R.I.P. FCAPS
Sunday, October 14th, 2007The FCAPS model has been a big part of network management for well over a decade. For those unfamiliar with FCAPS, the letters stand for Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security, the basic functions envisioned for network management that were then formalized by the ITU in 1997. I can recall FCAPS discussion long before 1997. It became a near-biblical reference in networking circles, as we all struggled to deal with the management of this new bit of complexity. All networking decisions came to include FCAPS in the process.
Times change, and so has the focus on such operational best practices. ITIL is now the model in vogue, so FCAPS has waned in importance. Both are viable perspectives of service management, but ITIL’s broader appeal and widespread development have propelled it over FCAPS.