Which process ensures modifications to infrastructure go through an approval process before implementation?

The process that ensures modifications to infrastructure go through an approval process before implementation is Change Management. This is a critical component of IT service management that focuses on assessing, approving, and managing changes to the IT environment. The primary goal of Change Management is to minimize the impact of changes on service quality, thereby ensuring that changes are made in a controlled and systematic way.

Change Management involves documenting the proposed changes, analyzing the potential impact of those changes, and obtaining approval from relevant stakeholders before any implementation occurs. By following this structured process, organizations can reduce the risk associated with changes, such as service outages or disruptions, and ensure that changes align with business objectives.

In contrast, Configuration Management primarily deals with maintaining the integrity of the system's performance by managing the hardware and software components' configurations. Incident Management focuses on restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible after an incident occurs, while Release Management coordinates the planning, scheduling, and deployment of new software and hardware releases but does not primarily handle the approval aspect of changes.