Hardware configuration management

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Merge arrow
 It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into configuration management. (Discuss)

Configuration management is the process of creating and maintaining an up-to-date record of all the components of the infrastructure, including related documentation. Its purpose is to show what makes up the infrastructure and illustrate the physical locations and links between each item, known as configuration items(CI).

Configuration management is more than just the recording of computer hardware for the purpose of asset management, although it can be used to maintain asset information. The extra value provided by configuration management is the rich source of support information it provides consistently to all interested parties. This information is stored together in the configuration management database(CMDB).

The scope of configuration management is assumed to include all configuration items (CIs) used in the provision of live, operational services, as a minimum set.

Configuration management provides direct control over IT assets and improves the ability of the service provider to deliver quality IT services in an economic and effective manner. Configuration management should work closely with change management.

All components of the IT infrastructure should be registered in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The responsibilities of configuration management with regard to the CMDB are:

  • identification
  • control
  • status accounting
  • verification.

The scope of configuration management is assumed to include:

  • physical client and server hardware products and versions
  • operating system software products and versions
  • application development software products and versions
  • technical architecture product sets and versions as they are defined and introduced
  • live documentation
  • networking products and versions
  • live application products and versions
  • definitions of packages of software releases
  • definitions of hardware base configurations
  • configuration item standards and definitions.

The benefits of Configuration Management are : helps to minimize the impact of changes provides accurate information on CIs improves security by controlling the versions of CIs in use facilitates adherence to legal obligations helps in financial & expenditure planning

~ITSMF website(Official website of ITIL,Srithika