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■ Information Technology Engineers Examination

Information Technology
Service Manager Examination
(Level 4)

Syllabus
— Details of Knowledge and Skills Required for

the Information Technology Engineers Examination —

Version 3.0

April 2013
Corporate names or product names used in this syllabus are trademarks or registered trademarks of each company.
 and TM are not used in the syllabus.

-2- Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
1 Service 1-1 Service Service providers implement service management The following regarding service management: • Implementing efficient and effective service
Management Management in order to fulfill service requirements, direct • Service management
activities for the design, transition, delivery and • Service components • Investigating impact on service management
improvement of services, and control resources • Service management systems in the stages of the service life cycle.
and risks. • Service management system • Performing risk management and risk
(1) Service requirements • Service requirements assessment concerning the achievement of
Clearly set out the needs of customers and service • Service quality service management objectives
users as well as those of the service provider as • Service life cycle • Identifying customer expectations for a
service requirements. • Stages of service life cycle service, and communicating continuously
(2) Service management system (strategy, design, transition, operation, • Leading a team to achieve its objectives for
Implement a service management system, an continuous improvement) the maintenance and improvement of service
integrated process approach, direct and control • Customers quality
service management activities. • Service providers
(3) Risk management • SLA (Service Level Agreement)
Monitor and control the status of service • Risk management
provision, and evaluate and manage the risks • Risk assessment
relating to a service. • JIS Q 20000 series (ISO/IEC 20000)
• ITIL

1-2 Establishment Apply the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) The following regarding the establishment and • Planning and constructing the service
and methodology to service management systems. improvement of service management: management system
improvement (1) Creation of implementation plan • Process approach • Measuring and explaining the results of
of service Create, implement, and maintain a plan for • Processes, procedures executing service management processes
management service management. • PDCA • Performing assessments of process capability
(2) Implementation and operation • Process capability levels (process maturity levels
Implement and operate a service management levels) • Planning and implementing the improvement
system for the planning, transition, delivery, and • Process assessment of service management processes
improvement of services. • Gap analysis • Monitoring, measuring, analyzing, and
(3) Monitoring and reviews • CSF (Critical Success Factor) reporting the performance of services and
Monitor, measure, and review the service • KPI (Key Performance Indicator) processes
management system and services. • Continuous improvement • Managing projects
(4) Creation and management of an • Service and process performance
improvement plan
Take actions to continuously improve the
performance of the service management system
and services.

-3- Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
2 Service 2-1 Planning of Create a service plan for a new service or service The following concerning service planning: • Identifying service requirements, and
design and new or change as defined in a change management • Service acceptance criteria creating a service plan
transition changed policy, which is proposed to meet operational • Change management policy • Investigating the organizational structure
services needs or improve the effectiveness of a service. • Closure of a service during design, development, and transition
• Identify service requirements • Communicating with stakeholders
• Create a plan to meet the identified service
requirements.
2-2 Design and Design and develope new or changed services The following regarding service design and • Making specific requirements concerning
development of • Make specific service requirements, and development: quality of service that must be achieved, such
new or document design. • Service design document as a service level or service reliability, and
changed • Develop a service on the basis of a documented creating a design document.
services design. • Investigating organizational impact, such as
the organizational structure during service
operations, which is caused by the delivery of
a service
2-3 Transition of Plan and implement transition of new or changed The following regarding service transition: • Planning and implementing a service
new or services. • Transition transition plan
changed • Use an acceptance test environment to • Operational service level agreements • Investigating whether service requirements
services implement a test prior to deployment to an • Transition of operations and systems and the design have been fulfilled on the
operational environment. • Transition planning basis of service acceptance criteria
• Conduct verification on the basis of service • Transition rehearsals • Creating and implementing an acceptance
acceptance criteria. • Transition decisions test plan, and evaluating the results
• Deploy an approved new service or service • Operational tests • Reporting the level of achievement of results
change to an operational environment. • Acceptance tests
• Report the achieved results to customers and • Handover of operations
stakeholders in comparison with the expected • Acceptance of application systems
results proposed at the planning stage after • Acceptance of services
transition is completed. • Release and deployment management
3 Service 3-1 Service (1) Service level management Service level management • Negotiating SLAs with customers, and
management delivery Perform the following to define, agree, record, • Service level obtaining agreement
processes processes and manage levels of service: • Service targets • Regularly monitoring and maintaining
• Agree to an SLA (the scope of services and the • Non-conformance service level management processes and
service level targets) with parties concerned. • Corrective action SLAs
• Maintain the SLA with regular reviews. • Service improvement plans • Identifying causes for non-conformance to
• Monitor and record service levels • Service catalogs service levels and opportunities for
• Identify causes behind a non-conformance, and • Service hours improvement
commence corrective action and preventive • Creating and maintaining service catalogs
action.
(2) Service reporting The following regarding service reporting: • Regularly creating, reviewing, and evaluating
Produce agreed, timely, reliable, accurate reports • Performance reports on service and operation performance
for informed decision making and effective • Workload and achievements
communication. • Trend information • Analyzing reports, and identifying and
prioritizing actions for improvement

-4- Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
• Implementing reviews of service provision
with concerned persons in order to build a
consensus with stakeholders in service
provision regarding the direction of
improvements
(3) Service continuity and availability The following regarding service continuity: • Assessing and managing risks regarding
management • BCP (Business continuity plan)/ BCM service continuity
Perform the following to ensure that the service (Business Continuity Management) • Making and managing a service continuity
continuity requirements agreed with customers • Service continuity plans plan
can be implemented in circumstances after a • Commencement (of service continuity plans) • Testing the service continuity plan in
major loss of service due to a service failure or a • Recovery accordance with the business environment
disaster. • Plan for dealing with unpredicted situations • Creating a disaster recovery plan, and
• Develop a service continuity strategy. (contingency plan) confirming the feasibility of a plan
• Develop a service continuity plan. • RTO (Recovery Time Objective) • Analyzing the loss caused by the disruption
• Test the service continuity plan. • RPO (Recovery Point Objective) or functional degradation of an information
• Manage the service continuity plan. • Disaster recovery system
Perform the following to ensure that the • Preventive action • Clarifying the importance and urgency levels
availability requirements agreed with customers • Fall back of the recovery of business operations
can be implemented both under normal • Cold standby/hot standby • Deciding the scope of agreement for the
circumstances and after a severe service The following regarding availability: permissible range until recovery, such as the
interruption. • Availability decrease service quality level for the service
• Create, review, and maintain an availability • Reliability recovery period
plan. • Maintainability • Defining allowable recovery time and
• Measure and record the availability. • Response time recovery priority considering importance and
• Investigate unplanned non-availability, and • MTBF urgency of the business operations, extent of
take appropriate actions. • MTTR impact, consistency with other business
• Predict potential issues, and take preventive • FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) operations, etc.
action. • FTA (Failure Tree Analysis) • Defining availability requirements
• Fault tolerance • Identifying the weak points of configuration
that reduce availability
• Analyzing and assessing the various risks
(e.g., vulnerability) of availability

(4) Budgeting and accounting for services The following regarding budgeting and • Managing finances for services and service
Perform budgeting operations to plan and manage accounting for services components
the budgeting for the cost of service provision. • Financial management • Clarifying costs for each cost category and
Perform: accounting as an accounting operation; • Budgeting operations cost item
apportioning indirect costs; allocating direct • Accounting operations • Making and managing a budget
costs; etc. Efficiently manage financial conditions • Billing • Determining the income and expenditure of
through these activities. • Apportionment services, and evaluating and reporting their
• Manage budgeting operations. • ROI profitability and validity
• Manage accounting operations. • Costs
• Apportion indirect costs, and allocate direct • Direct costs

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Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
costs. • Indirect costs
• Depreciation
• Indirect person-hours
(5) Capacity management Capacity management: • Performing business capacity management to
Perform the following to obtain and provide • Demand quantify and manage business plans and
necessary capacity (e.g., data processing • Capacity needs as future service requirements
capability and storage space) in timely and • Capacity planning • Performing service capacity management that
cost-effective ways: • Monitoring supports service planning and resources to
• Produce a capacity plan. • Thresholds achieve service targets
• Model infrastructure along with current and • Performing component capacity management
expected future capabilities of such to achieve the agreed targets for components
infrastructure. • Creating a capacity plan on the basis of the
• Determine and analyze how much resources performance and predicted requirements
are utilized.
• Monitor capacity.
• Tune performance, and provide adequate
capacity.
(6) Management of Information Security The following regarding information security • Introducing and enforcing security measures
Perform the following to effectively manage management: on the basis of a plan
information security: • Information security • Identifying information assets
• Compile the direction of physical, operational, • Information security policy • Performing risk management for information
and technological measures to protect the • Information assets security, and selecting appropriate
security of information assets as an information • Threats management measures to reduce risk
security policy, and gain the approval of a • Vulnerabilities • Creating risk reduction measures
manager with the appropriate privileges. • Information security risk assessment • Performing assessments of residual risks
• Implement and operate physical, operational, • Risk analysis • Implementing physical security measures
and technological measures for information • Risk evaluation • Implementing security measures for
security management. • Risk acceptance computers
– Secure physical security such as entrance • Controlling physical entry and exit of rooms • Installing, operating, and managing network
access control, protection from external threats, • Network security solutions (e.g., firewalls, security products
device installation, maintenance and safe intrusion detection systems) • Developing, implementing, and promoting
disposal, and asset movement. • Privileges the operation rules of measures against
– Implement network security measures such as • User access management malware
firewalls and intrusion detection systems. • User authentication • Considering malware infection prevention
– Implement measures against malware such as • User password management and measures for its early detection
creating preventive measures against damage • Special privilege management • Implementing and operating anti-malware
from malware, creating measures for the early • Access control software
discovery of malware infection, handling • Log information protection • Developing, implementing, and promoting
malware infection, and training users. • Information security incident the rules of managing data
– Implement measures for data security such as • Malware • Implementing and operating solutions for
data management standards, creating measures • Information security management standards preventing information leakage
for the occurrence of a security problem, and (JIS Q 27000 family standards) • Regularly inspecting and analyzing obtained
implementing and operating preventive • ISMS log trails, and taking necessary measures

-6- Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
solutions against information leakage. • Appropriately handling an information
• Implement periodic risk assessment in order to security incident when it occurs
identify information security risks, and
implement specific measures for management
in order to prevent or reduce impact of the
identified risks.
• Handle information security incidents with a
priority that is appropriate for the information
security risk according to an incident or service
request management process.
3-2 Relationship (1) Business relationship management The following regarding business relationship • Fulfilling responsibility to explain quality of
processes Perform the following activities in order to management: service to a customer, and convincing a
establish a relationship between a service • Users customer of the value of a service through
provider and a customer. • Stakeholders communication
• Communicate with customers. • Customer satisfaction • Reviewing and reporting service performance
• Review service performance. • Complaints • Understanding how to investigate customer
• Handle complaints. satisfaction, analyzing and evaluating the
• Measure, analyze, and review customer investigation results, and utilizing them for
satisfaction levels. customer satisfaction management
(2) Supplier management The following regarding supplier management: • Negotiating to reach agreement on contract
Perform the following activities when a supplier • Supply chain (for service provision) documents between a service provider and a
is used by a provider to implement and operate • Suppliers supplier and service levels
service management processes. • Lead suppliers • Ensuring proper management of
• Reach agreement on contract documents • Sub-contracted suppliers sub-contracted suppliers who are contracted
between a service provider and a supplier and • Contracts by lead suppliers.
service levels. • Internal groups • Gaining the cooperation of providers for
• Ensure proper management of sub-contracted • OLA (Operational level agreements) maintenance and improvement of service
suppliers who are contracted by lead suppliers. quality
• Measure, monitor, and review supplier • Measuring, monitoring, and reviewing
performance. supplier performance

3-3 Resolution (1) Incident and service request management The following regarding incident and service • Detecting incidents early, and organizing and
processes Establish and implement the following request management: recording measures for dealing with them
procedures to restore as swiftly as possible the • Incidents • Conducting analysis for resolving incidents
service agreed with a customer, or to respond to • Serious incidents • Leading a resolution team to perform and
service requests. • Service requests manage incident management processes
• Recording, allocation of priority, classification, • Standard changes • Resolving incidents, and processing service
escalation, resolution, and closure • Impact requests
Provide information continuously to customers • Avoidance measures • Communicating effectively about serious
about the progress of incidents and service • Escalation incidents
requests. • Recording
For serious incidents: • Prioritizing
• Reach agreement with a customer on • Classifying

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Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
definition. • Resolving
• Classify and manage the incidents in • Closing
accordance with a procedure. • Recovery
• Notify top management about the incidents,
and manage the incidents under the supervision
of the person in charge.
• Review after recovery.
(2) Problem management The following regarding problem management: • Performing problem management:
Perform the following to minimize disruption to • Problems – Analyzing and evaluating failure impacts
the customers’ business by proactive • Known errors – Managing failure histories (known errors)
identification and analysis of the cause of • Root causes – Identifying failures, diagnosing causes, and
incidents and by managing problems to closure: • Preventive action recovering from failures, and developing
• Establish and implement a procedure of • Trend analysis workarounds
identification, recording, allocation of priority, • Recording – Managing target date for resolution
classification, updating of records, escalation, • Prioritizing • Resolving problems by using methods such
resolution, and closure for problems. • Classifying as the KJ method, the KT method, the Seven
• Take preventive action to reduce potential • Escalation Basic Tools of Quality, brainstorming, and
problems. • Resolving the 5 Whys
• Pass changes, which are required to correct the • Closing • Analyzing problem trends, and investigating
root cause of problems, to the change latent problems
management process. • Communicating workarounds, permanent
• Review and report the effectiveness of problem solutions, or progress of problems to persons
resolution. concerned
• Accumulate the root cause, resolution • Evaluating and reporting the performance of
measures, and avoidance measures of a problem management
resolved problem in order to be able to use
these when an incident occurs.
3-4 Control (1) Configuration management Configuration management: • Planning configuration management
processes Perform the following to define and control the • CI (Configuration items) • Designing and operating configuration
components of the service and infrastructure and • Storage of configuration items management systems
to maintain accurate configuration information: • CMDB (Configuration management database) • Building, maintaining, and managing
• Plan and implement configuration • Configuration baseline configuration management databases
management. • Configuration identification • Understanding and identifying the details of
• Identify and define configuration items. • Versions configuration items
• Accept and record approved identifiable • Related change requests and problems • Performing and reporting on the version
configuration items. • Configuration audits control and change management of
• Explain and report the configuration status. • Asset management configuration items
• Verify and audit the configuration. • Verifying and auditing that management
• Maintain and manage a configuration information matches actual systems
management database.
(2) Change management Change management: • Accepting requests for changes
Record, classify, assess, and approve requests for • Changes • Prioritizing requests for changes, and
change in a controlled manner, perform a review • RFC (Requests for change) classifying them appropriately

-8- Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
of change implementation according to a • Emergency changes • Perform assessment of impact and risk for
schedule and a deployment and • Recording requests for change services and customers, and permitting
post-implementation review • Classifying (urgent, emergency, major, and changes that are acceptable
• Clearly define and document the scope of a minor) • Managing change schedules
change. • Assessment • Analyzing change records
• Record requests for change, and appropriately • Accepting requests for change • Improving change management processes
classify them. • Change schedule
• Assess requests for changes for risk, impact, • Reversing
and business benefit. • Post-implementation review
• Reverse or remedy unsuccessful changes.
• Review post-change results
• Periodically analyze and assess change logs,
and establish and maintain a basic policy and
procedure for emergency changes.
(3) Release and deployment management The following regarding release and deployment • Planning release and deployment
Perform the following for efficient deployment • Releases • Planning and deploying releases
into an operational environment: • Emergency releases • Transition to a production environment
• Make plans for release and deployment. • Deployment • Measuring and analyzing the results of a
• Configure and test releases. • Release and deployment plans release to determine whether it has been
• Deploy a release to an operational • Acceptance criteria for releases successful or not
environment. • Building (of releases)
• Link with change management. • Acceptance testing environments
• Operational environments
• Restoration (to correct failed releases)
4 Service 4-1 System Perform the following to manage system The following regarding system operations • Developing operation plans
operation operations operation appropriately: management: • Designing operation methods for failures
management (1) Operation management • Managing operational resources • Developing failure measures (e.g., degraded
• Create an operation plan for daily activities and (human resources such as personnel, and operation)
planned activities. Create an operation plan for technological infrastructure resources such as • Based on allowable recovery time and
new applications. hardware, software, data, and networks) recovery priorities, planning the methods and
• Define management standards for the • Managing the operation of virtual machines procedures of backups
notification of important changes to operational • Job management • Planning and implementing resolutions for
status. • Data management capacity bottlenecks, and the efficient use of
(2) Fault management • User management resources
• Create recovery and degraded operation plans • Knowledge concerning information security • Understanding technical measures for access
to perform appropriate operation when a management such as identity authentication, management, and developing specific
system fault occurs. access control, privilege management, and trail measures
• Consider and operate high-availability systems management functions • Performing information security management
on the basis of a policy for service continuity • Basic knowledge concerning capacity for operations
and availability management through technical management • Considering and operating high-availability
measures such as providing redundancy for • Knowledge concerning technologies and systems with technical measures such as
their devices. solutions that enable high availability redundancy for their computers and
(3) Operation methods during failures communication devices

-9- Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
• Clarifying and verifying alternative processing • Designing management standards for the
procedures, recovery procedures, and notification of important changes to
organization up to recovery to speed up failure operational status
recovery and improve service continuation and • Creating an operation plan for applications
availability
(4) Performance adjustment
• Performing measurement, analysis, and
adjustment of performance on the basis of a
capacity management policy
(5) Access management
• Performing access management to grant
privileges so that users can use services on the
basis of a policy for information security
management
4-2 Operation (1) System monitoring and operation • System monitoring and operation • Monitoring and managing system operational
Perform monitoring of the service performance • Operations support tools (monitoring tools, status
status, system operational status, and faults in diagnostic tools) • Using operations support tools
order to keep track of system operational status • Creating system operation procedures
as well as service performance status, and to
promptly address troubles:
(2) Operational status management • Recording and reporting operational status • Recording and reporting system operational
Record and report operational status in status
conjunction with system operational status • Collecting, analyzing, and reporting system
monitoring. monitoring data
(3) Job scheduling • Job scheduling • Creating and maintaining job schedules
Create schedules for scheduled processes, create • Schedule design • Managing job schedules
procedures for handling and processing • Designing job schedules and jobnet
exceptions and unplanned processes, and record,
report and manage job processing results so that
output can be obtained in a timely manner in
accordance with a data processing cycle.
(4) Output management • Form delivery and media management • Implementing and managing form delivery
Manage output services such as printing. • Handling secret forms and bulk forms services
• Storing and discarding media • Managing media
(5) Backup and restoration • Backup types as well as how to perform • Designing how to back up data and systems,
Create procedures and methods for backup and backup and restoration and maintaining and managing the backups
restoration, implement and use backup • Installing and utilizing backup management
management tools, and perform data backup and tools
storage at a remote location.
(6) Personnel management • Personnel management • Establishing an appropriate work system
Put in place a working system for operations • Related laws such as the Labor Standards Act • Developing staff on the basis of the work
personnel, or perform activity management system, or the content of outsourcing and
concerning commission if personnel are supplied operations management

- 10 - Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
by an external party.
4-3 Service desk A service desk is the support group who acts as The following regarding service desk: • Supporting customers (interpersonal and
the direct contact for customers and takes charge • Service desk communication skills)
of a large portion of the total support work. It • Call center • Managing and operating the support
serves as a daily liaison with users and handles • SPOC infrastructure of a service desk
incidents and service requests. • FAQ • Setting, monitoring, and evaluating
• CTI management indicators or indexes
• Knowledge base (monitoring the progress of incidents and
• Staffing (maintaining staff skills, managing service requests, analyzing calls, and
working schedules, and deciding the necessary understanding and explaining problems and
number of staff members) points for improvement)
• Management indicators (average response • Performing incident and service request
time, call abandon rates, talk time, availability, management processes (initial supports)
resolution rates, customer satisfaction) • Using support tools such as knowledge bases
and diagnostic scripts
5 Facility 5-1 Basic For the purpose of stable operation of hardware Hardware: • Having expertise in hardware, and providing
management technology of (e.g., computer, related devices) installed or to be • IT architecture (hardware) team members with technical guidance on the
hardware installed, perform activities such as installation, • Basic technology of hardware installation and maintenance of systems
set up, normal functional maintenance, • Installation and maintenance of hardware
enhancement, fixing of failures, and instruction of products
operation. • International hardware standards and related
specifications
• Techniques for repairing hardware products
5-2 Basic For the purpose of stable operation of software Software: • Having expertise in software, and providing
technology of (e.g., computer programs, software products) • IT architecture (software) team members with technical guidance on the
software installed or to be installed, perform activities such • Installation and maintenance of software installation and maintenance of systems
as installation, set up, normal functional products
maintenance, enhancement, fixing of failures, and • System software products and their operational
instruction of operation. environments
• International software standards and related
specifications
• Understanding and utilizing network
technologies
5-3 Management With expertise in hardware, software, and Management of system maintenance: • Maintaining hardware products according to
of system facilities, maintain and repair hardware and • Installing and maintaining hardware products their maintenance manuals
maintenance software in accordance with service requirements. and software products • Utilizing instruments and test tools necessary
• Develop a plan for system maintenance. • Designing and implementing structures for to maintain hardware
• Install and maintain hardware and software. mutual backup with remote centers • Understanding the specifications and manuals
• Develop and implement a plan for preventive of software products, and installing the
maintenance. products
• Understanding the support manuals of
software products, and supporting their users

- 11 - Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


Major category Minor category Outline Required knowledge Required skills
5-4 Facility • Design, construct, manage, maintain, and Facility management: • Designing, constructing, managing, and
management operate IT-related facilities that meet the • Managing facilities maintaining facilities with expertise in
usability and maintainability of a data center. • Trends in the latest technology of facilities and technology
• Design, lay out, maintain, and operate a network products • Resolving technical problems related to
physical network (communications network). • Reliability, availability, and maintainability of facility management
• Install, transfer, update, and migrate computer facilities
systems. • Basics of the laws, regulations, and standards
• Identify the causes of impacts on the of facility management
environment, and investigating the necessary • Environmental aspects
measures.
5-5 Equipment • Design, construct, maintain, and operate the • Managing equipment (power supply, air • Designing, constructing, maintaining, and
management facilities (or equipment) of the data center. conditioning, etc.) operating data center facilities (or
Take measures against faults for related • Qualifications certifications related to the equipment), and other facilities (or
equipment. facilities (equipment) equipment) such as offices and factories
• Take measures for safety management in • UPS where IT devices are installed
constructing the facilities (or equipment) of the • Knowledge concerning security and disaster
data center. prevention, and safety management
• Design, construct, maintain, and operate • Quake-absorbing devices
equipment for security and disaster prevention. • Standards for Information System Safety
Measures
• Basics of the laws and regulations related to
safety and health

- 12 - Copyright(c) 2013 IPA All rights reserved


■ Information Technology Service Manager Examination (Level4)
Syllabus (Version 3.0)
Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan
IT Human Resources Development Headquarters,
Japan Information-Technology Engineers Examination Center (JITEC)
15th Floor, Bunkyo Green Court Center Office, 2-28-8,
Hon-Komagome,Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-6591 Japan
Tel: 03-5978-7600 (main switchboard) Fax: 03-5978-7610
Website: http://www.jitec.ipa.go.jp/
April 2013

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