Key ITIL Processes For Cloud Computing: Service Provider Perspective (Internal Facing) - Financial Management

ITIL and Cloud Computing Series - Part 16

With cloud computing the 'Unit' of charging has to be defined as charging is based on resource utilization, transactions, etc. Cost has to be properly allocated to different customers to ensure effective accounting and charge-back. Also, effective budgeting process would be required as all investments has to be strongly justified. The process has to be capable to provide details on return on investment (RoI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) of cloud services.

Key ITIL Processes For Cloud Computing: Service Provider Perspective (Internal Facing) - Capacity Management

ITIL and Cloud Computing Series - Part 15

In the previous post I had discussed about the sudden surge in demand. The sudden surge in demand has to be fulfilled. Thus, the service provider has to ensure the availability of sufficient capacity. Not only that they have to maintain a balance between the utilized and excess capacity. Excess capacity would mean wastage of investment while the over utilized capacity reflects a potential threat for performance degradation. So capacity management and forecasting becomes a very complex and critical activity.

Capacity management has to be tightly integrated with supplier management process.

Key ITIL Processes For Cloud Computing: Service Provider Perspective (Internal Facing) - Demand Management

ITIL and Cloud Computing Series - Part 14

In a cloud environment there can be a sudden surge in demand. The probability of the surge will be much higher in public cloud. The provider has to be ready to provision such demands. Thus, effective mapping of demand trend and patterns of business activity (PBA) for every customer is required. The analysis of PBA and trend analysis will help in addressing the change in demand pattern. Also, this will help in identifying the ways to influence demand. A close linkage with capacity management and financial management is needed.

Key ITIL Processes For Cloud Computing: Service Provider Perspective (Internal Facing) - Service Asset & Configuration Management

ITIL and Cloud Computing Series - Part 13

Friends, first of all I am extremely sorry for being 'offline' for a considerable amount of time. I am continuing this series from where I had left.

SACM can be said to be the "heart" of ITSM. Any IT organization is dependent on accurate CMDB and Configuration Management System (CMS) for information. Each IT component of a cloud infrastructure has to be registered in the CMDB along with a well defined relationship. These IT components would be responsible for supporting many customers of the Cloud service Provider. So a failure of a single component has the potential to have a severe impact on many customers and thus the service provider.