Microsoft

Operations Framework

Cross Reference ITIL

V3 and MOF 4.0

Published: May 2009
For the latest information, please see microsoft.com/mof




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Contents
Management Summary ................................................................................... 1
Introduction to This Document ....................................................................... 4
Background to IT Service Management ........................................................... 5
Comparing Frameworks ................................................................................ 5
Paradigms that Matter .................................................................................. 5
Introduction to ITIL and MOF ....................................................................... 10
What is ITIL? .............................................................................................. 10
What is MOF? .............................................................................................. 11
Alignment of ITIL and MOF ........................................................................... 13
Differences ................................................................................................. 14
Positioning.................................................................................................. 15
Terminology and Definitions ......................................................................... 18
Training and Certification ............................................................................. 19
ITIL Exams ................................................................................................. 19
MOF Exams ................................................................................................ 20
Applying MOF and ITIL in Practice ................................................................ 21
Sources ......................................................................................................... 22
Literature ................................................................................................... 22
Further Information ..................................................................................... 22
Authors ...................................................................................................... 22
Reviewers .................................................................................................. 22
Feedback.................................................................................................... 23
Appendix A: Detailed Cross-Reference .......................................................... 24
People ....................................................................................................... 24
Process ...................................................................................................... 24
Technology ................................................................................................. 25
Strategy, Tactics, Operations ........................................................................ 25
Separation of Duties (SoD) ........................................................................... 31
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) ........................................................................... 31
Appendix B: Mapping of Processes, Activities, Functions, and Other
Elements ....................................................................................................... 33





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Management Summary
The Fastest Cars Have the Best Brakes
(OCEG)

IT organizations are continuously challenged to deliver better IT services at lower cost in
a turbulent environment. Several management frameworks have been developed to cope
with this challenge, one of the best known being the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).



Crown copyright 2007. Reproduced under license from OGC.
Figure 1. The ITIL service lifecycle

Microsoft

Operations Framework (MOF) is Microsofts structured approach to the same

goal. In this paper, the main similarities and differences between both frameworks are
described.
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Figure 2. The Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 service lifecycle
The analysis follows a number of management paradigms that have proven to be
essential to IT Service Management: [1] Process, People, and Technology (PPT), [2]
Strategy, Tactics and Operations (STO), [3] Separation of Duties (SoD), [4] the Strategic
Alignment Model Enhanced (SAME), and [5] Demings Plan-Do-Check-Act Management
Cycle.
At the highest level, both frameworks follow a lifecycle approach, but these lifecycles are
somewhat different. ITIL uses five elements for its lifecycle: Strategy, Design, Transition,
Operation, and Continual Improvement, which brings it close to the PDCA model. MOFs
lifecycle core consists of only three phases: Plan, Deliver, and Operate, with one
underlying layer (Manage) covering the components that apply to all lifecycle phases.
Both ITIL and MOF use processes and functions as building blocks, although the
emphasis differs significantly. ITIL labels most of its components as processes and
activities (ITIL has 26 Processes and four functions), while MOF is almost entirely based
on Service Management Functions (SMFs), each SMF having a set of key processes,
and each process having a set of key activities. This rigid structure supports consistency
throughout the framework.
In both frameworks, control of the lifecycle progress runs through a number of transition
milestones. These milestones have been made very explicit in MOFs Management
Reviews (MRs).
Both frameworks apply the PDCA improvement approach throughout the lifecycle. MOF,
like ITIL, offers best-practice guidance that can be followed in full but also in part, for
addressing a subset of local problems. The ITSM language is quite consistent between
both frameworks, with only minor differences. But there also are significant differences
between the two frameworks.
A remarkable difference is the way customer calls are handled: ITIL separates incident
calls from operational service requests and change requests, and MOF combines several
customer request types in a single Customer Service SMF.
ITIL and MOF also use very different role sets and role titles. This is largely due to the
difference in starting points: ITIL works from the best practices documented in each
phase, where MOF starts from a structured organization perspective.
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 3
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An area of significant difference can be found in the approach the two frameworks take to
technology.
A key element of ITIL is that it is both vendor- and solution-agnosticmeaning, the
practices encouraged by ITIL can be applied across the board regardless of the
underlying technology. The result is that ITIL focuses on the management structure that
makes IT successful, rather than on the technology.
Distinctly different, Microsoft has created MOF to provide a common management
framework for its platform products, although MOF can easily be used for other platforms.
Another difference is that ITIL is available in five core books that are sold through various
channels, while MOF is available on the internet for free, offering practical guidance in
various formats. As a consequence, ITIL copyright is highly protected, where Microsoft
made MOF content available under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
makes it freely available for commercial reuse.
Finally, ITIL offers a complex certification scheme for professionals, where Microsoft
currently limits its certification for MOF to just one MOF Foundation examination. At the
time of this writing, plans for further certifications are under consideration, but no final
decisions have been made.
The ITIL certification scheme is much more extensive, and, in effect, offers a qualification
structure that can offer a potential career path for IT professionals.
Both frameworks show plenty of similarities and can be used interchangeably in practice.
Both also have some specific features that may be of good use in a specific case. Main
focus of ITIL is on the what, where MOF concentrates on the what as well as the
how.

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Introduction to This Document
The new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it
information technology.
(Leavitt and Whisler in Harvard Business Review, 1958)

Awareness of the importance of IT services has grown fast in the last decade. As a
consequence, several management frameworks have been developed, to cope with the
challenges of providing adequate services. Since the late 1980s the field of IT Service
Management has been dominated by ITIL,owned by the UK Office of Government
Commerce (OGC). Before, as well as after the i of ITIL, several other organizations have
also developed and practiced their own management frameworks to support the quality of
their services. Most of these frameworks provide similar guidance as documented in ITIL,
but none has taken a flight as high as ITIL.
To promote understanding about how these other frameworks relate to ITIL, a number of
alignment papers have been published. Papers published so far cover alignment of ITIL
with COBIT, ASL, and ISO/IEC 20000. This paper describes the relationship between
version 4 of Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) and Version 3 of ITIL. It is intended
to support CIOs, IT managers, and IT professionals in understanding the main
characteristics of MOF 4.0 and how it aligns to ITIL V3. The paper presents a short
background analysis on the context of IT Service Management, a short summary of the
latest versions of ITIL and MOF, and a detailed analysis of the similarities and differences
between both frameworks.

Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 5
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Background to IT Service Management
I kept six honest serving men,
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.
(Rudyard Kipling)

IT Service Management is the management of all people, processes, and technology that
cooperate to ensure the quality of live IT services, according to the levels of service
agreed with the customer. It is based on functions such as systems management,
network management, application development and on process domains such as change
management, service level management and problem management.
The essential concept here is IT service: the delivery of information processing
capabilities in a defined quality (for example, capacity, performance, security, and
availability), using a combination of hardware, software, networks, people, documentation
and facilities. In practice, we use the term IT service at many different levels: not only
for the ultimate end userfacing information processing function, but often also for
infrastructural components of that service. Think of network access, or workstation.
Full IT services can be subdivided into many contributing components, and all of these
can be the subject of a specific service organization. But in the end, the only thing that
matters is how the integrated functionality is made available to the end user.
To be able to deliver the IT service to the end user, all components need to be managed.
This is the raison detre of many functions and processes in the IT service organization.
ITIL and MOF are two of the frameworks available to the IT service organization or
department aiming for the highest quality at the lowest cost in a turbulent environment.
Ultimately IT Service Management can become a business enabler.
Comparing Frameworks
When analyzing management frameworks, we can compare various characteristics, as
addressed by G.M. Wijers in his paper Analyzing the Structure of I.S. Development
Methods: A Framework of Understanding (SERC and Delft University of Technology,
1992). First of all, the approach is important: the way the framework is perceiving reality,
the elements that are taken into perspective, and their coherence. Second, the modeling
technique is of interest: the way reality is described in tangible structures (for example,
IDEF0 schemes, process flows, practice documentation). Another important
consideration is the activation and implementation of the framework: the way the
framework is deployed, (for example, adopt or adapt, incremental, phased, step-by-step,
big-bang). Finally, the support structure is of interest: the automated instruments
available to support the method, such as schemes, tools, documents, and templates.
Paradigms that Matter
A number of management paradigms have proven to be essential to IT Service
Management. These paradigms are used in the comparison of ITIL and MOF.
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People - Process - Technology (PPT)

Figure 3. The interrelationship of people, process, and technology
A widely accepted paradigm for defining the core focus areas in managing organizational
improvement is Process - People - Technology (PPT). When using IT Service
Management frameworks for organizational improvement, each of these three areas
should be addressed.
An important consequence of applying this paradigm is the separation of functions from
processes.
A process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a defined objective in a
measurable and repeatable manner, transforming inputs into outputs. Processes result in
a goal-oriented change, and utilize feedback for self-enhancing and self-corrective
actions.
MOF defines a process as interrelated tasks that, taken together, produce a defined,
desired result. A function is an organizational capability, a combination of people,
processes (activities), and technology, specialized in fulfilling a specific type of work, and
responsible for specific end results. Functions use processes.
MOF doesnt offer a definition for function alone; rather, it defines the term service
management function (SMF) as a core part of MOF that provides operational guidance
for Microsoft technologies employed in computing environments for information
technology applications. SMFs help organizations to achieve mission-critical system
reliability, availability, supportability, and manageability of IT solutions.

PEOPLE
TECHNOLOGY PROCESS
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 7
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Strategy - Tactics - Operations (STO)

Figure 4. The interrelationship of strategy, tactics, and operations
A second important and widely applied approach to the management of organizations is
the paradigm of Strategy - Tactics - Operations. At a strategic level an organization
manages its long-term objectives in terms of identity, value, relations, choices and
preconditions. At the tactical level these objectives are translated into specific goals that
are directed and controlled. At the operational level these goals are then translated into
action plans and realized.
Separation of Duties (SoD)
Business
activities
determine
and use
Information
management
design and
control
Technology
management
build
and run
Information Technology
Business Information Support

Figure 5. Separation of Duties (SoD)
Information processing systems have one and only one goal: to support the primary
business processes of the customer organization. Applying the widely accepted control
mechanism of Separation of Duties (SoD), also known as Separation of Control (SoC),
we find a domain where information system functionality is specified (Information
Management), and another domain where these specifications are realized (Technology
Management). The output realized by the Technology Management domain is the
operational IT service used by the customer in the Business domain.

Strategy
Tactics
Operations
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The Strategic Alignment Model Enhanced (SAME)
The combination of STO and SoD delivers a very practical blueprint of responsibility
domains for the management of organizations: the Strategic Alignment Model Enhanced
(SAME; Van der Hoven, Hegger and Van Bon, 1998; Van Bon and Hoving, 2007; Van
Bon 2008).


Figure 6. The SAME model
This blueprint provides excellent services in comparing the positions of management
frameworks, and in supporting discussions on the allocation of responsibilitiesfor
example, in discussions on outsourcing. It is used by a growing number of universities,
consultants and practitioners.
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 9
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Deming Cycle (PDCA)

Figure 7. Demings Plan-Do-Check-Act management cycle
Since IT services are recognized as strategic business assets, organizations need to
continually improve the contribution of IT services to business functions, in terms of better
results at lower cost.
A widely accepted approach to continual improvement is Demings Plan-Do-Check-Act
Management Cycle. This implies a repeating pattern of improvement efforts with varying
levels of intensity. The cycle is often pictured, rolling up a slope of quality improvement,
touching it in the order of P-D-C-A, with quality assurance preventing it from rolling back
down.

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Introduction to ITIL and MOF
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.
(Yogi Berra)
What is ITIL?
ITIL offers a broad approach to the delivery of quality IT services. ITIL was initially
developed in the 1980s and 1990s by CCTA (Central Computer and Telecommunications
Agency, now the Office of Government Commerce, OGC), under contract to the UK
Government. Since then, ITIL has provided not only a best practice based framework, but
also an approach and philosophy shared by the people who work with it in practice.
Main Structure: The Service Lifecycle
ITIL Version 3 (2007) approaches service management from the lifecycle of a service.
The Service Lifecycle is an organization model providing insight into the way service
management is structured, the way the various lifecycle components are linked to each
other and to the entire lifecycle system.
The Service Lifecycle consists of five components. Each volume of the ITIL V3 core
books describes one of these components:
Service Strategy
Service Design
Service Transition
Service Operation
Continual Service Improvement


Crown copyright 2007. Reproduced under license from OGC.
Figure 8. The ITIL V3 Service Lifecycle


Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 11
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Service Strategy is the axis of the Service Lifecycle that defines all other phases; it is the
phase of policymaking and objectives. The phases Service Design, Service Transition,
and Service Operation implement this strategy, their continual theme is adjustment and
change. The Continual Service Improvement phase stands for learning and improving,
and embraces all cycle phases. This phase initiates improvement programs and projects,
and prioritizes them based on the strategic objectives of the organization.
Main components
Each phase is run by a system of processes, activities and functions that describe how
things should be done. The subsystems of the five phases are interrelated and most
processes have overlap into another phase.
What is MOF?
First released in 1999, Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) is Microsofts structured
approach to helping its customers achieve operational excellence across the entire IT
service lifecycle. MOF was originally created to give IT professionals the knowledge and
processes required to align their work in managing Microsoft platforms cost-effectively
and to achieve high reliability and security. The new version, MOF 4.0, was built to
respond to the new challenges for IT: demonstrating IT's business value, responding to
regulatory requirements and improving organizational capability. It also integrates best
practices from Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF).
MOF offers practical guidance for everyday tasks and activities, and last but not least - its
entire documentation is free for use, and even for reuse under the under the Creative
Commons Attribution License.
Main Structure: IT Service Lifecycle
The IT service lifecycle describes the life of an IT service, from planning and optimizing
the IT service and aligning it with the business strategy, through the design and delivery
of the IT service in conformance with customer requirements, to its ongoing operation
and support, delivering it to the user community. Underlying all of this is a foundation of
IT governance, risk management, compliance, team organization, and change
management.
The IT service lifecycle of MOF is composed of three ongoing phases and one
foundational layer that operates throughout all of the other phases:
Plan phase: plan and optimize an IT service strategy in order to support business
goals and objectives.
Deliver phase: ensure that IT services are developed effectively, deployed
successfully, and ready for Operations.
Operate phase: ensure that IT services are operated, maintained, and supported in a
way that meets business needs and expectations.
Manage layer: the foundation of the IT service lifecycle. This layer is concerned with
IT governance, risk, compliance, roles and responsibilities, change management, and
configuration. Processes in this layer apply to all phases of the lifecycle.

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Figure 9. The MOF 4.0 IT Service Lifecycle, showing phases, SMFs and
management reviews
Main Components
Each phase of the IT service lifecycle contains Service Management Functions (SMFs)
that define and structure the processes, people, and activities required to align IT
services to the requirements of the business. The SMFs are grouped together in phases
that mirror the IT service lifecycle. Each SMF is anchored within a lifecycle phase and
contains a unique set of goals and outcomes supporting the objectives of that phase.
Each SMF has three to six key processes. Each SMF process has one to six key
activities.
For each phase in the lifecycle, Management Reviews (MRs) serve to bring together
information and people to determine the status of IT services and to establish readiness
to move forward in the lifecycle. MRs are internal controls that provide management
validation checks, ensuring that goals are being achieved in an appropriate fashion, and
that business value is considered throughout the IT service lifecycle.

Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 13
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Alignment of ITIL and MOF
People never have enough time to do work properly, but they always have enough
time to do it over.
(Patrick O'Beirne)

In terms of the approach, both frameworks use a lifecycle structure at the highest level of
design. Furthermore, both use processes and functions, although the emphasis differs
significantly: ITIL describes many components in terms of processes and activities, with
only a few functions, while MOF is almost entirely based on Service Management
Functions. This difference is not as severe as it looks at first hand, since ITIL uses the
term process for many components that actually are functions.
ITIL follows a phased approach in the lifecycle, and most of the components described in
one phase also apply, to a greater or lesser extent, to other phases. The control of the
MOF lifecycle is much more discrete, using specific milestones that mark the progress
through the various stages in the lifecycle. MOF components that apply to more than one
of these three lifecycle phases are separated from the lifecycle phases and described in
an underlying Management Layer.
Both frameworks are best characterized as practice frameworks and not process
frameworks. The main difference is that ITIL focuses more on the what, and MOF
covers both the what and the how.
The modeling techniques of ITIL and MOF are not that much different at first sight: both
frameworks use extensive text descriptions, supported by flowcharts and schemes. ITIL
documents its best practices by presenting processes, activities, and functions per phase
of its lifecycle. MOF components have a rigid structure: each SMF has key processes,
each process has key activities, and documentation on SMFs and MRs is structured in a
very concise format, covering inputs, outputs, key questions, and best practices for each
component. This rigid structure supports consistency throughout the framework and
supports the user in applying a selection of MOF components for the most urgent local
problems.
The activation and implementation of ITIL and MOF are not really part of the
framework documentation. ITIL has been advocating the Adopt and Adapt approach.
Supporting structures like organizational roles and skills are described for each phase,
but implementation guidance is not documented. MOF, like ITIL, offers best practice
guidance that can be followed in full but also in part, for addressing a subset of local
problems. Both frameworks speak of guidance, leaving the actual decisions on how to
apply it to the practitioner.
Support structures for ITIL are not really part of the core documents: although a huge
range of products claim compatibility with ITIL, and several unofficial accreditation
systems exist in the field, the core books stay far from commercial products and from
product certification, due to a desire to remain vendor-neutral. MOF compatibility, on the
other hand, is substantially established. Microsoft aligns a broad set of tools from its
platform with the MOF framework. And although MOF is not exclusively applicable for
these Microsoft management products, the documentation at Microsofts TechNet
website provides detailed information on the use of specific products from the Microsoft
platform.

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Differences
Although ITIL and MOF share many values, the two frameworks also show some
significant differences.
Cost: ITIL is available in 5 core books that are sold through various channels, but
MOF is available on the internet for free. As a consequence, ITIL copyright is highly
protected, where Microsoft made MOF content available under the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which makes it freely available for commercial reuse.
Development: in the latest versions, both ITIL and MOF spent considerable energy
on documenting the development of new services and the adjustment of existing
services. In addition, ITIL is constantly reviewed via the Change Control Log, where
issues and improvements are suggested and then reviewed by a panel of experts
who sit on the Change Advisory Board. The ITIL Service Design phase concentrates
on service design principles, where the Deliver Phase in MOF concentrates on the
actual development of services. The approach taken in MOF is heavily based on
project management principles, emphasizing the project nature of this lifecycle
phase.
Reporting: ITIL has a specific entity that describes Reporting, in the Continual
Service Improvement phase, where MOF has integrated reporting as a standard
activity in SMFs.
Call handling: ITIL V2 showed a combined handling of incidents and service
requests in one process, but in ITIL V3 incident restoration and service request
fulfillment were turned into two separately treated practices. MOF on the other hand
stays much closer to the ITIL V2 practice, combining several customer requests in
one activity flow, for incident restoration requests, information requests, service
fulfillment requests, and new service requests. If the request involves a new or non-
standard service, a separate change process can be triggered.
Lifecycle construction: Most elements of ITIL are documented in one and only one
of the five core books, but it is then explained they actually cover various phases of
the ITIL lifecycle. ITIL uses five elements for its lifecycle: Strategy, Design, Transition,
Operation, and Continual Improvement, which brings it close to the PDCA model.
MOFs lifecycle comprises only three phases: Plan, Deliver, Operate, with one
underlying layer covering the components that apply to all lifecycle phases. As a
consequence, a number of practices are applied all over the MOF lifecycle, but in
ITIL these are mostly described in one or a few lifecycle phases. As an example, risk
management is part of the Manage layer in MOF, but in ITIL it is mainly restricted to
Strategy and Continual Improvement. The same goes for change and configuration
management: throughout the MOF lifecycle but in ITIL these are concentrated in the
Transition phase.
Organization: ITIL describes roles and organizational structures in each lifecycle
phase. MOF supports best practices for organizational structures by applying the
Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) approach: throughout the MOF lifecycle
responsibilities are documented and accountability is made explicit, and general rules
are allocated to the underlying Manage layer.
Governance: Both frameworks illustrate the difference between governance and
management. ITIL describes governance theory and practice in the Strategy phase
and in the CSI phase of its lifecycle, and refers to governance requirements in most
other phases. MOF explicitly documents accountability and responsibility in all of its
lifecycle phases and in the Manage layer, identifying decision makers and
stakeholders, and addressing performance evaluation. MOF specifically addresses
risk management and compliance in the Manage layer, supporting governance
throughout the lifecycle. Explicit Management Reviews are used throughout the MOF
framework as control mechanisms.
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 15
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Positioning
This section will show how ITIL and MOF are positioned in the main paradigms, as
discussed before. Appendix A shows the differences in more detail.
Lifecycle
On a high level, the lifecycles of ITIL and MOF appear to be rather similar, although the
phases cannot be compared on a one-to-one basis.
ITIL Service
Design
ITIL Service
Transition
ITIL Service
Operation
ITIL Continual
Service
Improvement
ITIL Service
Strategy
PLAN
Business IT
Alignment,
Reliability, Policy ,
Financial mgt
DELIVER
Envision, Project Planning, Build, Stabilize,
Deploy
OPERATE
Operations,
Service Monitoring &
Control,
Customer service,
Problemmgt
MANAGE
GRC, Change & Configuration, Team
Service
Alignment
Portfolio
Project
plan
approved
Release
Readiness
Opera-
tional
health
Policy &
Control

Figure 10. Comparing the lifecycles
There are some major differences between ITIL and MOF lifecycles:
ITIL lifecycle phases contain processes, activities, and functions that also apply to
other phases. In MOF, the SMFs that apply to more than one phase have been
filtered out and grouped in the Manage layer, supporting the entire MOF lifecycle.
MOF lifecycle phase transitions are managed through several Management Reviews
(MRs). These MRs serve to determine the status of IT services and to establish
readiness to move forward in the lifecycle. ITIL also uses a number of readiness tests
for progress control in the lifecycle phases, but these are less explicit.
People - Process - Technology (PPT)
80 percent of unplanned downtime is caused by people and process issues,
including poor change management practices, while the remainder is caused by
technology failures and disasters.
(Donna Scott, Gartner, Inc., 2003)

Both ITIL and MOF have a strong focus on processes. Both frameworks document the
activities that need to be performed to cope with everyday problems and tasks in service
organizations. Both frameworks also use the same formal definition of process, based
on widely accepted ISO standards. However, in both cases the framework documentation
is largely presented in a mix of process, people, and some technology, and therefore in
the format of procedures, work instructions, and functions. This is for good reasons,
because it addresses the actual perception of what people experience in their daily
practice. Readers looking for pure process descriptions or process models will not find
these in ITIL nor in MOF. And although ITIL uses the term process for many of its
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components, most of these components are actually functions. MOF uses the term
Service Management Function throughout the framework.
Organizational structures are documented quite differently in both frameworks.
Individual ITIL roles and MOF roles show some overlap, but both frameworks contain a
long list of unique roles. This is largely based on the difference in viewpoint: ITIL works
from its practices towards a detailed roles spectrum, and MOF works from a number of
basic accountabilities: Support, Operations, Service, Compliance, Architecture, Solutions,
and Management. MOF applies the MSF framework as a reference system for these
organizational structures, supporting the performance of the organization. In larger
organizations the MOF roles can be refined into more detailed structures, but in most
organizations the roles are sufficient. The Team SMF of MOF is explicitly focused on the
management of IT staff.
Technology is only covered at an abstract level in ITIL: the framework stays far from
commercial products and only describes some basic requirements. MOF on the other
hand is deeply interwoven with technology solutions. Although MOF has been defined in
such a way that it is not technology-specific, the Microsoft technology platform highly
aligns with the practices documented in MOF. The MOF website is embedded in the rest
of the TechNet documentation on Microsoft products.
STO and SoD, in SAME
Strategic levels are covered in both frameworks. ITIL documents its best practices on
long-term decisions in the Strategy phase. MOF does the very same in the Plan phase,
and supports this in the Manage layer.
Tactical levels are covered in a similar way: ITIL concentrates these in the Service
Design and CSI phase, and MOF describes its tactical guidance in the Deliver phase, in
the Manage layer and in the Operate phase (Problem Management).
Operational levels are covered mainly in a single phase in both frameworks; ITIL has its
Service Operation phase, and MOF has its Operate phase.
The ITIL lifecycle phases are positioned mainly in the Technology Management
domain, emphasizing that ITIL explicitly supports the organizations that deliver IT
services. The activities that relate to the specification of the service requirements and the
management of enterprise data architectures are typically found in the middle column of
the 3x3 SAME matrix.
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 17
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SERVICE STRATEGY
SERVICE
DESIGN
SERVICE
OPERATION
BUSINESS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY
TACTICS
OPERATIONS
SERVICE
TRANSITION
CONTINUAL
SERVICE IMPROVEMENT

Figure 11. Positioning ITIL in the 3x3 SAME matrix
This also applies to MOF. The MOF Plan phase is largely positioned at the Strategy level,
but also concentrates on the Technology Management domain. The Deliver phase is
positioned similarly, but then on tactical and operational levels. The Operate phase
clearly works at the operational level of the Technology Management domain, except for
the very tactical practice of Problem Management.
The Manage layer in MOF relates to all three management levels, but also concentrates
at the Technology Management domain.
PLAN
OPERATE
MANAGE
BUSINESS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY
TACTICS
OPERATIONS
DELIVER

Figure 12. Positioning MOF in the 3x3 SAME matrix
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As a consequence, both frameworks require that elements from additional frameworks
like TOGAF, ISO27001, CobiT, M_o_R, BiSL, FSM, and MSP, are applied for
managing the rest of the overarching Information Support domain.
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
ITIL explicitly follows Demings PDCA management improvement cycle, for implementing
the CSI phase, for implementing the Information Security function in the Service Design
phase and for the continual improvement of services, processes, and functions
throughout the service lifecycle.
MOF does not explicitly list PDCA as a mechanism, but it follows its principles
throughout the lifecycle, in all SMFs. Plan-do-check is elementary to the implementation
of all SMFs, and various check-act points can be found in the very explicit Management
Reviews throughout the MOF framework.
Terminology and Definitions
The ITSM language is quite consistent between both frameworks, with only minor
differences. For example, where ITIL uses the term Change Schedule, MOF uses
Forward Schedule of Change. Such small differences shouldnt be a problem in practice.
Of course both frameworks use some typical terminology that illustrates some of their
unique characteristics:
The ITIL core terms utility and warranty, fit for purpose and fit for use, are not used in
MOF, and neither are terms like service package although MOF speaks of
packaged products in general terms.
Likewise, some explicit MOF terms, like customer service management, stabilize,
and issue-tracking, are not usedor are used differentlyin ITIL.
Both frameworks use the term process in a rather loose context. Many components in
ITIL and MOF, labeled as a process, are in fact not described in process formats, but
actually as functions, procedures, steps in a process, or activities.
More detailed information on the alignment between ITIL and MOF can be found in
Appendix B.

Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 19
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Training and Certification
Cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education.
(Mark Twain)
ITIL Exams
In 2007 OGC appointed the APM Group (APMG) as the official accreditor for ITIL
certification, and to run an accreditation, examination, and certification scheme. APMG
launched a new certification scheme for ITIL, based on ITIL V3. The existing scheme on
ITIL V2 will be maintained for a transition period..
The system of qualifications for ITIL v3 has four qualification levels:
Foundation Level
Intermediate Level (Lifecycle Stream, Capability Stream, and Managing Across the
Lifecycle)
ITIL Expert
ITIL Master
The scheme is supported by a Foundation Bridging Course, to bring practitioners from
ITIL V2 to ITIL V3.

Figure 13. The ITIL qualification scheme
Professional qualifications based on ITIL are offered by Examination Institutes,
accredited by APM Group through the ITIL Qualifications Board. Examination Institutes
are permitted to operate an ITIL examination scheme through a network of Accredited
Training Organizations, and Accredited Trainers with Accredited materials.
For more information about the ITIL V3 Qualification Scheme, see http://www.itil-
officialsite.com/qualifications.
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MOF Exams
Microsoft currently limits its certification on MOF to one MOF Foundation examination.
The ongoing thinking and work about what an advanced certification might include is still
in early stage.
Foundation-level MOF training is currently available through MOF training partners,
through some MS gold partners, and through Microsoft Services. A foundation-level
certification is available through EXIN Exams; see http://www.exin-exams.com/.

Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 21
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Applying MOF and ITIL in Practice
So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to
work.
(Peter F. Drucker)

Both ITIL and MOF advocate the use of elements of the framework, if the full set is too
much for an organization.
ITIL consists of five core publications, each covering a group of processes, functions, and
activities. Training on ITIL starts with a focus at the lifecycle, then zooming in to the
framework components. MOF offers all of its guidance at the TechNet website, offering
access to the framework at any level required.
In practice, only very few organizations apply the full guidance of either framework. Most
often, organizations start out with those components that address the biggest problems.
This is no different for ITIL or MOF. Among the most popular content we find the
guidance on change and configuration, on incident restoration/customer service support,
on service level management and business/IT alignment, and on problem management.
Published case material that proves the value of implementing ITIL or MOF is extremely
rare. Business cases mostly involve factors like quality improvement, a rather intangible
factor. Nevertheless, implementations of framework components can often be based on a
business case approach. Measuring initial state performance metrics and comparing
these to the situation after implementation, can then support the adoption of additional
components of the framework.
Both ITIL and MOF are reference frameworks and not implementation models. The
documented best practices can be used within the local approach of an organization,
provided they have developed their own process model to support their organization and
technology dimensions. An organization can develop its own model or use an out-of-the-
box model available in the market.
When redesigning an organization, using ITIL or MOF and following the People - Process
- Technology paradigm, a process model would most likely be the start of the project:
organizations should first decide on what they want to do, then decide on who they need
for the job, and then facilitate the organization with adequate technology to achieve these
goals (the how).
Although processes may be expected to be standard throughout the IT services industry,
standardized pure process models are hardly available in the market. In most
organizations, the people dimension is unique, just like the technology dimension: most
organizations differ in structure, culture, behavior, and history, and the supporting
technology comes in many flavors. This way, each implementation project is influenced
by a rather unique combination of local factors, and on top of that we hardly find any
greenfield situations.
Given this situation, MOF supports implementation projects by making the framework
components available in standardized structures, allowing implementation managers to
pick the required components and add these to the scope of their specific project. The
structure of the framework furthermore aligns firmly to common project management
standards, allowing for an easy fit.
Implementing MOF is supported by ongoing evolution of MOF guidance, and by the
support of the online MOF community at the TechNet website.
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Sources
Literature
Microsoft, Microsoft Operations Framework, 2008
OGC, Service Strategy, 2007
OGC, Service Design, 2007
OGC, Service Transition, 2007
OGC, Service Operation, 2007
OGC, Continual Service Improvement, 2007
Van Bon, J. This is NOT IT Governance, in: UPGRADE, The European Journal for
the Informatics professional, Vol. IX, No. 1, February 2008.
Van Bon, J. and W. Hoving. SAME the Strategic Alignment Model Enhanced. ITSM
PORTAL, 2007.
Van der Hoven, D.J., G. hegger, J. van Bon. BII: Beheer van de interne
informatievoorziening. In: IT Beheer Jaarboek 1998, Ten Hagen and Stam, 1998.
Wijers, G., P.S. Seligmann and H.G. Sol. Analyzing the Structure of I.S.
Development Methods: a framework of understanding. SERC and Delft University of
Technology, 1992.
Further Information
On ITIL: APMG, TSO, and OGC manage the information on ITIL at http://www.itil-
officialsite.com/.
On ITIL certification: see http://www.itil-officialsite.com/qualifications.
On MOF: Extensive documentation on MOF, and detailed guidance on the use of
Microsoft platform products, can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/mof.
On MOF certification: see http://www.exin-exams.com/.
Authors
Jan van Bon, the chief editor of numerous ITSM titles and CEO of Inform-IT, is
deeply involved with the development of the IT Service Management discipline, ITIL
and other management frameworks, since 1990. Since 1996 he has constantly
worked for itSMF, as a project manager for several of itSMF's activities, as content
manager for dozens of itSMF events, and as a professional managing editor for most
of the itSMF publications. He has produced around 70 books on IT Service
Management, some of them in up to 13 languages; in addition he has been the
driving force behind several websites for the ITSM international community-of-
practice.
Jerry Dyer is a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft. Dyer was the content architect
for MOF 4.0, which was released in April of 2008.
Reviewers
This paper was reviewed by a number of well-known experts in IT Service Management,
with deep knowledge of ITIL and MOF. We thank Rolf Akker (ICT Strategist at Gasunie
and co-author of the MOF v2 pocket guide), Malcolm Fry (Independent Service
Management Analyst at FRY-Consultants), Wim Hoving (CEO at BHVB), Paul Leenards
(Principal Consultant and Practice Lead Service Strategy and Transformation at
Getronics Consulting), and Gary Roos (Principal Operations Consultant at Microsoft) for
their support.
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 23
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Appendix A: Detailed Cross-Reference
This appendix contains a more detailed discussion of MOF versus ITIL, along the
paradigms.
People
ITIL and MOF use different role sets and role titles. This is largely due to the difference in
starting points: ITIL works from the best practices documented in each phase, where
MOF starts from the organization perspective. As an example, ITIL defines a Finance
Manager responsible for the Financial Management process, and MOF knows financial
managers, who in fact are the financial experts active in managing finances.
MOF also incorporates the results of the Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF), covering
extensive guidance on how to organize people and projects to plan, build, and deploy
successful IT solutions.
A number of elementary roles are used in both frameworksfor example, process-based
roles like Service Level Manager, Supplier Manager, Portfolio Manager, Change
Manager, Change advisory board (CAB), Release Manager, Configuration
Manager/Administrator, Incident Manager/Resolver, Problem Manager, Operations
Manager, activity-based roles like Architect, Developer, Test Manager, Operator, User,
and Customer.
Other ITIL roles, such as Service Catalog Manager, Service Design Manager, and
Availability Manager, are not explicitly found in MOF.
Like ITIL, MOF uses some typical roles, determined by specific and unique MOF content,
such as IT Policy Manager, Risk and Compliance Manager, Reliability Manager, Internal
Control Manager, Customer Services Representative, Tester, Product Manager, User
Experience, Solution Manager, Administrator, Technology Area Manager, Monitoring
Manager, and Scheduling Manager.
Some roles are truly different. For example, ITIL uses the project manager role for the
leader of a project, where MOF defines a project manager as someone with project
management skills, but not necessarily the leader of a project.
Sometimes the difference is simply a matter of chosen words, such as where ITIL uses
Business Relationship Manager and MOF uses Account Manager.
Process
ITIL and MOF follow the same definition of process:
ITIL: A structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective.
MOF: Interrelated tasks that, taken together, produce a defined, desired result.
This definition is derived from a common ISO definition that can at best be taken as A
sequence of interrelated or interacting activities designed to accomplish a defined
objective in a measurable and repeatable manner, transforming inputs into outputs. Both
frameworks apply this definition in a very loose context: many practices, activities, and
functions are labeled process, but not documented as such. Instead these framework
components are often constructed as organizational capabilities, composed from People,
Process, and Technology elements.
Therefore, comparing ITIL processes with MOF processes is not very useful.
Addressing all components as practices leaves the reader with a much better reference
framework for comparing the two. This cross-reference, based on practices, is offered in
Appendix B.
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 25
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Technology
Technology can take different shapes, ranging from workflow support systems and
system management tools, to framework-typical supporting structures like a CMS or a
Service Catalog.
ITIL doesnt provide much detail on supporting technology and tools. It offers chapters on
Technology Considerations, but these are restricted to high-level considerations of the
what.
Distinctly different, Microsoft has created MOF to provide a common management
framework for its platform products. And although MOF can easily be used for other
platforms, the integration between Microsoft products and the MOF management
framework is a core development target.
Like the practices in both frameworks, from a 10,000 feet viewpoint the framework-typical
structures do not differ much. Both frameworks use structures like Service Level
Agreements (SLAs), Operational Level Agreements (OLAs), Underpinning Contracts
(UCs), Configuration Items (CIs), Configuration Management Systems (CMSs) and
Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs), Definitive Software Libraries (DSLs), a
Change Schedule (CS in ITIL) or a Forward Schedule of Change (FSC in MOF), Known
Error Databases (KEDs), Service Catalogues (SCs) and Service Portfolios (SPs),
Business Continuity Plans (BCPs), Business Impact Analyses (BIAs), Post
Implementation Reviews (PIRs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs in ITIL) or
Operations Guides (OGs in MOF), RACI, and use cases.
Of course some structures are mentioned specifically in one framework and not in the
other: ITIL uses a Capacity Management Information System (CMIS), an Information
Security Management System (ISMS), and MOF uses an Issue-Tracking Database.
Strategy, Tactics, Operations
ITIL offers extensive guidance on Service Strategy, providing a theoretical base for
strategic decisions, explaining the what, but apart from the information in the first of the
five ITIL core books, most of the other books focus at a tactical or operational level. MOF
follows the same pattern, and focuses more at the practical everyday tasks and activities
in service organizations. Most strategic components of both frameworks also have a
tactical load. Tables A-1 and A-2 show the elements at the Strategic/Tactical and
Operational levels.
Table A-1. Main Focus of MOF Framework Components at Strategic, Tactical, or
Operational Level
SMFs, processes and management reviews S T O
Business/IT Alignment
Process 1: Define an IT Service Strategy
Process 2: Identify and Map Services
Process 3: Identify Demand and Manage Business
Requests
Process 4: Develop and Evaluate IT Service Portfolio
Process 5: Service Level Management
Reliability
Process 1: Planning
Process 2: Implementation
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SMFs, processes and management reviews S T O
Process 3: Monitoring and Improving Plans
Policy
Process 1: Determine Areas Requiring Policy
Process 2: Create Policies
Process 3: Validate Policy
Process 4: Publish Policy
Process 5: Enforce and Evaluate Policy
Process 6: Review and Maintain Policy
Financial Management
Process 1: Establish Service Requirements and Plan
Budget
Process 2: Manage Finances
Process 3: Perform IT Accounting and Reporting
Envision
Process 1: Organize the Core Team
Process 2: Write the Vision/Scope Document
Process 3: Approve the Vision/Scope Document
Project Planning
Process 1: Evaluate Products and Technologies
Process 2: Write the Functional Specification
Process 3: Package the Master Project Plan
Process 4: Create the Master Schedule
Process 5: Review the Project Plans Approved Milestone
Build
Process 1: Prepare for Development
Process 2: Develop the Solution
Process 3: Prepare for Release
Process 4: Review the Scope Complete Milestone
Stabilize
Process 1: Stabilize a Release Candidate
Process 2: Conduct a Pilot Test
Process 3: Review the Release Readiness Milestone
Deploy
Process 1: Deploy Core Components
Process 2: Deploy Sites
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 27
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SMFs, processes and management reviews S T O
Process 3: Stabilize Deployment
Process 4: Review the Deployment Complete Milestone
Operations
Process 1: Define Operational Work Requirements
Process 2: Build Operational Work Instructions
Process 3: Plan Operational Work
Process 4: Execute Operational Work
Process 5: Maintain Operational Work Instructions
Process 6: Manage Operational Work
Service Monitoring and Control
Process 1: Define Service Monitoring Requirements
Process 2: Implement New Service
Process 3: Continuous Monitoring
Process 4: Control and Reporting
Customer Service
Process 1: Record the Users Request
Process 1a: Record the Users Contact Information
Process 1b: Record Details of the Users Request
Process 2: Classify the Users Request
Process 2a: Categorize the Users Request
Process 2b: Determine Supportability
Process 2c: Prioritize the Request
Process 3: Resolve the Request
Process 3a: Resolve an Information Request
Process 3b: Resolve a Request for an Existing Feature or
Service
Process 3c: Resolve a Request for a New Feature or
Service
Process 3c1: Filter the New Service Request
Process 3c2: Handling a Standard Change New Service
Request
Process 3c3: Handling a Non-Standard Change New
Service Request
Process 3d: Resolve an Incident Resolution Request
Process 3d1: Troubleshoot the Incident
Process 3d2: Escalate the Request
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SMFs, processes and management reviews S T O
Process 3d3: Apply a Fix or Workaround
Process 4: Confirm Resolution and Close the Request
Process 5: Ensure Good Service
Process 5a: Service Desk Quality Assurance
Process 5b: SLA Monitoring and Metrics
Problem Management
Process 1: Document the Problem
Process 2: Filter the Problem
Process 3: Research the Problem
Process 4: Research the Outcome
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Process 1: Establish IT Governance
Process 2: Assess, Monitor, and Control Risk
Process 3: Comply with Directives
Change and Configuration
Process 1: Baseline the Configuration
Process 2: Initiate the Change
Process 3: Classify the Change
Process 4: Approve and Schedule the Change
Process 5: Develop and Test the Change
Process 6: Release the Change
Process 7: Validate and Review the Change
Team
Process 1: Identify Changes Needed
Process 2: Align Responsibilities
Process 3: Assign Roles
Service Alignment Management Review
Portfolio Management Review
Project Plan Approved Management Review
Release Readiness Management Review
Policy and Control Management Review
Operational Health Management Review


Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 29
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Table A-2. Main Focus of ITIL Framework Components at Strategic, Tactical, or
Operational Level
Processes, activities and functions S T O
Service Strategy
Define the market
Develop the offerings
Develop strategic assets
Prepare for execution
Financial Management
Demand Management
Service Portfolio Management
Service Design
Service Catalogue Management
Service Level Management
Capacity Management
Availability Management
Security Management
IT Service Continuity Management
Supplier Management
Requirements Engineering
Data and Information Management
Application Management
Service Transition
Transition Planning and Support
Change Management
Service Validation and Testing
Evaluation
Release and Deployment Management
Service Asset and Configuration Management
Knowledge Management
Managing Communications and Commitment
Managing Organization and Stakeholder Change
Stakeholder Management
Service Operation
Problem Management
Incident Management
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Processes, activities and functions S T O
Event Management
Request Fulfillment
Access Management
Server Management and Support
Network Management
Database Administration
Mainframe Management
Directory Services Management
Internet/Web Management
Middleware Management
Desktop Support
Storage and Archive
Facilities and Data Centre Management
IT Operations
Monitoring and Control
Continual Service Improvement
7-Step Improvement Process
Service Measurement
Service Reporting


Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 31
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Separation of Duties (SoD)
When growing in maturity, organizations tend to start getting in control of the operational
level before they master the tactical or strategic levels. Similarly, organizations tend to
start working their way up from the Technology Management domain to the Information
Management domain. This is illustrated in the development paths of ITIL and MOF,
during their subsequent versions.
TACTICAL
STRATEGIC
BUILD/RUN
D
E
S
I
G
N
/
C
O
N
T
R
O
L
O
P
E
R
A
T
E
TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION
OPERATIONAL
BUSINESS
DESIGN/CONTROL DETERMINE/USE
D
I
R
E
C
T

Figure 14. The 3x3 matrix for information support, enhanced
Both frameworks started out at the lower right side of the 3x3 SAME matrix, and are now
stretching into the Information Management domain. Both now present more detailed
guidance on managing business requests, on demand management, on requirements
engineering, on use cases, and on handling functionality information requests. ITIL now
also goes into details on sourcing strategies and Patterns of Business Activity (PBA). But
although both ITIL and MOF now look into data management and functionality, the focus
is still clearly on the service delivery organization.
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
Continual improvement is an underlying paradigm in both ITIL and MOF. At the highest
level, both lifecycles are illustrations of the concept. Plan-Do-Check can easily be
recognized in the structures of these lifecycles. The Act step is very explicit in ITIL, in the
Continual Service Improvement phase, where MOF covers it one spade deeper in the
system.

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Several functions and processes in ITIL clearly follow the PDCA model in their
documentationfor example, Security Management, Application Management, and the
7-Step Improvement process are very explicitly expressed as PDCA cycles. MOF does
the very same in the process flow of the Reliability SMF, the Policy SMF, the Operations
SMF, the Service Monitoring and Control SMF, and in processes like Establish IT
Governance, Assess/Monitor/Control Risks, and Comply with Directives.
PDCA cycles are often applied in the implementation of specific functions: organizations
plan a function at a certain stage of their development, they then implement the function
in their organization, and finally check the results at various points to feed improvement
initiatives. Continual improvement is elementary in service organizations that need to
provide better services at less cost all the time, in fast changing environments.
Both frameworks make good use of the valuable principles in this management
paradigm.

Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 33
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Appendix B: Mapping of Processes,
Activities, Functions, and Other
Elements
The following tables present the mapping of MOF v4 versus ITIL V3. The section of the
table shows the ITIL components and explains where these can be found in MOF. The
second section shows the components that are exclusive to MOF, and illustrates where
these can be found in ITIL.
Table B-1. How MOF Covers ITIL Content
ITIL How MOF Covers ITIL Content
Service Strategy
Processes
Financial Management Financial Management SMF (PLAN)
Service Portfolio Management
(SPM)
Develop and Evaluate IT Service Portfolio (process 4)
in SMF Business-IT alignment (PLAN)
Demand Management (DM) Demand and Request Management (Activity in process
3: Identify Demand and Manage Business Requests) in
SMF Business-IT Alignment (PLAN)
Activities
Define the market Not explicit
Develop the offerings Not explicit
Develop strategic assets Not explicit
Prepare for execution Not explicit
Key terminology
Utility and Warranty Not explicit
Service assets (resources
and capabilities)
Outcome Business-IT Alignment SMF (PLAN). MOF
uses the term IT asset instead.
Service Catalogue In process 5: Service Level Management in the
Business-IT Alignment SMF (PLAN)
Accounting In process 3: Perform IT Accounting and Reporting in
the Financial Management SMF (PLAN)
Compliance In process 3: Comply with directives, in the
Governance, Risk and Compliance SMF (MANAGE)
Service valuation
(provisioning value, service
value potential
Covered by Value Realization in process 3: Perform IT
Accounting and Reporting, in the Financial
Management SMF (PLAN)
Service package Not explicit

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Service Design
Functions and Processes
Service Catalogue
Management
No separate process, but covered in the process
Service Level Management in Business-IT Alignment
SMF (PLAN)
Service Level Management Process in Business-IT Alignment SMF (PLAN)
Capacity Management In Reliability SMF (PLAN)
Availability Management In Reliability SMF (PLAN); Availability in ITIL covers
Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability: all three are
elements of Reliability Management
IT Service Continuity
Management
In Reliability SMF (PLAN)
Information Security
Management
In Reliability SMF (PLAN), as an element of continuity
and security with a focus on data security, in the Policy
SMF, in the Service Level Management process of the
Business-IT Alignment SMF, in the Project Planning
SMF, throughout the Operate phase, et cetera. Also
addressed in various MRs.
Supplier Management Not explicit as a process, but MOF defines a Supplier
Manager, a role that takes care of supplier
management
Activities
Requirements engineering Define Service Requirements activity in all three
processes of the Reliability SMF (PLAN);
Establish Service Requirements process in the
Financial Management SMF (PLAN);
Write the Functional Specification process in the
Project Planning SMF (DELIVER)
Data and Information
Management
Not an explicit process in MOF, but covered in activities
on data integrity, data security, data access, data
encryption, data classification, data handling policies,
data confidentiality, data availability, data backup, et
cetera
Application Management Applications are managed throughout the MOF
lifecycle and in the Manage layer; explicitly covered by
Envision, Project Planning, Build, Stabilize and Deploy
SMFs (DELIVER)

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Key terminology
Service Requirements and
Service Level Requirements
(SLR) (both terms are used in
ITIL)
Like in ITIL, both terms are used in MOF, in various
activities, processes, and SMFs, like Reliability (PLAN),
Financial Management (PLAN), Service Monitoring and
Control (OPERATE).
Business requirements Used in the Service Level Management process in the
Business-IT Alignment SMF;
in the Define Service Requirements activity in Process
1: Planning in the Reliability SMF (PLAN);
and in MRs like Project Plan Approved (DELIVER),
Service Alignment (PLAN)
Business Impact Analysis
(BIA)
Covered at several positions, such as in the Business-
IT Alignment SMF (PLAN), in the Reliability SMF
(PLAN), in the Financial Management SMF (PLAN), in
the Customer Service SMF (OPERATE), in the
Problem Management SMF (OPERATE), in the
Change and Configuration SMF (OPERATE).
Service Level Agreements
(SLA)
In process 5: Service Level Management, in the
Business/IT Alignment SMF (PLAN). MOF refers to
SLAs throughout the framework.
Operational Level
Agreements (OLA)
In process 5: Service Level Management, in the
Business/IT Alignment SMF (PLAN). MOF refers to
OLAs throughout the framework.
Underpinning Contracts (UC) In process 5: Service Level Management, in the
Business/IT Alignment SMF (PLAN). MOF refers to
UCs throughout the framework, but seems to restrict
these to legal documents, which is not as explicit in
ITIL.
Service Transition
Functions and Processes
Transition planning and
Support
Process 4: Review the Deployment Complete
Milestone in Deploy SMF, Deliver (DELIVER)
Change Management Seven processes in Change and Configuration SMF
(MANAGE)
Service Asset and
Configuration Management
(SACM)
Change and Configuration SMF (MANAGE)
Release and Deployment
Management
Three explicit processes in the Deploy SMF
(DELIVER);
Process 6: Release The Change in the Change and
Configuration SMF (MANAGE);
In a wider interpretation also covered by the entire
Deliver phase
Service Validation and
Testing
Covered by test and review moments throughout the
Build, Stabilize and Deploy SMFs, and in the Release
Readiness Review (DELIVER)
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Evaluation Process 4: Review the Deployment Complete
Milestone in the Deploy SMF (DELIVER)
Knowledge Management Not explicit as a process, but covered in the activity
Creating knowledge management policies in Process
2: Create policies in Policy SMF (PLAN) and in the
Customer Service SMF (OPERATE);
Knowledge bases are often used in the Customer
Service SMF (OPERATE)
Activities
Managing Communications
and Commitment
Not explicit
Stakeholder Management Not explicit
Managing Organization and
Stakeholder Change
Not explicit
Key terminology
Service Design Package
(SDP)
Not an explicit process, but MOF mention service
packaging in the Business-IT Alignment MSF (PLAN)
Service Transition Plan Covered in process 3 and 4: Master Project Plan and
Master Schedule, in the Project Planning SMF
(DELIVER). Transition is the responsibility of the
Solution Manager role. Milestones are used for project
phase transitions, such as in Test Plans.
Request for Change (RFC) In the Change and Configuration SMF (MANAGE)
Change Advisory Board
(CAB)
In the Change and Configuration SMF (MANAGE)
Emergency CAB (ECAB) Not an explicit role.
Schedule of Change (SC) In MOF this is called a Forward Schedule of Change
(FSC) (MANAGE)
Fallback situation
(remediation planning)
In the Change and Configuration SMF (MANAGE), in
the process Conduct a Pilot Test of the Stabilize SMF
(DELIVER), and in the Release Readiness MR. MOF
uses the terms Backout and Rollback.
Post Implementation Review
(PIR)
Process 7: Validate and Review the Change in the
Change and Configuration SMF (MANAGE)
Impact Analysis In the activity Analyze the impact of the change and
identify reviewers, in the Change and Configuration
SMF (MANAGE)
Configuration Item (CI) In the Change and Configuration SMF (MANAGE)
Configuration Management
System (CMS)
In Change and Configuration SMF (MANAGE)
Configuration Management
Database (CMDB)
MOF only refers to this term once, and uses CMS in all
other cases. In underpinning platform documents, the
term CMDB is still used.
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 37
Solution Accelerators microsoft.com/technet/SolutionAccelerators

Configuration baseline In the Project Planning, Build and Deploy SMFs
(DELIVER), in the Change and Configuration SMF
(MANAGE)
Release In the Plan phase and throughout the Deliver phase, in
the Change and Configuration SMF (MANAGE), in the
Release Readiness MR.
Release unit/package Not an explicit term, but MOF mentions the packaging
or releases.
Building and test plans Core elements in the Deliver phase.
Service release test Pilot test, Release Readiness Test in the Stabilize SMF
(DELIVER) and Review the Deployment Complete
Milestone in Deploy SMF (DELIVER)
Pilots Elementary to the Deliver phase, in the Stabilize SMF
(DELIVER)
Release policy Not explicit, but covered in the Policy SMF (PLAN)
Release and deployment
plans
Elementary to the Deliver phase, in the Project
Planning SMF (DELIVER)
Testing Integrated in Build, Stabilize and Deploy SMFs
(DELIVER)
Fit for purpose, fit for use Not explicit MOF terms
Service Knowledge
Management system (SKMS)
Not an explicit MOF term, although MOF uses a Risk
Knowledge Base in the GRC SMF, and a Knowledge
Base in the Service Monitoring and Control SMF, the
Customer Support SMF and the Problem Management
SMF (OPERATE)
Service Operations
Functions and Processes
Event Management

Not an explicit process. Integrated in the Service
Monitoring and Control SMF (OPERATE)for
example, in activities like Analyze the Event, and
Resolve or Escalate the Event.
Also in the Customer Service SMF (OPERATE):
request handling (service fulfillment request, New
Service Request, Incident resolution request).
Incident Management

Not an explicit process. Integrated in the Customer
Service SMF (OPERATE): request handling (service
fulfillment request, New Service Request, Incident
resolution request)
Request Fulfillment Not an explicit process. Integrated in Customer Service
SMF (OPERATE): request handling (service fulfillment
request, New Service Request, Incident resolution
request)
Problem Management Problem Management SMF (OPERATE), defined as
purely proactive
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Access Management Not an explicit process, but covered in Governance,
Risk and Compliance SMF (MANAGE), in the
Reliability SMF and the Policy SMF (PLAN). Additional
supporting documentation in Microsoft Identity and
Access Management Series.
Service Desk A Service Desk or Customer Service Desk is an
element in the Customer Service SMF (OPERATE)
IT Operations Management Not explicit in MOF, but covered in the Operations SMF
and the Service Monitoring and Control SMF
(OPERATE), and in the roles of IT Manager, Operator,
Administrator, Technology Area Manager, Monitoring
Manager, Scheduling Manager, Operations Manager
Application Management Not explicit in MOF, but covered throughout the
lifecycle, and in the roles of Product Manager and
Solution Manager
Technical Management Not explicit in MOF, but covered in the same way IT
Operations Management is covered
Activities
Monitoring and Control Covered in the Service Monitoring and Control SMF
(OPERATE)
IT Operations Covered in the Operations SMF (OPERATE)
Mainframe Management Covered in the Operations SMF and the Service
Monitoring and Control SMF (OPERATE)
Server Management and
Support
Id.
Network Management Id.
Storage and Archive Id.
Database administration Id.
Directory Service
Management
Id.
Desktop Support Id.
Middleware Management Id.
Internet/web Management Id.
Facilities and Data Centre
Management
Id.
Key terminology
Service Request MOF uses the term Service Fulfillment Request, one of
the user request types handled in the Customer
Support SMF (OPERATE)
Event Identical, in the Service Monitoring and Control SMF
(OPERATE)for example, in activities like Analyze the
Event, and Resolve or Escalate the Event.
Incident Identical, in Incident Resolution Requests
Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 39
Solution Accelerators microsoft.com/technet/SolutionAccelerators

Problem Identical
Known Error Identical
Workaround Identical
Continual Service Improvement (CSI)
Functions and Processes
The 7-step Improvement
Process (also called 7-step
Measurement Process)
Not a single process; incorporated in many elements of
the MOF framework, such as the Service Alignment
MR, the Portfolio MR, in various roles, throughout the
Business-IT Alignment SMF, in the Reliability SMF (the
Monitoring and Improving Plans process), all over the
Service Monitoring and Control SMF (OPERATE),
etcetera.
Service Reporting In the Service Level Management process in the
Business-IT Alignment SMF (PLAN), in the Service
Monitoring and Control SMF (OPERATE), in individual
processes and SMFs throughout the MOF framework,
and in Management Reviews.
Service Measurement Covered in individual SMFs and processes, in support
of the reporting.
Key terminology
Service Improvement Plan
(SIP)
Improvement initiatives are managed throughout the
lifecycle, and the term is explicitly used in the
Operational Health MR, in the Service Monitoring and
Control SMF (OPERATE), and in process 3: Monitoring
and Improving Plans in the Reliability SMF (PLAN)
DIKW (Data-Information-
Knowledge-Wisdom)
Not an explicit term
Benchmarks/assessments Task in the IT Executive Officer role. Benchmarking is
used in the Financial Management SMF (PLAN).
Various internal assessments are used, such as health
assessments and risk assessments.
ROI (Return on Investment,
VOI (Value on Investment)
Used in measuring the value of IT services in relation
to business outcome.
Business Case An explicit element, such as in the Business Case
Analysis activity in the Financial Management SMF.


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Table B-2. How ITIL Covers MOF Content
MOF How ITIL Covers MOF Content
Manage Layer ITIL actually has two phases that support the true
lifecycle: Service Strategy is the inner circle and
Continual Service Improvement is the outer circle in
the framework. The elements in these two circles are
different from the elements in the MOF Manage layer.
Governance, Risk and
Compliance (GRC)
The elements of the GRC SMF in MOF are scattered
over ITIL. Governance is mainly covered in the Service
Strategy book, but also in organizational structures in
various other phases. Risk is specifically addressed in
Service Strategy, and in Continuous Service
Improvement. Compliance is addressed throughout the
ITIL service lifecycle.
Conclusion is that in both frameworks, GRC is covered:
explicitly in MOF, and more implicitly in ITIL.
Service Management
Functions (SMFs)
SMFs are the main components in the MOF
framework. ITIL describes a limited number of explicit
functions: Service Desk, IT Operations Management,
Application Management and Technical Management,
but many more functions are described under the label
of process.
Conclusion: MOF follows a more explicit approach to
functions, being organizational capabilities composed
from People, Process and Technology.
Management Reviews (MRs) MOF uses six explicit Management Reviews,
controlling the transition to the next phase in the
lifecycle, and several smaller toll gates. ITIL also
knows a number of progress controls, in terms of
acceptance tests, organizational readiness
assessments, service operations readiness test,
deployment readiness, etcetera, but these are
described deeper in the guidance.
Conclusion: both frameworks offer a significant number
of progress controls, but MOF has put these in a
prominent position in the framework.
Business-IT Alignment
function
Both ITIL and MOF address business-IT alignment as a
core goal of the framework. MOF makes this explicit in
one centralized Service Management Function,
covering strategy, demand management, portfolio
management and service level management. In ITIL
these elements are covered in separate phases,
functions, processes and activities.

Cross Reference ITIL V3 and MOF 4.0 41
Solution Accelerators microsoft.com/technet/SolutionAccelerators

Reliability Management MOF has grouped a number of service quality aspects
in the term reliability, and grouped the responsibility
for this in the Reliability SMF. In ITIL these service
quality aspects are covered in various phases,
processes, functions and activities in the lifecycle.
Again, all components are covered in both frameworks,
but the presentation and the approach towards
management is rather different.
SMF checklists All SMFs in MOF have checklists, enabling decisions
on how to use the SMF, and supporting the
assessment of the current state of the subject. ITIL also
has checklists throughout the framework, but these are
not standardized structures in the guidance on ITIL
components.
Team SMF Organizational structures are covered in both
frameworks, but presented role sets are quite different.
In ITIL, the organizational structures are handled in
each phase, in the relevant functions, processes and
activities. In MOF, these structures are also described
in the components (SMFs), but there also is one central
SMF in the Manage layer addressing the organization,
documenting a single structured approach towards all
roles in the framework. The approach presented by
MOF follows the structures of the Microsoft Solutions
Framework.
Policy SMF Both framework use policies for all kinds of goals.
Again, MOF has concentrated the approach in one
SMF, where ITIL offers guidance in the relevant
components.
Customer Service SMF The Customer Service SMF in MOF covers the
handling of all customer calls, where ITIL has split
these over several functions, processes and activities.
Envision, Project Planning,
Build, Stabilize, Deploy
In MOF the project that creates the new or adapted
service is documented in a series of five SMF with two
MRs. In ITIL the same activities are documented in
Transition Planning and Support, Service Validation
and Testing, Change Management, Evaluation, and
Release and Deployment Management.