Configuration management (CfM), one of the components in the ITIL Service Support area, exists to identify, maintain, and verify information on IT assets and configurations in the enterprise.

CfM stores up-to-date information about configuration items (CIs) in a configuration management database (CMDB).

Not sure what CIs are? Don’t worry. CIs are simply your IT infrastructure components, i.e., hardware, software, documentation, or even personnel.

What does the CMDB do?

It contains pertinent information on CIs—for instance, version and location, as well as relationships between CIs.

Configuration management usually involves:

1. Defining the scope—the depth and breadth—of the CMDB
   
   
2. Identifying CIs and entering them into the CMDB
   
   
3. Collecting, recording, and maintaining accurate information about Cis