Software Configuration Management Software

I am not going to list every single piece of software that supports Software Configuration management, but rather explain how this commonplace term fits in with the overall ITIL framework! Software Configuration Management software, this topic is in some ways a part of Configuration Management and in others a part of what we call Release management and then in turn what is called Application Management. Am I confusing you? Read on!

Software configuration management software – Application Management

Application Management is the superset, which describes the overall handling, or management, of the application as it goes through its entire lifecycle. This lifecycle encompasses both the application development phases and Service Management activities noted below. By bringing these two disciplines together, the goals of IT Service Management will be accomplished more easily through the delivery of applications that are more operable and manageable. This is fully described in Chapter 5 of this book, The Application Management Lifecycle.

Software configuration management software – Application Development

Application development is concerned with the activities needed to plan, design, and build an application that will ultimately be used by some part of the organization to address a business requirement. This includes application acquisition through custom development, purchase, hosting, provisioning and any combination thereof. It is not concerned with the deployment or ongoing daily management of the application.

Software configuration management software – Service management

Service Management focuses on the activities that are involved with the deployment, operation, support, and optimization of the application. The main objective is to ensure that the application, once built and deployed, can meet the Service Level that has been defined for it.

In these three descriptions you have seen some very familiar concepts that are specifically controlled in ITIL through release management and its interaction with Configuration Management.

Application Management provides a comprehensive, end-to-end description of all the management processes that need to be followed within the lifetime of an application (from conception to retirement).

These disciplines are intertwined. The level of integration between the different disciplines is dependent on several factors. These factors can range from the market the organization is in (e.g. banks have a different approach towards Application Management from that of technology companies), to the standards and guidelines chosen by the organization.

The actual software that supports this lifecycle is many and varied, and really can be found if you search well enough. Remember, as I’ve said in the past; find the software that supports your process – DO NOT change your process to support the software!