Service. Commonly used Strategies are Do Nothing, Manual Workaround, Reciprocal Arrangement, Gradual Recovery, Intermediate Recovery, Fast Recovery, Immediate Recovery. Recovery Options may make use of dedicated facilities, or Third Party facilities shared by multiple Businesses.

Hint 71

SD

Front 72

Return to Normal

Back 72

The phase of an IT Service Continuity Plan during which full normal operations are resumed. For example, if an alternate data centre has been in use, then this phase will bring the primary data centre back into operation, and restore the ability to invoke IT Service Continuity Plans again.

Hint 72

SD

Front 73

Service Design Package

Back 73

Document(s) defining all aspects of an IT Service and its Requirements through each stage of its Lifecycle. A Service Design Package is produced for each new IT Service, major Change, or IT Service Retirement.

Hint 73

SD

Front 74

Service Failure Analysis (SFA)

Back 74

An Activity that identifies underlying causes of one or more IT Service interruptions. SFA identifies opportunities to improve the IT Service Provider's Processes and tools, and not just the IT Infrastructure. SFA is a time constrained, project-like activity, rather than an ongoing process of analysis. See Root Cause Analysis.

Hint 74

SD

Front 75

Standby

Back 75

Used to refer to Resources that are not required to deliver the Live IT Services, but are available to support IT Service Continuity Plans. For example a Standby data centre may be maintained to support Hot Standby, Warm Standby or Cold Standby arrangements.

Hint 75

SD

Front 76

Supplier and Contract Database (SCD)

Back 76

A database or structured Document used to manage Supplier Contracts throughout their Lifecycle. The SCD contains key Attributes of all Contracts with Suppliers, and should be part of the Service Knowledge Management System.

Hint 76

SD

Front 77

Supplier Management

Back 77

The Process responsible for ensuring that all Contracts with Suppliers support the needs of the Business, and that all Suppliers meet their contractual commitments.

Hint 77

SD

Front 78

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Back 78

A Document specifying the Requirements, Scope, Deliverables, Resources and schedule for a Project or Activity.

Hint 78

SD

Front 79

Throughput

Back 79

A measure of the number of Transactions, or other Operations, performed in a fixed time. For example 5000 emails sent per hour, or 200 disk I/Os per second.

Hint 79

SD

Front 80

Underpinning Contract (UC)

Back 80

A Contract between an IT Service Provider and a Third Party. The Third Party provides goods or Services that support delivery of an IT Service to a Customer. The Underpinning Contract defines targets and responsibilities that are required to meet agreed Service Level Targets in an SLA.

Hint 80

SD

Front 81

Usability

Back 81

The ease with which an Application, product, or IT Service can be used. Usability Requirements are often included in a Statement of Requirements.

Hint 81

SD

Front 82

Vital Business Function (VBF)

Back 82

A Function of a Business Process which is critical to the success of the Business. Vital Business Functions are an important consideration of Business Continuity Management, IT Service Continuity Management and Availability Management.

Hint 82

SD

Front 83

Availability Management Information System (AMIS)

Back 83

A virtual repository of all Availability Management data, usually stored in multiple physical locations. See Service Knowledge Management System.

Hint 83

SD

Front 84

Business Capacity Management (BCM)

Back 84

In the context of ITSM, Business Capacity Management is the Activity responsible for understanding future Business Requirements for use in the Capacity Plan. See Service Capacity Management.

Hint 84

SD

Front 85

Capacity Management Information System (CMIS)

Back 85

A virtual repository of all Capacity Management data, usually stored in multiple physical locations. See Service Knowledge Management System.

Hint 85

SD

Front 86

Design

Back 86

An Activity or Process that identifies Requirements and then defines a solution that is able to meet these Requirements. See Service Design.

Hint 86

SD

Front 87

Development Environment

Back 87

An Environment used to create or modify IT Services or Applications. Development Environments are not typically subjected to the same degree of control as Test Environments or Live Environments. See Development.

Hint 87

SD

Front 88

Fault Tolerance

Back 88

The ability of an IT Service or Configuration Item to continue to Operate correctly after Failure of a Component part. See Resilience, Countermeasure.

Hint 88

SD

Front 89

Fixed Facility

Back 89

A permanent building, available for use when needed by an IT Service Continuity Plan. See Recovery Option, Portable Facility.

Hint 89

SD

Front 90

Maintainability

Back 90

A measure of how quickly and Effectively a Configuration Item or IT Service can be restored to normal working after a Failure. Maintainability is often measured and reported as MTRS. Maintainability is also used in the context of Software or IT Service Development to mean ability to be Changed or Repaired easily.

Hint 90

SD

Front 91

Middleware

Back 91

Software that connects two or more software Components or Applications. Middleware is usually purchased from a Supplier, rather than developed within the IT Service Provider. See Off the Shelf.

Hint 91

SD

Front 92

Planned Downtime

Back 92

Agreed time when an IT Service will not be available. Planned Downtime is often used for maintenance, upgrades and testing. See Change Window, Downtime.

Hint 92

SD

Front 93

Portable Facility

Back 93

A prefabricated building, or a large vehicle, provided by a Third Party and moved to a site when needed by an IT Service Continuity Plan. See Recovery Option, Fixed Facility.

Hint 93

SD

Front 94

Requirement

Back 94

A formal statement of what is needed. For example a Service Level Requirement, a Project Requirement or the required Deliverables for a Process. See Statement of Requirements.

Hint 94

SD

Front 95

Resilience

Back 95

The ability of a Configuration Item or IT Service to resist Failure or to Recover quickly following a Failure. For example, an armoured cable will resist failure when put under stress. See Fault Tolerance.

Hint 95

SD

Front 96

Service Catalogue

Back 96

A database or structured Document with information about all Live IT Services, including those available for Deployment. The Service Catalogue is the only part of the Service Portfolio published to Customers, and is used to support the sale and delivery of IT Services. The Service Catalogue includes information about deliverables, prices, contact points, ordering and request Processes. See Contract Portfolio.

Hint 96

SD

Front 97

Service Design

Back 97

A stage in the Lifecycle of an IT Service. Service Design includes a number of Processes and Functions and is the title of one of the Core ITIL publications. See Design.

Hint 97

SD

Front 98

Single Point of Failure (SPOF)

Back 98

Any Configuration Item that can cause an Incident when it fails, and for which a Countermeasure has not been implemented. A SPOF may be a person, or a step in a Process or Activity, as well as a Component of the IT Infrastructure. See Failure.

Hint 98

SD

Front 99

Statement of requirements (SOR)

Back 99

A Document containing all Requirements for a product purchase, or a new or changed IT Service. See Terms of Reference.

Hint 99

SD

Front 100

Use Case

Back 100

A technique used to define required functionality and Objectives, and to Design Tests. Use Cases define realistic scenarios that describe interactions between Users and an IT Service or other System. See Change Case.

Hint 100

SD

Front 101

Component Capacity Management (CCM)

Back 101

The Process responsible for understanding the Capacity, Utilisation, and Performance of Configuration Items. Data is collected, recorded and analysed for use in the Capacity Plan. See Service Capacity Management.

Hint 101

SDCSI

Front 102

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)

Back 102

A technique that can be used to determine the chain of Events that leads to a Problem. Fault Tree Analysis represents a chain of Events using Boolean notation in a diagram.

Hint 102

SDCSI

Front 103

ISO/IEC 27001

Back 103

ISO Specification for Information Security Management. The corresponding Code of Practice is ISO/IEC 17799. See Standard.

Hint 103

SDCSI

Front 104

RACI

Back 104

A Model used to help define Roles and Responsibilities. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. See Stakeholder.

Hint 104

SDCSI

Front 105

Reliability

Back 105

A measure of how long a Configuration Item or IT Service can perform its agreed Function without interruption. Usually measured as MTBF or MTBSI. The term Reliability can also be used to state how likely it is that a Process, Function etc. will deliver its required outputs. See Availability.

Hint 105

SDCSI

Front 106

Service Capacity Management (SCM)

Back 106

The Activity responsible for understanding the Performance and Capacity of IT Services. The Resources used by each IT Service and the pattern of usage over time are collected, recorded, and analysed for use in the Capacity Plan. See Business Capacity Management, Component Capacity Management.

Hint 106

SDCSI

Front 107

Service Hours

Back 107

An agreed time period when a particular IT Service should be Available. For example, "Monday-Friday 08:00 to 17:00 except public holidays". Service Hours should be defined in a Service Level Agreement.

Hint 107

SDCSI

Front 108

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Back 108

An Agreement between an IT Service Provider and a Customer. The SLA describes the IT Service, documents Service Level Targets, and specifies the responsibilities of the IT Service Provider and the Customer. A single SLA may cover multiple IT Services or multiple Customers. See Operational Level Agreement.

Hint 108

SDCSI

Front 109

Service Level Management (SLM)

Back 109

The Process responsible for negotiating Service Level Agreements, and ensuring that these are met. SLM is responsible for ensuring that all IT Service Management Processes, Operational Level Agreements, and Underpinning Contracts, are appropriate for the agreed Service Level Targets. SLM monitors and reports on Service Levels, and holds regular Customer reviews.

Hint 109

SDCSI

Front 110

Service Level Requirement (SLR)

Back 110

A Customer Requirement for an aspect of an IT Service. SLRs are based on Business Objectives and are used to negotiate agreed Service Level Targets.

Hint 110

SDCSI

Front 111

Service Level Target

Back 111

A commitment that is documented in a Service Level Agreement. Service Level Targets are based on Service Level Requirements, and are needed to ensure that the IT Service design is Fit for Purpose. Service Level Targets should be SMART, and are usually based on KPIs.

Hint 111

SDCSI

Front 112

Serviceability

Back 112

The ability of a Third Party Supplier to meet the terms of their Contract. This Contract will include agreed levels of Reliability, Maintainability or Availability for a Configuration Item.

Hint 112

SDCSI

Front 113

Simulation modelling

Back 113

A technique that creates a detailed Model to predict the behaviour of a Configuration Item or IT Service. Simulation Models can be very accurate but are expensive and time consuming to create. A Simulation Model is often created by using the actual Configuration Items that are being modelled, with artificial Workloads or Transactions. They are used in Capacity Management when accurate results are important. A simulation model is sometimes called a Performance Benchmark.

Hint 113

SDCSI

Front 114

SMART

Back 114

An acronym for helping to remember that targets in Service Level Agreements and Project Plans should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.

Hint 114

SDCSI

Front 115

Operational Level Agreement (OLA)

Back 115

An Agreement between an IT Service Provider and another part of the same Organisation. An OLA supports the IT Service Provider's delivery of IT Services to Customers. The OLA defines the goods or Services to be provided and the responsibilities of both parties. For example there could be an OLA • between the IT Service Provider and a procurement department to obtain hardware in agreed times • between the Service Desk and a Support Group to provide Incident Resolution in agreed times. See Service Level Agreement.

Hint 115

SDCSI

Front 116

Application Management

Back 116

The Function responsible for managing Applications throughout their Lifecycle.

Hint 116

SDSO

Front 117

Backup

Back 117

Copying data to protect against loss of Integrity or Availability of the original.

Hint 117

SDSO

Front 118

Downtime

Back 118

The time when a Configuration Item or IT Service is not Available during its Agreed Service Time. The Availability of an IT Service is often calculated from Agreed Service Time and Downtime.

Hint 118

SDSO

Front 119

Recovery

Back 119

Returning a Configuration Item or an IT Service to a working state. Recovery of an IT Service often includes recovering data to a known consistent state. After Recovery, further steps may be needed before the IT Service can be made available to the Users (Restoration).

Hint 119

SDSO

Front 120

Support Hours

Back 120

The times or hours when support is available to the Users. Typically this is the hours when the Service Desk is available. Support Hours should be defined in a Service Level Agreement, and may be different from Service Hours. For example, Service Hours may be 24 hours a day, but the Support Hours may be 07:00 to 19:00.

Hint 120

SDSO

Front 121

Access Management

Back 121

The Process responsible for allowing Users to make use of IT Services, data, or other Assets. Access Management helps to protect the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of Assets by ensuring that only authorized Users are able to access or modify the Assets. Access Management is sometimes referred to as Rights Management or Identity Management.

Hint 121

SO

Front 122

Alert

Back 122

A warning that a threshold has been reached, something has changed, or a Failure has occurred. Alerts are often created and managed by System Management tools and are managed by the Event Management Process.

Hint 122

SO

Front 123

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD)

Back 123

Use of Information Technology to direct an incoming telephone call to the most appropriate person in the shortest possible time. ACD is sometimes called Automated Call Distribution.

Hint 123

SO

Front 124

Call

Back 124

A telephone call to the Service Desk from a User. A Call could result in an Incident or a Service Request being logged.

Hint 124

SO

Front 125

Call Type

Back 125

A Category that is used to distinguish incoming requests to a Service Desk. Common Call Types are Incident, Service Request and Complaint.

Hint 125

SO

Front 126

Chronological Analysis

Back 126

A technique used to help identify possible causes of Problems. All available data about the Problem is collected and sorted by date and time to provide a detailed timeline. This can make it possible to identify which Events may have been triggered by others.

Hint 126

SO

Front 127

Closed

Back 127

The final Status in the Lifecycle of an Incident, Problem, Change etc. When the Status is Closed, no further action is taken.

Hint 127

SO

Front 128

Closure

Back 128

The act of changing the Status of an Incident, Problem, Change etc. to Closed.

Hint 128

SO

Front 129

Detection

Back 129

A stage in the Incident Lifecycle. Detection results in the Incident becoming known to the Service Provider. Detection can be automatic, or can be the result of a User logging an Incident.

Hint 129

SO

Front 130

Diagnosis

Back 130

A stage in the Incident and Problem Lifecycles. The purpose of Diagnosis is to identify a Workaround for an Incident or the Root Cause of a Problem.

Hint 130

SO

Front 131

Diagnostic Script

Back 131

A structured set of questions used by Service Desk staff to ensure they ask the correct questions, and to help them Classify, Resolve and assign Incidents. Diagnostic Scripts may also be made available to Users to help them diagnose and resolve their own Incidents.

Hint 131

SO

Front 132

Directory Service

Back 132

An Application that manages information about IT Infrastructure available on a network, and corresponding User access Rights.

Hint 132

SO

Front 133

Error

Back 133

A design flaw or malfunction that causes a Failure of one or more Configuration Items or IT Services. A mistake made by a person or a faulty Process that impacts a CI or IT Service is also an Error.

Hint 133

SO

Front 134

Escalation

Back 134

An Activity that obtains additional Resources when these are needed to meet Service Level Targets or Customer expectations. Escalation may be needed within any IT Service Management Process, but is most commonly associated with Incident Management, Problem Management and the management of Customer complaints. There are two types of Escalation, Functional Escalation and Hierarchic Escalation.

Hint 134

SO

Front 135

Event Management

Back 135

The Process responsible for managing Events throughout their Lifecycle. Event Management is one of the main Activities of IT Operations.

Hint 135

SO

Front 136

Facilities Management

Back 136

The Function responsible for managing the physical Environment where the IT Infrastructure is located. Facilities Management includes all aspects of managing the physical Environment, for example power and cooling, building Access Management, and environmental Monitoring.

Hint 136

SO

Front 137

Failure

Back 137

Loss of ability to Operate to Specification, or to deliver the required output. The term Failure may be used when referring to IT Services, Processes, Activities, Configuration Items etc. A Failure often causes an Incident.

Hint 137

SO

Front 138

Follow the Sun

Back 138

A methodology for using Service Desks and Support Groups around the world to provide seamless 24 * 7 Service. Calls, Incidents, Problems and Service Requests are passed between groups in different time zones.

Hint 138

SO

Front 139

Functional Escalation

Back 139

Transferring an Incident, Problem or Change to a technical team with a higher level of expertise to assist in an Escalation.

Hint 139

SO

Front 140

Help Desk

Back 140

A point of contact for Users to log Incidents. A Help Desk is usually more technically focussed than a Service Desk and does not provide a Single Point of Contact for all interaction. The term Help Desk is often used as a synonym for Service Desk.

Hint 140

SO

Front 141

Hierarchic Escalation

Back 141

Informing or involving more senior levels of management to assist in an Escalation.

Hint 141

SO

Front 142

Identity

Back 142

A unique name that is used to identify a User, person or Role. The Identity is used to grant Rights to that User, person, or Role. Example identities might be the username SmithJ or the Role "Change manager".

Hint 142

SO

Front 143

Incident

Back 143

An unplanned interruption to an IT Service or a reduction in the Quality of an IT Service. Failure of a Configuration Item that has not yet impacted Service is also an Incident. For example Failure of one disk from a mirror set.

Hint 143

SO

Front 144

Incident Management

Back 144

The Process responsible for managing the Lifecycle of all Incidents. The primary Objective of Incident Management is to return the IT Service to Users as quickly as possible.

Hint 144

SO

Front 145

Incident Record

Back 145

A Record containing the details of an Incident. Each Incident record documents the Lifecycle of a single Incident.

Hint 145

SO

Front 146

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Back 146

A form of Automatic Call Distribution that accepts User input, such as key presses and spoken commands, to identify the correct destination for incoming Calls.

Hint 146

SO

Front 147

IT Operations Management

Back 147

The Function within an IT Service Provider which performs the daily Activities needed to manage IT Services and the supporting IT Infrastructure. IT Operations Management includes IT Operations Control and Facilities Management.

Hint 147

SO

Front 148

Job Scheduling

Back 148

Planning and managing the execution of software tasks that are required as part of an IT Service. Job Scheduling is carried out by IT Operations Management, and is often automated using software tools that run batch or online tasks at specific times of the day, week, month or year.

Hint 148

SO

Front 149

Known Error

Back 149

A Problem that has a documented Root Cause and a Workaround. Known Errors are created and managed throughout their Lifecycle by Problem Management. Known Errors may also be identified by Development or Suppliers.

Hint 149

SO

Front 150

Known Error Database (KEDB)

Back 150

A database containing all Known Error Records. This database is created by Problem Management and used by Incident and Problem Management. The Known Error Database is part of the Service Knowledge Management System.

Hint 150

SO

Front 151

Known Error Record

Back 151

A Record containing the details of a Known Error. Each Known Error Record documents the Lifecycle of a Known Error, including the Status, Root Cause and Workaround. In some implementations a Known Error is documented using additional fields in a Problem Record.

Hint 151

SO

Front 152

Major Incident

Back 152

The highest Category of Impact for an Incident. A Major Incident results in significant disruption to the Business.

Hint 152

SO

Front 153

Monitor Control Loop

Back 153

Monitoring the output of a Task, Process, IT Service or Configuration Item; comparing this output to a predefined norm; and taking appropriate action based on this comparison.

Hint 153

SO

Front 154

Monitoring

Back 154

Repeated observation of a Configuration Item, IT Service or Process to detect Events and to ensure that the current status is known.

Hint 154

SO

Front 155

Operation

Back 155

Day-to-day management of an IT Service, System, or other Configuration Item. Operation is also used to mean any pre-defined Activity or Transaction. For example loading a magnetic tape, accepting money at a point of sale, or reading data from a disk drive.

Hint 155

SO

Front 156

Operations Bridge

Back 156

A physical location where IT Services and IT Infrastructure are monitored and managed.

Hint 156

SO

Front 157

Pain Value Analysis

Back 157

A technique used to help identify the Business Impact of one or more Problems. A formula is used to calculate Pain Value based on the number of Users affected, the duration of the Downtime, the Impact on each User, and the cost to the Business (if known).

Hint 157

SO

Front 158

Pareto Principle

Back 158

A technique used to prioritise Activities. The Pareto Principle says that 80% of the value of any Activity is created with 20% of the effort. Pareto Analysis is also used in Problem Management to prioritise possible Problem causes for investigation.

Hint 158

SO

Front 159

Passive Monitoring

Back 159

Monitoring of a Configuration Item, an IT Service or a Process that relies on an Alert or notification to discover the current status. See Active Monitoring.

Hint 159

SO

Front 160

Proactive Problem Management

Back 160

Part of the Problem Management Process. The Objective of Proactive Problem Management is to identify Problems that might otherwise be missed. Proactive Problem Management analyses Incident Records, and uses data collected by other IT Service Management Processes to identify trends or significant Problems.

Hint 160

SO

Front 161

Problem

Back 161

A cause of one or more Incidents. The cause is not usually known at the time a Problem Record is created, and the Problem Management Process is responsible for further investigation.

Hint 161

SO

Front 162

Problem Management

Back 162

The Process responsible for managing the Lifecycle of all Problems. The primary Objectives of Problem Management are to prevent Incidents from happening, and to minimise the Impact of Incidents that cannot be prevented.

Hint 162

SO

Front 163

Problem Record

Back 163

A Record containing the details of a Problem. Each Problem Record documents the Lifecycle of a single Problem.

Hint 163

SO

Front 164

Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

Back 164

The maximum amount of data that may be lost when Service is Restored after an interruption. Recovery Point Objective is expressed as a length of time before the Failure. For example a Recovery Point Objective of one day may be supported by daily Backups, and up to 24 hours of data may be lost. Recovery Point Objectives for each IT Service should be negotiated, agreed and documented, and used as Requirements for Service Design and IT Service Continuity Plans.

Hint 164

SO

Front 165

Repair

Back 165

The replacement or correction of a failed Configuration Item.

Hint 165

SO

Front 166

Request Fulfilment

Back 166

The Process responsible for managing the Lifecycle of all Service Requests.

Hint 166

SO

Front 167

Restore

Back 167

Taking action to return an IT Service to the Users after Repair and Recovery from an Incident. This is the primary Objective of Incident Management.

Hint 167

SO

Front 168

Rights

Back 168

Entitlements, or permissions, granted to a User or Role. For example the Right to modify particular data, or to authorize a Change.

Hint 168

SO

Front 169

Root Cause

Back 169

The underlying or original cause of an Incident or Problem.

Hint 169

SO

Front 170

Second-line Support

Back 170

The second level in a hierarchy of Support Groups involved in the resolution of Incidents and investigation of Problems. Each level contains more specialist skills, or has more time or other Resources.

Hint 170

SO

Front 171

Server

Back 171

A computer that is connected to a network and provides software Functions that are used by other computers.

Hint 171

SO

Front 172

Service Desk

Back 172

The Single Point of Contact between the Service Provider and the Users. A typical Service Desk manages Incidents and Service Requests, and also handles communication with the Users.

Hint 172

SO

Front 173

Service Maintenance Objective

Back 173

The expected time that a Configuration Item will be unavailable due to planned maintenance Activity.

Hint 173

SO

Front 174

Shift

Back 174

A group or team of people who carry out a specific Role for a fixed period of time. For example there could be four shifts of IT Operations Control personnel to support an IT Service that is used 24 hours a day.

Hint 174

SO

Front 175

Single Point of Contact

Back 175

Providing a single consistent way to communicate with an Organisation or Business Unit. For example, a Single Point of Contact for an IT Service Provider is usually called a Service Desk.

Hint 175

SO

Front 176

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

Back 176

Procedures used by IT Operations Management.

Hint 176

SO

Front 177

Storage Management

Back 177

The Process responsible for managing the storage and maintenance of data throughout its Lifecycle.

Hint 177

SO

Front 178

Super User

Back 178

A User who helps other Users, and assists in communication with the Service Desk or other parts of the IT Service Provider. Super Users typically provide support for minor Incidents and training.

Hint 178

SO

Front 179

Technical Management

Back 179

The Function responsible for providing technical skills in support of IT Services and management of the IT Infrastructure. Technical Management defines the Roles of Support Groups, as well as the tools, Processes and Procedures required.

Hint 179

SO

Front 180

Third-line Support

Back 180

The third level in a hierarchy of Support Groups involved in the resolution of Incidents and investigation of Problems. Each level contains more specialist skills, or has more time or other Resources.

Hint 180

SO

Front 181

Workaround

Back 181

Reducing or eliminating the Impact of an Incident or Problem for which a full Resolution is not yet available. For example by restarting a failed Configuration Item. Workarounds for Problems are documented in Known Error Records. Workarounds for Incidents that do not have associated Problem Records are documented in the Incident Record.

Hint 181

SO

Front 182

Active Monitoring

Back 182

Monitoring of a Configuration Item or an IT Service that uses automated regular checks to discover the current status. See Passive Monitoring.

Hint 182

SO

Front 183

Call Centre

Back 183

An Organisation or Business Unit which handles large numbers of incoming and outgoing telephone calls. See Service Desk.

Hint 183

SO

Front 184

Change Case

Back 184

A technique used to predict the impact of proposed Changes. Change Cases use specific scenarios to clarify the scope of proposed Changes and to help with Cost Benefit Analysis. See Use Case.

Hint 184

SO

Front 185

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

Back 185

CTI is a general term covering any kind of integration between computers and telephone Systems. It is most commonly used to refer to Systems where an Application displays detailed screens relating to incoming or outgoing telephone calls. See Automatic Call Distribution, Interactive Voice Response.

Hint 185

SO

Front 186

Event

Back 186

A change of state which has significance for the management of a Configuration Item or IT Service. The term Event is also used to mean an Alert or notification created by any IT Service, Configuration Item or Monitoring tool. Events typically require IT Operations personnel to take actions, and often lead to Incidents being logged.

Hint 186

SO

Front 187

First-line Support

Back 187

The first level in a hierarchy of Support Groups involved in the resolution of Incidents. Each level contains more specialist skills, or has more time or other Resources. See Escalation.

Hint 187

SO

Front 188

IT Operations

Back 188

Activities carried out by IT Operations Control, including Console Management, Job Scheduling, Backup and Restore, and Print and Output Management. IT Operations is also used as a synonym for Service Operation.

Hint 188

SO

Front 189

IT Operations Control

Back 189

The Function responsible for Monitoring and Control of the IT Services and IT Infrastructure. See Operations Bridge.

Hint 189

SO

Front 190

Proactive Monitoring

Back 190

Monitoring that looks for patterns of Events to predict possible future Failures. See Reactive Monitoring.

Hint 190

SO

Front 191

Reactive Monitoring

Back 191

Monitoring that takes action in response to an Event. For example submitting a batch job when the previous job completes, or logging an Incident when an Error occurs. See Proactive Monitoring.

Hint 191

SO

Front 192

Recovery Time Objective (RTO)

Back 192

The maximum time allowed for recovery of an IT Service following an interruption. The Service Level to be provided may be less than normal Service Level Targets. Recovery Time Objectives for each IT Service should be negotiated, agreed and documented. See Business Impact Analysis.

Hint 192

SO

Front 193

Resolution

Back 193

Action taken to repair the Root Cause of an Incident or Problem, or to implement a Workaround. In ISO/IEC 20000, Resolution Processes is the Process group that includes Incident and Problem Management.

Hint 193

SO

Front 194

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Back 194

An Activity that identifies the Root Cause of an Incident or Problem. RCA typically concentrates on IT Infrastructure failures. See Service Failure Analysis.

Hint 194

SO

Front 195

Service Operation

Back 195

A stage in the Lifecycle of an IT Service. Service Operation includes a number of Processes and Functions and is the title of one of the Core ITIL publications. See Operation.

Hint 195

SO

Front 196

Service Request

Back 196

A request from a User for information, or advice, or for a Standard Change or for Access to an IT Service. For example to reset a password, or to provide standard IT Services for a new User. Service Requests are usually handled by a Service Desk, and do not require an RFC to be submitted. See Request Fulfilment.

Hint 196

SO

Front 197

Support Group

Back 197

A group of people with technical skills. Support Groups provide the Technical Support needed by all of the IT Service Management Processes. See Technical Management.

Hint 197

SO

Front 198

Ishikawa Diagram

Back 198

A technique that helps a team to identify all the possible causes of a Problem. Originally devised by Kaoru Ishikawa, the output of this technique is a diagram that looks like a fishbone.

Hint 198

SOCSI

Front 199

Kepner & Tregoe Analysis

Back 199

A structured approach to Problem solving. The Problem is analysed in terms of what, where, when and extent. Possible causes are identified. The most probable cause is tested. The true cause is verified.

Hint 199

SOCSI

Front 200

Impact

Back 200

A measure of the effect of an Incident, Problem or Change on Business Processes. Impact is often based on how Service Levels will be affected. Impact and Urgency are used to assign Priority.

Hint 200

SOST

Front 201

Account Manager

Back 201

A Role that is very similar to Business Relationship Manager, but includes more commercial aspects. Most commonly used when dealing with External Customers.

Hint 201

SS

Front 202

Accounting

Back 202

The Process responsible for identifying actual Costs of delivering IT Services, comparing these with budgeted costs, and managing variance from the Budget.

Hint 202

SS

Front 203

Asset

Back 203

Any Resource or Capability. Assets of a Service Provider include anything that could contribute to the delivery of a Service. Assets can be one of the following types: Management, Organisation, Process, Knowledge, People, Information, Applications, Infrastructure, and Financial Capital.

Hint 203

SS

Front 204

Business

Back 204

An overall corporate entity or Organisation formed of a number of Business Units. In the context of ITSM, the term Business includes public sector and not-for-profit organisations, as well as companies. An IT Service Provider provides IT Services to a Customer within a Business. The IT Service Provider may be part of the same Business as their Customer (Internal Service Provider), or part of another Business (External Service Provider).

Hint 204

SS

Front 205

Business Customer

Back 205

A recipient of a product or a Service from the Business. For example if the Business is a car manufacturer then the Business Customer is someone who buys a car.

Hint 205

SS

Front 206

Business Objective

Back 206

The Objective of a Business Process, or of the Business as a whole. Business Objectives support the Business Vision, provide guidance for the IT Strategy, and are often supported by IT Services.

Hint 206

SS

Front 207

Business Operations

Back 207

The day-to-day execution, monitoring and management of Business Processes.

Hint 207

SS

Front 208

Business Unit

Back 208

A segment of the Business which has its own Plans, Metrics, income and Costs. Each Business Unit owns Assets and uses these to create value for Customers in the form of goods and Services.

Hint 208

SS

Front 209

Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)

Back 209

The Cost of purchasing something that will become a financial Asset, for example computer equipment and buildings. The value of the Asset is Depreciated over multiple accounting periods.

Hint 209

SS

Front 210

Capital Item

Back 210

An Asset that is of interest to Financial Management because it is above an agreed financial value.

Hint 210

SS

Front 211

Capitalization

Back 211

Identifying major Cost as capital, even though no Asset is purchased. This is done to spread the impact of the Cost over multiple accounting periods. The most common example of this is software development, or purchase of a software license.

Hint 211

SS

Front 212

Charging

Back 212

Requiring payment for IT Services. Charging for IT Services is optional, and many Organisations choose to treat their IT Service Provider as a Cost Centre.

Hint 212

SS

Front 213

Control perspective

Back 213

An approach to the management of IT Services, Processes, Functions, Assets etc. There can be several different Control Perspectives on the same IT Service, Process etc., allowing different individuals or teams to focus on what is important and relevant to their specific Role. Example Control Perspectives include Reactive and Proactive management within IT Operations, or a Lifecycle view for an Application Project team.

Hint 213

SS

Front 214

Cost Centre

Back 214

A Business Unit or Project to which Costs are assigned. A Cost Centre does not charge for Services provided. An IT Service Provider can be run as a Cost Centre or a Profit Centre.

Hint 214

SS

Front 215

Cost Element

Back 215

The middle level of category to which Costs are assigned in Budgeting and Accounting. The highest level category is Cost Type. For example a Cost Type of “people” could have cost elements of payroll, staff benefits, expenses, training, overtime etc. Cost Elements can be further broken down to give Cost Units. For example the Cost Element “expenses” could include Cost Units of Hotels, Transport, Meals etc.

Hint 215

SS

Front 216

Cost Management

Back 216

A general term that is used to refer to Budgeting and Accounting, sometimes used as a synonym for Financial Management

Hint 216

SS

Front 217

Depreciation

Back 217

A measure of the reduction in value of an Asset over its life. This is based on wearing out, consumption or other reduction in the useful economic value.

Hint 217

SS

Front 218

Financial Management

Back 218

The Function and Processes responsible for managing an IT Service Provider's Budgeting, Accounting and Charging Requirements.

Hint 218

SS

Front 219

IT Service Provider

Back 219

A Service Provider that provides IT Services to Internal Customers or External Customers.

Hint 219

SS

Front 220

Kano Model

Back 220

A Model developed by Noriaki Kano that is used to help understand Customer preferences. The Kano Model considers Attributes of an IT Service grouped into areas such as Basic Factors, Excitement Factors, Performance Factors etc.

Hint 220

SS

Front 221

Line of Service (LOS)

Back 221

A Core Service or Supporting Service that has multiple Service Level Packages. A line of Service is managed by a Product Manager and each Service Level Package is designed to support a particular market segment.

Hint 221

SS

Front 222

Managed Services

Back 222

A perspective on IT Services which emphasizes the fact that they are managed. The term Managed Services is also used as a synonym for Outsourced IT Services.

Hint 222

SS

Front 223

Marginal Cost

Back 223

The Cost of continuing to provide the IT Service. Marginal Cost does not include investment already made, for example the cost of developing new software and delivering training.

Hint 223

SS

Front 224

Market Space

Back 224

All opportunities that an IT Service Provider could exploit to meet business needs of Customers. The Market Space identifies the possible IT Services that an IT Service Provider may wish to consider delivering.

Hint 224

SS

Front 225

Notional Charging

Back 225

An approach to Charging for IT Services. Charges to Customers are calculated and Customers are informed of the charge, but no money is actually transferred. Notional Charging is sometimes introduced to ensure that Customers are aware of the Costs they incur, or as a stage during the introduction of real Charging.

Hint 225

SS

Front 226

On-shore

Back 226

Provision of Services from a location within the country where the Customer is based. See Off-shore, Near-shore.

Hint 226

SS

Front 227

Opportunity Cost

Back 227

A Cost that is used in deciding between investment choices. Opportunity Cost represents the revenue that would have been generated by using the Resources in a different way. For example the Opportunity Cost of purchasing a new Server may include not carrying out a Service Improvement activity that the money could have been spent on. Opportunity cost analysis is used as part of a decision making processes, but is not treated as an actual Cost in any financial statement.

Hint 227

SS

Front 228

Performance Anatomy

Back 228

An approach to Organisational Culture that integrates, and actively manages, leadership and strategy, people development, technology enablement, performance management and innovation.

Hint 228

SS

Front 229

Pricing

Back 229

The Activity for establishing how much Customers will be Charged.

Hint 229

SS

Front 230

Profit Centre

Back 230

A Business Unit which charges for Services provided. A Profit Centre can be created with the objective of making a profit, recovering Costs, or running at a loss. An IT Service Provider can be run as a Cost Centre or a Profit Centre.

Hint 230

SS

Front 231

Separation of Concerns (SoC)

Back 231

An approach to Designing a solution or IT Service that divides the problem into pieces that can be solved independently. This approach separates "what" is to be done from "how" it is to be done.

Hint 231

SS

Front 232

Service Analytics

Back 232

A technique used in the Assessment of the Business Impact of Incidents. Service Analytics Models the dependencies between Configuration Items, and the dependencies of IT Services on Configuration Items.

Hint 232

SS

Front 233

Service Package

Back 233

A detailed description of an IT Service that is available to be delivered to Customers. A Service Package includes a Service Level Package and one or more Core Services and Supporting Services.

Hint 233

SS

Front 234

Service Pipeline

Back 234

A database or structured Document listing all IT Services that are under consideration or Development, but are not yet available to Customers. The Service Pipeline provides a Business view of possible future IT Services and is part of the Service Portfolio which is not normally published to Customers.

Hint 234

SS

Front 235

Service Portfolio Management (SPM)

Back 235

The Process responsible for managing the Service Portfolio. Service Portfolio Management considers Services in terms of the Business value that they provide.

Hint 235

SS

Front 236

Service Potential

Back 236

The total possible value of the overall Capabilities and Resources of the IT Service Provider.

Hint 236

SS

Front 237

Service Provider Interface (SPI)

Back 237

An interface between the IT Service Provider and a User, Customer, Business Process, or a Supplier. Analysis of Service Provider Interfaces helps to coordinate end-to-end management of IT Services.

Hint 237

SS

Front 238

Service Provisioning Optimization (SPO)

Back 238

Analysing the finances and constraints of an IT Service to decide if alternative approaches to Service delivery might reduce Costs or improve Quality.

Hint 238

SS

Front 239

Service Strategy

Back 239

The title of one of the Core ITIL publications. Service Strategy establishes an overall Strategy for IT Services and for IT Service Management.

Hint 239

SS

Front 240

Service Valuation

Back 240

A measurement of the total Cost of delivering an IT Service, and the total value to the Business of that IT Service. Service Valuation is used to help the Business and the IT Service Provider agree on the value of the IT Service.

Hint 240

SS

Front 241

Strategic

Back 241

The highest of three levels of Planning and delivery (Strategic, Tactical, Operational). Strategic Activities include Objective setting and long term Planning to achieve the overall Vision.

Hint 241

SS

Front 242

Strategy

Back 242

A Strategic Plan designed to achieve defined Objectives.

Hint 242

SS

Front 243

Tag

Back 243

A short code used to identify a Category. For example tags EC1, EC2, EC3 etc. might be used to identify different Customer outcomes when analysing and comparing Strategies. The term Tag is also used to refer to the Activity of assigning Tags to things.

Hint 243

SS

Front 244

Type I Service Provider

Back 244

An Internal Service Provider that is embedded within a Business Unit. There may be several Type I Service Providers within an Organisation.

Hint 244

SS

Front 245

Type II Service Provider

Back 245

An Internal Service Provider that provides shared IT Services to more than one Business Unit.

Hint 245

SS

Front 246

Type III Service Provider

Back 246

A Service Provider that provides IT Services to External Customers.

Hint 246

SS

Front 247

Unit Cost

Back 247

The Cost to the IT Service Provider of providing a single Component of an IT Service. For example the Cost of a single desktop PC, or of a single Transaction.

Hint 247

SS

Front 248

User Profile (UP)

Back 248

A pattern of User demand for IT Services. Each User Profile includes one or more Patterns of Business Activity.

Hint 248

SS

Front 249

Variable Cost Dynamics

Back 249

A technique used to understand how overall Costs are impacted by the many complex variable elements that contribute to the provision of IT Services.

Hint 249

SS

Front 250

Business Case

Back 250

Justification for a significant item of expenditure. Includes information about Costs, benefits, options, issues, Risks, and possible problems. See Cost Benefit Analysis.

Hint 250

SS

Front 251

Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

Back 251

BIA is the Activity in Business Continuity Management that identifies Vital Business Functions and their dependencies. These dependencies may include Suppliers, people, other Business Processes, IT Services etc. BIA defines the recovery requirements for IT Services. These requirements include Recovery Time Objectives, Recovery Point Objectives and minimum Service Level Targets for each IT Service.

Hint 251

SS

Front 252

Business Relationship Manager (BRM)

Back 252

A Role responsible for maintaining the Relationship with one or more Customers. This Role is often combined with the Service Level Manager Role. See Account Manager.

Hint 252

SS

Front 253

Capability

Back 253

The ability of an Organisation, person, Process, Application, Configuration Item or IT Service to carry out an Activity. Capabilities are intangible Assets of an Organisation. See Resource.

Hint 253

SS

Front 254

Contract Portfolio

Back 254

A database or structured Document used to manage Service Contracts or Agreements between an IT Service Provider and their Customers. Each IT Service delivered to a Customer should have a Contract or other Agreement which is listed in the Contract Portfolio. See Service Portfolio, Service Catalogue.

Hint 254

SS

Front 255

Core Service

Back 255

An IT Service that delivers basic Outcomes desired by one or more Customers. See Supporting Service, Core Service Package.

Hint 255

SS

Front 256

Core Service Package (CSP)

Back 256

A detailed description of a Core Service that may be shared by two or more Service Level Packages. See Service Package.

Hint 256

SS

Front 257

Cost Type

Back 257

The highest level of category to which Costs are assigned in Budgeting and Accounting. For example hardware, software, people, accommodation, external and Transfer. See Cost Element, Cost Type.

Hint 257

SS

Front 258

Cost Unit

Back 258

The lowest level of category to which Costs are assigned, Cost Units are usually things that can be easily counted (e.g. staff numbers, software licences) or things easily measured (e.g. CPU usage, Electricity consumed). Cost Units are included within Cost Elements. For example a Cost Element of “expenses” could include Cost Units of Hotels, Transport, Meals etc. See Cost Type.

Hint 258

SS

Front 259

Customer Portfolio

Back 259

A database or structured Document used to record all Customers of the IT Service Provider. The Customer Portfolio is the Business Relationship Manager's view of the Customers who receive Services from the IT Service Provider. See Contract Portfolio, Service Portfolio.

Hint 259

SS

Front 260

Direct Cost

Back 260

A cost of providing an IT Service which can be allocated in full to a specific Customer, Cost Centre, Project etc. For example cost of providing non-shared servers or software licenses. See Indirect Cost.

Hint 260

SS

Front 261

Economies of scale

Back 261

The reduction in average Cost that is possible from increasing the usage of an IT Service or Asset. See Economies of Scope.

Hint 261

SS

Front 262

Economies of scope

Back 262

The reduction in Cost that is allocated to an IT Service by using an existing Asset for an additional purpose. For example delivering a new IT Service from existing IT Infrastructure. See Economies of Scale.

Hint 262

SS

Front 263

eSourcing Capability Model for Client Organizations (eSCM-CL)

Back 263

A framework to help Organisations guide their analysis and decisions on Service Sourcing Models and Strategies. eSCM-CL was developed by Carnegie Mellon University. See eSCM-SP.

Hint 263

SS

Front 264

eSourcing Capability Model for Service Providers (eSCM-SP)

Back 264

A framework to help IT Service Providers develop their IT Service Management Capabilities from a Service Sourcing perspective. eSCM-SP was developed by Carnegie Mellon University. See eSCM-CL.

Hint 264

SS

Front 265

External Service Provider

Back 265

An IT Service Provider which is part of a different Organisation to their Customer. An IT Service Provider may have both Internal Customers and External Customers. See Type III Service Provider.

Hint 265

SS

Front 266

Fixed Cost

Back 266

A Cost that does not vary with IT Service usage. For example the cost of Server hardware. See Variable Cost.

Hint 266

SS

Front 267

Indirect Cost

Back 267

A Cost of providing an IT Service which cannot be allocated in full to a specific Customer. For example Cost of providing shared Servers or software licenses. Also known as Overhead. See Direct Cost.

Hint 267

SS

Front 268

Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

Back 268

A technique used to help make decisions about Capital Expenditure. IRR calculates a figure that allows two or more alternative investments to be compared. A larger IRR indicates a better investment. See Net Present Value, Return on Investment.

Hint 268

SS

Front 269

Internal Service Provider

Back 269

An IT Service Provider which is part of the same Organisation as their Customer. An IT Service Provider may have both Internal Customers and External Customers. See Type I Service Provider, Type II Service Provider, Insource.

Hint 269

SS

Front 270

Internal Sourcing

Back 270

Using an Internal Service Provider to manage IT Services. See Service Sourcing, Type I Service Provider, Type II Service Provider.

Hint 270

SS

Front 271

Near-Shore

Back 271

Provision of Services from a country near the country where the Customer is based. This can be the provision of an IT Service, or of supporting Functions such as Service Desk. See On-shore, Off-shore.

Hint 271

SS

Front 272

Net Present Value (NPV)

Back 272

A technique used to help make decisions about Capital Expenditure. NPV compares cash inflows to cash outflows. Positive NPV indicates that an investment is worthwhile. See Internal Rate of Return, Return on Investment.

Hint 272

SS

Front 273

Off-shore

Back 273

Provision of Services from a location outside the country where the Customer is based, often in a different continent. This can be the provision of an IT Service, or of supporting Functions such as Service Desk. See On-shore, Near-shore.

Hint 273

SS

Front 274

Outsourcing

Back 274

Using an External Service Provider to manage IT Services. See Service Sourcing, Type III Service Provider.

Hint 274

SS

Front 275

Pattern of Business Activity (PBA)

Back 275

A Workload profile of one or more Business Activities. Patterns of Business Activity are used to help the IT Service Provider understand and plan for different levels of Business Activity. See User Profile.

Hint 275

SS

Front 276

Resource

Back 276

A generic term that includes IT Infrastructure, people, money or anything else that might help to deliver an IT Service. Resources are considered to be Assets of an Organisation. See Capability, Service Asset.

Hint 276

SS

Front 277

Service Contract

Back 277

A Contract to deliver one or more IT Services. The term Service Contract is also used to mean any Agreement to deliver IT Services, whether this is a legal Contract or an SLA. See Contract Portfolio.

Hint 277

SS

Front 278

Service Level Package (SLP)

Back 278

A defined level of Utility and Warranty for a particular Service Package. Each SLP is designed to meet the needs of a particular Pattern of Business Activity. See Line of Service.

Hint 278

SS

Front 279

Service Portfolio

Back 279

The complete set of Services that are managed by a Service Provider. The Service Portfolio is used to manage the entire Lifecycle of all Services, and includes three Categories: Service Pipeline (proposed or in Development); Service Catalogue (Live or available for Deployment); and Retired Services. See Service Portfolio Management, Contract Portfolio.

Hint 279

SS

Front 280

Service Provider

Back 280

An Organisation supplying Services to one or more Internal Customers or External Customers. Service Provider is often used as an abbreviation for IT Service Provider. See Type I Service Provider, Type II Service Provider, Type III Service Provider.

Hint 280

SS

Front 281

Service Utility

Back 281

The Functionality of an IT Service from the Customer's perspective. The Business value of an IT Service is created by the combination of Service Utility (what the Service does) and Service Warranty (how well it does it). See Utility.

Hint 281

SS

Front 282

Service Warranty

Back 282

Assurance that an IT Service will meet agreed Requirements. This may be a formal Agreement such as a Service Level Agreement or Contract, or may be a marketing message or brand image. The Business value of an IT Service is created by the combination of Service Utility (what the Service does) and Service Warranty (how well it does it). See Warranty.

Hint 282

SS

Front 283

Supply Chain

Back 283

The Activities in a Value Chain carried out by Suppliers. A Supply Chain typically involves multiple Suppliers, each adding value to the product or Service. See Value Network.

Hint 283

SS

Front 284

Supporting Service

Back 284

A Service that enables or enhances a Core Service. For example a Directory Service or a Backup Service. See Service Package.

Hint 284

SS

Front 285

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Back 285

A methodology used to help make investment decisions. TCO assesses the full Lifecycle Cost of owning a Configuration Item, not just the initial Cost or purchase price. See Total Cost of Utilization.

Hint 285

SS

Front 286

Total Cost of Utilization (TCU)

Back 286

A methodology used to help make investment and Service Sourcing decisions. TCU assesses the full Lifecycle Cost to the Customer of using an IT Service. See Total Cost of Ownership.

Hint 286

SS

Front 287

Utility

Back 287

Functionality offered by a Product or Service to meet a particular need. Utility is often summarised as "what it does". See Service Utility.

Hint 287

SS

Front 288

Value Chain

Back 288

A sequence of Processes that creates a product or Service that is of value to a Customer. Each step of the sequence builds on the previous steps and contributes to the overall product or Service. See Value Network.

Hint 288

SS

Front 289

Value Network

Back 289

A complex set of Relationships between two or more groups or organisations. Value is generated through exchange of knowledge, information, goods or Services. See Value Chain, Partnership.

Hint 289

SS

Front 290

Variable Cost

Back 290

A Cost that depends on how much the IT Service is used, how many products are produced, the number and type of Users, or something else that cannot be fixed in advance. See Variable Cost Dynamics.

Hint 290

SS

Front 291

Warranty

Back 291

A promise or guarantee that a product or Service will meet its agreed Requirements. See Service Validation and Testing, Service Warranty.

Hint 291

SS

Front 292

Business Relationship Management

Back 292

The Process or Function responsible for maintaining a Relationship with the Business. BRM usually includes: • Managing personal Relationships with Business managers • Providing input to Service Portfolio Management • Ensuring that the IT Service Provider is satisfying the Business needs of the Customers This Process has strong links with Service Level Management.

Hint 292

SS

Front 293

Service Sourcing

Back 293

The Strategy and approach for deciding whether to provide a Service internally or to Outsource it to an External Service Provider. Service Sourcing also means the execution of this Strategy. Service Sourcing includes: • Internal Sourcing - Internal or Shared Services using Type I or Type II Service Providers. • Traditional Sourcing - Full Service Outsourcing using a Type III Service Provider. • Multivendor Sourcing - Prime, Consortium or Selective Outsourcing using Type III Service Providers.

Hint 293

SS

Front 294

Return on Investment (ROI)

Back 294

A measurement of the expected benefit of an investment. In the simplest sense it is the net profit of an investment divided by the net worth of the assets invested. See Net Present Value, Value on Investment.

Hint 294

SSCSI

Front 295

Business Service Management (BSM)

Back 295

An approach to the management of IT Services that considers the Business Processes supported and the Business value provided. This term also means the management of Business Services delivered to Business Customers.

Hint 295

SSSD

Front 296

Supplier

Back 296

A Third Party responsible for supplying goods or Services that are required to deliver IT services. Examples of suppliers include commodity hardware and software vendors, network and telecom providers, and Outsourcing Organisations. See Underpinning Contract, Supply Chain.

Hint 296

SSSD

Front 297

Analytical Modelling

Back 297

A technique that uses mathematical Models to predict the behaviour of a Configuration Item or IT Service. Analytical Models are commonly used in Capacity Management and Availability Management. See Modelling.

Hint 297

SSSDCSI

Front 298

Asset Register

Back 298

A list of Assets, which includes their ownership and value. The Asset Register is maintained by Asset Management.

Hint 298

ST

Front 299

Build Environment

Back 299

A controlled Environment where Applications, IT Services and other Builds are assembled prior to being moved into a Test or Live Environment.

Hint 299

ST

Front 300

Change

Back 300

The addition, modification or removal of anything that could have an effect on IT Services. The Scope should include all IT Services, Configuration Items, Processes, Documentation etc.

Hint 300

ST

Front 301

Change Advisory Board (CAB)

Back 301

A group of people that advises the Change Manager in the Assessment, prioritisation and scheduling of Changes. This board is usually made up of representatives from all areas within the IT Service Provider, the Business, and Third Parties such as Suppliers.

Hint 301

ST

Front 302

Change History

Back 302

Information about all changes made to a Configuration Item during its life. Change History consists of all those Change Records that apply to the CI.

Hint 302

ST

Front 303

Change Management

Back 303

The Process responsible for controlling the Lifecycle of all Changes. The primary objective of Change Management is to enable beneficial Changes to be made, with minimum disruption to IT Services.

Hint 303

ST

Front 304

Change Record

Back 304

A Record containing the details of a Change. Each Change Record documents the Lifecycle of a single Change. A Change Record is created for every Request for Change that is received, even those that are subsequently rejected. Change Records should reference the Configuration Items that are affected by the Change. Change Records are stored in the Configuration Management System.

Hint 304

ST

Front 305

Change Schedule

Back 305

A Document that lists all approved Changes and their planned implementation dates. A Change Schedule is sometimes called a Forward Schedule of Change, even though it also contains information about Changes that have already been implemented.

Hint 305

ST

Front 306

Change Window

Back 306

A regular, agreed time when Changes or Releases may be implemented with minimal impact on Services. Change Windows are usually documented in SLAs.

Hint 306

ST

Front 307

CI Type

Back 307

A Category that is used to Classify CIs. The CI Type identifies the required Attributes and Relationships for a Configuration Record. Common CI Types include: hardware, Document, User etc.

Hint 307

ST

Front 308

Component CI

Back 308

A Configuration Item that is part of an Assembly. For example, a CPU or Memory CI may be part of a Server CI.

Hint 308

ST

Front 309

Configuration

Back 309

A generic term, used to describe a group of Configuration Items that work together to deliver an IT Service, or a recognizable part of an IT Service. Configuration is also used to describe the parameter settings for one or more CIs.

Hint 309

ST

Front 310

Configuration Baseline

Back 310

A Baseline of a Configuration that has been formally agreed and is managed through the Change Management process. A Configuration Baseline is used as a basis for future Builds, Releases and Changes.

Hint 310

ST

Front 311

Configuration Control

Back 311

The Activity responsible for ensuring that adding, modifying or removing a CI is properly managed, for example by submitting a Request for Change or Service Request.

Hint 311

ST

Front 312

Configuration Identification

Back 312

The Activity responsible for collecting information about Configuration Items and their Relationships, and loading this information into the CMDB. Configuration Identification is also responsible for labelling the CIs themselves, so that the corresponding Configuration Records can be found.

Hint 312

ST

Front 313

Configuration Item (CI)

Back 313

Any Component that needs to be managed in order to deliver an IT Service. Information about each CI is recorded in a Configuration Record within the Configuration Management System and is maintained throughout its Lifecycle by Configuration Management. CIs are under the control of Change Management. CIs typically include IT Services, hardware, software, buildings, people, and formal documentation such as Process documentation and SLAs.

Hint 313

ST

Front 314

Configuration Management

Back 314

The Process responsible for maintaining information about Configuration Items required to deliver an IT Service, including their Relationships. This information is managed throughout the Lifecycle of the CI. Configuration Management is part of an overall Service Asset and Configuration Management Process.

Hint 314

ST

Front 315

Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

Back 315

A database used to store Configuration Records throughout their Lifecycle. The Configuration Management System maintains one or more CMDBs, and each CMDB stores Attributes of CIs, and Relationships with other CIs.

Hint 315

ST

Front 316

Configuration Record

Back 316

A Record containing the details of a Configuration Item. Each Configuration Record documents the Lifecycle of a single CI. Configuration Records are stored in a Configuration Management Database.

Hint 316

ST

Front 317

Configuration Structure

Back 317

The hierarchy and other Relationships between all the Configuration Items that comprise a Configuration.

Hint 317

ST

Front 318

Definitive Media Library (DML)

Back 318

One or more locations in which the definitive and approved versions of all software Configuration Items are securely stored. The DML may also contain associated CIs such as licenses and documentation. The DML is a single logical storage area even if there are multiple locations. All software in the DML is under the control of Change and Release Management and is recorded in the Configuration Management System. Only software from the DML is acceptable for use in a Release.

Hint 318

ST

Front 319

Early Life Support

Back 319

Support provided for a new or Changed IT Service for a period of time after it is Released. During Early Life Support the IT Service Provider may review the KPIs, Service Levels and Monitoring Thresholds, and provide additional Resources for Incident and Problem Management.

Hint 319

ST

Front 320

Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB)

Back 320

A sub-set of the Change Advisory Board who make decisions about high impact Emergency Changes. Membership of the ECAB may be decided at the time a meeting is called, and depends on the nature of the Emergency Change.

Hint 320

ST

Front 321

Knowledge Base

Back 321

A logical database containing the data used by the Service Knowledge Management System.

Hint 321

ST

Front 322

Live

Back 322

Refers to an IT Service or Configuration Item that is being used to deliver Service to a Customer.

Hint 322

ST

Front 323

Live Environment

Back 323

A controlled Environment containing Live Configuration Items used to deliver IT Services to Customers.

Hint 323

ST

Front 324

Projected Service Outage (PSO)

Back 324

A Document that identifies the effect of planned Changes, maintenance Activities and Test Plans on agreed Service Levels.

Hint 324

ST

Front 325

Quality Assurance (QA)

Back 325

The Process responsible for ensuring that the Quality of a product, Service or Process will provide its intended Value.

Hint 325

ST

Front 326

Release

Back 326

A collection of hardware, software, documentation, Processes or other Components required to implement one or more approved Changes to IT Services. The contents of each Release are managed, Tested, and Deployed as a single entity.

Hint 326

ST

Front 327

Release and Deployment Management

Back 327

The Process responsible for both Release Management and Deployment.

Hint 327

ST

Front 328

Release Identification

Back 328

A naming convention used to uniquely identify a Release. The Release Identification typically includes a reference to the Configuration Item and a version number. For example Microsoft Office 2003 SR2.

Hint 328

ST

Front 329

Release Management

Back 329

The Process responsible for Planning, scheduling and controlling the movement of Releases to Test and Live Environments. The primary Objective of Release Management is to ensure that the integrity of the Live Environment is protected and that the correct Components are released. Release Management is part of the Release and Deployment Management Process.

Hint 329

ST

Front 330

Release Record

Back 330

A Record in the CMDB that defines the content of a Release. A Release Record has Relationships with all Configuration Items that are affected by the Release.

Hint 330

ST

Front 331

Release Unit

Back 331

Components of an IT Service that are normally Released together. A Release Unit typically includes sufficient Components to perform a useful Function. For example one Release Unit could be a Desktop PC, including Hardware, Software, Licenses, Documentation etc. A different Release Unit may be the complete Payroll Application, including IT Operations Procedures and User training.

Hint 331

ST

Front 332

Remediation

Back 332

Recovery to a known state after a failed Change or Release.

Hint 332

ST

Front 333

Request for Change (RFC)

Back 333

A formal proposal for a Change to be made. An RFC includes details of the proposed Change, and may be recorded on paper or electronically. The term RFC is often misused to mean a Change Record, or the Change itself.

Hint 333

ST

Front 334

Retire

Back 334

Permanent removal of an IT Service, or other Configuration Item, from the Live Environment. Retired is a stage in the Lifecycle of many Configuration Items.

Hint 334

ST

Front 335

Rollout

Back 335

Synonym for Deployment. Most often used to refer to complex or phased Deployments or Deployments to multiple locations.

Hint 335

ST

Front 336

Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM)

Back 336

The Process responsible for both Configuration Management and Asset Management.

Hint 336

ST

Front 337

Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS)

Back 337

A set of tools and databases that are used to manage knowledge and information. The SKMS includes the Configuration Management System, as well as other tools and databases. The SKMS stores, manages, updates, and presents all information that an IT Service Provider needs to manage the full Lifecycle of IT Services.

Hint 337

ST

Front 338

Service Validation and Testing

Back 338

The Process responsible for Validation and Testing of a new or Changed IT Service. Service Validation and Testing ensures that the IT Service matches its Design Specification and will meet the needs of the Business.

Hint 338

ST

Front 339

Status Accounting

Back 339

The Activity responsible for recording and reporting the Lifecycle of each Configuration Item.

Hint 339

ST

Front 340

Test Environment

Back 340

A controlled Environment used to Test Configuration Items, Builds, IT Services, Processes etc.

Hint 340

ST

Front 341

Transition

Back 341

A change in state, corresponding to a movement of an IT Service or other Configuration Item from one Lifecycle status to the next.

Hint 341

ST

Front 342

Transition Planning and Support

Back 342

The Process responsible for Planning all Service Transition Processes and co-ordinating the resources that they require. These Service Transition Processes are Change Management, Service Asset and Configuration Management, Release and Deployment Management, Service Validation and Testing, Evaluation, and Knowledge Management.

Hint 342

ST

Front 343

Verification and Audit

Back 343

The Activities responsible for ensuring that information in the CMDB is accurate and that all Configuration Items have been identified and recorded in the CMDB. Verification includes routine checks that are part of other Processes. For example, verifying the serial number of a desktop PC when a User logs an Incident. Audit is a periodic, formal check.

Hint 343

ST

Front 344

Version

Back 344

A Version is used to identify a specific Baseline of a Configuration Item. Versions typically use a naming convention that enables the sequence or date of each Baseline to be identified. For example Payroll Application Version 3 contains updated functionality from Version 2.

Hint 344

ST

Front 345

Asset Management

Back 345

Asset Management is the Process responsible for tracking and reporting the value and ownership of financial Assets throughout their Lifecycle. Asset Management is part of an overall Service Asset and Configuration Management Process. See Asset Register.

Hint 345

ST

Front 346

Attribute

Back 346

A piece of information about a Configuration Item. Examples are name, location, Version number, and Cost. Attributes of CIs are recorded in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). See Relationship.

Hint 346

ST

Front 347

Build

Back 347

The Activity of assembling a number of Configuration Items to create part of an IT Service. The term Build is also used to refer to a Release that is authorised for distribution. For example Server Build or laptop Build. See Configuration Baseline.

Hint 347

ST

Front 348

Change Model

Back 348

A repeatable way of dealing with a particular Category of Change. A Change Model defines specific pre-defined steps that will be followed for a Change of this Category. Change Models may be very simple, with no requirement for approval (e.g. Password Reset) or may be very complex with many steps that require approval (e.g. major software Release). See Standard Change, Change Advisory Board.

Hint 348

ST

Front 349

Configuration Management System (CMS)

Back 349

A set of tools and databases that are used to manage an IT Service Provider's Configuration data. The CMS also includes information about Incidents, Problems, Known Errors, Changes and Releases; and may contain data about employees, Suppliers, locations, Business Units, Customers and Users. The CMS includes tools for collecting, storing, managing, updating, and presenting data about all Configuration Items and their Relationships. The CMS is maintained by Configuration Management and is used by all IT Service Management Processes. See Configuration Management Database, Service Knowledge Management System.

Hint 349

ST

Front 350

Deployment

Back 350

The Activity responsible for movement of new or changed hardware, software, documentation, Process, etc to the Live Environment. Deployment is part of the Release and Deployment Management Process. See Rollout.

Hint 350

ST

Front 351

Emergency Change

Back 351

A Change that must be introduced as soon as possible. For example to resolve a Major Incident or implement a Security patch. The Change Management Process will normally have a specific Procedure for handling Emergency Changes. See Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB).

Hint 351

ST

Front 352

Environment

Back 352

A subset of the IT Infrastructure that is used for a particular purpose. For Example: Live Environment, Test Environment, Build Environment. It is possible for multiple Environments to share a Configuration Item, for example Test and Live Environments may use different partitions on a single mainframe computer. Also used in the term Physical Environment to mean the accommodation, air conditioning, power system etc. Environment is also used as a generic term to mean the external conditions that influence or affect something.

Hint 352

ST

Front 353

Evaluation

Back 353

The Process responsible for assessing a new or Changed IT Service to ensure that Risks have been managed and to help determine whether to proceed with the Change. Evaluation is also used to mean comparing an actual Outcome with the intended Outcome, or comparing one alternative with another.

Hint 353

ST

Front 354

Knowledge Management

Back 354

The Process responsible for gathering, analysing, storing and sharing knowledge and information within an Organisation. The primary purpose of Knowledge Management is to improve Efficiency by reducing the need to rediscover knowledge. See Data-to-Information-to-Knowledge-to-Wisdom, Service Knowledge Management System.

Hint 354

ST

Front 355

Pilot

Back 355

A limited Deployment of an IT Service, a Release or a Process to the Live Environment. A Pilot is used to reduce Risk and to gain User feedback and Acceptance. See Test, Evaluation.

Hint 355

ST

Front 356

Qualification

Back 356

An Activity that ensures that IT Infrastructure is appropriate, and correctly configured, to support an Application or IT Service. See Validation.

Hint 356

ST

Front 357

Service Acceptance Criteria (SAC)

Back 357

A set of criteria used to ensure that an IT Service meets its functionality and Quality Requirements and that the IT Service Provider is ready to Operate the new IT Service when it has been Deployed. See Acceptance.

Hint 357

ST

Front 358

Service Transition

Back 358

A stage in the Lifecycle of an IT Service. Service Transition includes a number of Processes and Functions and is the title of one of the Core ITIL publications. See Transition.

Hint 358

ST

Front 359

Standard Change

Back 359

A pre-approved Change that is low Risk, relatively common and follows a Procedure or Work Instruction. For example password reset or provision of standard equipment to a new employee. RFCs are not required to implement a Standard Change, and they are logged and tracked using a different mechanism, such as a Service Request. See Change Model.

Hint 359

ST

Front 360

Test

Back 360

An Activity that verifies that a Configuration Item, IT Service, Process, etc. meets its Specification or agreed Requirements. See Service Validation and Testing, Acceptance.

Hint 360

ST

Front 361

Validation

Back 361

An Activity that ensures a new or changed IT Service, Process, Plan, or other Deliverable meets the needs of the Business. Validation ensures that Business Requirements are met even though these may have changed since the original Design. See Verification, Acceptance, Qualification, Service Validation and Testing.

Hint 361

ST

Front 362

Verification

Back 362

An Activity that ensures a new or changed IT Service, Process, Plan, or other Deliverable is complete, accurate, Reliable and matches its Design Specification. See Validation, Acceptance, Service Validation and Testing.

Hint 362

ST

Front 363

Assembly

Back 363

A Configuration Item that is made up from a number of other CIs. For example a Server CI may contain CIs for CPUs, Disks, Memory etc.; an IT Service CI may contain many Hardware, Software and other CIs. See Component CI, Build.

Hint 363

ST

Front 364

Snapshot

Back 364

The current state of a Configuration as captured by a discovery tool. Also used as a synonym for Benchmark. See Baseline.

Hint 364

ST

Front 365

Urgency

Back 365

A measure of how long it will be until an Incident, Problem or Change has a significant Impact on the Business. For example a high Impact Incident may have low Urgency, if the Impact will not affect the Business until the end of the financial year. Impact and Urgency are used to assign Priority.

Hint 365

STSD

Front 366

Priority

Back 366

A Category used to identify the relative importance of an Incident, Problem or Change. Priority is based on Impact and Urgency, and is used to identify required times for actions to be taken. For example the SLA may state that Priority2 Incidents must be resolved within 12 hours.

Hint 366

STSO

Front 367

Application

Back 367

Software that provides Functions that are required by an IT Service. Each Application may be part of more than one IT Service. An Application runs on one or more Servers or Clients. See Application Management, Application Portfolio.

Front 368

Assessment

Back 368

Inspection and analysis to check whether a Standard or set of Guidelines is being followed, that Records are accurate, or that Efficiency and Effectiveness targets are being met. See Audit.

Front 369

Audit

Back 369

Formal inspection and verification to check whether a Standard or set of Guidelines is being followed, that Records are accurate, or that Efficiency and Effectiveness targets are being met. An Audit may be carried out by internal or external groups. See Certification, Assessment.

Front 370

British Standards Institution (BSI)

Back 370

The UK National Standards body, responsible for creating and maintaining British Standards. See http://www.bsi-global.com for more information. See ISO.

Front 371

Budget

Back 371

A list of all the money an Organisation or Business Unit plans to receive, and plans to pay out, over a specified period of time. See Budgeting, Planning.

Front 372

Business Service

Back 372

An IT Service that directly supports a Business Process, as opposed to an Infrastructure Service which is used internally by the IT Service Provider and is not usually visible to the Business. The term Business Service is also used to mean a Service that is delivered to Business Customers by Business Units. For example delivery of financial services to Customers of a bank, or goods to the Customers of a retail store. Successful delivery of Business Services often depends on one or more IT Services.

Front 373

Control

Back 373

A means of managing a Risk, ensuring that a Business Objective is achieved, or ensuring that a Process is followed. Example Controls include Policies, Procedures, Roles, RAID, door-locks etc. A control is sometimes called a Countermeasure or safeguard. Control also means to manage the utilization or behaviour of a Configuration Item, System or IT Service.

Front 374

Cost Benefit Analysis

Back 374

An Activity that analyses and compares the Costs and the benefits involved in one or more alternative courses of action. See Business Case, Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Return on Investment, Value on Investment.

Front 375

Cost Effectiveness

Back 375

A measure of the balance between the Effectiveness and Cost of a Service, Process or activity, A Cost Effective Process is one which achieves its Objectives at minimum Cost. See KPI, Return on Investment, Value for Money.

Front 376

Culture

Back 376

A set of values that is shared by a group of people, including expectations about how people should behave, ideas, beliefs, and practices. See Vision.

Front 377

Demand Management

Back 377

Activities that understand and influence Customer demand for Services and the provision of Capacity to meet these demands. At a Strategic level Demand Management can involve analysis of Patterns of Business Activity and User Profiles. At a Tactical level it can involve use of Differential Charging to encourage Customers to use IT Services at less busy times. See Capacity Management.

Front 378

Document

Back 378

Information in readable form. A Document may be paper or electronic. For example a Policy statement, Service Level Agreement, Incident Record, diagram of computer room layout. See Record.

Front 379

External Customer

Back 379

A Customer who works for a different Business to the IT Service Provider. See External Service Provider, Internal Customer.

Front 380

External Metric

Back 380

A Metric that is used to measure the delivery of IT Service to a Customer. External Metrics are usually defined in SLAs and reported to Customers. See Internal Metric.

Front 381

Guideline

Back 381

A Document describing Best Practice, that recommends what should be done. Compliance to a guideline is not normally enforced. See Standard.

Front 382

Internal Customer

Back 382

A Customer who works for the same Business as the IT Service Provider. See Internal Service Provider, External Customer.

Front 383

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Back 383

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world's largest developer of Standards. ISO is a non-governmental organization which is a network of the national standards institutes of 156 countries. Further information about ISO is available from http://www.iso.org/

Front 384

ISO 9001

Back 384

An international Standard for Quality Management Systems. See ISO 9000, Standard.

Front 385

IT Service Management (ITSM)

Back 385

The implementation and management of Quality IT Services that meet the needs of the Business. IT Service Management is performed by IT Service Providers through an appropriate mix of people, Process and Information Technology. See Service Management.

Front 386

Management of Risk (MoR)

Back 386

The OGC methodology for managing Risks. MoR includes all the Activities required to identify and Control the exposure to Risk which may have an impact on the achievement of an Organisation’s Business Objectives. See http://www.m-o-r.org/ for more details.

Front 387

Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS)

Back 387

The average time taken to Restore a Configuration Item or IT Service after a Failure. MTRS is measured from when the CI or IT Service fails until it is fully Restored and delivering its normal functionality. See Maintainability, Mean Time to Repair.

Front 388

Operational

Back 388

The lowest of three levels of Planning and delivery (Strategic, Tactical, Operational). Operational Activities include the day-to-day or short term Planning or delivery of a Business Process or IT Service Management Process. The term Operational is also a synonym for Live.

Front 389

Outcome

Back 389

The result of carrying out an Activity; following a Process; delivering an IT Service etc. The term Outcome is used to refer to intended results, as well as to actual results. See Objective.

Front 390

Partnership

Back 390

A relationship between two Organisations which involves working closely together for common goals or mutual benefit. The IT Service Provider should have a Partnership with the Business, and with Third Parties who are critical to the delivery of IT Services. See Value Network.

Front 391

PMBOK

Back 391

A Project management Standard maintained and published by the Project Management Institute. PMBOK stands for Project Management Body of Knowledge. See http://www.pmi.org/ for more information. See PRINCE2.

Front 392

Practice

Back 392

A way of working, or a way in which work must be done. Practices can include Activities, Processes, Functions, Standards and Guidelines. See Best Practice.

Front 393

PRINCE2

Back 393

The standard UK government methodology for Project management. See http://www.ogc.gov.uk/prince2/ for more information. See PMBOK.

Front 394

Procedure

Back 394

A Document containing steps that specify how to achieve an Activity. Procedures are defined as part of Processes. See Work Instruction.

Front 395

Quality

Back 395

The ability of a product, Service, or Process to provide the intended value. For example, a hardware Component can be considered to be of high Quality if it performs as expected and delivers the required Reliability. Process Quality also requires an ability to monitor Effectiveness and Efficiency, and to improve them if necessary. See Quality Management System.

Front 396

Redundancy

Back 396

Synonym for Fault Tolerance. The term Redundant also has a generic meaning of obsolete, or no longer needed.

Front 397

Release Process

Back 397

The name used by ISO/IEC 20000 for the Process group that includes Release Management. This group does not include any other Processes. Release Process is also used as a synonym for Release Management Process.

Front 398

Review

Back 398

An evaluation of a Change, Problem, Process, Project etc. Reviews are typically carried out at predefined points in the Lifecycle, and especially after Closure. The purpose of a Review is to ensure that all Deliverables have been provided, and to identify opportunities for improvement. See Post Implementation Review.

Front 399

Risk Management

Back 399

The Process responsible for identifying, assessing and controlling Risks. See Risk Assessment.

Front 400

Service Asset

Back 400

Any Capability or Resource of a Service Provider. See Asset.

Front 401

Standard

Back 401

A mandatory Requirement. Examples include ISO/IEC 20000 (an international Standard), an internal security Standard for Unix configuration, or a government Standard for how financial Records should be maintained. The term Standard is also used to refer to a Code of Practice or Specification published by a Standards Organisation such as ISO or BSI. See Guideline.

Front 402

Value for Money

Back 402

An informal measure of Cost Effectiveness. Value for Money is often based on a comparison with the Cost of alternatives. See Cost Benefit Analysis.

Front 403

ISO 9000

Back 403

A generic term that refers to a number of international Standards and Guidelines for Quality Management Systems. See http://www.iso.org/ for more information. See ISO.

Front 404

Client

Back 404

A generic term that means a Customer, the Business or a Business Customer. For example Client Manager may be used as a synonym for Account Manager. The term client is also used to mean: • A computer that is used directly by a User, for example a PC, Handheld Computer, or Workstation. • The part of a Client-Server Application that the User directly interfaces with. For example an email Client.

Front 405

Function

Back 405

A team or group of people and the tools they use to carry out one or more Processes or Activities. For example the Service Desk. The term Function also has two other meanings • An intended purpose of a Configuration Item, Person, Team, Process, or IT Service. For example one Function of an Email Service may be to store and forward outgoing mails, one Function of a Business Process may be to dispatch goods to Customers. • To perform the intended purpose correctly, "The computer is Functioning"

Front 406

Lifecycle

Back 406

The various stages in the life of an IT Service, Configuration Item, Incident, Problem, Change etc. The Lifecycle defines the Categories for Status and the Status transitions that are permitted. For example: • The Lifecycle of an Application includes Requirements, Design, Build, Deploy, Operate, Optimise. • The Expanded Incident Lifecycle includes Detect, Respond, Diagnose, Repair, Recover, Restore. • The lifecycle of a Server may include: Ordered, Received, In Test, Live, Disposed etc.

Front 407

System

Back 407

A number of related things that work together to achieve an overall Objective. For example: • A computer System including hardware, software and Applications. • A management System, including multiple Processes that are planned and managed together. For example a Quality Management System. • A Database Management System or Operating System that includes many software modules that are designed to perform a set of related Functions.

Front 408

Term

Back 408

Definition

Front 409

Acceptance

Back 409

Formal agreement that an IT Service, Process, Plan, or other Deliverable is complete, accurate, Reliable and meets its specified Requirements. Acceptance is usually preceded by Evaluation or Testing and is often required before proceeding to the next stage of a Project or Process. See Service Acceptance Criteria.

Front 410

Accredited

Back 410

Officially authorised to carry out a Role. For example an Accredited body may be authorised to provide training or to conduct Audits.

Front 411

Activity

Back 411

A set of actions designed to achieve a particular result. Activities are usually defined as part of Processes or Plans, and are documented in Procedures.

Front 412

Agreement

Back 412

A Document that describes a formal understanding between two or more parties. An Agreement is not legally binding, unless it forms part of a Contract. See Service Level Agreement, Operational Level Agreement.

Front 413

Authority Matrix

Back 413

Synonym for RACI.

Front 414

Back-out

Back 414

Synonym for Remediation.

Front 415

Best Practice

Back 415

Proven Activities or Processes that have been successfully used by multiple Organisations. ITIL is an example of Best Practice.

Front 416

Budgeting

Back 416

The Activity of predicting and controlling the spending of money. Consists of a periodic negotiation cycle to set future Budgets (usually annual) and the day-to-day monitoring and adjusting of current Budgets.

Front 417

Business Process

Back 417

A Process that is owned and carried out by the Business. A Business Process contributes to the delivery of a product or Service to a Business Customer. For example, a retailer may have a purchasing Process which helps to deliver Services to their Business Customers. Many Business Processes rely on IT Services.

Front 418

Category

Back 418

A named group of things that have something in common. Categories are used to group similar things together. For example Cost Types are used to group similar types of Cost. Incident Categories are used to group similar types of Incident, CI Types are used to group similar types of Configuration Item.

Front 419

Certification

Back 419

Issuing a certificate to confirm Compliance to a Standard. Certification includes a formal Audit by an independent and Accredited body. The term Certification is also used to mean awarding a certificate to verify that a person has achieved a qualification.

Front 420

Change Request

Back 420

Synonym for Request for Change.

Front 421

Classification

Back 421

The act of assigning a Category to something. Classification is used to ensure consistent management and reporting. CIs, Incidents, Problems, Changes etc. are usually classified.

Front 422

Code of Practice

Back 422

A Guideline published by a public body or a Standards Organisation, such as ISO or BSI. Many Standards consist of a Code of Practice and a Specification. The Code of Practice describes recommended Best Practice.

Front 423

Cold Standby

Back 423

Synonym for Gradual Recovery.

Front 424

Compliance

Back 424

Ensuring that a Standard or set of Guidelines is followed, or that proper, consistent accounting or other practices are being employed.

Front 425

Component

Back 425

A general term that is used to mean one part of something more complex. For example, a computer System may be a component of an IT Service, an Application may be a Component of a Release Unit. Components that need to be managed should be Configuration Items.

Front 426

Concurrency

Back 426

A measure of the number of Users engaged in the same Operation at the same time.

Front 427

Contract

Back 427

A legally binding Agreement between two or more parties.

Front 428

Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT)

Back 428

See COBIT.

Front 429

Control Processes

Back 429

The ISO/IEC 20000 Process group that includes Change Management and Configuration Management.

Front 430

Cost

Back 430

The amount of money spent on a specific Activity, IT Service, or Business Unit. Costs consist of real cost (money), notional cost such as people's time, and Depreciation.

Front 431

Countermeasure

Back 431

Can be used to refer to any type of Control. The term Countermeasure is most often used when referring to measures that increase Resilience, Fault Tolerance or Reliability of an IT Service.

Front 432

Course Corrections

Back 432

Changes made to a Plan or Activity that has already started, to ensure that it will meet its Objectives. Course corrections are made as a result of Monitoring progress.

Front 433

CRAMM

Back 433

A methodology and tool for analysing and managing Risks. CRAMM was developed by the UK Government, but is now privately owned. Further information is available from http://www.cramm.com/

Front 434

Crisis Management

Back 434

The Process responsible for managing the wider implications of Business Continuity. A Crisis Management team is responsible for Strategic issues such as managing media relations and shareholder confidence, and decides when to invoke Business Continuity Plans.

Front 435

Critical Success Factor (CSF)

Back 435

Something that must happen if a Process, Project, Plan, or IT Service is to succeed. KPIs are used to measure the achievement of each CSF. For example a CSF of "protect IT Services when making Changes" could be measured by KPIs such as "percentage reduction of unsuccessful Changes", "percentage reduction in Changes causing Incidents" etc.

Front 436

Customer

Back 436

Someone who buys goods or Services. The Customer of an IT Service Provider is the person or group who defines and agrees the Service Level Targets. The term Customers is also sometimes informally used to mean Users, for example "this is a Customer focussed Organisation".

Front 437

Dashboard

Back 437

A graphical representation of overall IT Service Performance and Availability. Dashboard images may be updated in real-time, and can also be included in management reports and web pages. Dashboards can be used to support Service Level Management, Event Management or Incident Diagnosis.

Front 438

Data-to-Information-to-Knowledge-to-Wisdom (DIKW)

Back 438

A way of understanding the relationships between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. DIKW shows how each of these builds on the others.

Front 439

Deliverable

Back 439

Something that must be provided to meet a commitment in a Service Level Agreement or a Contract. Deliverable is also used in a more informal way to mean a planned output of any Process.

Front 440

Deming Cycle

Back 440

Synonym for Plan Do Check Act.

Front 441

Dependency

Back 441

The direct or indirect reliance of one Process or Activity upon another.

Front 442

Differential Charging

Back 442

A technique used to support Demand Management by charging different amounts for the same IT Service Function at different times.

Front 443

Driver

Back 443

Something that influences Strategy, Objectives or Requirements. For example new legislation or the actions of competitors.

Front 444

Estimation

Back 444

The use of experience to provide an approximate value for a Metric or Cost. Estimation is also used in Capacity and Availability Management as the cheapest and least accurate Modelling method.

Front 445

Exception Report

Back 445

A Document containing details of one or more KPIs or other important targets that have exceeded defined Thresholds. Examples include SLA targets being missed or about to be missed, and a Performance Metric indicating a potential Capacity problem.

Front 446

External Sourcing

Back 446

Synonym for Outsourcing.

Front 447

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Back 447

An approach to assessing the potential Impact of Failures. FMEA involves analysing what would happen after Failure of each Configuration Item, all the way up to the effect on the Business. FMEA is often used in Information Security Management and in IT Service Continuity Planning.

Front 448

Fault

Back 448

Synonym for Error.

Front 449

Fishbone Diagram

Back 449

Synonym for Ishikawa Diagram.

Front 450

Fit for Purpose

Back 450

An informal term used to describe a Process, Configuration Item, IT Service etc. that is capable of meeting its Objectives or Service Levels. Being Fit for Purpose requires suitable Design, implementation, Control and maintenance.

Front 451

Fulfilment

Back 451

Performing Activities to meet a need or Requirement. For example by providing a new IT Service, or meeting a Service Request.

Front 452

Governance

Back 452

Ensuring that Policies and Strategy are actually implemented, and that required Processes are correctly followed. Governance includes defining Roles and responsibilities, measuring and reporting, and taking actions to resolve any issues identified.

Front 453

Hot Standby

Back 453

Synonym for Fast Recovery or Immediate Recovery.

Front 454

Information Technology (IT)

Back 454

The use of technology for the storage, communication or processing of information. The technology typically includes computers, telecommunications, Applications and other software. The information may include Business data, voice, images, video, etc. Information Technology is often used to support Business Processes through IT Services.

Front 455

Infrastructure Service

Back 455

An IT Service that is not directly used by the Business, but is required by the IT Service Provider so they can provide other IT Services. For example Directory Services, naming services, or communication services.

Front 456

Insourcing

Back 456

Synonym for Internal Sourcing.

Front 457

Internal Metric

Back 457

A Metric that is used within the IT Service Provider to Monitor the Efficiency, Effectiveness or Cost Effectiveness of the IT Service Provider's internal Processes. Internal Metrics are not normally reported to the Customer of the IT Service. See External Metric.

Front 458

International Standards Organisation

Back 458

See International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Front 459

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

Back 459

An External Service Provider that provides access to the Internet. Most ISPs also provide other IT Services such as web hosting.

Front 460

ISO/IEC 20000

Back 460

ISO Specification and Code of Practice for IT Service Management. ISO/IEC 20000 is aligned with ITIL Best Practice.

Front 461

IT Infrastructure

Back 461

All of the hardware, software, networks, facilities etc. that are required to Develop, Test, deliver, Monitor, Control or support IT Services. The term IT Infrastructure includes all of the Information Technology but not the associated people, Processes and documentation.

Front 462

IT Service

Back 462

A Service provided to one or more Customers by an IT Service Provider. An IT Service is based on the use of Information Technology and supports the Customer's Business Processes. An IT Service is made up from a combination of people, Processes and technology and should be defined in a Service Level Agreement.

Front 463

IT Service Management Forum (itSMF)

Back 463

The IT Service Management Forum is an independent Organisation dedicated to promoting a professional approach to IT Service Management. The itSMF is a not-for-profit membership Organisation with representation in many countries around the world (itSMF Chapters). The itSMF and its membership contribute to the development of ITIL and associated IT Service Management Standards. See http://www.itsmf.com/ for more information.

Front 464

IT Steering Group (ISG)

Back 464

A formal group that is responsible for ensuring that Business and IT Service Provider Strategies and Plans are closely aligned. An IT Steering Group includes senior representatives from the Business and the IT Service Provider.

Front 465

ITIL

Back 465

A set of Best Practice guidance for IT Service Management. ITIL is owned by the OGC and consists of a series of publications giving guidance on the provision of Quality IT Services, and on the Processes and facilities needed to support them. See http://www.itil.co.uk/ for more information.

Front 466

Job Description

Back 466

A Document which defines the Roles, responsibilities, skills and knowledge required by a particular person. One Job Description can include multiple Roles, for example the Roles of Configuration Manager and Change Manager may be carried out by one person.

Front 467

Management Information

Back 467

Information that is used to support decision making by managers. Management Information is often generated automatically by tools supporting the various IT Service Management Processes. Management Information often includes the values of KPIs such as "Percentage of Changes leading to Incidents", or "first time fix rate".

Front 468

Management System

Back 468

The framework of Policy, Processes and Functions that ensures an Organisation can achieve its Objectives.

Front 469

Manual Workaround

Back 469

A Workaround that requires manual intervention. Manual Workaround is also used as the name of a Recovery Option in which The Business Process Operates without the use of IT Services. This is a temporary measure and is usually combined with another Recovery Option.

Front 470

Maturity Level

Back 470

A named level in a Maturity model such as the Carnegie Mellon Capability Maturity Model Integration.

Front 471

Mean Time To Repair (MTTR)

Back 471

The average time taken to repair a Configuration Item or IT Service after a Failure. MTTR is measured from when the CI or IT Service fails until it is Repaired. MTTR does not include the time required to Recover or Restore. MTTR is sometimes incorrectly used to mean Mean Time to Restore Service.

Front 472

Mission Statement

Back 472

The Mission Statement of an Organisation is a short but complete description of the overall purpose and intentions of that Organisation. It states what is to be achieved, but not how this should be done.

Front 473

Model

Back 473

A representation of a System, Process, IT Service, Configuration Item etc. that is used to help understand or predict future behaviour.

Front 474

Modelling

Back 474

A technique that is used to predict the future behaviour of a System, Process, IT Service, Configuration Item etc. Modelling is commonly used in Financial Management, Capacity Management and Availability Management.

Front 475

Objective

Back 475

The defined purpose or aim of a Process, an Activity or an Organisation as a whole. Objectives are usually expressed as measurable targets. The term Objective is also informally used to mean a Requirement. See Outcome.

Front 476

Off the Shelf

Back 476

Synonym for Commercial Off the Shelf.

Front 477

Office of Government Commerce (OGC)

Back 477

OGC owns the ITIL brand (copyright and trademark). OGC is a UK Government department that supports the delivery of the government's procurement agenda through its work in collaborative procurement and in raising levels of procurement skills and capability with departments. It also provides support for complex public sector projects.

Front 478

Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI)

Back 478

OPSI license the Crown Copyright material used in the ITIL publications. They are a UK Government department who provide online access to UK legislation, license the re-use of Crown copyright material, manage the Information Fair Trader Scheme, maintain the Government’s Information Asset Register and provide advice and guidance on official publishing and Crown copyright.

Front 479

Operate

Back 479

To perform as expected. A Process or Configuration Item is said to Operate if it is delivering the Required outputs. Operate also means to perform one or more Operations. For example, to Operate a computer is to do the day-to-day Operations needed for it to perform as expected.

Front 480

Operational Cost

Back 480

Cost resulting from running the IT Services. Often repeating payments. For example staff costs, hardware maintenance and electricity (also known as "current expenditure" or "revenue expenditure"). See Capital Expenditure.

Front 481

Operational Expenditure (OPEX)

Back 481

Synonym for Operational Cost.

Front 482

Operations Control

Back 482

Synonym for IT Operations Control.

Front 483

Operations Management

Back 483

Synonym for IT Operations Management.

Front 484

Optimise

Back 484

Review, Plan and request Changes, in order to obtain the maximum Efficiency and Effectiveness from a Process, Configuration Item, Application etc.

Front 485

Organisation

Back 485

A company, legal entity or other institution. Examples of Organisations that are not companies include International Standards Organisation or itSMF. The term Organisation is sometimes used to refer to any entity which has People, Resources and Budgets. For example a Project or Business Unit.

Front 486

Overhead

Back 486

Synonym for Indirect cost

Front 487

Performance

Back 487

A measure of what is achieved or delivered by a System, person, team, Process, or IT Service.

Front 488

Plan

Back 488

A detailed proposal which describes the Activities and Resources needed to achieve an Objective. For example a Plan to implement a new IT Service or Process. ISO/IEC 20000 requires a Plan for the management of each IT Service Management Process.

Front 489

Planning

Back 489

An Activity responsible for creating one or more Plans. For example, Capacity Planning.

Front 490

Policy

Back 490

Formally documented management expectations and intentions. Policies are used to direct decisions, and to ensure consistent and appropriate development and implementation of Processes, Standards, Roles, Activities, IT Infrastructure etc.

Front 491

Post Implementation Review (PIR)

Back 491

A Review that takes place after a Change or a Project has been implemented. A PIR determines if the Change or Project was successful, and identifies opportunities for improvement.

Front 492

Prerequisite for Success (PFS)

Back 492

An Activity that needs to be completed, or a condition that needs to be met, to enable successful implementation of a Plan or Process. A PFS is often an output from one Process that is a required input to another Process.

Front 493

Process

Back 493

A structured set of Activities designed to accomplish a specific Objective. A Process takes one or more defined inputs and turns them into defined outputs. A Process may include any of the Roles, responsibilities, tools and management Controls required to reliably deliver the outputs. A Process may define Policies, Standards, Guidelines, Activities, and Work Instructions if they are needed.

Front 494

Process Control

Back 494

The Activity of planning and regulating a Process, with the Objective of performing the Process in an Effective, Efficient, and consistent manner.

Front 495

Process Manager

Back 495

A Role responsible for Operational management of a Process. The Process Manager's responsibilities include Planning and co-ordination of all Activities required to carry out, monitor and report on the Process. There may be several Process Managers for one Process, for example regional Change Managers or IT Service Continuity Managers for each data centre. The Process Manager Role is often assigned to the person who carries out the Process Owner Role, but the two Roles may be separate in larger Organisations.

Front 496

Process Owner

Back 496

A Role responsible for ensuring that a Process is Fit for Purpose. The Process Owner’s responsibilities include sponsorship, Design, Change Management and continual improvement of the Process and its Metrics. This Role is often assigned to the same person who carries out the Process Manager Role, but the two Roles may be separate in larger Organisations.

Front 497

Production Environment

Back 497

Synonym for Live Environment.

Front 498

pro-forma

Back 498

A template, or example Document containing example data that will be replaced with the real values when these are available.

Front 499

Programme

Back 499

A number of Projects and Activities that are planned and managed together to achieve an overall set of related Objectives and other Outcomes.

Front 500

Project

Back 500

A temporary Organisation, with people and other Assets required to achieve an Objective or other Outcome. Each Project has a Lifecycle that typically includes initiation, Planning, execution, Closure etc. Projects are usually managed using a formal methodology such as PRINCE2.

Front 501

PRojects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)

Back 501

See PRINCE2

Front 502

Record

Back 502

A Document containing the results or other output from a Process or Activity. Records are evidence of the fact that an Activity took place and may be paper or electronic. For example, an Audit report, an Incident Record, or the minutes of a meeting.

Front 503

Relationship

Back 503

A connection or interaction between two people or things. In Business Relationship Management it is the interaction between the IT Service Provider and the Business. In Configuration Management it is a link between two Configuration Items that identifies a dependency or connection between them. For example Applications may be linked to the Servers they run on, IT Services have many links to all the CIs that contribute to them.

Front 504

Relationship Processes

Back 504

The ISO/IEC 20000 Process group that includes Business Relationship Management and Supplier Management.

Front 505

Release Window

Back 505

Synonym for Change Window.

Front 506

Resolution Processes

Back 506

The ISO/IEC 20000 Process group that includes Incident Management and Problem Management.

Front 507

Response Time

Back 507

A measure of the time taken to complete an Operation or Transaction. Used in Capacity Management as a measure of IT Infrastructure Performance, and in Incident Management as a measure of the time taken to answer the phone, or to start Diagnosis.

Front 508

Responsiveness

Back 508

A measurement of the time taken to respond to something. This could be Response Time of a Transaction, or the speed with which an IT Service Provider responds to an Incident or Request for Change etc.

Front 509

Restoration of Service

Back 509

See Restore.

Front 510

Risk

Back 510

A possible Event that could cause harm or loss, or affect the ability to achieve Objectives. A Risk is measured by the probability of a Threat, the Vulnerability of the Asset to that Threat, and the Impact it would have if it occurred.

Front 511

Risk Assessment

Back 511

The initial steps of Risk Management. Analysing the value of Assets to the business, identifying Threats to those Assets, and evaluating how Vulnerable each Asset is to those Threats. Risk Assessment can be quantitative (based on numerical data) or qualitative.

Front 512

Role

Back 512

A set of responsibilities, Activities and authorities granted to a person or team. A Role is defined in a Process. One person or team may have multiple Roles, for example the Roles of Configuration Manager and Change Manager may be carried out by a single person.

Front 513

Running Costs

Back 513

Synonym for Operational Costs

Front 514

Scalability

Back 514

The ability of an IT Service, Process, Configuration Item etc. to perform its agreed Function when the Workload or Scope changes.

Front 515

Scope

Back 515

The boundary, or extent, to which a Process, Procedure, Certification, Contract etc. applies. For example the Scope of Change Management may include all Live IT Services and related Configuration Items, the Scope of an ISO/IEC 20000 Certificate may include all IT Services delivered out of a named data centre.

Front 516

Security

Back 516

See Information Security Management

Front 517

Security Management

Back 517

Synonym for Information Security Management

Front 518

Security Policy

Back 518

Synonym for Information Security Policy

Front 519

Service

Back 519

A means of delivering value to Customers by facilitating Outcomes Customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific Costs and Risks.

Front 520

Service Continuity Management

Back 520

Synonym for IT Service Continuity Management.

Front 521

Service Culture

Back 521

A Customer oriented Culture. The major Objectives of a Service Culture are Customer satisfaction and helping the Customer to achieve their Business Objectives.

Front 522

Service Level

Back 522

Measured and reported achievement against one or more Service Level Targets. The term Service Level is sometimes used informally to mean Service Level Target.

Front 523

Service Management

Back 523

Service Management is a set of specialized organizational capabilities for providing value to customers in the form of services.

Front 524

Service Management Lifecycle

Back 524

An approach to IT Service Management that emphasizes the importance of coordination and Control across the various Functions, Processes, and Systems necessary to manage the full Lifecycle of IT Services. The Service Management Lifecycle approach considers the Strategy, Design, Transition, Operation and Continuous Improvement of IT Services.

Front 525

Service Manager

Back 525

A manager who is responsible for managing the end-to-end Lifecycle of one or more IT Services. The term Service Manager is also used to mean any manager within the IT Service Provider. Most commonly used to refer to a Business Relationship Manager, a Process Manager, an Account Manager or a senior manager with responsibility for IT Services overall.

Front 526

Source

Back 526

See Service Sourcing.

Front 527

Specification

Back 527

A formal definition of Requirements. A Specification may be used to define technical or Operational Requirements, and may be internal or external. Many public Standards consist of a Code of Practice and a Specification. The Specification defines the Standard against which an Organisation can be Audited.

Front 528

Stakeholder

Back 528

All people who have an interest in an Organisation, Project, IT Service etc. Stakeholders may be interested in the Activities, targets, Resources, or Deliverables. Stakeholders may include Customers, Partners, employees, shareholders, owners, etc. See RACI.

Front 529

Status

Back 529

The name of a required field in many types of Record. It shows the current stage in the Lifecycle of the associated Configuration Item, Incident, Problem etc.

Front 530

System Management

Back 530

The part of IT Service Management that focuses on the management of IT Infrastructure rather than Process.

Front 531

Tactical

Back 531

The middle of three levels of Planning and delivery (Strategic, Tactical, Operational). Tactical Activities include the medium term Plans required to achieve specific Objectives, typically over a period of weeks to months.

Front 532

Technical Service

Back 532

Synonym for Infrastructure Service.

Front 533

Technical Support

Back 533

Synonym for Technical Management.

Front 534

Third Party

Back 534

A person, group, or Business who is not part of the Service Level Agreement for an IT Service, but is required to ensure successful delivery of that IT Service. For example a software Supplier, a hardware maintenance company, or a facilities department. Requirements for Third Parties are typically specified in Underpinning Contracts or Operational Level Agreements.

Front 535

Threat

Back 535

Anything that might exploit a Vulnerability. Any potential cause of an Incident can be considered to be a Threat. For example a fire is a Threat that could exploit the Vulnerability of flammable floor coverings. This term is commonly used in Information Security Management and IT Service Continuity Management, but also applies to other areas such as Problem and Availability Management.

Front 536

Threshold

Back 536

The value of a Metric which should cause an Alert to be generated, or management action to be taken. For example "Priority1 Incident not solved within 4 hours", "more than 5 soft disk errors in an hour", or "more than 10 failed changes in a month".

Front 537

Transaction

Back 537

A discrete Function performed by an IT Service. For example transferring money from one bank account to another. A single Transaction may involve numerous additions, deletions and modifications of data. Either all of these complete successfully or none of them is carried out.

Front 538

Tuning

Back 538

The Activity responsible for Planning Changes to make the most efficient use of Resources. Tuning is part of Performance Management, which also includes Performance Monitoring and implementation of the required Changes.

Front 539

User

Back 539

A person who uses the IT Service on a day-to-day basis. Users are distinct from Customers, as some Customers do not use the IT Service directly.

Front 540

Variance

Back 540

The difference between a planned value and the actual measured value. Commonly used in Financial Management, Capacity Management and Service Level Management, but could apply in any area where Plans are in place.

Front 541

Vision

Back 541

A description of what the Organisation intends to become in the future. A Vision is created by senior management and is used to help influence Culture and Strategic Planning.

Front 542

Vulnerability

Back 542

A weakness that could be exploited by a Threat. For example an open firewall port, a password that is never changed, or a flammable carpet. A missing Control is also considered to be a Vulnerability.

Front 543

Warm Standby

Back 543

Synonym for Intermediate Recovery.

Front 544

Work in Progress (WIP)

Back 544

A Status that means Activities have started but are not yet complete. It is commonly used as a Status for Incidents, Problems, Changes etc.

Front 545

Work Instruction

Back 545

A Document containing detailed instructions that specify exactly what steps to follow to carry out an Activity. A Work Instruction contains much more detail than a Procedure and is only created if very detailed instructions are needed.

Front 546

Workload

Back 546

The Resources required to deliver an identifiable part of an IT Service. Workloads may be Categorised by Users, groups of Users, or Functions within the IT Service. This is used to assist in analysing and managing the Capacity, Performance and Utilisation of Configuration Items and IT Services. The term Workload is sometimes used as a synonym for Throughput.