Configuration Management Software designed for CMMI / ITIL / ISO/IEC 20000 Configuration

Configuration Management Software

Capability Maturity Model Integration™ (CMMI™) is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. CMMI helps integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes.

CENTRE is a software product designed, authored and produced by Integration Technologies Group Inc. CENTRE is composed of configurable modules intended to provide compliance with CMMI™ process areas and ISO clauses while increasing organizational efficiency, effectiveness and continual improvement.

CENTRE can be viewed as a single Configuration Management Data Base (CMDB), or as a collection of distinct Configuration Management Data Bases. The Change & Configuration Module permits the definition of Configuration Item Source Tables.

At the Contract Management Module a user may disallow “change” to a Configuration Item without an approved change request.

CENTRE permits the definition of processes/workflows, documents, hardware or software components, contracts and agreements among others, as Configuration Items.

Key features of Configuration Management Module

ITG’s CENTRE software can provide your organization an effective way to manage your configuration items in a single intuitive portal based on your requirements.

CENTRE’s Configuration Management module helps to:

• Provide a database to register and manage systems, hardware, software, and virtual configuration items
• Maintain CI information including relationships, life cycle, and costs
• Define user roles to maintain security of CIs
• Facilitate baselines and version history of configuration items
• Track relationships between configuration items and contract assets
• Manage relationship with incident, problem, and change management
• Provide reports for verification, financial and performance information

Configuration Management is one of the Key Process Areas for ITIL, ISO, and CMMI conformance.

This module was certified by Pink Elephant and provides integration with

• Release Management
• Requirements Development &
• Requirements Management

Configuration Management and CMMI

The Configuration Management CMMI Artifacts for Process Improvement document contains a brief description of CENTRE CMMI Software features which cover specific and generic evidence of compliance for practices required by the CMMI for Development Configuration Management process area. As with all process improvement methodologies and industry best practices, management commitment, quality record collection, analysis and processing are required to achieve improvement objectives and successful appraisals and registrations.

CENTRE was developed to facilitate today’s Best Practices Certifications and process improvement methodologies. By using CENTRE, businesses can increase efficiencies across key business processes and satisfy many of the requirements stipulated by international standards boards. Some of the benefits that may be derived by implementing compliance with CMMI process areas are:

• Improved Quality of Output
• Increased Accuracy of Estimates
• Earlier Identification of Defects
• Accurate Measurements of Processes
• Higher Operational Efficiency
• Cost Reduction and Integration with Industry Standards

As a result, an organization using CENTRE will be recognized as delivering successful service to its clients and constituents with dependably high-quality and consistent methods and practices.

The CENTRE CMMI Software implementation includes ‘CENTRE ISO 9001:2008’ Quality Management System elements which are:

• CENTRE – Document Control System (DCS)
• CENTRE – Records Control System (RCS)
• CENTRE – Human Resources
• CENTRE – Meeting Management
• CENTRE – Customer Satisfaction Surveys
• CENTRE – Supply Chain Management
• CENTRE – Ad-Hoc Report Writer

F.A.Q. Configuration Management

Does the tool facilitate the registration and management of an organization’s Configuration Items (CIs)? For example, hardware, Software, Contracts/ SLAs.
Yes. The contract screen identifies SLA’s and associated CI’s.

Does the tool facilitate the recording of CI attributes? For example, serial number, version, and location attribute.
Yes. The contract Asset Management DB maintains a listing of all CI items and their attributes.

Does the tool facilitate the automated validation of CI data? For example, are all CI names unique?
Yes. All CI’s are identified by a unique serial number and asset tag identifier. The tool automates the validation of serial number and asset tag on input. In this example, the item exists.

Does the tool facilitate the establishment of relationships between CIs? For example, parent / child, peer-to-peer, upstream / downstream relationships.
Yes. Dependencies are established for all CI’s if applicable.

Does the tool support customizable CI lifecycle status management? For example, planned, ordered, under development, in test, implementation, production, in repair/ maintenance.
Yes. The CI lifecycle is determined by the ‘Lifecycle Status’ field. The dropdown field selections are customizable (items can be added and modified) via the Administrator’s Menu Lifecycle ‘lookup tables’ maintenance screen.

Does the tool facilitate only authorized access to the CMDB for read, write, and modify activities?
Yes. All access is controlled via group privileges for view and edit rights.

Does the tool facilitate the recording of CI baseline information? For example, reverting to a previous version of CI Configuration in the event that a Change fails.
Yes. The baseline information is maintained within the CI record. The configuration entry area can contain as much information as one needs to fully define the baseline. As changes are made to the baseline configuration, they are recorded cyclically into the Asset Log file. All changes and previous configurations may be viewed.

Does the tool facilitate the logging of historical Changes to the CI record for auditing purposes? For example, installation date, records of Changes, previous locations.
Yes. As changes are made to the CI record (dates, locations), the modified information is cyclically recorded in the Asset Log. All changes may be viewed.

Does the tool facilitate the verification of the CI data with the actual physical infrastructure by automated or manual means? For example, the use of Systems management tools to validate real time vs. static information.
Yes. CI data can be queried, sorted, filtered, and exported for verification purposes by using the ad-hoc reporting system. Additionally, during incident recording, the CI location, equipment manufacturer, model, serial number, and other data can be confirmed and verified for accuracy.

Does the tool provide flexible management reports regarding CI inventory, asset and financial information to facilitate Configuration audits?
Yes. Flexible management reporting can be accomplished via the Ad-hoc reporting system. In this example, the Contract Equipment, SLA, and Dependencies can be interrogated.

— INTEGRATION CRITERIA —

Incident Management: Does the tool facilitate the integration of CMDB data with Incident records?
Yes. During the logging of incidents, the serial number/asset tag, item type, Priority, Urgency, and Impact values are verified and populated into the Incident.

Does the tool facilitate Incident Management in providing criticality and impact indicators of failed CIs for classification of Incident records?
Yes. When an incident is opened, the CI’s Urgency, Impact, and Priority values are populated into the incident record. These values are modifiable on the Incident record.

Problem Management: Does the tool facilitate the integration of CMDB data within Problem Management records?
Yes. The Problem Management record maintains the CMDB Item Type, Manufacturer, Model, and links all associated Incident records which link directly to the associated CI.

Does the CMDB facilitate proactive Problem Management by identifying infrastructure components that are problematic or unstable? For example, does CI status accounting provide information about weak or maintenance prone Configuration Items?
Yes. Using an ad-hoc report on the CI historical log files, one can obtain summary information pertaining to the stability of equipment.

Change Management: Does the tool facilitate the integration of CMDB data within the Change Management records?
Yes. The RFC includes the ability to validate and include the affected CI’s.

Does the tool facilitate the assessment and approval of Change requests by providing information on affected CIs?
Yes. All affected CI’s are identified and may be viewed from the change request record. The dependencies may be viewed as well.

Does the tool facilitate the identification of different RFCs that pertain to the same CIs?
Yes. An ad-hoc report can produce a listing of all change record CI’s. This report identifies all RFC’s that pertain to the same CI.

Does the tool facilitate the recording of CI status Changes when Changes are proposed or authorized Changes are implemented? For example: Nature of Change, future status, scheduled date of Change.
Yes. The change record maintains the list of affected CI’s. Clicking on an item will bring up the CI record for inclusion of CI status changes. All CI changes are captured in the CI log file.

— FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA —

Does the tool provide a form of (graphic) display to show the relationships between CIs?
No

Does the tool facilitate scheduled Configuration audits?
Yes. The tool’s Ad-hoc reporting system can produce flexible reports to facilitate configuration audits. Selections can be made by contract, dates, criticality, or any other singular or combination of data fields

Can Configuration Management information be used to automate the updating of the live environment? For example, integration with software Release packages for software or virus definition updates.
Yes. CENTRE can produce output files via the Ad-hoc reporting system in txt, xls, and other industry standard formats. Software management applications accept standard industry formatted input files.

Is the tool able to customize the CI relationship models to meet organizational requirements?
Yes. CI relationships are customizable to organizational needs.

Does the tool facilitate the automated re-establishment of parent and child relationships when CIs are added, deleted, or updated?
Yes. Relationships can be modified (adds, deletions) via the contract equipment dependencies screen.