CM Tools

[Camelia]

Hello can anyone recommend a CM tool that will populate the CMDB. I am a configuration manager and my first task is to look into this. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Ed]

Hi Camelia

I spent 6 months last year looking at just this problem, then the rug was pulled by my company.

I started by issuing a Request For Information(Invitation To Tender) to a number of companies that I felt could possibly provide what I wanted.

the initial selection of these was done using a web site that sadly semms to have gone (Intelligent tools dot co dot uk). I was able to formulate a number of questions for my proposed suppliers,

I have posted most of the details elsewhere on this forum, so just have a look and if anything needs clarifying please don't hesitate to ask.

Regards

Ed

[Camelia]

Thanks Ed

[matt78h]

Hi Camelia

I have a handy sheet from the practioners course which lists ideal things to look for, let me know if you want it and I can send on.

Matt

[fighter]

Camelia,

There is a company by name which ends with elephant, whose website has got plenty of details like the companies which provide CMDB and an tool assessment sheet (questions which you can ask your vendor ) as well. You can use them if it is of any help to you.

Once you identify and shortlist few you can call them for discussions and demonstartion.

Cheers!!

Vimzie!!

[Lizzy]

The company is Pink Elephant, and they do have some tools. I've used Merent (Serena) Dimensions for Config, and that works well. Remedy says it's "ITIL Compliant", but it's more asset management than configuration management in my opinion. The key, as you know, is being able to build the relationships..not just list the CIs.

Good luck!
Liz

[UKVIKING]

Sigh. Oh ... where to begin

Any autodiscovery tool/method will give you a lot of data - some of which will be useful for you to create the entries within your CMDB.

However, in my not so humble and oh sarcastic opinion, the first thing that needs to be looked at is

what data do you wish to capture
--- how deep or shallow
how are you going to verify the data you gather
who is responsible for the Data entry
Who is responsible for the verification
what are teh policies/procedures/process in IMACU - (Install, Move, Add, Change, Un-Install) for any IT asset for which you wish to manage and control.
Is some data already being managed/controlled

Is the DC staff on board, the Implementation & Project teams, etc

This can be dealt with as you gather the data using a couple of methods

The best one is the physical audit - The joy of watching grown men & women crawllin around on the floor trying to read the label on a server for a serial number

This is also the most time consuming and also the most suspectible to errors.

Errors you say... yes.. For Example.. most staff would use MS Excel to put columns of data and rows of data..... I was amazed at the possible ways to misspell Server - let alone the manufacturer

In addition, the network monitoring tool can supply some data.. that is if the protocol and ports are open w/in your own network. However, you will have to filter and context spell check the data

Then you have to find out whether your new CMDB tool allows for import updates and exports - so you can get a datamap template for the data

You know

Location.. Device Type etc....
London .. Server
London... Router

Work with the DC staff, your engineers - system & network, as well as your third party maintenance contract vendors who most likely have a lot of data you need.

The hard part will be consolidating, verifying ad making a final data set

The most difficult part is what data to gather first and how deep should one go

My experience is this

Physcial data first - DC, rack, cage, device type, device serial number, Asset Tag, hostname (if possible device is labeled)

Then get the transitory data - IP, O/S, patch, hostname, DNS name

VErify both sets of data before you get any further

Then work on how the devices in a rack in a cage in a DC is physically hookuped. Power grid, switch port, etc

Then work with the system support people to find out how device A and device B interact and which is dependant on which.

Some of this data can be gathered by tools automatically or by data matching - IP address, VLANs etc

Hope this helps
_________________
John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

Change Management is POWER & CONTROL. /....evil laughter

[Camelia]

Thanks for all your replies - I am well and truely bam boozeled with all the information and a starting point.!! Mat please can you forward this sheet for me as mentioned.

Thanks Guys most helpful of you all.