ITIL V3 Service Transition
This article deals with Service Transition , the third of five publications of the IT Infrastructure Library ( ITIL ) in version 3.
Transition planning and support
Preparation of all activities of the transition phase. Planning and coordination of resources in order to implement the packages created in Service Design.
Change management
Change management controls all changes in IT. For this purpose, all changes to the IT infrastructure, the processes involved and their components , the configuration items (CIs), are applied for, classified, authorized and documented. Larger changes with an increased risk require not only more complex approval but also corresponding planning. This is to keep the risk for the current process landscape as low as possible. In addition to a risk analysis and approval process, these plans also include corresponding planning, construction, testing and implementation milestones. The sequence of the individual steps is planned and communicated. Any overlaps with other changes evaluated and consolidated if necessary. The change manager and his employees are responsible for the coordination of the implementation and the acceptance of the changes made. There is a specific procedure for urgent changes in an emergency, the so-called Emergency Change.
In the case of far-reaching changes with an increased risk, the so-called "major changes", the Change Advisory Board (CAB) as the approving authority plays an important role alongside the Change Manager. In the case of very large changes, the so-called "Significant Changes", the Management Board (MB) is involved for the approval and risk evaluation, which is also decisively involved at the management level in the implementation of changes with a high impact on the IT-controlled processes. This type of difficult change process requires an individual efficiency analysis after completion, the so-called "Post Implementation Review" (PIR). Both the implemented change and the applied process are checked for target achievement.
Service asset and configuration management
The information required for IT service management is provided by configuration management. The topicality of the information is monitored. Configuration management therefore plays a central role in the communicative and informative interaction of the individual processes. This means that current and historical information about the configuration items (CI) is always available in the configuration management database (CMDB).
Release and deployment management
Release management is responsible for the approval of new hardware and software based on the valid release guidelines. He is also responsible for planning and providing the rollout process for approved software and hardware . In addition, the "definitive software library" (DSL) and the "definitive hardware store" (DHS) are currently under ITIL V2 under the responsibility of release management. According to the new ITIL V3 standard, both libraries are combined as the Definitive Media Library (DML). Contracts with external suppliers etc. are outsourced as "Underpinning Contracts" (UC).
The deployment (distribution) is a temporarily active process and includes project management procedures for the introduction of new hardware and software. In this function, deployment forms the link between development, change management, operations and technical support. It controls the development and transfer of new or expanded hardware and software releases to production across these management areas. This process is typically carried out in the context of change or implementation projects.
Service Validation and Testing
Before a new or changed service can be put into operation, extensive tests must be carried out to determine whether it meets the requirements. In addition, possible risks must be minimized, and errors must be identified and eliminated.
Evaluation
In the course of the transition phase, it is repeatedly assessed whether the performance of the service is acceptable, the quality is appropriate, risks have been taken into account, etc. The aim is a recommendation to change management to allow or reject the change.
Knowledge management
Knowledge management ensures that the right information is provided to the right people at the right time in the right place to make informed decisions.