Configuration Management Systems

What is Configuration Management Systems (CMS)?

A set of tools and databases that are used to manage an IT Service. The CMS also includes information about Incidents, Problems, Known Errors, Changes and Releases; and may contain data about employees, Suppliers.

incident :    A major event which is not part of the standard operation of a service and which causes or may cause disruption to or a reduction in the quality of services and Customer productivity. Look for the root cause of the incident, if it's internal call the IT Manager, If it's external call the provider. Inform user by speakers of the major incident on the network.

Problem:    The unknown root cause of one or more existing or potential Incidents. Problems may sometimes be identified because of multiple Incidents that exhibit common symptoms. Problems can also be identified from a single significant Incident, indicative of a single error, for which the cause is unknown. Occasionally Problems will be identified well before any related Incidents occur.
Make a list of potential incidents with possible solutions in order to try to find the real problem and solve it.
Send message to users to inform that the IT department is taking care of the problem.

Known Error:    A fault in a Configuration Item (CI) identified by the successful diagnosis of a Problem and for which a temporary work-around or a permanent solution has been identified.
Call the people in charge of the application of the system in trouble according to schedule ASAP a system stop to fix the problem.
Inform the help desk of a temporary different solution exists for the users.

Change:  The deliberate action that alters the form, fit or function of Configuration Items - typically, an addition, modification, movement or deletion that impacts on the IT Infrastructure.
Any change made that can affect on IT services have to be documented and inform help desk and users.

Release:    A collection of authorized Changes to an IT service, which are tested and introduced into the live environment together.
Before doing anything, create a test environment to make sure all the equipment and software works properly, never do any changes in production environment.

Supplier:A Third Party responsible for supplying goods or Services that are required to deliver IT Services. Examples of suppliers include commodity hardware and software vendors, network and telecom providers, and Outsourcing Organizations.
Any Problem with specific application contact the supplier in charge of the application. For hardware issues, perform a diagnostic and if necessary, call the manufacturer.

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