ITIL^® Intermediate Qualification:
Release, Control and Validation

Introduction and Overview

• Exploring the purpose and objectives of the service transition stream
• The scope of the service transition phase in relation to the RCV processes
• Developing an effective service transition strategy
• The approach and best practices in planning and coordinating service transition activities

Core Release, Control and Validation Processes

Change management

• Purpose, goals and objectives
• Implementing change with minimal disruption and rework
• Evaluating business, technical and financial aspects
• Achieving successful service transition
• Activities, methods and techniques
• Post-implementation review
• Key metrics to measure success

Service asset and configuration management (SACM)

• Business value of the SACM process
• Activities, methods and techniques
• Supporting the effective execution of the SACM process using a configuration management system (CMS)
• Describing the tools, activity model and deliverables for executing each key activity
• Effectively measuring the SACM process with metrics
• Typical day-to-day configuration management activities

Service validation and testing (SVT)

• How SVT creates business value
• Identifying how policies can drive and support the execution of the SVT process
• Triggers, inputs, outputs and interfaces with other processes
• Acquiring relevant test data
• Building quality service deliverables using test levels and test models
• Measuring the SVT process in terms of business value contribution

Release and deployment management (RDM)

• Analyzing how services are released into production to enable effective use of services
• Planning, scheduling and controlling releases
• Identifying clear planning conditions including pass/fail criteria
• Illustrating the main activities and how they relate to RCV
• The key steps for performing the actual transfer
• Defining metrics for process quality

Request Fulfillment and Change Evaluation

Analyzing how service requests should be handled

• Request fulfillment to establish a self-help service practice
• Identifying the differences between request fulfillment and incident management

Evaluating services against target performance in the context of change

• Meeting committed service level performance
• Intended and unintended effects of a change
• Evaluating predicted service performance and actual performance

Knowledge Management (KM)

• The business value of the KM process
• Identifying what constitutes an effective KM strategy
• Analyzing the basic layers of the KM concept using the DIKW structure
• Describing the key steps of effective data and information management

Roles and Responsibilities

• Change management
• Service asset and configuration management
• Release and deployment management
• Request fulfillment and change evaluation

Technology and Implementation Considerations

• Technology as part of implementing service management
• Evaluation criteria for service management tools
• Identifying good practices with service design
• Challenges, critical success factors and risks
• Managing change in operations
• How to plan and implement service management technologies