ITIL Capacity Management

Chapter 9. Relate Capacity and Performance

One of the difficulties in managing capacity is that computer systems operate so quickly. There may be plenty of capacity one moment, but then a process runs amok or a virus takes over and suddenly all the available capacity is used up. Thus far we’ve ignored the dynamic nature of capacity management, but now we address it directly. This chapter helps you understand the similarities and differences between capacity and performance.

As you’ve learned, capacity management aims to have just the right amount of computing resources available when they are needed. Capacity managers tend to focus on the “when” part of that equation, forecasting over the long term when resources run out, and implementing plans ...