Configuration Management process overview

The Configuration Management process ensures that selected components of a complete IT service, system, or product (the Configuration Item) are identified, baselined, and maintained and that changes to them are controlled. It provides a Configuration model of the services, assets, and infrastructure by recording the relationships between service assets and Configuration Items. It also ensures that releases into controlled environments and operational use are completed on the basis of formal approvals. It provides a configuration model of the services, assets, and infrastructure by recording the relationships between service assets and Configuration Items (CIs).

Configuration Management may cover non-IT assets, work products used to develop the services, and Configuration Items required to support the services that are not formally classified as assets. Any component that requires management to deliver an IT Service is considered part of the scope of Configuration Management.

The asset management portion of this process manages service assets across the whole service life cycle, from acquisition to disposal. It also provides a complete inventory of assets and the associated owners responsible for their control.

The Configuration Management portion of this process maintains information about any CI required to deliver an IT service, including its relationships. This information is managed throughout the life cycle of the CI. The objective of Configuration Management is to define and control the components of an IT service and its infrastructure, and to maintain accurate configuration information.

The Configuration Management process manages service assets to support other Service Management processes. Effective Configuration Management facilitates greater system availability, minimizes production issues, and resolves issues more efficiently.

The Configuration Management process ensures that selected components of a complete IT service, system, or product (the Configuration Item) are identified, baselined, and maintained and that changes to them are controlled. It also ensures that releases into controlled environments and operational use are completed on the basis of formal approvals.

Configuration Management comprises five basic activities. The Configuration Management process encompasses all of these activities and ensures that assets are tracked and monitored effectively. The basic activities within the scope of Configuration Management are:

• Configuration Management Planning (process ST 3.1) — includes the activities that enable you to plan the function, scope, and objectives of Service Manager for your organization.
• Configuration Identification (process ST 3.2) — includes the activities that enable you to identify and label all of your company’s existing IT components. The information you track includes asset identification, contact, asset network relationship, and model or version data. Enter this information into the database.
• Inventory maintenance
  • Configuration Control (process ST 3.3) — includes the activities that enable you to ensure that all information regarding your IT components is kept up to date and accurate. Components can be added, modified, or removed only through controlling documentation, such as an approved Request for Change (RFC).
  • Master data management (process ST 3.6) — includes the activities that enable you to reconcile master reference data managed in other administrations.
• Configuration Status Accounting and Reporting (process ST 3.4) — includes the activities that enable you to run reports of the current and historical data that is concerned with each IT component throughout its life cycle. Status accounting makes changes to components that can be tracked.
• Configuration Verification and Audit (process ST 3.5) — includes the activities that enable you to check and verify physical existence of IT components and ensure that they are correctly recorded in the database.

A general overview of the Configuration Management processes and workflows is depicted in the figure below. They are described in detail in Configuration Management Workflows.