This book centers on the ability of an IT organization to deliver and support IT services on a day to day basis. The focus is on practical aspects of the ITIL v3 Service Lifecycle and processes associated with Planning, Protection and Optimization which ensures IT departments can cost-effectively manage customer demand, availability and capacity while mitigating risk.

This book covers practical guidance on the design and implementation of integrated end-to-end processes based on proven industry best practice guidelines.

It provides in-depth knowledge of the ITIL® PPO areas: Availability Management, Capacity Management, IT Service Continuity Management, Information Security Management, Demand Management, Risk Management and Continual Service Improvement.

Planning, Protection and Optimization Best Practices is designed to complement the certified ITIL V3 Capability Programs for IT Service Management. This book focuses on describing the industry best practices for the Planning, Protection and Optimization of IT Services, including:


Introduction and Overview

* Planning, Protection and Optimization in the context of the Service Lifecycle
* The Service value proposition
* Role of processes in Service Management
* How Service Management creates business value

Core Planning, Protection and Optimization Processes: Capacity Management

* Conducting capacity management to contribute to quality assurance
* Purpose, goals and objectives
* Delivering against Service Level targets
* Meeting cost and time constraints
* Activities, methods and techniques
* Fit-for-purpose and fit-for-use

Availability Management

* Contributing to quality for fit-for-purpose and fit-for-use services
* Scope of the process
* Enabling Availability Management through activities, methods and techniques
* How Availability Management creates business value
* Triggers, input and output to other processes
* Establishing metrics to ensure process quality

IT Service Continuity Management (ITSC)

* Ensuring quality assurance when introducing services through effective ITSC management
* Illustrating the main activities
* Managing risks
* Planning for recovery
* Policies and principles
* Challenges and critical success factors

Information Security Management

* Analyzing how Information Security Management contributes to quality assurance for new services
* Aligning IT security with business security
* Ensuring confidentiality, integrity and availability
* How Information Security Management generates business value
* Activities, methods and techniques
* Key metrics to measure success

Demand Management

* Purpose, goals and objectives
* Influencing customer demand
* Coupling capacity with demand
* Activities, methods and techniques

Risk Management

* Risks relative to the Planning, Protection and Optimization process management
* Identifying the challenges, critical success factors and risks related to the other processes
* The risks directly related with Service Design
* How risks relate to the practice elements of Planning, Protection and Optimization

Roles and Responsibilities

* Capacity management
* Availability management
* IT Service Continuity management
* Information Security management

Technology and Implementation Considerations

* Generic requirements and evaluation criteria
* Special technology functions and features related to Planning, Protection and Optimization
* Good practices for implementation
* Determining the evaluation criteria for technology and process implementation
* Challenges, critical success factors and risks
* Considerations for planning and implementing Service Management technologies

Common Service Activities

* Analyzing operations performed in day-to-day activities
* The maturity model of technology management
* Aligning operations with the overall service and process objectives
* Service monitoring and control

Continual Service Improvement

* Implementing an effective CSI program
* CSI in respect to organizational change
* Best practice elements of CSI
* Measuring service performance
* Cost benefit justification



The information provided in this book is based on version 3 of the ITIL® framework, Other guidance provided includes:

* Example templates.
* Suggested criteria for implementing Planning, Protection and Optimization (PPO) processes.
* Explanation of the more abstract ITIL concepts to improve understanding.
* Review questions to assist study for the ITIL PPO exam.