Configuration Items - Renaming

[hamiltr]

What is the best way to rename a Configuration Item? If you just rename it in the CMDB then you won't be able to search on its previous name so should you copy it/clone it? thanks

[mnsmith]

Hamiltr

If a CI needs a name change, then I would personally just rename it (after being approved via change management). I don't care what it used to be called but if I need to find it again, I can just search on the unique reference number which should never change. This conforms with my ITIL based process definition - which is 83% ITIL compliant

However, if you want to find CIs based on past and present names and your tool doesn't allow this then, either your tool needs replacing (to match your requirements) or your process needs updating to match your tool.

I would personally suggest cloning the CI and marking the old one as renamed, with a link to the new one.

ITIL (and this forum) don't care about tools, just the process, so as long as your process is clear what you need to do, then that's fine by us.

Hope that helps.
_________________
Mick Smith
Change, Configuration and Release Manager

[thechosenone69]

Hamiltr,

that depends on many factors. Please clarify the following:

Why do you want to rename it? whats the objective?
are the Ci's labeled?
How many Ci's are you talking about?
What kind of configuration managament system are you using?

Regards,

TCO

[UKVIKING]

in addition, what name of the CI are you changing

the dns name
the server name
the label on the box
the db table field label
the db table field name

we had at least 3 names for each server

the dns name
the server name
and the nick name

the reason being was that the server name was a combination of o/s, location and numerative

win01nyc01 was 1st wintel server in nyc data center

it's nick name was dave
_________________
John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

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

[Diarmid]

[hamiltr]

Thank you all.
Yes the server name itself is being renamed as the device has moved to a different location.
We have an auditing tool in our CMDB that shows previous names/attributes which is fine but obviously searching on the device will only find it with its current/new name and not the old one.
Does this seem ok?
If not I guess cloning the devices is an option because you could find the device via old name and/or new name

[UKVIKING]

So the server is being re-purposed, rehome and re-named

THis would be the following

change request (multiple parts/section)
configuration mgmt db change

what about SLA, OLA, acceptance of system, documentation yadda yadda yadda

While the physicial attribute of the server will be the same - serial number, etc, the fungible data like the company datacenter inventory tag may have to change

So what I would do in this is as follow

transfer the server from one site to another
then add all the new fungible data and delete the old data (archive) I hate deleting data
_________________
John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

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

[hamiltr]

Thanks. Yes we have updated all the attributes relevant to the new location for the device. The CMDB is up to date and there is a history of what was changed. We just cannot search on the old device name any more unless we clone it. Not sure if that is an issue in x months down the line or not