RPR is a problem diagnosis method specifically designed to determine the Root Cause A root cause is an initiating cause of a causal chain which leads to an outcome or effect of interest. Commonly, root cause is used to describe the depth in the causal chain where an intervention could reasonably be implemented to change performance and prevent an undesirable outcome of IT problems.
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Overview
RPR (Rapid Problem Resolution) deals with failures, incorrect output and performance issues, and its particular strengths are in the diagnosis of ongoing & recurring grey problems Although ITIL Service Operations implies that grey problems should be handled through the Problem Management function such problems are not directly recognised. In practice, even those IT organisations that have adopted ITIL rarely have a procedure to handle a grey problem, leaving it to bounce between Technical Support Teams as each denies that . The method comprises:
- Core Process
- Supporting Techniques
The Core Process defines a step-by-step approach to problem diagnosis and has three phases:
- Discover
- Gather & review existing information
- Reach an agreed understanding
- Investigate
- Create & execute a diagnostic data capture plan
- Analyse the results & iterate if necessary
- Identify Root Cause
- Fix
- Translate diagnostic data
- Determine & implement fix
- Confirm Root Cause addressed
The Supporting Techniques detail how the objectives of the Core Process steps are achieved, and cite examples using tools and techniques that are available in every business.
Standards alignment
RPR has been fully aligned with ITIL v3 since RPR 2.01 was released in April 2008. RPR fits directly into the ITIL v3 Problem Management Process The Information Technology Infrastructure Library is a set of concepts and policies for managing Information Technology (IT) services (ITSM), developments and operations as a sub-process. Some organisations handle ongoing recurring problems within Incident Management, and RPR also fits into the ITIL v3 Incident Management Process Incident Management is an IT Service Management (ITSM) process area. The first goal of the incident management process is to restore a normal service operation as quickly as possible and to minimize the impact on business operations, thus ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. 'Normal service as a sub-process.
COBIT The Control Objectives for Information and related Technology is a set of best practices (framework) for information technology (IT) management created by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and the IT Governance Institute (ITGI) in 1996. COBIT provides managers, auditors, and IT users with a set of generally accepted also defines a Problem Management Process (DS10) with key activity of Perform root cause analysis. RPR is a superset of this step in that it defines a process that covers all of the activities needed to perform Problem investigation & diagnosis, including Root Cause identification.
Limitations
RPR has some limitations and considerations, including:
- RPR deals with a single symptom at a time
- RPR is not a forensic technique and so historical data alone is rarely sufficient
- The Investigate phase requires the user to experience the problem one more time
History
The method was originally developed by Advance7 in 1990 as the Rapid Problem Resolution Method, with the first fully documented version produced in 1995. Early versions included problem management guidance but this was removed over time as the method became more closely aligned to ITIL. RPR is now focused on Problem Diagnosis based on Root Cause Identification. Due to the highly practical nature of the Supporting Techniques and the ever changing IT landscape, Advance7 continues to develop RPR to keep it relevant to current IT environments.
Until November 2007 Advance7 made the RPR material available to its employees only, although a limited number of other IT professionals had been trained in the use of the method. In late 2007 the company announced its intention to make RPR training and material more widely available.
In March 2009 the TSO added a significant amount of RPR information to the ITIL Best Practice Live website within the areas dealing with Problem Management.
See also
- ITIL v3 Problem Management The Information Technology Infrastructure Library is a set of concepts and policies for managing Information Technology (IT) services (ITSM), developments and operations
- ITIL v3 Incident Management Incident Management is an IT Service Management (ITSM) process area. The first goal of the incident management process is to restore a normal service operation as quickly as possible and to minimize the impact on business operations, thus ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. 'Normal service
- COBIT The Control Objectives for Information and related Technology is a set of best practices (framework) for information technology (IT) management created by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and the IT Governance Institute (ITGI) in 1996. COBIT provides managers, auditors, and IT users with a set of generally accepted
Further reading
Categories: Information technology management Categories: Project management | Information technology | Management | Problem solving Categories: Cognition | Problems | Philosophical problems | Innovation | Critical thinking
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