Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation Practice Exam

What aspect of service management is typically monitored to ensure availability and performance?

1. Service level management

2. Incident management

3. Release management

4. Capacity management

The correct answer is: Service level management

Service level management focuses on ensuring that IT services meet agreed-upon performance levels and availability defined in service level agreements (SLAs). This aspect of service management involves the continual monitoring and reporting of service performance against these agreed levels, allowing for proactive management and improvement of services. Through service level management, organizations can track service availability metrics, such as uptime and response times, ensuring that they align with customer expectations and business requirements. Additionally, it facilitates communication between service providers and customers regarding service performance, fostering a better understanding of the services delivered. While other aspects like incident management focus on restoring service after disruptions, or release management deals with introducing new services or updates, they do not primarily encompass the ongoing monitoring of service performance and availability as a continuous practice. Capacity management does take performance into account by ensuring that the IT infrastructure can handle the required workload, but it is not specifically focused on the agreed service levels like service level management is.