“Service Support” Configuration Management · PDF fileThe Basic activities of Configuration Management (ITIL) are as follows: Planning - Planning and defining the purpose, scope,

ITIL Configuration Management - 1version 2.0© 2005 Kasse Initiatives, LLC

““Service Support”Service Support”

ConfigurationConfigurationManagementManagement


Goals of ConfigurationGoals of ConfigurationManagementManagement

�The goals of Configuration Management areto:�Account for all the IT assets and configurations

within the organisation and its services�Provide accurate information on configurations and

their documentation to support all the other ServiceManagement processes

�Provide a sound basis for Incident Management,Problem Management, Change Management andRelease Management

�Verify the configuration records against theinfrastructure and correct any exceptions


ConfigurationConfigurationManagement ObjectivesManagement Objectives

�Detailed objectives for ConfigurationManagement should include:�Providing everyone working in Service

Management and support with correct andaccurate information on the present configurationswith their physical and functional specifications

�Defining and documenting the procedures andworking practices to be followed

�Identifying, labelling and recording the names andversions of the CIs that make up the IT services,infrastructure and their relationships (RD)

�Controlling and storing definitive, authorised andtrusted (CMMI – Masters) copies of specifications,documentation and software


Configuration ManagementConfiguration ManagementObjectivesObjectives -- 22

�Reporting the current status and history of all itemson the IT infrastructure

�Ensuring that all Changes to CIs are recorded assoon as practicable

�Tracking and reconciling the actual state of the ITinfrastructure against the authorised configurationrecords and data

�Educating and training the organisation in thecontrol processes

�Reporting metrics on CIs, Changes and Releases�Auditing and reporting exceptions to infrastructure

standards and Configuration Managementprocedures


Scope of ConfigurationScope of ConfigurationManagementManagement


Scope of ConfigurationScope of ConfigurationManagementManagement

�Configuration Management covers theidentification, recording, and reporting of ITcomponents, including their versions,constituent components and relationships(CMMI – Identification, Baselining, StatusAccounting)

�Items that should be under the control ofConfiguration Management include hardware,software and associated documentation


Scope of ConfigurationScope of ConfigurationManagementManagement -- 22

�The Basic activities of ConfigurationManagement (ITIL) are as follows:�Planning - Planning and defining the purpose,

scope, objectives, policies and procedures, and theorganisational and technical context, forConfiguration Management

�Identification - Selecting and identifying theconfiguration structures for all the infrastructure’sCIs, including their ‘owner’, their interrelationshipsand configuration documentation� It includes allocating identifiers and version

numbers for CIs, labelling each item, andentering it on the Configuration managementdatabase (CMDB).



�Control - Ensuring that only authorised and identifiable CIsare accepted and recorded, from receipt to disposal� It ensures that no CI is added, modified, replaced or

removed without appropriate controlling documentation,e.g. an approved Change request, and an updatedspecification

�Status Accounting - The reporting of all current andhistorical data concerned with each CI throughout its lifecycle. This enables Changes to CIs and their records to betraceable� e.g. tracking the status of a CI as it changes from one

state to another for instance ‘under development’, ‘beingtested’, ‘live’, or ‘withdrawn’

�Verification and Audit - A series of reviews and audits thatverify the physical existence of CIs and check that they arecorrectly recorded in the Configuration Management System(CMMI – CMS)



�Configuration Management is responsible forincorporating new and updated productdeliverables by interfacing directly with:�Systems development

�Testing

�Change Management

�Release Management


ConfigurationConfigurationIdentificationIdentification


ConfigurationConfigurationIdentificationIdentification

�Configuration Identification is the selection,identification and labelling of the configurationstructures and CIs, including their respective ‘owner’and the relationships between them

�CIs may be hardware, software or documentation andinclude:�Services�Servers�Environment�Equipment�Network components�Desktops�Mobile units�Applications�Licences�Telecommunication services�Facilities


ConfigurationConfigurationIdentificationIdentification -- 22

�Configuration identification includes allocatingidentifiers for CIs

�Other records and data associated with a CIinclude:�Incidents�Known errors�Problems�Corporate data about employees�Suppliers�Locations�Business units�Procedures


SummarySummary

�Businesses require quality IT servicesprovided economically

�To be efficient and effective, all organisationsneed to control their IT infrastructure andservices

�Configuration Management provides a logicalmodel of the infrastructure or a service

Documents

“Service Support” Configuration Management · PDF fileThe Basic activities of Configuration Management (ITIL) are as follows: Planning - Planning and defining the purpose, scope,