Benefits of Configuration Management Databases in ITIL

A CMDB which is short for Configuration Management Database is one of the most important components of any ITIL or Information Technology Infrastructure Library. A CMDB will mostly contain a large amount if not all of the pertinent information in regards to the organisation’s technical components also known as CIs i.e. computer, network equipment, peripherals, relationships between various components and servers. A Configuration Management Database usually helps an organisation’s manager or the person in charge to see how various components are interacting with each other to deliver services and applications to various customers. However, a CMDB cannot be implemented without an effective Configuration Management Process, this means that all the core data which relates to IT operations of an organisation needs to be stored and also managed in order to ensure its validity, accuracy, and the integrity of the organisation’s configuration management data.

Benefit of implementing a CMDB include but are not limited to:

The CMDB helps to break down a mental and also technical barrier between a company’s core business and its IT infrastructure. This is done my mainly removing the IT silos which helps technologies, processes and people work efficiently. This mainly works because knowing exactly what technology components you have and how they connect with each other helps you manage and also improve your business’s overall IT services. The result is a much more efficient business model that broadens the bottom line of a business.Allows a more proactive management approach – One of the biggest selling points of using a CMDB is the fact that it allows for an organisation to manage within it change in IT environments. As an organisation’s complexity increases a centralised database which contains all the information about a business’s CIs as well as how they connect will help businesses avoid potential down times thanks to their increased and improved ability to efficiently plan and also think about how the changes they want will affect the IT environment of the business as a whole.Assists in improve security and assess risks – A CMDB database within an organisation can help managers to easily assess risks which are associated with their businesses by locating and patching known vulnerabilities on the server side. The result is that IT teams can easily set up priorities to patch and secure a company’s most glaring vulnerabilities first prior to moving on to less pressing ones. This eliminates instances of downtime owing to security breaches and other technical issues.Enables the tech team to track changes to their software – The data from a CMDB allows for organisations to find out if there is illegal or unauthorised software running or being used by individuals on their network, once this type of software is found it becomes easier to eliminate.Makes compliance more accurate and easy – CMDB data can be used by organisations to ensure that the information in regards to their assets is up to date and accurate which allows for them to easily comply with certain initiatives like Sarbanes-Oxley as well as HIPPA etc. This can be achieved by keeping track of the IT infrastructure’s CIs and how they relate to other components, their constant monitoring ensures that they are running accurately. So in essence an IT organisation can ensure that their systems and components comply with the various legislative mandates in place.


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