Quick Answer
The answer is Service Configuration Management, which is the ITIL 4 practice responsible for maintaining the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). This practice ensures that accurate and reliable information about configuration items (CIs) and their relationships is available when and where needed, directly supporting all other service management practices by providing a trusted source of data for decision-making and incident resolution. On the ITIL 4 Foundation exam, this question tests your understanding of which practice owns the CMDB, often appearing as a straightforward recall item where distractors like Change Enablement or Incident Management are common traps—remember, Change Enablement modifies CIs, but Service Configuration Management maintains the record of them. A useful memory tip is to link “Configuration” with “CMDB” directly: both start with “C,” and the practice’s name literally contains the word “Configuration,” making it the natural owner of the database that stores configuration data.
This ITIL4F practice question tests your understanding of itil management practices. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
In ITIL 4, which practice is responsible for maintaining the Configuration Management Database (CMDB)?
Change Enablement
Why wrong: Change Enablement uses the CMDB but does not maintain it.
IT Asset Management
Why wrong: IT Asset Management manages assets, not the CMDB.
Deployment Management
Why wrong: Deployment Management moves changes; it does not maintain the CMDB.
Service Configuration Management
Service Configuration Management maintains the CMDB.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Service Configuration Management
Service Configuration Management (D) is the ITIL 4 practice responsible for maintaining the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). It ensures that accurate and reliable information about configuration items (CIs) and their relationships is available when and where needed, supporting all other service management practices.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Change Enablement
Why it's wrong here
Change Enablement uses the CMDB but does not maintain it.
IT Asset Management
Why it's wrong here
IT Asset Management manages assets, not the CMDB.
Deployment Management
Why it's wrong here
Deployment Management moves changes; it does not maintain the CMDB.
Service Configuration Management
Why this is correct
Service Configuration Management maintains the CMDB.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse the practice that uses the CMDB (Change Enablement or IT Asset Management) with the practice that is responsible for maintaining it, but ITIL 4 explicitly assigns CMDB maintenance to Service Configuration Management.
Detailed technical explanation
The CMDB is a logical repository that stores attributes, relationships, and statuses of CIs, which can include hardware, software, documentation, and even people. Service Configuration Management defines the CI identification scheme, controls CI baselines, and performs regular audits to ensure the CMDB reflects the actual state of the infrastructure. In real-world scenarios, a poorly maintained CMDB leads to inaccurate impact analysis during incident or change management, causing service outages or failed changes.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the ITIL4F exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
ITIL Management Practices — study guide chapter
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FAQ
ITIL Management Practices — This question tests ITIL Management Practices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Service Configuration Management — Service Configuration Management (D) is the ITIL 4 practice responsible for maintaining the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). It ensures that accurate and reliable information about configuration items (CIs) and their relationships is available when and where needed, supporting all other service management practices.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which ITIL 4 practice manages the lifecycle of all configuration items including their relationships and baselines?
mediumWhy B: Service Configuration Management is responsible for managing CIs, their relationships, and configuration baselines. Option A is correct. Option B is wrong because IT asset management focuses on financial aspects. Option C is wrong because change enablement manages changes. Option D is wrong because release management manages releases.
Variation 2. In ITIL 4, which practice involves managing the lifecycle of configuration items (CIs) and maintaining a configuration management database (CMDB)?
hardWhy C: Service Configuration Management is responsible for managing CIs and the CMDB, including configuration baselines.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This ITIL4F practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the ITIL4F exam.
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