Teaching
Configuration Management
Teaching Configuration
Management is not an easy task. Sure people are generally familiar
with concepts like asset management but configuration management is
so much more than that.
Asset Management is a
recognized accountancy process that includes depreciation
accounting. Asset Management systems maintain details on assets
above a certain value, their business unit and their location.
Now the important part
Configuration Management also maintains relationships
between assets, which Asset Management usually does not. Some
organizations start with Asset Management and then move on to
Configuration Management.
Configuration
Management is not synonymous with Asset Management, although the two
disciplines are related.
Teaching
Configuration Management – where to
start
Personally I think the
best place to start is with the Configuration Management Database
(CMDB) and the Configuration Items (CI’s) themselves, so if you are
going to teach this – really understand how this all fits together.
Some organizations
already use some elements of Configuration Management, often using
spreadsheets, local databases or paper-based systems. The
Configuration Management requires the use of underlying tools, such
as a Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
The CMDB needs to be
based upon technology that provides flexible and powerful
interrogation facilities.
Teaching
Configuration Management – In the
CMDB
The CMDB should hold
the relationships between all system components, including
Incidents, Problems, Known Errors, Changes and Releases. The CMDB
also contains information about Incidents, Known Errors and
Problems, and corporate data about employees, suppliers, locations
and business units.
The CMDB can also be
used for Service Level Management to hold details of services and to
relate them to the underlying IT components. The CMDB is also used
to store inventory details of CIs, such as supplier, cost, purchase
date and renewal date for a license. An additional bonus is the use
of the CMDB to cover the legal aspects associated with the
maintenance of licenses and contracts.
In all honesty the
CMDB is true knowledge management.
Forget the hype and
buzzwords that some suppliers are pushing because, when implemented,
this is the best tool an organization can have at their
disposal!
