What are the benefits of configuration management database - (ITIL 4 Foundation)
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What are the benefits of Configuration
Management Database? (CMDB)
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
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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 are:
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
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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
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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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