Availability Management Level 3 Role

This sub-discipline is about the competencies required to manage the availability of inter-operating IT/technology systems, services and assets supporting an organisation, both during current operation, and in support of future needs and demands. 

 

Availability management is concerned with ensuring the reliability, maintainability, serviceability, resilience and security of individual IT/technology systems, services and assets and the effectiveness of their combined operation. It consists of both proactive and reactive management of availability. Availability targets are normally contained within Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and actual achievement against these forms an integral part of service reviews. 

 

Proactive management of the availability of IT/technology systems, services and assets supports service level requirements and ensure that potential issues can be dealt with before they interrupt availability. Thus, availability management activities may initiate changes to the IT/technology infrastructure to increase its stability and tolerance to faults. This is distinct from the definition of service level agreements, which sets the standards to be achieved and the retrospective review of IT/technology performance against these standards. 

 

Reactive management availability involves responding to incidents, problems and other events which may result in the unavailability of IT/technology systems, services and assets. 

 

Note: For each role it is necessary to subsume the knowledge and understanding statements from the role immediately below. 

Maintain, monitor and report availability management activities, under supervision 

P1 Routinely maintain and monitor the availability of IT/technology systems, services and assets within the organisation, under supervision

P2 Routinely monitor the availability of external provided/hosted IT/technology products/services and equipment, under supervision 

P3 Communicate in a timely manner with those external providers of IT/technology products and services that need to be available, under supervision

P4 Assist others with the timely reporting of the availability of IT/technology systems, services and assets against targets and other metrics 

 

Gather and document relevant information relating to availability management activities, under supervision  

P5 Correctly identify and accurately document all relevant procedures, tools and techniques to use for availability management activities and their deliverables, under supervision 

P6 Source and gather, in a timely manner, all relevant information from monitoring the current availability of IT/technology systems, services and assets 

P7 Gather all information to support the reporting of availability against targets and/or metrics, under supervision

P8 Accurately document the actual availability of IT/technology systems, services and assets against targets and other metrics, so that it may be provided to a range of individuals 

P9 Assist others in documenting future requirements for IT/technology availability 

Maintain, monitor and report availability management activities, under supervision 

 

K1 Identify and select the procedures, tools and techniques to use for availability management activities and their deliverables 

K2 Use and apply the service catalogue and/or portfolio during availability management and activities 

K3 Comply with all relevant: 

K3.1 business case and benefits realisation policies, procedures, tools and techniques during availability management activities 

K3.2 and applicable legislation, regulations and commercial arrangements relevant to availability management activities 

K4 Monitor: 

K4.1 the availability of IT/technology systems, services and assets 

K4.2 the availability of external provided/hosted IT/technology products/services and equipment

K5 Communicate and liaise with external providers of IT/technology products and services that need to be available 

K6 The relationship between availability management activities and their deliverables and all other service delivery/operations activities 

K7 What is the relationship between: 

K7.1 incidents, problems, events and availability 

K7.2 availability and security 

K8 What is meant by an availability target K9 What is the relevance of service levels in relation to availability management activities 

K10 What information might need to be referenced and used during availability management activities 

K11 What are the: 

K11.1 different levels/categories of availability that may apply to particular IT/technology assets, products/services and/or equipment items 

K11.2 procedures, tools and techniques to conduct availability management 

K11.3 inputs to, and required outputs from, availability management activities 

K11.4 potential implications for availability management activities of IT/technology services being provided/hosted externally 

K11.5 implications of standards and service levels in relation to availability management activities 

K11.6 potential implications of availability management activities and their deliverables being incorrect, incomplete, inadequate and/or inappropriate 

K12 The fact that: 

K12.1 there are different levels and types of availability that may apply to particular IT/technology assets, products/services and/or equipment items 

K12.2 the availability of IT/technology systems, services and assets relies upon the effective operation of a range of interdependent, end to end, IT/technology systems, products, services, assets and components 

K12.3 service level agreements (SLAs) describe what has been contracted between the customer and provider in terms of availability 

K12.4 availability management activities rely heavily on information gathered from a variety of service design, delivery and operations sources

K12.5 structured processes and procedures are essential to availability management activities

K12.6 effective availability management should be proactive as well as reactive 

K12.7 individual support functions/teams may ensure the availability of individual IT/technology systems, services, assets, products and components, but do not necessarily ensure that the entirety of them required to deliver a service are available 

K13 Why the availability of individual systems, services and assets and the end to end service they provide needs to be monitored, managed, maintained and improved 

K14 Why the quality and effectiveness of availability management activities and their deliverables need to be monitored 

K15 Who are the customers of availability management activities 

K16 Who are the external providers of services that need to be available 

K17 The importance of: 

K17.1 referencing the service catalogue and/or portfolio and service level information during availability management activities 

K17.2 and relevance of, availability management on the systems and service lifecycle supporting an organisation 

K17.3 effective communication with a range of customers and other individuals during availability management activities 

K18 The need for monitoring of the availability of individual IT/technology systems, services, assets, products and components and the end to end IT/technology services that they comprise 

K19 The procedures, tools and techniques that can be used to: 

K19.1 conduct availability management activities 

K19.2 monitor the availability of individual IT/technology systems, services, assets, products and components and the end to end IT/technology services that they comprise 

K20 How: 

K20.1 to ensure that availability of services complies with targets and service levels 

K20.2 availability management activities support service design, delivery and