Configuration management literature is replete with references to something called a ‘configuration item’ and most attempt to explain what a configuration item is. Despite this there remains confusion. “Should all files in my software system be a configuration item?” is a common enough question to raise concern that the concept of configuration item is not fully understood.
A configuration item is the unit of change for the configuration management system. A configuration item may consist of one or more other configuration items (sub-configuration items) and may also consist of one or more components. A component is always part of a configuration item; components cannot exist within a configuration management system independent of the configuration item hierarchy.
So, in software systems files are often only components. Configuration items within software systems tend to be larger entities such as sub-systems or libraries. The precise level at which you choose to identify a configuration item will depend upon where you want to exercise change control.
