Configuration management is a great tool to manage change in documentation, hardware, software, firmware, measurements and many more. Change is expected to have an initial state and next state. The indication of this vital state in a series of various changes is very important. Identifying these states in the revision history in configuration item is the main objective of baseline identification.
Normally, these vital states are the ones that receive an official approval status, sometimes implicitly and explicitly. The approval status can be indicated separately and individually, when the marking is identified, or signified simply by relationship or association to a particular baseline. However, this approval or authorization status is known publicly. Hence, the baseline may also be marked and indicate an approved configuration item. On the other hand, the configuration in a project may also involve more than one baseline. This includes the metrics and the status of the configuration. A baseline may focus on a specific baseline. Examples of it include the following: 1. Allocated Baseline: these are state of work items and products when conditions and requirements are approved. 2. Functional Baseline: this is where the initial specifications are established. 3. Product Baseline: this baseline holds the releasable contents of the item/product. Baselines may also be created to simply imply the progress of work through time. In the development of implementing configuration management and configuration items may be baselined to determine a particular status to interested parties. With this, the baseline work may need particular changes to work products to make sure it agrees with the baseline reference.
The standard configuration is applied to the different media configurations and protocols. It is also applied to commands for global configuration. Cisco uses the standard configuration for its device classification like the router, ATM switch, LAN and WAN switch. Each of the standard configurations should contain the commands for protocol configuration that are needed to maintain the consistency of the network. Media configuration consists of the frame relay, ATM and Fast Ethernet configurations. The configuration of the protocol includes the configuration parameters of standard IP routing protocol, the Quality of Service configurations, access list that are common and all the other protocol configurations required.
Standard configuration parameters are recommended in a configuration file and also in downloading the file to each of the devices prior to the interface and protocol configuration. The standard configuration file should also be documented containing an explanation for each parameter of the global configuration and state its importance. The resource manager essentials of Cisco may be used to manage some standard configuration file, descriptors and protocol configuration.
There are also upgrade procedures done to ensure that the upgrade of the software and hardware occur with minimal down time. The procedures for upgrade include vendor installation, vendor verification, guidelines and testing requirements. The procedures for upgrade differ depending on the type of the network and the type of the device that will be used. Some of the other upgrades may not be tested easily like the one that involves the whole network. When the procedure for upgrade is verified and defined, the upgrade procedures must be updated with all the documentations for change.