Patent ID: 8640209

Claim:
A system to facilitate changing authentication information for configuration items, the system comprising: a first and second configuration item, wherein the first configuration item is a hardware or software component configured to authenticate the second configuration item upon receiving second authentication information from the second configuration item that matches first authentication information associated with the first configuration item, and the second configuration item is a hardware or software component that transmits the second authentication information to the first configuration item in order to establish a connection therewith; a plurality of modules implemented in at least one of hardware and a combination of hardware and software, the modules comprising: a configuration management database (CMDB) storing records describing the first and second configuration items, the records storing at least one authentication relation between the first configuration item and the second configuration item that describes an authentication relationship between the first and second configuration items, and at least one authentication attribute indicating whether the first authentication information has changed, wherein the at least one authentication attribute and the at least one authentication relation are updated by automated discovery that detects changes to the first and second configuration items, the records further storing at least one attribute pointing to an operation schedule of the first configuration item and the second configuration item, wherein the operation schedule is used to identify a time when the first and second authentication information may be changed; an identification unit for identifying, in response to a request to change the first authentication information associated with the first configuration item, the second configuration item influenced by the change by examining the at least one authentication relation stored in the CMDB; the identification unit further configured to identify the operation schedule so that a suitable time for changing the first and second authentication information may be determined; and an instruction unit for initiating a change of the second authentication information associated with the second configuration item.