The importance of having a well-maintained and populated Configuration Management data base (CMDB) can’t be understated. If you’re focused on populating data within a CMDB instead of how it’s going to be used, then you’ll lose sight of what it should be doing. ServiceNow provides a collection of tools and applications to help make this possible, as well as a recommended framework to be able to receive benefits from it.
So, what is a CMDB?
A CMDB creates and maintains the logical configurations your network infrastructure will need in order to support a Business or Application Service. This purpose-built database is designed to specifically support Configuration Management – which seeks to ensure products or services are operating in accordance with its desired or required state.
You can integrate data from any source, (Import Set, ServiceNow Discovery, Service Mapping, etc.) and bring it into the CMDB where it will be fully documented and tracked. To control data quality, the Identification and Reconciliation Engine API provides a centralized framework to decrease the risk of any inconsistencies and maintain the integrity of the database.
Should you make any changes to the data inside the CMDB, that data is fully traceable and logged. Changes could be anything from attributes, relationships, incidents, problems, related records, etc. The user has full visibility towards the date and time, the source of the change and its previous value.
The CMDB is fully integrated with the IT Service Management applications. Configuration Items (CIs) can be associated to any incident, problem or change and by leveraging the relationships stored in the CMDB, you’re able to gain a better understanding of the technical and business context of any CI.
It is crucial to keep in mind that you will be most successful when you focus more attention on implementing configuration management before executing a CMDB.
If you are interested in learning more about configuration management, our team can provide you with the tools and guidance you need to move forward with a well-established CMDB. Contact a member of our team here for more information.
