3.1.9 Further Key Practices: Part 2

Continuing with other important practices, this part covers monitoring, release, deployment, and configuration management.

• Monitoring and Event Management: To systematically observe services and service components, and record and report selected changes of state identified as events.
  • Definition of Event: Any change of state that has significance for the management of a service or other configuration item.
  • Practical Context: Setting up monitoring tools, defining what constitutes a significant event, analyzing event data to detect issues, trigger incidents, or identify opportunities for optimization. Often triggers Incident Management.
• Release Management: To make new and changed services and features available for use.
  • Practical Context: Planning and coordinating the deployment of releases into the live environment, ensuring releases are properly tested and verified before being made available.
• Deployment Management: To move new or changed hardware, software, documentation, processes, or any other component to live environments.
  • Practical Context: The technical process of moving components from development/testing to production. Works closely with Release Management and Change Enablement.
• Service Configuration Management: To support the organization in accurately and reliably identifying, controlling, and protecting the assets, known as configuration items (CIs), and to maintain accurate information about them throughout their lifecycle.
  • Definition of CI: Any component that needs to be managed in order to deliver an IT service.
  • Practical Context: Maintaining a Configuration Management System (CMS) or Configuration Management Database (CMDB) to track CIs and their relationships. This information is vital for Incident Management, Problem Management, and Change Enablement. Focus is on components needed for service delivery and their relationships.