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ITIL Framework Structure Diagram

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An interactive hierarchical block diagram illustrating the structure of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) versions 1-3, showing the relationship between Service Support, Service Delivery, and Configuration Management processes with the CMDB as the authoritative source of truth.

Features

  • Interactive Hover: Detailed descriptions appear when hovering over any process box or the CMDB
  • Hierarchical Organization: Clear visual hierarchy showing the framework structure
  • Color-Coded Processes: Blue for Service Support (operational), Green for Service Delivery (strategic)
  • Highlighted Configuration Management: Gold color emphasizes Configuration Management's central role
  • Visual Relationships:
  • Solid arrows show dependencies from CMDB to Service Support processes
  • Dashed arrows show informational relationships to Service Delivery processes
  • Bidirectional arrows highlight the two-way data flow with Configuration Management
  • Responsive Design: Automatically adapts to different screen sizes

ITIL Framework Components

Service Support (Operational Processes)

The left column shows operational processes focused on day-to-day IT service delivery:

  1. Incident Management - Restores normal service operation as quickly as possible
  2. Problem Management - Minimizes adverse impact of incidents and problems
  3. Change Management - Ensures standardized methods for handling changes
  4. Release Management - Takes a holistic view of changes to IT services
  5. Configuration Management - Maintains information about Configuration Items (highlighted in gold)

Service Delivery (Strategic Processes)

The right column shows strategic processes focused on long-term planning:

  1. Service Level Management - Negotiates and monitors SLAs
  2. Capacity Management - Ensures infrastructure capabilities meet targets
  3. Availability Management - Defines and improves service availability
  4. IT Service Continuity Management - Supports business continuity
  5. Financial Management - Provides cost-effective stewardship of IT assets

Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

The foundation layer shows the CMDB as the central repository and authoritative source of truth that:

  • Stores information about all Configuration Items (CIs) and their relationships
  • Provides data to all operational and strategic processes
  • Has a special bidirectional relationship with Configuration Management
  • Serves as the single source of truth for IT infrastructure information

Visual Elements

  • Banner: "ITIL Framework" header spans the top
  • Process Labels: "Operational Processes" (left) and "Strategic Processes" (right)
  • Color Scheme:
  • Blue (#4A90E2) for Service Support processes
  • Green (#5CB85C) for Service Delivery processes
  • Gold (#FFD700) for Configuration Management (highlighting its centrality)
  • Orange (#FF8C42) for CMDB
  • White background with dark text for readability
  • Arrow Types:
  • Solid gray arrows: Dependencies (CMDB → Service Support)
  • Dashed gray arrows: Informational (CMDB → Service Delivery)
  • Gold bidirectional arrows: Two-way data flow (Configuration Management ↔ CMDB)

Learning Objectives

This diagram helps students understand:

  1. ITIL Architecture: The overall structure and organization of ITIL processes
  2. Process Relationships: How processes depend on and interact with each other
  3. CMDB Centrality: Why the CMDB is fundamental to all ITIL processes
  4. Operational vs Strategic: The distinction between day-to-day operations and long-term planning
  5. Configuration Management Role: How Configuration Management serves as the bridge between processes and the CMDB
  6. Data Dependencies: Which processes have strong dependencies vs informational relationships with the CMDB

Historical Context

This diagram represents ITIL versions 1-3, which organized processes into Service Support and Service Delivery. ITIL v4 (2019) reorganized these concepts into service value chains and practices, but understanding this traditional structure remains important for:

  • Working with legacy ITIL implementations
  • Understanding the evolution to modern frameworks
  • Recognizing the foundational role of configuration management
  • Grasping the transition from process-centric to value-centric thinking

Use Cases

This visualization is valuable for:

  • ITIL Training: Teaching the traditional ITIL framework structure
  • IT Operations: Understanding how operational processes relate to the CMDB
  • Configuration Management: Explaining why configuration data is central
  • System Design: Planning IT service management tool implementations
  • Evolution Studies: Comparing traditional ITIL to modern graph-based approaches

Technical Details

  • Built with p5.js v1.11.1
  • Data-driven from data.json configuration file
  • Interactive hover detection for process descriptions
  • Responsive canvas that adapts to window size
  • Accessible with ARIA labels

File Structure

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itil-framework-diagram/
├── data.json       - Process definitions and colors
├── script.js       - P5.js visualization logic
├── main.html       - HTML wrapper
└── index.md        - Documentation (this file)

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