Application Services Library: Difference between revisions

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The '''Application Services Library''' ('''ASL''') is a [[public ___domain]] framework of [[best practices]] used to [[standardization|standardize]] [[business process|processes]] within [[application management|Application Management]], the discipline of producing and maintaining [[information system]]s and [[application software|applications]]. The term "library" is used because ASL is presented as a set of books describing best practices from the [[Information Technology|IT]] industry.

ASL is closely related to the frameworks [[ITIL]] (for [[IT Service Management]]) and [[Business Information Services Library|BiSL]] (for [[Information Management]] and [[Functional Management]]) and to the [[Capability Maturity Model]] (CMM).

The ''' Application Services Library''' (ASL) is a [[public ___domain]] [[standardization|standard]], which describes a standard for processes within [[Application Management]] (the discipline of producing and maintaining information systems and applications).

The ASL framework was developed because ITIL proved inadequate for Application Management.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}} At that time, ITIL lacked specific guidance for application design, development, maintenance and support. Newer ITIL versions, particularly [[ITIL#Overview of ITIL 2007 edition|V3]], have increasingly addressed the Application Development and Application Management domains; the ASL BiSL Foundation has published a white paper comparing ITIL v3 and ASL.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://aslbislfoundation.org/nl/?wpfb_dl=635|title = Home - DIDFOUNDATION}}</ref>

This standard was developed in the [[Netherlands]], and is related to [[Information Technology Infrastructure Library|ITIL]], [[Business Information Services Library|BiSL]] and [[Capability Maturity Model|CMM]]. It is described in several books and articles (most of them only available in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]), as well as on the official website of the ASL Foundation.

ASL was developed in the late nineties in the [[Netherlands]], originally as the proprietary R2C model, which evolved into ASL in 2000. In 2001 it was donated by the IT [[Service Provider]] [[PinkRoccade]] to the ASL Foundation, now the ASL BiSL Foundation. The version [[#Structure of ASL2|ASL2]] was published in 2009.

The standard was developed because of the inability to strucure the way of working of Application Management by only using the ITIL framework. ITIL is very useful at the operational level, at the level of infrastructure management, but lack support for application design and development. For application management ASL was defined, for Functional Management BiSL was defined.

==Purpose==

The ASLASL2 is intended to support applicationApplication managementManagement by providing tools.{{fact|date=November 2024}} Two main categories of aids are defined:

* Descriptions of the processes for applicationApplication management.Management Plusand the use of best-practises

* Standardized terminology to avoid confusion

*Standard terminology, avoiding the pitfall of talking about different topics while using the same words.

==Structure of ASLASL2==

The goal of ASL is to assist in the professionalisation of application management.

{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2024}}

ASLASL2 contains six3 levels, 6 clusters of processes, three(3 on the operational level, one1 on the tactical level, and two2 on the strategic level) and a totality of 26 processes.

==Structure of ASL==

ASL contains six clusters of processes, three on the operational level, one on the tactical level and two on the strategic level.

===Operational level===

====Application Support cluster====

[[Maintenance]]

There are five4 processes within the clusterApplication maintenanceSupport cluster. MaintenanceThe isprocesses in the mostService importantOrganisation cluster, because these processes support the daily use of the information systems. The processes in this cluster are: incident management, continuity management, capacity management, availabilty management and configuration management. These processes ar defined in the ITIL framework as wel. The processes are similar, but are viewed from an other standpoint, therefor the activities in each of these processes may differ from the activities in the ITIL-environment.

* Use Support

* [[Organisation CycleConfiguration Management]]

* IT Operation Management

* Continuity Management

These processes have as well been defined in the ITIL framework. The processes are similar, but are viewed from another point of view{{which|date=November 2024}}, therefore the activities in each of these processes may differ from the activities in an ITIL-environment.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

====Application Maintenance and Renewal cluster====

[[Enhancement and renovation]]

There are 5 processes within the Application Maintenance and Renewal cluster. Within this cluster the majority of the work of applicationApplication developmentDevelopment is done. A major part of the work of applicationApplication managementManagement deals with designing, [[Mathematical programming|programming]] and testing applications and information systems.{{fact|date=November 2024}} Processes are impact analysis, design, realization, testing and implementation.:

*[[Change impact analysis|Impact analysis]]

<br>These processes are not described at all in the ITIL framework, but do have their counterparts in BiSL, the model for functional management.

*[[Design]]

*Realization

*[[Software testing|Testing]]

*[[Implementation]]

<br>These processes are not described at all in the ITIL V1 framework, but do have their counterparts in BiSL, the model for functionalInformation management / Functional Management.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

[[====Connecting processes]]Processes Operational Level cluster====

There are 2 processes within the Connecting Processes Operational Level cluster. The connecting processes aim at the synchronisation of the activities between maintenanceService Organisation/operations (the use ofusing the applications) and development/change and maintenance (changing the applications). The two processes included are: change management and software control & distribution or release management.

* [[Change Management]]

* Software Control and Distribution

===TacticalManagement level===

[[Management processes]]

====Management Processes cluster====

The processes in this cluster are used in the management of the activities within the clusters on the operational level. Processes are quality management, service level management, cost management and planning & control.

There are 5 processes within the Management Processes cluster. The processes in this cluster are used in the management of the activities within the clusters on the operational level. ProcessesThe processes are qualitylocated management,on servicethe leveltactical managementlevel, costare managementused andfor planningsteering &the controloperational processes. The processes included are:

* [[Contract Management]]

* Planning and Control

* [[Quality Management]]

* [[Financial Management]]

* Supplier Management

===Strategic level===

[[Application Cycle management]]

====Application Strategy cluster====

Applications exist much longer than expected. Systems, functionality, concepts and structure of information systems remains stable over many years. This knowledge is rarely used. It is important that, while maintaining and enhancing systems, there is a clear view needed what the demands are in the future, and based on that, what and how the future of these applications should look like.

This view is created within the cluster application cycle management, with processes like life cycle management, information portfolio management, customer organisation strategy, customer environment strategy and ICT developments strategy.

There are 5 processes within the Application Strategy cluster. Applications existlive muchfor longer than expected. Systems, functionality, concepts and structure of information systems remainsremain stable over many years. This knowledge is rarely used. It is important that, while maintaining and enhancing systems, there is a clear view needed what the demands are in the future, and based on that, what and how the future of these applications should look like.

[[Organisation Cycle Management]]

This view, the application management strategies, is created within the cluster Application Strategy. The processes in this cluster are:

*IT Developments Strategy

*Customer Organizations Strategy

*Customer Environment Strategy

[[*Application Life Cycle management]]Management

*[[Application Portfolio Management]]

====Application Management Organization Strategy cluster====

Also the future of the application management organisation, with aspects as skills and capabilities, markets and customers, is very important. Creating a strategy on this future is the aim of Organization Cycle Management, with processes as account definition, market definition, skills definition and service delivery definition

There are 5 processes within the Application Management Organization Strategy cluster. Also the future of the Application Management organisation, with aspects as skills and capabilities, markets and customers, is very important. Creating the organisation management strategies for this is the aim of Application Management Organization Strategy cluster. Processes in this cluster include:

==Information==

*Account and Market Definition

*Capabilities Definition

*Technology Definition

*Supplier Definition

*Service Delivery Definition

==ASL2 Maturity Model==

For more information, many articles, best practises and information is (free) available at the website of the ASLFoundation.

{{expand section|date=November 2024}}

There is also ASL2 Maturity Model with 5 levels of process maturity:

*Level 1 - Initial

*Level 2 - Repeatable

*Level 3 - Defined and managed

*Level 4 - Optimizing

*Level 5 - Chain

==References==

<references />

*ASL 2 - A Framework for Application Management (book on ASL v2, {{ISBN|978-9087533137}}, 2011)

*ASL 2 Self-assessment (book on ASL v2, {{ISBN|978-9087537401}}, 2014)

*ASL 2: A Pocket Guide (book on ASL v2, {{ISBN|978-9087536435}}, 2013)

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140512220935/http://www.pink-library.com/Player/eKnowledge/2013-01_white_paper_-_asl_2_an_introduction_-_machteld_meijer_and_louk_peters.pdf ASL 2, An introduction]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140512224526/http://www.aslbislfoundation.org/nl/asl/publicaties/whitepapers/doc_download/334-2008-januari--alignment-white-paper-itilr-v3-and-asl ITIL® v3 and ASL - Sound Guidance for Application Management and Application Development]

==External links==

*[http://www.aslfoundationaslbislfoundation.org/ Official ASL BiSL Foundation website]

==References==

*[http://www.aslfoundation.org/ ASL Foundation website]

[[Category:Information technology management]]

[[Category:InformationIT technologyservice management]]

[[nl:ASL-beheermethodiek]]

[[Category:Public ___domain]]