The processes involved in configuring, deploying, and managing IT resources and services for users or applications is a critical element of modern infrastructure management. This encompasses the allocation and maintenance of various components, including servers, storage, network resources, software, and access rights, ensuring these are readily available and properly configured to meet specific demands. An example of this process is automatically creating a user account, allocating storage space, and granting necessary application access when a new employee joins an organization.
Its importance lies in automating and streamlining the delivery of IT resources, reducing manual effort, improving efficiency, and ensuring consistency across the infrastructure. Historically, these processes were manual and time-consuming, often leading to errors and delays. The advent of automation and orchestration tools has transformed how resources are delivered, allowing for greater agility and scalability. The benefits are numerous, encompassing reduced operational costs, improved resource utilization, enhanced security, and faster response times to changing business needs.