What is 'availability management'?

Availability management is a critical process within ITIL that focuses on ensuring that IT services are consistently available to users and meet the agreed-upon requirements for availability. This entails systematically monitoring, measuring, and optimizing the performance and reliability of IT services to prevent outages or interruptions.

The primary goal of availability management is to maximize service uptime and ensure that users have access to the services they need when they need them. It involves defining availability targets, establishing a clear understanding of service levels with stakeholders, and implementing strategies to support service continuity. This process not only looks at current availability but also anticipates future needs, ensuring that the infrastructure can support anticipated demands.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the definitions and objectives of availability management. For instance, increasing storage capacity pertains more to capacity management, while reducing costs focuses on financial management within IT services. Managing software updates involves change management and release management processes rather than availability management specifically.