Which of the following is NOT a valid attribute of a hardware CI?

A Configuration Item (CI) is a fundamental component of a system that is managed under configuration control. A hardware CI represents a specific, tangible asset like a server, router, or workstation. Its attributes are properties that uniquely describe and manage that single item throughout its lifecycle. Attributes such as a supplier's part number, the item's cost, and the manufacturer's serial number are essential for identification, financial accounting, and tracking a specific instance. "The number of items held" is not an attribute of an individual CI; it is an inventory management metric that quantifies the stock level of a particular type of item, rather than describing a characteristic of a single, unique component.

A. A supplier's part number: This is a key identifier for a specific model or type of hardware, crucial for procurement and management.
B. The cost of the item: This is a critical financial attribute used for asset management, budgeting, and calculating total cost of ownership.
C. A manufacturer's serial number: This is a unique identifier for a specific physical instance of a hardware item, which is fundamental to tracking and control.

1. IEEE Std 828-2012, "IEEE Standard for Configuration Management in Systems and Software Engineering." Section 5.2.2.2, "Configuration identification," outlines the information required to identify CIs. It states, "Information about the CI shall be recorded so that the CI can be uniquely identified," which directly supports the use of unique identifiers like serial numbers and part numbers as attributes. The standard focuses on the attributes of individual items under control, not aggregate inventory counts.

2. Garschhammer, M., et al. (2001). "A Conceptual Model for Configuration Management Databases." In Integrated Network Management VII. Integrated Management in a Virtual World. IFIP/IEEE. This publication discusses the data models for Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs). The models show that a CI instance has attributes like serialNumber and modelNumber, and can have associated financial data. The model distinguishes between a CI instance and a CI type (or model), with inventory levels being a property of the type, not the individual instance. (See Section 3, "The Core Information Model"). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45461-313

3. University of Toronto, CSC444/2107: Software Engineering, "Lecture 10: Configuration Management." Course materials on configuration management consistently define a CI as a single, identifiable unit. The attributes recorded in a CMDB describe that unit's specific state, identity, and relationships. Inventory data, such as quantity on hand, is treated as a separate concern of asset or stock management, not as an intrinsic attribute of a single CI.