ITIL 4 Foundation Practice Exam

In the context of IT service management, what does 'configuration' generally refer to?

1. The setup of physical servers and hardware

2. The arrangement of components working together to provide services

3. The documentation of security practices

4. The schedule for software updates

The correct answer is: The arrangement of components working together to provide services

In IT service management, the term 'configuration' primarily refers to the arrangement of components working together to provide services. This encompasses not only the technical elements like hardware and software but also how these components interact and function cohesively to deliver IT services effectively. Configuration management plays a crucial role in ensuring that all elements are in their proper state and function as intended, allowing for efficient service delivery and management. When discussing configuration, it is important to understand that it involves maintaining an accurate record of the relationships and dependencies among these components, which enables organizations to respond to changes and incidents more effectively. This contributes to the overall stability and reliability of IT services, which is a key focus of ITIL practices. The other choices, while related to IT service management, do not encompass the broader definition of 'configuration.' The setup of physical servers and hardware pertains to a specific aspect of configuration but doesn't capture the overall arrangement of all components. Documentation of security practices and the scheduling of software updates address particular operational tasks within IT service management but fall outside the general definition of what configuration refers to in this context.