I have been aware for a while that the IT infrastructure library (ITIL) contains a section on Capacity Management. There is, however, relatively little information that is publicly available about ITIL and the way that it is fitted together. (A summary of ITIL is available here.) As a member of the BCS I found a summary of the foundations of ITIL on the 24×7 books site that membership provides access to. Possibly more interesting, however, is the following article that provides some description of the ITIL Capacity Management, along with a simple example of an ITIL Capacity Plan: ITIL Capacity Management Deep Dive
In essence the ITIL approach to capacity management and that which is outlined in Sarquol’s “Principles of Capacity Management” White paper are very similar. The Sarquol Whitepaper provides some information on the “How to…” of Capacity Management and provides less information on the products and activities that are needed. The way that ITIL is constructed is documentary and procedural in nature, which is consistent with the overall objectives that it is seeking to meet. As the basis of a capacity management process it is intended to provide a foundation on which to construct an organisation’s service management approach. As would be expected, however, there is a long way to go from the definition provided by ITIL and a fully worked out process.
I can strongly recommend the design and organisational implementation of a mandatory performance and capacity management approach. If this is to be started then examination of ITIL Capacity Management will provide a strong basis for the early design. If, of course, you need help in such an initiative then Sarquol would be able to provide expertise and support. Please contact me at dh@sarquol.com, or call on +44 7887 536083.
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