Category:Incident Management

From IT frameworks

One of the key processes in Service Operation, Incident management aims to restore normal service as soon as possible with whichever means necessary.

Contents 1 Goals & Objectives 2 Terminology 3 Roles 4 Scope 5 Activities 6 Interfaces 6.1 Inputs 6.2 Outputs 7 Value to the Business 8 Implementation 9 Challenges to implementation 10 Tips for exam 11 References and resources

Goals & Objectives

To restore normal operation as soon as possible in relation to the agreed SLA.

Terminology

• Incident - Unplanned interruption to an IT service. User may or may not have noticed. Incidents, also major incidents are always incidents, never problems. Incidents may trigger Problem Management.
• Workaround - The main product of this process; a temporary solution for a user of the IT service.
• Time limits - Always in relation to SLA, OLA or UC
• Major incident - Use common sense as soon as possible, handled separatley from normal incident management activities.
• Service request - Not incidents. User requests are user requests for support, information, help, advice etc.
• Functional escalation - If the service desk will not be able to restore normal service within agreed time limits, it must be escalated immediately to a typical second line support, same goes for second line support until it reaches Service Operation Manager.
• Hierarchical escalation - Incident may be able to restore normal service but it would require more resouces than allowed, higher management one level up is triggered for deicision to be made.
• CSF - Critical Success Factor
• Priority - Calculated on impact on company + urgency of incident

Roles

Incident Manager

Scope

The scope of incident management includes identifying incidents...

Activities

As Incident Management is a key process in the Service Operation life cycle phase, the main goal is to ensure normal service operation as soon as possible. Therefore the following 4 activities or something similar should be performed:

• Identify - Log - Categorize - Prioritize

After the above 4 steps, the incident could be managed in the following manner:

• Initial diagnosis, escaltional (functional or hierarchical) needed?, resolution within SLA, trigger problem management?, incident closure.

Interfaces

Inputs

An Incident has been detected by for instance Event management or reported by an end user.

Outputs

• Workarounds
• Input to Problem Management
• Normal service as soon as possible
• Input to all ITILv3 key processes. Incidents are either expected and Incident Management can expect them or unexpected in which case something should be improved along the path from Service Strategy to Service Operation.

Value to the Business

• Earlier detection of incidents, possibly larger detection of incidents before they have been noticed on the user side of the IT Service
• Due to mostly automated tasks, human resources are freed up to other Service Operation activities

Implementation

Challenges to implementation

Tips for exam

References and resources

1. Key Element Guide Service Operation - OGC
2. ITIL Service Operation - OGC