(Service Design) A Recovery Option that is also known as Hot Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service in a short period of time: typically less than 24 hours. Fast Recovery typically uses a dedicated Fixed Facility with computer Systems, and software configured ready to run the IT Services. Fast Recovery may take up to 24 hours if there is a need to Restore data from Backups.
Fault
See Error.
Fault Tolerance
(Service Design) The ability of an IT Service or Configuration Item to continue to Operate correctly after Failure of a Component part. See also Resilience, Countermeasure.
Fault Tree Analysis
(Service Design) (Continual Service Improvement) A technique that can be used to determine the chain of events that leads to a Problem. Fault Tree Analysis represents a chain of events using Boolean notation in a diagram.
Financial Management
(Service Strategy) The Function and Processes responsible for managing an IT Service provider’s Budgeting, Accounting and Charging Requirements.
Fit for Purpose
An informal term used to describe a Process, Configuration Item, IT Service, etc. that is capable of meeting its objectives or Service levels. Being Fit for Purpose requires suitable design, implementation, control and maintenance.
Fulfilment
Performing Activities to meet a need or Requirement. For example, by providing a new IT Service, or meeting a Service request.
Function
A team or group of people and the tools they use to carry out one or more Processes or Activities. For example the Service Desk.
The term Function also has two other meanings:
An intended purpose of a Configuration Item, Person, Team, Process, or IT Service. For example one Function of an e-mail Service may be to store and forward outgoing mails, one Function of a Business Process may be to dispatch goods to Customers.
To perform the intended purpose correctly, ‘The computer is Functioning’.
Governance
Ensuring that Policies and Strategy are actually implemented, and that required Processes are correctly followed. Governance includes defining Roles and responsibilities, measuring and reporting, and taking actions to resolve any issues identified.
Gradual Recovery
(Service Design) A Recovery Option that is also known as Cold Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service in a period of time greater than 72 hours. Gradual Recovery typically uses a Portable or Fixed Facility that has environmental support and network cabling, but no computer Systems. The hardware and software are installed as part of the IT Service Continuity Plan.
Guideline
A Document describing Best Practice, which recommends what should be done. Compliance with a guideline is not normally enforced. See also Standard.
High Availability
(Service Design) An approach or design that minimizes or hides the effects of Configuration Item Failure on the users of an IT Service. High Availability solutions are designed to achieve an agreed level of Availability and make use of techniques such as Fault Tolerance, Resilience and fast Recovery to reduce the number of Incidents, and the Impact of Incidents.
Hot Standby
See Fast Recovery or Immediate Recovery.
Immediate Recovery
(Service Design) A Recovery Option that is also known as Hot Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service with no loss of Service. Immediate Recovery typically uses Mirroring, Load Balancing and Split Site technologies.
Impact
(Service Operation) (Service Transition) A measure of the effect of an Incident, Problem or Change on Business Processes. Impact is often based on how Service levels will be affected. Impact and Urgency are used to assign Priority.
Incident
(Service Operation) An unplanned interruption to an IT Service or reduction in the Quality of an IT Service. Failure of a Configuration Item that has not yet affected Service is also an Incident. For example, Failure of one disk from a mirror set.
Incident Management
(Service Operation) The Process responsible for managing the Lifecycle of all Incidents. The primary Objective of Incident Management is to return the IT Service to Customers as quickly as possible.
Incident Record
(Service Operation) A Record containing the details of an Incident. Each Incident record documents the Lifecycle of a single Incident.
Indirect Cost
(Service Strategy) A Cost of providing an IT Service, which cannot be allocated in full to a specific customer. For example, the Cost of providing shared Servers or software licences. Also known as Overhead.
Information Security Management
(Service Design) The Process that ensures the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of an Organization’s Assets, information, data and IT Services. Information Security Management usually forms part of an Organizational approach to Security Management that has a wider scope than the IT Service provider, and includes handling of paper, building access, phone calls, etc., for the entire Organization.
Information Security Management System
(Service Design) The framework of Policy, Processes, Standards, Guidelines and tools that ensures an Organization can achieve its Information Security Management Objectives.
Information Security Policy
(Service Design) The Policy that governs the Organization’s approach to Information Security Management.
Information Technology
The use of technology for the storage, communication or processing of information. The technology typically includes computers, telecommunications, Applications and other software. The information may include Business data, voice, images, video, etc. Information Technology is often used to support Business Processes through IT Services.
Infrastructure Service