Just as contractors need a solid foundation before any type of a structure can be built, the same concept holds true for the digital information technology structures we create for large enterprises.
A configuration management database, or CMDB, works like the foundation or information hub for your ServiceNow IT platform and all the modules connected to it. Another way to think of it is like an information engine.
There’s a lot to contemplate with any CMDB implementation. So if you’re new to the concept, this will be a primer or introductory overview. We’ll spread it out over a few posts to make it more digestible.
Here are some of the main concepts to understand what goes into a configuration management database.
What Makes Up Your CMDB
The CMDB consists of three key components: Physical, Logical, and Conceptual.
- Physical components have a specific location—they take up space and can be seen (e.g. servers, desktops).
- Logical components do not take up physical space but perform specific functions that need physical components to operate (e.g. a database instance, corporate intranet, subnet).
- Conceptual components are representations of physical and logical components that have been combined to create a unique concept (e.g. a service, system, environment, or zone).
Why CMDB Matters
In the simplest terms, a well-designed configuration management database, or CMDB, provides the data needed to support a process. In a larger sense, it can help your organization accomplish its strategic or tactical goals. So it’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind when building your CMDB.
Here are three reasons why CMDB matters:
- CMDB forms the core of your organization’s ServiceNow information engine.
- In order to support the way your organization uses ServiceNow, your CMDB need to be operationally prepared.
- A solid CMDB foundation is necessary to take full advantage of the many ServiceNow capabilities as your organization grows and matures into platform.
The Cask Difference
Cask helps organizations maximize their ServiceNow investment in a timely fashion by working with your teams to build out the CMDB step by step, with incremental successes along the way. Here’s how it unfolds
- Define the process
- Prioritize CI (Change Incident) classifications and determine their value
- Assess attributes and design
- Configuration, Discovery, & relationship mapping
- Monitor & Maintain
We’ll explain these steps on the path to CMDB maturity further in Part 2 – Stages of Maturity.
Ready to implement a CMDB that helps your organization use ServiceNow more fully to make work, work better?
Watch “Crawl, Don’t Run to a Healthy CMDB” Webinar Now
