PROBLEM MANAGEMENT (Detailed Notes with
Real-World Examples)
1■■ What is Problem Management (PM)?
Problem Management is an ITIL process used to identify and remove the *root causes* of recurring
incidents in IT services. While incident management restores services quickly, problem
management focuses on preventing the same issue from happening again.
■ Example: If users face frequent Wi-Fi disconnections every morning, problem management
investigates and finds a scheduled router reboot at 9 AM as the cause.
2■■ Problem, Known Error, and Workaround
Problem: The unknown cause behind one or more incidents.
Known Error: A problem that has been analyzed and whose root cause is known but not yet fixed.
Workaround: A temporary solution to reduce the impact until a permanent fix is implemented.
■ Example: Email service stops daily. Restarting the mail server is a workaround. Root cause
found: scheduled antivirus scan causing overload (known error).
3■■ Objectives of Problem Management
1 Prevent incidents from recurring
2 Minimize the impact of incidents that can’t be avoided
3 Detect and remove underlying causes of issues
4 Enhance service quality and reliability
■ Example: In a hospital IT system, recurring software crashes are traced to outdated modules,
leading to an update that stops future failures.
4■■ Proactive vs Reactive Problem Management
Reactive PM: Deals with problems after incidents occur.
Proactive PM: Identifies potential issues before they cause incidents.
■ Examples:
- Reactive: Server crashes → Root cause found → Fix applied.
- Proactive: Monitoring reveals rising memory use → Preventive patch applied before crash.
5■■ Problem Management Activities
1 Detection – Identify recurring incidents.
2 Logging – Record details for tracking.
3 Diagnosis – Analyze data to find root cause.
4 Workaround – Implement temporary solution if needed.
5 Error Control – Manage and fix known errors.
6 Closure – Verify fix and update documentation.
■ Example: Repeated network failure traced to faulty switch; replaced permanently after
workaround restores service.
6■■ MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures)
MTBF measures how long a service runs smoothly before failing again. It's used to assess reliability
and plan maintenance schedules.
■ Example: A company’s mail server runs for 400 hours before the next failure. MTBF = 400 hours.
7■■ Roles and Responsibilities in PM
1 Problem Manager – Owns the process, ensures RCA and documentation.
2 Technical Teams – Analyze and fix root causes.
3 Service Desk – Detect and log recurring issues.
4 Change Manager – Approves permanent fixes.
■ Example: During repeated VPN failures, the Service Desk logs it, Technical Team diagnoses it,
and Change Manager approves network upgrade.
8■■ Trend Analysis
Trend Analysis reviews historical data to identify patterns or repeating issues. It’s crucial for
proactive problem management.
■ Example: Trend report shows login errors spike after system updates — the team improves
pre-update testing.
9■■ DPM (Definitive Problem Management)
DPM ensures every problem follows a documented, repeatable process for accurate analysis,
resolution, and reporting.
■ Example: In an IT outsourcing firm, all major problems are handled through a DPM tool that logs
RCA, actions, and approvals.
■ 10■■ RCA (Root Cause Analysis)
RCA is a systematic process used to find the true cause of a problem, not just its symptoms. The
goal is to implement a permanent fix.
■ Example: A company finds that frequent data loss was caused not by the backup software but by
an overloaded storage device.
11■■ RCA Techniques
1 5 Whys – Ask 'Why?' repeatedly to reach root cause.
2 Fishbone Diagram – Visual tool showing causes (People, Process, Technology, etc.).
3 Pareto Analysis – Focus on top 20% causes that trigger 80% issues.
4 Fault Tree Analysis – Diagram showing logical relationships of causes.
■ Example (5 Whys):
1. Why is the website down? → Server crashed.
2. Why did it crash? → Memory full.
3. Why was memory full? → Log file too large.
4. Why is log file large? → No auto-cleanup script.
5. Root Cause: Missing log maintenance policy.
■ Real-World Example: Banking System Outage
A major bank experiences frequent outages in its online portal every Friday night.
1■■ Service Desk logs each incident.
2■■ Problem Manager initiates investigation.
3■■ Technical Team discovers a weekly report consuming high server resources.
4■■ Workaround: Delay report generation to off-peak hours.
5■■ Permanent Fix: Optimize the report query.
■ Result: Outages stop completely and customer satisfaction increases.