Editing Configuration management (section)

===Configuration management database===
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[[ITIL]] specifies the use of a configuration management system (CMS) or [[configuration management database]] (CMDB) as a means of achieving industry best practices for Configuration Management. CMDBs are used to track Configuration Items (CIs) and the dependencies between them, where CIs represent the things in an enterprise that are worth tracking and managing, such as but not limited to computers, software, software licenses, racks, network devices, storage, and even the components within such items. CMS helps manage a [[Federated database system|federated]] collection of CMDBs.

The benefits of a CMS/CMDB includes being able to perform functions like root cause analysis, impact analysis, change management, and current state assessment for future state strategy development. 

''Configuration Management'' (CM) is an ITIL-specific ITSM process that tracks all of the individual CIs in an [[information system|IT system]] which may be as simple as a single server, or as complex as the entire IT department. In large organizations a configuration manager may be appointed to oversee and manage the CM process. In ITIL version 3, this process has been renamed as ''Service Asset and Configuration Management''.