構成管理とは？ITIL準拠の構成管理をITSMツールで簡単に

Difference between configuration management and asset management

When you think of "managing hardware and software," you probably think of IT asset management . The difference between IT asset management and configuration management is the purpose of management.

Asset management manages items for the purpose of optimizing financial and accounting processing. Configuration management, on the other hand, manages items for the purpose of optimizing IT services. Therefore, there are differences in management methods and management targets.

For example, suppose your company buys 10 desktop PCs and 10 monitors each.

In this case, asset management identifies and manages desktop PCs and monitors individually. There are a total of 20 items, including 10 desktop PCs and 10 monitors. Many companies will manage each one by attaching a sticker with the asset management number printed on it. In asset management, which optimizes accounting processes such as depreciation, all IT assets are individually identified and managed.

Configuration management, on the other hand, does not mean that each item is managed individually. For example, if there is a provision to "manage desktop PCs and monitors as a set", 10 sets of desktop PCs and monitors are managed as one CI. In this way, CMDB configuration management may manage two or more IT assets as one CI.

Two challenges in implementing configuration management

There is a limit to manually updating the CMDB by information system personnel. If the data in the CMDB continues to be out of date, the configuration management itself becomes a mere ghost.

For example, change management involves the process of assessing the extent of impact on a system (evaluating and planning changes) before actually making changes to the system. At this time, if the CMDB information remains out of date, it will not be possible to correctly identify other systems that are at risk of change or are affected.

Configuration management is the underlying concept of other processes. Therefore, its true value is realized only in cooperation with other processes. If there is no mechanism for linking configuration management with other processes, you will have to go back and forth between the tools that manage each.

For example, ITIL incident management requires an investigation into the extent of impact before responding to a system failure. However, at this time, if the configuration management tool (CMDB) and the incident management tool are not linked, even if the system failure affects other systems, the configuration management tool will not automatically alert. ..

Smart configuration management with ITSMS

ITSMS (ITSM Tool) solves configuration management issues smartly. ITSMS is a tool that effectively manages the IT services provided by the service desk. Most ITSMSs have features that support configuration management.

With ITSMS, the configuration information can be automatically registered in the system by the automatic detection function provided in the software. Information system personnel are freed from the hassle of registering with the CMDB and manually updating modified text each time they purchase a new device.

Some tools support the integration of CMDB with processes such as incident management and change management . Information systems personnel can quickly and accurately identify the relevant CI and scope of impact and take the next action, if needed.