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Configuration items form the basis of configuration management. A configuration item, or CI, is a unit of configuration that can be individually managed and versioned. Typically, a configuration management system will control files, requirements, or another definable unit. These units are managed with a combination of process and tools to avoid the introduction of errors and to maintain high quality results. The units themselves can be considered configuration items, or they may be combined into an overall collection that is managed under the same set of processes and tools.

From the perspective of the implementor of a change, the configuration item is the "what" of the change. Altering a specific baseline version of a configuration item creates a new version of the same configuration item, itself a baseline. In examining the effect of a change, we first ask:

1. What configuration items are affected? and
2. How have the configuration items been affected?

A release (itself a versioned entity) may consist of several configuration items. The set of changes to each configuration item will appear in the release notes, and the notes may contain specific headings for each configuration item.

As well as participating in the implementation of a change and in the management of a change, the listing and definition of each configuration item may act as a common vocabulary across all groups connected to the product. It should be defined at a level such that an individual involved with product marketing and an individual at the coal face of implementation can agree to a common definition when they use the name of the configuration item. Selection and identification of configuration items for a particular project can be seen as the first step in developing an overall architecture from the top down.

Configuration items, their versions and their changes form the basis of any configuration audit.

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