ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
What is a configuration baseline?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse a configuration baseline with the entire CMDB inventory or a general policy, when in fact it is a specific, time-stamped snapshot used for comparison and recovery.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A snapshot of the configuration of a service or infrastructure at a specific point in time
A configuration baseline is defined in ITIL 4 as a snapshot of the configuration of a service, product, or infrastructure at a specific point in time. This baseline serves as a reference point for future changes, audits, or recovery, ensuring that the exact state of Configuration Items (CIs) and their relationships is captured and can be compared against later states.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A standard change that updates the CMDB
Why it's wrong here
A standard change is a pre-authorized, low-risk, and routine change, typically executed without requiring additional authorization. While updating the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) might be an activity within a standard change, a configuration baseline itself is a static record of a system's state, not a type of change process. Therefore, this option incorrectly conflates a process with a specific data artifact.
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A policy for managing configuration data
Why it's wrong here
A policy for managing configuration data establishes the rules, responsibilities, and procedures governing how configuration items (CIs) and their relationships are recorded and maintained within the Configuration Management System. This policy provides the overarching framework and guidelines for configuration management activities. However, a configuration baseline is a specific, recorded state of a service's configuration at a particular moment, not the governing policy itself.
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A list of all configuration items in the CMDB
Why it's wrong here
A list of all configuration items (CIs) in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) represents the entire inventory of managed components across the IT estate. While a configuration baseline involves CIs, it is a specific, recorded subset of CIs and their attributes, reflecting a particular, approved state for a service or system. It is not the comprehensive, dynamic inventory of the entire CMDB.
- ✓
A snapshot of the configuration of a service or infrastructure at a specific point in time
Why this is correct
A configuration baseline is precisely defined as a formally agreed-upon snapshot of the configuration of a service, product, or infrastructure component at a specific point in time. This snapshot captures the attributes and relationships of all relevant configuration items (CIs) as they existed at that moment. It serves as a known, good state for comparison, recovery, and auditing purposes, providing a stable reference point for future changes.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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