Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name.
NOTE: ® ITIL is a registered trademark of OGC. This portal is totally independent and is in no way related to them. See our Feedback Page for more information.
Search
Languages
Select Interface Language:
Advertising
Please contact us via the feedback page to discuss advertising rates.
The Itil Community Forum: Forums
ITIL :: View topic - *NEW - The "Seven Sources Of Problems" Model.
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 5:05 pm Post subject: *NEW - The "Seven Sources Of Problems" Model.
In order to prevent problems we need to first identify, understand and then take action around the actual sources of problems. This is different from eliminating the underlying root cause. Fortunately, there are only seven (one for each day of the week!)
Unfortuantely, there's are billions of combinations and flavours - but with focused effort we can set about tackling each of the Seven Sources using straight forward, simple methods, based on ITIL best practice.
The Seven Sources are:-
1. Acceptance into Production - it got into your production world, you let it in, it caused a problem
2. New Changes - you let it through CAB, they implemented it, it caused a problem
3. Upgrades / Patches - you let them upgrade it (with or without change control), it caused a problem
4. Vendors / Suppliers - All of these categories, but considering suppliers instead of your local environment, they caused you a problem!
5. User Error - You let your Customer's use a system that they could break (bit unfair - some users will try hard to break their systems - albeit unintentionally)
6. How Production is Executed - The way you run your systems (re-scheduling batch processes, clock changes, deleting a job and it's dependencies fall over, you know the kind of thing!)
7. "Failures" - Electricity failure, mechanical breakdowns, elastic bands snapping, you name it... it can fail!
Implemented carefully, these methods could dramatically reduce the frequency, severity and volume of incoming problems.
[Edited. Reason for edit - removal of promotional links]
Joined: Nov 01, 2004 Posts: 83 Location: Sask, Canada
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 7:48 am Post subject: another source of problems
I have found that the high severity incidents are frequently the result of business growth - despite the best efforts of Availability & Capacity Planning, and all the testing at every level, sometimes a product is more successful than you imagined; sometimes a promotion really takes off. Has anyone else noticed this?
Joined: Nov 01, 2004 Posts: 83 Location: Sask, Canada
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 7:40 am Post subject: sources of problems
Wolfhard, out of curiosity can you describe what reasons you discovered for the increase in incidents after software upgrades/patches and what infrastructure changes you would recommend to prevent or eliminate them from happening?
/Sharon
Joined: Mar 14, 2005 Posts: 26 Location: Brussels, Belgium
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 5:39 pm Post subject:
Hi Sharon,
the updates were downloaded via the internet to a large number of PCs at external customer sites across Europe. Most PCs had Win2000 or WinXP and normal users did not have admin rights to install this upgrade. Also normal users were not ready for a different looking GUI suddenly popping up on their screens and did not take the correct actions.
As PCs are located with external customers they are all configured differently (OS setup, installed programs, ..) so basically anything is possible.
When customers install the software they are obliged to also install ALL upgrades. This is why they were also not asked wether they wanted to download the upgrade but the upgrades are downloaded automatically. After restarting the software customers are promted to install the upgrade or quit the program. If no admin is available this leads to the user calling the HelpDesk.
Solution:
Upgrades were sent on CDROM with clear instructions for system administrators.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum