ITIL introduced the CMDB several years
ago yet many are confused about its purpose. Do you think you know what
a CMDB really is, as well as it’s purposes, components and
applications? Test your CMDB knowledge against these five very common
misconceptions about the CMDB.
The common misconceptions detailed here include:
- A CMDB is just a database
- A CMDB enables ITIL
- CMDB is just a part of Change Management
- My Asset Management system is the same as a CMDB
- Federation is the key to CMDB
- A CMDB is a database
A CMDB, despite the name, is not (just) a database. It is an analysis
tool that happens to use an internal database to maintain configuration
state and snapshots. A unique feature is that the database is populated
by auto-discovery instead of business transactions.
- A CMDB enables ITIL
This can be a confusing phrase. A CMDB is a trusted source of
configuration or structural information. Controlling the ITIL workflows
and collecting process metrics is managed by a separate workflow, forms
and dashboard tool.
- CMDB is part of Change Management
Change Management uses the CMDB analysis and report capability to
identify rogue changes, simulate the impact of proposed changes and
confirm releases. CMDB is an important tool for automating the Change
Management process. A CMDB implements the ITIL Configuration Management
process.
- My Asset Management system is the same as a CMDB
Asset management is a database and set of processes to acquire and
track equipment and software to perform financial and custodial duties
such as ownership, location, license utilization, lease terms,
disposal. Asset management is not concerned with configuration
structure and mapping relationships. But an Asset Management system and
process is both a good idea on its own, and an important prerequisite
to development of a CMDB.
- Federation is the key to CMDBFederation is fiction. It is a term to
hide the fact that no vendor wants (or is able) to solve the overall
data integration problem across the disparate and standards-free world
of IT tools. A CMDB does not have to federated to be effective as long
as the Configuration Items (CIs) follow consistent naming rules. Later
it may be useful to integrate selected attributes about CIs from other
systems, such as application monitoring, security, and asset management.
Want to know more about how to develop your own CMDB? Download our comprehensive white paper on nine steps to developing an effective CMDB.
Also, don’t forget to register for Evergreen’s change management webinar and learn how to Take Change Management from Firefighting to Fire Prevention
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