This activity defines the types of configuration items under the control of Configuration Management. This might be done during the initial population of a CMDB within the Configuration Management System (CMS) or when a new type of CI is identified for inclusion within the CMS. This discovery can be done manually or automatically.

As a result of design at either the architectural level or within a particular solution, a new CI type can be generated that should be reflected within the CMS schema.

Once a new type of CI is identified, a number of steps might need to occur, including:

• Creating specific naming conventions for this CI type
• Creating specific labeling conventions
• Defining attributes for the CI type
• Defining documentation for the CI type
• Defining relationships to other CI types

This information is stored in the Configuration Identification Practices.

Each of the decisions can result in an update to or modification of the CMS schema, resulting in a proposal to update the CMS.