Operations Resources

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Operations Resources

Once you have a general understanding of the operational needs of your organization, you may want to take the next step and learn more. The following tables describe the various resources available to assist you in improving IT services within your organization and, in some cases, the intended audience for the resource.

Training and Certification

Resource Description
Microsoft Operations Framework Essentials (1737) Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) Essentials provides an overview of the three models in MOF and uses a simulation for applying concepts. (2 days)
Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) Changing Quadrant (1787) MOF Changing Quadrant provides an in-depth focus on the processes in the Changing Quadrant and includes a simulation for applying concepts. (3 days)
Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management (ITIL Foundation) The Foundation Certificate is intended for people working in the field of IT Service Management. The Foundation Certificate is a prerequisite for the Practitioner's and Manager's certificates in IT Service Management.
Practitioner's Certificate in IT Service Management (aka ITIL Practitioner) The Practitioner's Certificate in IT Service Management Problem Management is intended for those in an IT organization responsible for activities that are part of a specific ITIL process.
Manager's Certificate in IT Service Management (aka ITIL Service Management) The Manager's Certificate in IT Service Management is aimed at managers and consultants in IT Service Management, especially those who are involved in implementing ITIL or advising on ITIL. The Foundation Certificate is a prerequisite for the Manager's Certificate in IT Service Management.

Web Sites

Resource Description
Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) All publicly available MOF content.
Microsoft System Center Systems management products and solutions that focus on providing IT professionals with the tools and knowledge to help manage their IT infrastructure, streamline operations, reduce troubleshooting time, and improve your planning capabilities.
Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) All publicly available MSF content.
IT Infrastructure (ITIL) Library Official ITIL site.
HDIHelp Desk Institute The Help Desk Institute is an IT service and support organization.
British Computer Society British Computer Society (BCS) Industry Structure Model (ISM) site.

Engagements

Resource Description
MOF overview presentation Contact your Microsoft Account Team (Account Executive, Service Executive, or TAM) to request an overview presentation on MOF. They can engage a resource to provide in-depth answers to your questions.
MOF Operations Assessment The MOF Operations Assessment offers an in-depth look at particular processes within your organization. Certified consultants will assess your needs and deliver in-depth recommendations to assist your organization in streamlining IT operations.
MOF Implementation This engagement typically follows a MOF Operations Assessment and is used to implement its recommendations. The length of this engagement varies depending on the needs of the organization.
Service Improvement Project Microsoft Worldwide Services and all MOF partners can work with you on a structured service improvement project. This typically will follow a MOF Operations Assessment to identify your priorities and is an MSF-based project specifically designed to achieve the desired maturity levels in the priority processes identified in the assessment report.

MOF Documentation

Publication Description Audience
MOF Executive Overview Business value of MOF, why organizations should adopt MOF, road map to adoption. CEO/CTO/CIO, senior IT managers, implementation teams.
MOF Process Model for Operations High-level discussion of the MOF Process Model, how it relates to the other models and disciplines, and implementation scenarios. CIO, IT managers, implementation teams.
MOF Team Model for Operations High-level discussion of the MOF Team Model, how it relates to the other models and disciplines, and implementation scenarios. CIO, IT managers, implementation teams.
MOF Risk Management Discipline for Operations Detailed discussion of the MOF Risk Management Discipline and its importance to an IT organization. All IT staff.
MOF service management function (SMF) guides Detailed discussion of each service management function (SMF) as described in the MOF Process Model for Operations guide. Also discusses in detail the relationship between the SMFs, the other MOF models, and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) disciplines. IT managers, practitioner staff, implementation teams.
Operations management review (OMR) guides Detailed discussion about the four operational management reviews, what they consist of, and how they are conducted. IT managers, practitioner staff, implementation teams.
Product operations guides Detailed discussions regarding the operation of Microsoft products. Starting with the Windows 2000 operations guides, all major Microsoft product releases will be accompanied by detailed product operations guides that may be freely modified for an organization's internal use. Technical staff, implementation teams.
Best practices/patterns and practices guides All best practices guides designed to impact operational processes should be MOF-compliant. Level of depth with references to MOF will vary based on the document's target audience. Varies based on document.
Solution accelerators There are many solution accelerators available through MSDN and TechNet. All Microsoft Solutions for Management solution accelerators are built on MOF. Examples of these include Microsoft Solution for Patch Management, Service Monitoring and Control, Business Desktop Deployment, and Windows Server 2003 Deployment. Varies based on document.
Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) documentation Varies by document. Listed here to ensure that those interested in MOF understand that there is a connection between MOF and MSF and references between the two frameworks appear throughout both sets of documentation. Varies by document.

ITIL Documentation

Publication Description
Planning to Implement Service Management (ISBN: 0113308779), 2002 This title explains the steps necessary to identify how an organization might expect to benefit from ITIL, and how to set about reaping those benefits.
Service Support (ISBN: 0113300158), 2000 Focuses on ensuring that the customer has access to appropriate services to support the business functions. Issues covered include service desk, incident management, problem management, configuration management, change management, and release management. It expands the necessary interactions between these and other core IT service management disciplines and updates best practice to reflect recent changes in technology and business practices. Service Support is published in print and CD-ROM formats and a demo version of the CD-ROM has also been made available.
Service Delivery (ISBN: 0113300174), 2001 The second element in the new ITIL series. Service providers need to offer business users adequate support. Service Delivery covers all aspects that must be taken into consideration. Issues covered include service level management, financial management for IT services, IT service continuity management, availability management, contingency planning, and capacity management. The purpose of Service Delivery is to show the links and the principal relationships between all the service management and other infrastructure management processes. Service Delivery is published in print and CD-ROM formats, and a demo version of the CD-ROM has also been made available. For more information, follow the links at the end of this table.
Security Management, (ISBN: 011330014X), 1999 This is a recent ITIL guide that explains the process of security management with IT service management. The guide focuses on the process of implementing security requirements identified in the IT service level agreement rather than considering business issues of security policy. The book was developed to take into consideration the plans for consolidating and interlinking the ITIL Service Support and Service Delivery core guides.
ICT Infrastructure Management (ISBN: 0113308655), 2002 Covering network service management, operations management, management of local processors, computer installation and acceptance, and (for the first time) systems management.
ICT Infrastructure Management (ISBN: 0113308655), 2002 Covering network service management, operations management, management of local processors, computer installation and acceptance, and (for the first time) systems management.
Application Management (ISBN: 0113308663), 2002 Embracing the software development life cycle, expanding the issues touched on in Software Lifecycle Support and Testing of IT Services. Applications Management also provides more detail on business change, placing emphasis on clear requirement definition and implementation of solutions.
The Business Perspective (ISBN: 0113308949), 2004 Concerning the understanding and provision of IT service provision. Issues covered include business continuity management, partnerships and outsourcing, surviving change, and transformation of business practices through radical change.
The ITIL Back Catalogue The ITIL Back Catalogue represents an historical repository of knowledge on IT service management. Given its age, however, it is not part of OGC's current Best Practice Portfolio and may not be updated in the future. The back catalogue is available as PDF downloads in three discrete sets, each of which can be purchased on a single user basis or on a network user basis. It is available at https://www.tso.co.uk/ITIL/.