Configuration Management (ITSM)

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Configuration Management (CM) is an ITIL version 2 and an IT service management (ITSM) process that tracks all of the individual configuration items (CI) in an IT system which may be as simple as a single server, or as complex as the entire IT department. In large organizations a configuration manager may be appointed to oversee and manage the CM process. In ITIL version 3, this process has been renamed as Service Asset and Configuration Management.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Configuration management</span> Process for maintaining consistency of a product attributes with its design

Configuration management (CM) is a systems engineering process for establishing and maintaining consistency of a product's performance, functional, and physical attributes with its requirements, design, and operational information throughout its life. The CM process is widely used by military engineering organizations to manage changes throughout the system lifecycle of complex systems, such as weapon systems, military vehicles, and information systems. Outside the military, the CM process is also used with IT service management as defined by ITIL, and with other domain models in the civil engineering and other industrial engineering segments such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings.

Information technology service management (ITSM) are the activities performed by an organization to design, build, deliver, operate and control information technology (IT) services offered to customers.

Change management is an IT service management discipline. The objective of change management in this context is to ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of all changes to control IT infrastructure, in order to minimize the number and impact of any related incidents upon service. Changes in the IT infrastructure may arise reactively in response to problems or externally imposed requirements, e.g. legislative changes, or proactively from seeking improved efficiency and effectiveness or to enable or reflect business initiatives, or from programs, projects or service improvement initiatives.

Software deployment is all of the activities that make a software system available for use.

The Application Services Library (ASL) is a public domain framework of best practices used to standardize processes within Application Management, the discipline of producing and maintaining information systems and applications. The term "library" is used because ASL is presented as a set of books describing best practices from the IT industry.

Microsoft Servers is a discontinued brand that encompasses Microsoft software products for server computers. This includes the Windows Server editions of the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as products targeted at the wider business market. Microsoft has since replaced this brand with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Windows 365.

A configuration management database (CMDB) is an ITIL term for a database used by an organization to store information about hardware and software assets. It is useful to break down configuration items into logical layers. This database acts as a data warehouse for the organization and also stores information regarding the relationships among its assets. The CMDB provides a means of understanding the organization's critical assets and their relationships, such as information systems, upstream sources or dependencies of assets, and the downstream targets of assets.

Incident management (IM) is an IT service management (ITSM) process area. The first goal of the incident management process is to restore a normal service operation as quickly as possible and to minimize the impact on business operations, thus ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. 'Normal service operation' is defined here as service operation within service-level agreement (SLA). It is one process area within the broader ITIL and ISO 20000 environment.

Infra Corporation is a division of EMC Corporation that produces infraEnterprise, which is a multi-tier web-based IT Service Management software tool. The software is based on ITIL and it implements a number of ITIL processes, including Service Desk management, Change Management, Release Management, Configuration Management, Availability Management and Service Level Management. The tool also includes a knowledge base module, which complies with principles of Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS).

A change-advisory board (CAB) delivers support to a change-management team by advising on requested changes, assisting in the assessment and prioritization of changes. This body is generally made up of IT and Business representatives that include: a change manager, user managers and groups, product owners, technical experts, and possible third parties and customers.

An ITIL Visual Configuration Management Database is a series of spreadsheet applications that integrates the CMDB with Change Management and Service Level Management. A Visual CMDB provides a unified view of IT infrastructure in a visual representation. This common view is a cornerstone for implementing a successful Configuration Management process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Release management</span> Process of software building

Release management is the process of managing, planning, scheduling and controlling a software build through different stages and environments; it includes testing and deploying software releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Definitive media library</span>

A definitive media library is a secure information technology repository in which an organisation's definitive, authorised versions of software media are stored and protected. Before an organisation releases any new or changed application software into its operational environment, any such software should be fully tested and quality assured. The definitive media library provides the storage area for software objects ready for deployment and should only contain master copies of controlled software media configuration items (CIs) that have passed appropriate quality assurance checks, typically including both procured and bespoke application and gold build source code and executables. In the context of the ITIL best practice framework, the term definitive media library supersedes the term definitive software library referred to prior to version ITIL v3.

ISO 10007 "Quality management — Guidelines for configuration management" is the ISO standard that gives guidance on the use of configuration management within an organization. "It is applicable to the support of products from concept to disposal." The standard was originally published in 1995, and was updated in 2003 and 2017. Its guidance is specifically recommended for meeting "the product identification and traceability requirements" introduced in ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100 Rev D.

Granular configuration automation (GCA) is a specialized area in the field of configuration management which focuses on visibility and control of an IT environment's configuration and bill-of-material at the most granular level. This framework focuses on improving the stability of IT environments by analyzing granular information. It responds to the requirement to determine a threat level of an environment risk, and to allow IT organizations to focus on those risks with the highest impact on performance. Granular configuration automation combines two major trends in configuration management: the move to collect detailed and comprehensive environment information and the growing utilization of automation tools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZENworks</span> System management software

ZENworks, a suite of software products developed and maintained by OpenText for computer systems management, aims to manage the entire life cycle of servers, of desktop PCs, of laptops, and of handheld devices such as Android and iOS mobile phones and tablets. As of 2011 Novell planned to include Full Disk Encryption (FDE) functionality within ZENworks. ZENworks supports multiple server platforms and multiple directory services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Configuration Management Specialist Group</span> UK professional body

The Configuration Management Specialist Group (CMSG) is a Specialist Group (SG) of the British Computer Society (BCS) a professional body, registered charity (incorporated by Royal Charter in 1984) and a learned society representing those working in Information Technology both in the United Kingdom and internationally. The CMSG was set up in 1995 and conforms to the rules for BCS Member Groups. Its original aim was to provide a forum for the promotion of Configuration Management as a discrete management process. Its remit now extends across configuration, IT asset, change and release management with the aim being to provide an accessible resource of expertise based on experience, exchange, education, professional development and promoting industrial standards. Its key strength is facilitating the open exchange of experiences and ideas across configuration, IT asset, change and release management both between members and sources of expertise in the wider community.

The Service Design Package (SDP) contains the core documentation of a service and is attached to its entry in the ITIL Service Portfolio.

The Service Portfolio is described in the ITIL books Service Strategy and Service Design. The Service Portfolio is the core repository for all information for all services in an organization. Each service is listed along with its current status and history. The main descriptor in the Service Portfolio is the Service Design Package (SDP).

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of practices and a framework for IT activities such as IT service management (ITSM) and IT asset management (ITAM) that focus on aligning IT services with the needs of the business.

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