A software configuration item sci is a software entity that has been established as a configuration item 1. Jan 05, 2017 configuration is the manner in which components are arranged to make up the computer system. What are hardware configuration items and how are they. If something goes wrong, scm can determine what was.
A configuration item ci is any service component, infrastructure element, or other. In addition to its purpose in the implementation and management of a change, each configuration items listing and definition should act as. Home software configuration management scm a practical guide. Computer software configuration item how is computer. Application configuration item example 1 configuration. Generally, a configuration is the arrangement or the process of making the arrangement of the parts that make up a whole. Complete listing of all changes since the last baseline. The cm system should a identify uniquely the versions of each software item. Configuration management provides a mechanism for identifying, controlling and tracking the versions of each software item. Which is the best definition of a configuration item ci. Specify the data definition in the main type class. A collection of information used to describe a hardware or software item c. Examples of configuration items include software and applications, locations and.
The configuration management process seeks to identify and track individual configuration items cis, documenting functional capabilities, and interdependencies. Official definition of csci computer software configuration item im looking for the most official definition of csci configuration item not just what it is but what we have to deliver can expect when a contract defines subsystems which shall be developed as configuration items. The scm typically controls a variety of items in addition to the code itself. Software configuration management scm is a set of processes, policies, and tools that organize the development process. A discipline applying technical and administrative direction and surveillance to. Software configuration management is the process of identifying and defining the software configuration items in a system, controlling the release and change of these items throughout the system lifecycle. Its predecessor defined only the contents of a software configuration management plan. Scm practices include revision control and the establishment of baselines. Identify all items to define the software configuration. A software baseline contains all of a systems software. The correct answer is option c configuration item ci is an asset, service component or item that is, or will be under the control of configuration management.
Configuration items cis are the focal point of a cmdb. Every dcm digest must contain exactly one configuration item. Computer software configuration item listed as csci. If something goes wrong, scm can determine what was changed and who changed it. Software configuration management scm is the the overall management of a software design project as it evolves into a software product or system. Simple configuration item checkbox has the following options.
Ci may be a single module such as a monitor or a tape drive, or a more complex item, such as a complete system. In information technology, a configuration item is a component of a system that can be identified as a selfcontained unit for purposes of change control and identification. The unique identity of the configuration item is the combination of the attributes authoringscopeid, logicalname and version. Examples of cis include individual requirements documents, software.
A configuration item ci is an infrastructure component provided by an organization to its customers. Configuration items can overlap and exist at many levels of granularity. It services are typically made up of a bunch of individual components things like servers, software and middleware, and unique configuration information. Simply put, for software development, a baseline is a static i.
They are used in service management, change management, configuration management, incident management and a variety of other processes related to directing and controlling change. Keep a configuration item register that describes the evolution of the software product. In software engineering, software configuration management scm or sw cm is the task of tracking and controlling changes in the software, part of the larger crossdisciplinary field of configuration management. Itil v3 describes configuration item ci as a subset of service asset that has a direct impact on service delivery and needs to be managed in order to deliver an it service. Configuration items software configuration items are not only program code segments but all type of documents according to development, e. Information about each ci is recorded in a configuration record within the configuration management system and is maintained. The definition of the pbs is expanded throughout the early software definition activity. Every configuration item must have a category and possibly subcategories that define what type of item it is. An aggregation of hardwaresoftware, or any of its discrete portions, which satisfies an end use function and is designated by the government for configuration management.
Jan 05, 2017 in information technology, a configuration item is a component of a system that can be identified as a selfcontained unit for purposes of change control and identification. This digest defines an application configuration item. Simply put, a ci is an instance of an entity that is part of your environment and has configurable. In itil terminology, configuration items ci are components of an infrastructure that currently is, or soon will be under configuration management. Devops code software configuration items best read on itpedia. What is the difference between an asset and a configuration item ci. The software configuration may involve two or more software configuration items that must be validated to operate efficiently and effectively as an integrated product. This involves engineering analysis of the integrated software configuration, taking into account the performance of the specified computing environment and interfaces to external systems and applications.
Definition an aggregation of hardware, software, or both, that is designated for configuration management and treated as a single entity in the configuration management process. The purpose of the baseline is to have a static reference point for changes that occur once the baseline is crea. Cis may vary widely in complexity, size and type, from an aircraft, electronic or ship system to a test meter or round of ammunition. The thing that a change control request is requesting to be changed explanation of computer software configuration item. Hardware or software, or an aggregate of both, which is designated by the project configuration manager for configuration management explanation of configuration item. The representations of these entities in the cmdb are configuration items cis. As far as i can tell, csci was defined in the same logic as hwci hardware configuration item in dodstd2167a which simply defined csci as a configuration item. Computer software configuration item article about computer. Configuration management cm is a governance and systems engineering process for ensuring consistency among physical and logical assets in an operational environment. Examples of cis include individual requirements documents, software, models, and plans.
Dec 27, 2016 a definition of configuration item with several examples. Computer software configuration item how is computer software configuration item abbreviated. Configuration item article about configuration item by. Software configuration management in software engineering. The classifications, or types, of actual configuration items are defined in the. A ci will have attributes which may be hierarchical and relationships that will be assigned by the configuration manager in the cm database. Lists include software products, libraries and infrastructure that must be maintained to support services. So, what better way to look at configuration items than by defining what is it that we configure.
Common configuration types include software, hardware, communications, location and documentation. All configuration items cis are uniquely identified by ci registration codes and version numbers. Official definition of csci computer software configuration. This revision of the standard expands the previous version to explain cm, including identifying and acquiring configuration items, controlling changes, reporting the status of configuration items, as well as software builds and release engineering. Software configuration item how is software configuration item abbreviated. Configuration identification configuration management. Jan 25, 2018 software configuration management scm is a set of processes, policies, and tools that organize the development process. In itil, configuration items cis are those service assets which are configurable and can be managed through change management. The goal of scm is to improve the speed of and quality by catching errors early and enabling quick fixes when they occur. Cis are the basic units of configuration management. This document provides a practical guide for integrating software configuration management disciplines into the management of software engineering projects.
Physical layout, interconnections, and functional characteristics of a computer system usually called configuration item, set forth in its. A toplevel configuration item is a ci used as the starting point for organizing and promoting a set of related configuration items. Csci an aggregation of software that satisfies an end use function and is designated for separate. A configuration item, or ci, is anything uniquely identifiable that can be changed independently. Explaining configuration item ci, cmdb, cms and dml itil itsm.
Find out information about computer software configuration item. A definition of configuration item with several examples. A configuration item ci is an item or aggregation of hardware or software or both that is designed to be managed as a single entity. Itil defines a ci as any component that needs to be managed in order to deliver an it service. Ci a component of a system that is treated as a self contained unit for the purposes of identification and change control. The configurationmanagement system oversees the life of the cis through a combination of processes.
Software configuration management is the process of identifying and defining the software configuration items in a system. Cis may be a single module such as a monitor or tape drive, or more complex items, such as a complete system. Simply put, a ci is an instance of an entity that is part of your environment and has configurable attributes specific to that instance. Configuration consists of both hardware and software components. Note that this function is usually performed by a source code control system, however a manual record may have to be kept of the documents that describe various versions of hardware and software configuration items. Configuration item matrix42 selfservice help center. Summary if a new data definition composition was added to a configuration item with new product version and a custom composition for the same data definition already exists in the database, the custom composition needs to be changed to system protection level. Software configuration management scm a practical guide. It needs to be managed in order to deliver it service.
Configuration item type can be defined only for the new ci and cannot be changed afterward. Configuration item configuration management systems. An item of hardware or software registered in the asset database b. This includes technical aspects of the project, all level of communications, organization, and the control of modifications changes to the project plan by the programmers during the development phase. Software configuration item an overview sciencedirect. What is the meaning of baseline in software configuration. The cm system should a identify uniquely the versions of. Understand how to define scm and discuss how to accomplish it. This definition appears rarely and is found in the following acronym finder categories. Each element in the it environment is an individual entity requiring accurate capture of its attributes.
Software a bank implements a process whereby development teams document system configuration items as part of release handover to support teams. A software baseline includes the source code for each software configuration item and a software baseline document that provides a listing of the software and any other pertinent information such as developer, version, or software libraries. A configuration item ci is an it asset or a combination of it assets that may depend on andor have relationships with other it processes. When delivering configuration management engagements, customers often notice that some items appear in both their cmdb and in their asset management software. Sometimes, people specifically point to hardware arrangement as hardware configuration and to software components as software configuration. Software configuration item an overview sciencedirect topics. More clear definition is in milstd498 which superseded dodstd2167a.
The figure only shows a partial decomposition for one configuration item. Software configuration item how is software configuration. This leads to the inevitable question, what is the difference between an asset and a configuration item ci. The term configuration item ci refers to the fundamental structural unit of a configuration management system. In many cases earlier versions still in use must also be maintained and controlled. Explaining configuration item ci, cmdb, cms and dml.
Configuration items can be any individual, location or device connected to your. An asset, service component or other item that is, or will be, under the control of configuration management d. Use configuration items and configuration management. Configuration is the manner in which components are arranged to make up the computer system. A baseline is an agreedupon description of the attributes of a product at a point in. Configuration item article about configuration item by the. Physical layout, interconnections, and functional characteristics of a computer system usually called configuration item, set forth in. May 04, 2019 itil v3 describes configuration item ci as a subset of service asset that has a direct impact on service delivery and needs to be managed in order to deliver an it service.
Configuration management is all about identifying, defining and mapping all. A ci is a software model that contains the attributes of the represented entity. Sap, expense account, payroll software or a corporate service e. With the servicenow configuration management database cmdb application, build logical representations of assets, services, and the relationships between them that comprise the infrastructure of your organization. The following application configuration item instance example determines whether the configuration manager client is installed on the system by using microsoft windows installerbased detection. It can have many child cis, such as an operating system, application software, and hardware components. Without a clear definition of what qualifies as a ci, you will constantly struggle with deciding whether to put certain kinds of data into the cmdb. A toplevel configuration item is a ci used as the starting point for organizing and promoting a set of related configuration items an example of a toplevel ci is a computer system. Definition of configuration item ci configuration item ci a configuration item is an entity in a configuration management solution such as a cmdb. The configuration management system oversees the life of the cis through a combination of processes and tools by implementing and enabling the.