• management and planning: defining the level of configuration management required for a service or a change project;
• configuration identification: defining CI types and groupings, naming
conventions etc.;
• configuration control: ensuring there are adequate mechanisms to control CIs while maintaining a record of all changes to ensure no mismatch with the physical world;
• status accounting and reporting: maintaining the status of CIs as they progress through their discrete states (e.g. development, approved, live,
withdrawn);
• verification and audit: checking that the physical CIs exist, records in the CMS match the real world and that documentation is accurate;
• information management: back-up copies of the CMS should be taken regularly and securely stored. It is advisable for one copy to be stored at a remote location for use in the event of a disaster.