| | January 20168CIOReviewConfiguration Management to Deliver High Performing IT ServicesBy Motti Finkelstein, CTO-Americas and Global Strategy Planning-Managing Director, Citi"The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."- SocratesIn this article, I will outline a fairly comprehensive framework view of Configuration Management (CM) objectives, implementation challenges and mitigation, how-to guide, as well as a future outlook.The Importance of CMDB and Configuration ManagementCMDB, or Configuration Management Data Base, is a repository of Configuration Items (CIs) that document the status, configuration, dependencies, and pertinent design information of technical assets. This includes, but is not limited to, the assets themselves as well as the relationship and dependencies between the assets. The information provided by the CMDB is critical to effective management of modern IT environments, and the ability to properly manage and deliver IT and Business services.Configuration Management Objec-tives:· Enhanced transparency to forecasting / planning changes and their downstream impacts· Increased reliability / quality of change assessment, planning, delivery· Improved ability to diagnose and resolve incidents and problems· Ability to accurately set and monitor service levels· Better adherence to regulatory requirements· Ability to demonstrate and articulate value of IT to business· Traceability of change history to requirements· Ability to map service relationships among CIs and define service costs· Transparency and accountability for performance, reporting, and changes to appropriate technology owners and business groupsCMDB Challenges and Approaches to Mitiga-tionSuccessful implementations and ongoing management / maintenance of CMDB are often challenged by the scope of data involved and the intricacy of relationship and dependency data. The apparent insurmountability of such obstacles often leads to "analysis paralysis" that prevents IT departments from maturing. However, these risks can be mitigated with a deliberate approach to design, scope definition, and governance:Rightsizing the CMDBChallenges: Not knowing where to start; inability to balance CMDB breadth and depth with Motti FinkelsteinIn MyOpinion
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