ITIL 4 Foundation Practice Exam

What does the term 'configuration item' refer to in ITIL?

1. A component that is under the control of configuration management

2. A user-facing service

3. Any change that has been implemented

4. A report detailing incidents

The correct answer is: A component that is under the control of configuration management

The term 'configuration item' in ITIL specifically refers to a component that is under the control of configuration management. This includes any component that needs to be managed in order to deliver an IT service. Configuration items can range from hardware and software to documentation and policies. The essence of this concept is that these items are tracked and managed through their lifecycle to ensure effective service management. Configuration management plays a critical role in maintaining an accurate record of configuration items, their relationships to one another, and enabling better decision-making regarding changes and incidents within the IT environment. By maintaining a reliable configuration management database (CMDB), organizations can impact service quality positively by understanding their assets, managing risks, and ensuring compliance. The other options, while relevant to IT service management, do not accurately describe the term 'configuration item'. For instance, user-facing services pertain to what end-users interact with but do not encapsulate the broader range of items managed under configuration management. Changes that have been implemented focus on specific modifications made to the environment, not the broader category of items that need to be tracked. Reports related to incidents involve analysis and data presentation but do not reflect the concept of configuration items at all.