ITIL Interview Questions and Answers

This page provides answers to frequently asked ITIL interview questions.

What is ITIL?

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a widely used framework of best practices for IT service management (ITSM). It provides guidelines and processes for planning, delivering, and improving IT services to meet business needs and create a competitive advantage.

ITIL vs. COBIT

Advantages of Using ITIL

• Improved financial management
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Better decision-making
• Enhanced service availability
• Greater control over IT infrastructure
• Clear organizational structure

ITIL Service Lifecycle Model Processes

• Service Strategy: Defines service strategies and policies.
• Service Design: Designs processes to implement strategies.
• Service Transition: Manages the transition of new services into operation.
• Service Operation: Provides day-to-day service management.
• Continual Service Improvement: Ongoing improvement of services.

Benefits of ITIL Implementation

• Stronger alignment between IT and business goals
• Higher customer satisfaction and better service delivery
• Improved resource utilization and cost-effectiveness
• Better management of business risks
• Clearer understanding of IT costs and assets
• Ability to manage change effectively

Incident Management Responsibilities

Incident management handles the lifecycle of reported incidents. Key responsibilities include:

• Responding to and resolving incidents.
• Analyzing incidents.
• Documenting incidents.
• Reporting on incident trends.
• Prioritizing incidents.
• Managing user experience.

Incident Management System Steps

1. Incident recording
2. Categorization and prioritization
3. Incident authorization
4. Resolution and recovery

Stages of Incident Management

1. Incident identification
2. Incident logging
3. Categorization
4. Prioritization
5. Response
6. Initial diagnosis
7. Escalation
8. Resolution and recovery
9. Closure

Essential ITIL Features

• Standardized terminology
• Consistent service quality
• Process optimization
• Focus on IT (but applicable beyond IT)
• Defined processes and roles

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

An SLA is a formal agreement between a service provider (internal or external) and a customer defining service levels. There are three main types:

• Customer SLAs: Between a service provider and a customer.
• Internal SLAs: Within an organization (e.g., between IT and other departments).
• Vendor SLAs: Between a service provider and a vendor.

Problem Management Responsibilities

Problem management focuses on identifying, analyzing, and resolving recurring incidents to prevent future problems.

• Identifying recurring incidents
• Troubleshooting
• Root cause analysis
• Implementing preventative measures

Problem Management Steps

1. Problem detection and logging
2. Categorization and prioritization
3. Root cause investigation
4. Workaround implementation
5. Known error reporting
6. Problem resolution
7. Problem closure
8. Review

Event Management in ITIL

Event management monitors services and configuration items, categorizes and filters events to trigger appropriate actions.

ITIL Service Providers

• Internal Service Provider (ISP): Manages services within an organization.
• External Service Provider (ESP): Provides services to external customers.
• Shared Services Unit (SSU): An autonomous unit within an organization providing services.

Known Errors

A known error is a documented problem with a known root cause and solution, including status, description, root cause, and workaround.

ITIL Knowledge Management Systems

• Definitive Media Library (DML)
• Capacity Management Information System (CMIS)
• Known Error Database (KEDB)
• Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
• Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS)
• Availability Management Information System (AMIS)

Objectives of IT Service Continuity Management

• Risk identification
• Testing of recovery strategies
• Planning for business continuity

Benefits of ITIL Service Desk Implementation

• Improved first-call resolution
• Better trend identification
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Enhanced service quality tracking
• Faster service restoration
• Skill-based support
• Reduced incident response time

Processes Used by the Service Desk

• Workflows
• Process diagrams

Closing a Known Error

A known error is closed when all related Request for Change (RFC) records are closed, or when the error is resolved and the record is in the closure stage.

Configuration Management in ITIL

Configuration Management tracks, manages, and updates information about IT assets and configurations within an organization.

Service Request vs. Change Request

A service request is a user's request for standard IT services. A change request proposes a modification to a product or system.

PDSA Cycle

PDSA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) is a four-step improvement cycle:

1. Plan: Identify the problem.
2. Do: Develop a solution.
3. Check: Test the solution.
4. Act: Implement the solution.

Project vs. Process in ITIL

A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined start and end date. A process is ongoing and doesn't have a predetermined end.

ITIL Service Desk Responsibilities

• Logging, classifying, and prioritizing incidents
• Investigating incidents
• Resolving incidents
• Managing major incidents
• Reporting on incident management

Widely Adopted ITIL Models

• IBM IT Process Model
• Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF)
• Hewlett-Packard (HP) ITSM Reference Model

End-User vs. Customer

An end-user directly uses a service or product. A customer may or may not directly use the service but has a role in selecting products or suppliers.

Incident vs. Problem

An incident is an unplanned disruption to a service. A problem is the underlying cause of one or more incidents.

Proactive vs. Reactive Problem Management

Proactive problem management prevents incidents by identifying potential issues. Reactive problem management addresses issues after incidents have occurred.

ITIL Change Management

Change management minimizes risks by establishing standardized procedures for managing changes to systems and processes. It ensures projects meet objectives within budget and time constraints.

Seven R's of Change Management

1. Raised: Who raised the change request?
2. Reason: Why is the change needed?
3. Return: What benefits will the change bring?
4. Risks: What are the potential risks?
5. Resources: What resources are needed?
6. Responsible: Who is responsible for the change?
7. Relationships: How does this change relate to others?

Post-Implementation Review (PIR)

A PIR in ITIL is a review of a change implementation's effectiveness after it's been put into production.

Capacity Management

Capacity management ensures IT resources are adequately sized to meet current and future business needs cost-effectively. Its sub-processes include:

• Service capacity management
• Component capacity management
• Business capacity management

Operational Level Agreement (OLA)

An OLA is an agreement between different IT groups within an organization defining how they will work together to support SLAs.

Recovery Options

• Fast Recovery (Hot Standby): Within 24 hours.
• Intermediate Recovery (Warm Standby): Several days.
• Gradual Recovery (Cold Standby): Several weeks.

Freeze Period

A freeze period is a time in the development process when making code changes becomes more difficult or restricted.

Change Advisory Board (CAB)

A CAB is an authoritative group that assesses, authorizes, prioritizes, and schedules changes.

Service Pipeline, Portfolio, and Catalog

• Service Pipeline: Services under development.
• Service Portfolio: All services offered by a provider.
• Service Catalog: Services currently available to customers (a subset of the portfolio).

Expedite/Urgent Changes vs. Emergency Changes

An expedite change addresses a business or legal need but isn't related to service restoration. An emergency change is a high-priority change required immediately to restore service.