Virima V6.0 will soon be available with an all-new look, enhanced discovery, mapping and vulnerability features and more. Stay tuned!

What is a configuration item in ITIL?

What is a configuration item in ITIL

An ITIL configuration item (CI) is a basic building block for your Configuration Management Database (CMDB). And your ITIL CMDB is a critical element of your IT management toolkit. So, it makes sense to take a closer look at what CIs are and why they are so important to effective IT Management.

Functions of a CI in configuration management

Many may think that a configuration item is simply what its name seems to imply – an item of information about the configuration of an element of your IT estate. And some CIs are just that.

But for maximum value to your IT management efforts and your business, CIs can and should also be much more.

The widely adopted ITIL best practice guidelines for IT management says a configuration item can be almost any information about almost any component of your IT environment. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

  • Product documentation
  • Relevant associated people and their specific responsibilities
  • Support contacts and responsibilities
  • Ownership and maintenance responsibilities
  • Costs and contract details
  • Connections to and interdependencies with other IT components, applications, and users

Why configuration items matter in CMDB

The broad range of information CIs can contain is at the heart of the value they can deliver, to your IT management efforts and your business as a whole. The more accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date information you have about your IT estate, the more control you can exert over it. 

That information can help speed diagnosis and resolution of incidents and problems. It can help you and your team take steps to avoid those incidents and problems. It can even help you maximize returns on your business’ IT investments.

To deliver these benefits, every configuration item in your environment must be clearly defined and kept accurate and current. To achieve this goal, your CIs must be stored in a CMDB that is powerful, flexible, and able to communicate with every critical IT resource in your estate. 

Your configuration management database must also support automated updates to all of your CIs, on schedule and on-demand. The CMDB must be able to turn CI content into clear and actionable reports for every constituency involved in or affected by the management of your IT estate. 

(See “What does CMDB stand for?”)

The value and functionality of your ITIL CMDB are largely powered by the content of the CIs it contains. By focusing on building and maintaining the best CIs you can, you and your team can maximize that value and functionality, in ways that strengthen your IT management and your business.

Virima: Your partner for unmatched IT management

Virima can help you capture and manage the CIs that maximize the value of your CMDB to IT and your business. Virima offers solutions for IT Asset Management (ITAM), IT Service Management (ITSM), and IT Operations Management (ITOM). 

Those solutions can automatically discover and map your critical IT resources and the interconnections that link them, your applications and services, and your users. 

Virima ensures you can communicate with and manage all critical elements of your IT estate, wherever they reside. 

Get started with a demo  and explore the possibilities!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More to Explore

Table of contentsWhat is Virima?Hybrid discoveryAutomated CMDBService MappingVirima Visual Impact Display (ViVID™)IT Asset ManagementAutonomic Social Discovery  Virima–JSM Integration: The Value PropositionTaking the Next StepDiscover the power of the Virima–JSM integration. Explore now! As IT landscapes evolve, so do the challenges…

Table of contentsThe importance of an efficient ITSM tool for business growthRecognizing the signs of a limiting ITSM toolService Level Agreement (SLA): Are you meeting performance targets?Incident Management: Is your ITSM Tool Resolving Issues Fast Enough?Service Request Management: Is your…

Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, maintaining a comprehensive understanding of your network components is vital. Having a clear grasp of your network's infrastructure helps optimize performance, identify vulnerabilities, and ensure seamless operations. This is where Virima…

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, a robust and reliable IT infrastructure has become more crucial than ever. This comprehensive guide focuses on the importance and benefits of utilizing IT asset and service management automation, particularly through ITSM automation with…

The business world is constantly evolving, and the IT department has to adapt to meet new challenges. This can be difficult if you don't have a clear view of the state of your company's IT systems. Having IT visibility means…

As businesses grow, the need for IT infrastructure optimization rises. But what does this ‘optimization’ mean? It means the careful implementation of IT scaling strategies. To put simply, adding resources to keep up with the demands of end-users– customers and…

Businesses are increasingly adopting multi-cloud strategies to capitalize on the benefits of different cloud providers and infrastructure options. However, managing multiple cloud environments can quickly become complex and challenging. Problems such as lack of visibility, cost optimization, security, and compliance…

Table of contentsUnderstanding the importance of IT asset and service management automation for securityEnhanced visibilityAutomating manual processesResource optimizationIdentifying IT security gaps: The role of IT asset managementProtect your IT systems with VirimaAutomated security auditsReal-time event monitoringAccess control and permissions managementPatch…

Imagine a world where IT seamlessly integrates with your organization's goals, customer satisfaction soars, and every IT operation runs smoothly. Virima ITSM solution can transform this vision into reality. By implementing proven frameworks, leveraging best practices, and fostering a culture…

Table of contentsWhat is dependency mapping?How do you define the scope of your dependency mapping project?Identify project goalsEvaluate critical systemsDefine relevant dependenciesConsider complexityChoose the right toolCreate the dependency visualizationReview and refineWhat tools should you use to create a dependency map?How…