My first published book - inviting reviewers

My first book is now published and I am inviting honest reviews for the same. The promoters are offering specimen copies to interested people/group in exchange for their opinion/review/feedback. Such reviews could be published on consumer websites, and the reviewer's blog or website, if any. Please let me know, if you would be interested for the same.

 The book is available on below sites (The hyperlinks take you to the book):

Packt Pub

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Safari Books

Oreilly

The book is available both in paperback and ebook format. You could also download sample chapters in PDF format.

Book Details

Language : English
Paperback : 114 pages [ 235mm x 191mm ]
Release Date : September 2013
ISBN : 1849696640
ISBN 13 : 9781849696647

Overview:

• Learn to quickly set up and effectively use day-to-day IT services
• Understand the vital terminologies in a simplified manner
• Learn to swiftly deal with issues and resolve recurring problems
• Keep track of your assets and plan for safer changes
• Use the tool with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions to achieve your milestones

What you will learn from this book

• Get to grips with the prerequisites and process flows for managing helpdesk activities
• Set up ITIL processes easily and quickly in your team/organization
• Understand the purpose, objective, and scope of the core processes
• Discover and manage IT assets, purchase orders, and contracts
• Control changes and deploy successful releases
• Manage the Knowledge base, create reports, and schedule backups
• Resolve incidents quickly and minimize adverse impact, while avoiding the recurrence of issues
• Meet the challenges and minimize risks in maintaining a successful service desk

In Detail

IT service management (ITSM) refers to the implementation and management of quality IT services that meet the needs of your business. ServiceDesk Plus is an integrated web-based helpdesk tool that assists you in planning, setting up, and achieving the timely execution of IT services efficiently.

ServiceDesk Plus 8.x Essentials is a practical, hands-on guide that walks you through the features of ServiceDesk Plus 8.x to help you set up and manage day-to-day IT services. The book also helps you to understand and practice the ITIL methodologies while using the tool for daily operations.

ServiceDesk Plus 8.x Essentials conceptualizes the ITIL framework and takes you through the core processes and their implementation in ServiceDesk Plus 8.x in an easy and practical manner.

The book will also help you to learn the process flows and manage incidents, problems, assets, and configurations while understanding the scope and responsibilities of the helpdesk. It also takes you through controlling changes and releases and highlights the features of the tools. If you need a concise handbook for a complete understanding of the metrics, challenges and risks of ITSM, then you have found the right book.

With ServiceDesk Plus 8.x Essentials, you will learn everything you need to know to administer and manage IT services using ServiceDesk Plus, while making ITIL concepts practical and fun.

Approach

This is a practical, hands-on guide that assists you in setting up and efficiently managing ITSM.

Who this book is for

ServiceDesk Plus 8.x Essentials is for IT helpdesk managers, administrators, and staff, serving as a compendium for service management concepts useful for them.

Table of Contents

Preface
Chapter 1: Conceptualizing IT Service Management
Chapter 2: Managing Incidents and Problems
Chapter 3: Managing Assets and Configuration
Chapter 4: Controlling Changes and Releases
Chapter 5: Service Desk – Where the Value Is Realized
Chapter 6: Making Life Easier – Handy Features
Index

• Preface

Up

• Chapter 1: Conceptualizing IT Service Management
• Understanding IT Service Management (ITSM)
• Differentiating between process and function
• Differentiating between Service Level Agreement (SLA) and Operational Level Agreement (OLA)
• Differentiating between Service Portfolio and Service Catalog
• Deleting a Service Category
• Summary

Up

• Chapter 2: Managing Incidents and Problems
• Understanding the purpose, objective, and scope of Incident and Problem Management
• Understanding Incident Management
• Understanding Problem Management
• Stipulating the requirements for Incident and Problem Management
• Understanding the IPM process flow
• Implementing the Incident Management process flow
• Step 1 – identifying and logging incidents
• Step 2 – categorizing incidents
• Step 3 – prioritizing incidents
• Step 4 – diagnosing incidents
• Step 5 – escalating incidents
• Step 6 – resolving and recovering from the incident
• Step 7 – closing the incident
• Implementing the Problem Management process flow
• Step 1 – detecting the problem
• Step 2 – logging the problem
• Step 3 – categorizing the problem
• Step 4 – prioritizing the problem
• Step 5 – investigating and diagnosing the problem
• Step 6 – resolving and closing the problem
• Establishing the roles and responsibilities of ServiceDesk Plus
• Assessing risks and identifying metrics
• Summary

Up

• Chapter 3: Managing Assets and Configuration
• Understanding the purpose, objective, and scope of IT Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM)
• Managing assets via the Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
• Step 1 – deciding and configuring CI Types
• Step 2 – populating CIs
• Method 1 – using a CSV file
• Method 2 – adding new CIs manually
• Method 3 – Windows Domain Scan
• Method 4 – Network Scan
• Method 5 – importing from the Active Directory
• Step 3 – creating the Information Model
• Managing Software Assets
• Tracking software and licenses
• Managing purchase orders
• Managing contracts
• Summary

Up

• Chapter 4: Controlling Changes and Releases
• Understanding the purpose, objective, and scope of Change and Release Management
• Understanding the process flow
• Implementing the Change Management process flow
• Step 1 – creating and recording the RFC
• Step 2 – reviewing the RFC
• Step 3 – assessing and evaluating the change
• Step 4 – authorizing changes
• Step 5 – coordinating implementation
• Step 6 – performing a post-implementation review
• Step 7 – closing the Change Record
• Implementing the Release Management process flow
• Step 1 – planning the release
• Step 2 – preparing for build, test, and deployment
• Step 3 – building and testing
• Step 4 – testing service and pilots
• Step 5 – preparing for deployment
• Step 6 – performing deployment
• Step 7 – verifying
• Step 8 – offering early-life support
• Step 9 – reviewing and closing the record
• Establishing the roles and responsibilities of the service desk
• Assessing risks and identifying metrics
• Summary

Up

• Chapter 5: Service Desk – Where the Value Is Realized
• Service desk – the visible face of the business
• Establishing the critical roles and responsibilities
• Managing events
• Raising event notifications
• Comparing event correlations
• Managing incidents
• Managing problems
• Fulfilling service requests
• Managing access
• Other processes
• Understanding the value-adding responsibilities
• Understanding Knowledge Management
• Generating reports
• Using predefined ServiceDesk Plus reports
• Using custom reports
• Using query reports
• Using flash reports
• Using scheduled reports
• Managing the administrative and housekeeping tasks
• Understanding the challenges, critical success factors, and risks
• Understanding the challenges
• Understanding the critical success factors
• Assessing risks
• Summary

Up

• Chapter 6: Making Life Easier – Handy Features
• Revisiting the knowledge base
• Using the remote control
• Controlling with e-mail commands
• Archiving data for housekeeping
• Conducting user surveys
• Summary

Up

• Index