Talk:CMDB
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how is CMDB different/same than SCM (software configuration management)? Is it just that SCM only for software & CMDB is software plus hardware? DEddy 04:13, 12 April 2006 (UTC)
It very much depends on the CMDB implementation. Certainly most CMDBs maintain extensive information about hardware and devices on the network and their configurations - some CMDB vendors will capture software information as well - for instance website configuration files. Software inherently has a variety of means of configuration from settings in files to registry entries in the likes of Windows operating systems. Some settings are only accessible when the software is running and via the user interface only.
A perfect CMDB would know everything i.e. HCM+SCM+DCM
[edit] CMDB
Although the idea of inventories is a common one it was the ITIL framework that gave these inventories an official name: CMDB.
A CMDB according to ITIL is a repository that contains all configuration items (CIs) in an organization and their relationship to each other. Any Component that needs to be managed in order to deliver an IT Service is a CI. Information about each CI is recorded in a Configuration Record within the CMDB and is maintained throughout its Lifecycle by Configuration Management. CIs are under the control of Change Management. CIs typically include hardware, software, buildings, people, and formal documentation such as Process documentation and SLAs. The CMDB is the cornerstone of the Configuration Management process in ITIL and according to ITIL should only be updated through a Change Management process, note that Release management is part of Change management. Other disciplines such as Capacity and Availability management also depend extensively on the data the CMDB provides from auditing to decision making.
A common way of establishing and maintaining a CMDB is by creating a baseline using a discovery tool. The information is then imported into the CMDB. This established baseline is then updated via a Change Management process often driven by subsequent and regular discoveries - an up-to-date CMDB is essential.
Several vendors claim to provide a ready-made CMDB. The usual suspects in this area are BMC, Tideway and nLayers (recently purchased by EMC) and recently joined by ManagedObjects and Heroix. It is common to see these vendors collaborate with the larger service players like HP and IBM who have chosen to partner in the market rather than innovate themselves but still brand these solutions as their own implementations.
Many more vendors are appearing to address the mid-market segment and LiveTime of Australia is on version 4 of their ITIL suite that leverages a CMDB.
To add to the fray and spice up things two open source projects, Zenoss and Hyperic HQ, have started to capture hearts and minds.
It should be noted that there are pundits in the community who feel these vendors are misleading customers and promoting a vision of ITIL that is impossible to implement, namely the CMDB.
Much of the discussion here misses the two essential points about a CMDB that distinguishes it from any old asset or software repository: 1) it is all about the RELATIONSHIPS between the entities 2) it contains the entities managed by Chagne Management and (pretty much) nothing but the entities managed by Change Pukerua 08:24, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
[edit] CA's CMDB offering
Could you be more precise on this link, please? I was totally lost by the time I got to my 3rd guess/click. DEddy 01:50, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
Please could who ever added the CA CMDB link respond to the question above please. ййййййййййййй
I didn't enter the link, but I am from CA and involved in CA CMDB development. I just checked the link. I don't understand the problem. It seems OK to me. The site has been changing, so the problem may have been transient. If there is still a problem, I can help. Marvwaschke 01:00, 3 April 2007 (UTC)
