ABSTRACT
Configuration management (CM) is an information technology (IT) term used to describe the management of changes to hardware, software, firmware, documentation, testing, and all aspects of IT. The purpose of CM is to ensure that the configurations of systems are well documented and tracked so that they can be used in support of all other IT operations, including incident response, support services, change management, release management, and patch/update management. All of these operational activities are used to ensure that an organization or business is able to maintain optimal operational efficiency. The CM function is critical to business continuity. When an organization has a highly mature CM program most of the functions are automated. CM is highly connected to system lifecycle management, but does not cover the initial envisioning or retirement of systems. When reviewing CM we need to consider the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices around CM.
