Making ITIL processes work for your data center

Making ITIL processes work for your data center

Change may be constant in the data center, but tracking infrastructure changes and their potential impact on service levels has usually been anything but constant in IT. That's one reason data center managers are looking at ITIL processes.

A number of factors influence IT managers' decisions to deploy the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework:

  • The move to service-based operations;
  • demands imposed by compliance; and
  • large consolidation and data center virtualization projects.

    ITIL processes may be your best bet to bring order to the data center. But how does a data center manager know when or how to begin implementing ITIL? What resources are available to help? In this guide on implementing ITIL processes in the data center, you'll learn what forced some IT departments to implement a service management structure and why they were successful. You'll also find valuable advice on ITSM and change management, taking advantage of configuration management databases (CMDBs), and the value of ITIL certifications.

     

      ITIL processes in the data center: Table of contents  
    • The benefits of ITIL implementation: Chapter 1
      This chapter covers the benefits of implementing ITIL in the data center, including better management of IT resources, simplified data center consolidation and easier transition to an energy-efficient facility.

       

    • ITSM best practices and change management: Chapter 2
      The second chapter deals with the IT Service Management component of ITIL. Find out how implementing ITSM best practices and change management can help data centers struggling with budget cuts, learn about the latest trends in Software as a Service-based ITSM and more.

       

    • ITIL certification benefits: Chapter 3
      This chapter highlights the value of ITIL certification, particularly for IT workers who aim to enhance their skill sets in a down economy.

       

    • CMDBs and ITIL: Chapter 4
      The final chapter in our guide covers configuration management databases (CMDBs) and ITIL in the data center. Find out how to choose the best CMDB vendor, how to be successful with CMDB implementation and CMDB pitfalls to consider.

This was first published in March 2010