Desktop Software CI's

[mnp123]

Is each install of the Software on desktop is separate CI? If so if we have 10,000 desktop we will have 10,000 software CI's associated with it. Is the companies do this or have one software CI and have a relationship with 10,000 desktop?

Any help is appreciated?
Thanks

[mnsmith]

We handle software as a single CI with CMDB relationship links to each desktop it's installed on.

Hoppe that helps
_________________
Mick Smith
Change, Configuration and Release Manager

[UKVIKING]

IT DEPENDS

Are you keeping track of the software for licensing purposes

From a DBA POV

Then you should have a CI for the Master Software
A CI (relationship) for every instance of the software being installed
linked to the device it is installed on

or for some companys they link it to an Individual CI (login details)
However, if you are like some companys

You can bundle your software packages - Operating system, office etc
_________________
John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

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

[Mark-OLoughlin]

Hi,

1 CI except as John says if you need to manage licenses. You could also count the number of relationships made to the software CI. Make a rule that if software is installed then a relationship is made. However in practice this is is cumbersome and using a CMDB like this for managing software licenses is not ideal - I have yet to see an out of box CMDB that actually does meaningfull software licensing.

Desktop inventory tools - the ones that sweep the network and report back installed applications are better at this (though limitations may exist in scanning some subnets / DMZ's) and can be linked to a CMDB.
_________________
Mark O'Loughlin
ITSM / ITIL Consultant

[mnsmith]

Further to my original point, we are also planning to use the CMDB for software licensing by having a CI type of license. So, for example, the desktop 123 CI, would be linked to the single Firefox software CI, which in turn is linked to the single Mozilla public license CI.

This was the only way we could think of managing the 100's of different types of license. Having one software CI covering each licensed product works in some circumstances but falls down when you have a floating license because you are recording installations not licenses. By having the license CI, we can record the number licneses we hold as an attribute, whether it's site, node locked, or floating.

We also have a federated CMDB, which allows us to scan the desktops and link PCs to software in our CMDB. Without it, we'd have nightmare job.
_________________
Mick Smith
Change, Configuration and Release Manager

[UKVIKING]

I am going to go a little deeper in the DBA mode

Since the desktop would usually include several software products

- operating system
- office productivity software - email, word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database
- browser(s)
- speciality software - project mgmt, techincal design etc, corporate or in house software -

And each staff member has to have specific products, i would have CIs for each s/w product, then a super set CI for packages of s/w that have to be linked to PCs or accounts

And this set up could be track usin the discovery / software management tools that are out there
_________________
John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

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

[Mark-OLoughlin]

Hi,

A CI for license is what I meant but may not have actually said that ... anyway ...

"We also have a federated CMDB, which allows us to scan the desktops and link PCs to software in our CMDB. Without it, we'd have nightmare job."

--- will this setup autoamtically update the CI to the License CI once it detects an install? To try and manually track license usage is an admin nightmare
_________________
Mark O'Loughlin
ITSM / ITIL Consultant

[mnp123]

What I am trying to do is solve two cases using CMDB
1. Change control of CI's
2. License Management

Lets say if there is one Software CI and have many relationship to desktop that will work for Desktop License Management but

When I look on a database CI's (Oracle instances on server, Sybase instances on server) and let’s say for example we are running 100's of oracle instances on server CI. I also want to document each oracle instances which serves an application or services established in our company and can be individually changed. How companies handle this kind of situation?

I really appreciate all your feedback.

[Mark-OLoughlin]

Hi,

this is what I am getting at regarding the CMDB not being able to do license management. I have sat through the same questions above in different organisations who were asking no more that you.

However when advised that to do this in any way that is the least bit accurate - it needs to be heavily automated. You can use specific tools to gather information on app installs etc and report it into a repositiry but if you want to link to the CMDB you just have to script / automate the relationship to the CMDB.

It is an easy task to ask on the outside but as you look into it it requires a lot of work and configurations.

Also if you sign up to deliver license management you have to get it 100% right - otherwise you can be wrong in you usage estimation and it could have the potential to cost you in penalties e.g if oracle rolls up - sweeps the network and finds out that you have more DB's in use that you have licenses for.

[mnp123]

I agree this is a challenge. One place we are trying to control Changes on these CI's which require people input to CMDB through Change Process, people do make mistakes that is the reason we are using Discovery tools for Audit purpose which has its own challenges and on the other hand we are trying to including the license management.
We are also finding that it will be lot of work but we are very committed to get over this huge hump.

What I am looking help from the Experts is it advisable to go have individual CI's per oracle instance and have one CI for a Software like Microsoft Office 2000. The difference is that oracle instance to a server installed will be one to one relationship but for Microsoft Office 2000 and desktop installed it will be one to many relationship.

[UKVIKING]

MNP123,

You need to think of the following when dealing with SQL software

1 - You have the software installed on the server. This merely installs the necessary executable, libraies to run SQL on the server as well as the base tools to create databases

2 - You have the ability to create, destroy and modify user develoepd databases on the server which have the SQL software installed

The CMDB should treat #1 as a SOftware product that is tracked.

The real issue is how you want to track the development, creation, maintainance and destruction of the SQL database instances that are created on that server (farm) using the SQL db s/w as well as the risks / etc

If you create the DB as a CI, do you also create CIs for the Tables, Querys, forms, reports etc that are create w/in the database. How do you handle the adding/removing / reconfiguring of fields w/in the tables. - Do you expect DBA to submit RFC for that

You have to reach a happy medium for configuration and change mgmt.

Dont spend £10 to track a £ 0.02 item

Personally, I would create #1 as a software

Then I would develop a CI for 'Service' for the DB instances - which tracks the Service (DB) and the service users (licenses) and other services that use the Service (DB)
_________________
John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

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