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#1383 CFMG - improving definition of CI and configurations in guidance change request accepted

CFMG - inadequate definition of CI (configuration items) in description and guidance to show that CIs should have a relationship and coherence between them. Services as human activities are not "assets and artefacts" and cannot be fixed as a version or state (the documents and process definitions describing them can.) However the objects provided in a service lifecycle can be subjected to configuration management. Status has been omitted as a key characteristic of a CI - alongside versioning - it matters in audit, e.g. is it defined, present/correct, non-conforming. There is no hint that specific CIs can form part of multiple configurations (e.g. product lines). Note: there is some question around supplier as a CI. Supplier is usually a characteristic (e.g. source stated in a product definition) for a CI and not a CI in itself as it is a (legal) person and not an object (see comment on services). A CM audit does not verify the CI (that falls under testing) but the configuration records

Recommend, change guidance notes to read:

Configuration items (CIs) can include a wide variety of components (objects) such as - but not limited to - source code, software, products, systems, hardware, networks, buildings, suppliers, process definitions and documents.  A coherent set of CIs forms a configuration.

Activities include - but are not limited to -

  • Identifying and documenting the functional and physical characteristics of CIs
  • Identifying the relationships and maintain coherence between CIs for specific configurations
  • Identifying the associated configuration(s), status, version and other characteristics of CIs at distinct points in time.
  • Controlling changes to CI characteristics, recording and reporting change processing and implementation status.
  • Systematically controlling changes to a configuration and maintaining the integrity, coherence, and traceability of that configuration throughout the project, system and/or service life cycle.
  • Verifying and auditing CI records for data quality and compliance with specified internal and external requirements.

Proposed change applies to Configuration management

Current status of this request: accepted

What we changed

Guidance notes for CFMG have been updated.