CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

ITIL v3 introduces the Configuration Management System, or CMS, as the control system or “container” for CI’s, management data repositories, CMDB’s, and the activities and processes for managing them.

This sounds a lot like the v2 Configuration Management process, and it should. ITIL v3 defines the CMS as “A set of tools and databases that are used to manage an IT Service Provider's Configuration data. The CMS also includes information about Incidents, Problems, Known Errors, Changes and Releases; and may contain data about employees, Suppliers, locations, Business Units, Customers and Users. The CMS includes tools for collecting, storing, managing, updating, and presenting data about all Configuration Items and their Relationships. The CMS is maintained by Configuration Management and is used by all IT Service Management Processes.”

Consider the revised ITIL v2 definition (May 1, 2006) for CMDB: “A Database used to manage Configuration Records throughout their Lifecycle. The CMDB records the Attributes of each CI, and Relationships with other CIs. A CMDB may also contain other information linked to CIs, for example Incident, Problem or Change Records. The CMDB is maintained by Configuration Management and is used by all IT Service Management Processes.”

To me, it sounds a lot like what a CMDB used to be! Essentially, the old term “CMDB” has been expanded and re-worked to become the CMS. The CMS is “contained” by the new Service Asset and Configuration Management Process.