Service Asset and Configuration Management

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DE - ES - Service Asset and Configuration Management

 

Overview

Objective: ITIL Service Asset and Configuration Management aims to maintain information about Configuration Items required to deliver an IT service, including their relationships.

Part of: Service Transition

Process Owner: Configuration Manager

 

Process Description

ITIL Service Asset & Configuration Management

Activities and process objectives of ITIL Configuration Management are broadly identical in ITIL V3 and V2. Configuration Management according to ITIL V3 introduces the Configuration Management System (CMS) as a logical data model, encompassing several Configuration Management Databases (CMDB).

ITIL 2011 requires new interfaces in Configuration Management to make sure that the ITIL Project Management and Change Evaluation processes are constantly provided with current planning information. The process overview of ITIL Configuration Management (.JPG) is showing the most important interfaces (see Figure 1).

 

Sub-Processes

These are the ITIL Configuration Management sub-processes and their process objectives:

 

Configuration Identification

Process Objective: To define and maintain the underlying structure of the CMS (the Configuration Model), so that it is able to hold all information on Configuration Items (CIs). This includes specifying the attributes describing CI types and their sub-components, as well as determining their interrelationships.

Configuration Control

Process Objective: To ensure that no Configuration Items are added or modified without the required authorization, and that such modifications are adequately recorded in the CMS.

Note: ITIL Configuration Control is mainly concerned with reviewing modifications to the Configuration Management System (CMS), to make sure the information stored in the CMS is complete and the modification was done by an authorized party. Other processes also support the objectives of Configuration Control: Configuration Identification defines who is authorized to make certain changes to the CMS. In a broader sense, Change Management and Release Management with their defined procedures also help to ensure that no unauthorized changes occur.

Configuration Verification and Audit

Process Objective: To perform regular checks, ensuring that the information contained in the CMS is an exact representation of the Configuration Items (CIs) actually installed in the live production environment.

 

Definitions

The following ITIL terms and acronyms (information objects) are used in ITIL Confoguration Management to represent process outputs and inputs:

 

Change Request to CMS Structure

A request from a Service Management process to change the CMS structure. This request is sent to Configuration Management if new CIs or attributes must be recorded but the CMS's structure is not adequate for holding the new data.

CMS/ CMDB

The Configuration Management System (CMS) is a coherent logical model of the IT organization’s service assets, typically made up of several Configuration Management Databases (CMDB) as physical sub-systems. It is used to store information on all Configuration Items (CIs) under the control of Configuration Management (see also: ITIL Checklist CMS - CMDB).

CMS Change Policy

A set of rules defining who is authorized to modify the structure and contents of the CMS.

Configuration Audit Report

A report summarizing the results of a CMS audit, highlighting revealed differences between CMS records and actually installed CIs.

Configuration Item (CI)

Configuration Items (CIs) can be of various types: the CMS almost always covers services and IT infrastructure, but might also cover other item types like policies, project documentation, employees, suppliers, ... Configuration Items are characterized by their attributes (recorded in the CI’s Configuration Record) and their relationships to other CIs.

Definitive Media Library (DML)

One or more locations in which the definitive and approved versions of all software Configuration Items are securely stored. The DML may also contain associated Configuration Items (CIs) such as licenses and documentation.

The DML is a single logical storage area even if there are multiple locations. All software in the Definitive Media Library is under the control of Change and Release Management and is recorded in the Configuration Management System. Only software from the DML is acceptable for use in a Release.

 

Checklists | KPIs

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Service Asset and Configuration Management
• Checklists Configuration Management:
  • Checklist CMS/ CMDB, and
  • Checklist CMDB Audit Protocol

 

Roles | Responsibilities

Configuration Manager - Process Owner

The Configuration Manager is responsible for maintaining information about Configuration Items required to deliver IT services.

To this end he maintains a logical model, containing the components of the IT infrastructure (CIs) and their associations.

 

Responsibility Matrix: ITIL Configuration Management
ITIL Role | Sub-Process	Configuration Manager
Configuration Identification	A[1]R[2]
Configuration Control	AR
Configuration Verification and Audit	AR

 

Remarks

[1] A: Accountable according to the RACI Model: Those who are ultimately accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the Service Asset and Configuration Management process.

[2] R: Responsible according to the RACI Model: Those who do the work to achieve a task within Configuration Management.