CSDM and Model ID

[TaylorJ78]

I wasn't sure if this is a CSDM or a SAM question.. Please let me know if I need to repost..

I would like to track my SaaS applications lifecycle and I am assuming that would require creating a Service Model record for each SaaS application and associating to an Application Service record in the [model_ID] field? Is this the correct procedure?

Next, I would like to understand would I perform the same function for a Business Applications that are identified as Architecture Type=Saas? Is the correct procedure to also link the [model_ID] to the Service Model record that identifies that SaaS application?  Please explain if this is correct.

Regarding the Application Model record, my understanding that is for any homegrown application created/managed by SDLC.  Would I need to create an Application Model record and associate it to the  [model_ID] field in the Business Application for any records with the Architecture Type=Homegrown?  Would this Application Model record then be associated to the appropriate ApplicationService record (based on environment) also?

[Daxin · Accepted solution]

Hi Taylor,

I came across similar requirement. 

Application Model is the version agnostic and Software Model is the versioned software so Application Model will not be right fit when it comes to managing the CI. 

If the deployed piece of software is running as a process in a server,the Application Service depends on the application (cmdb_ci_appl) and the application's model ID would be the Software Model.

Service Model is more like versioning of the Service that is sold to customer which is not dependent on the underlying technology, so from SAM /APM perspective using Software Model make sense. 

Hope this helps. 

[Ben Schlick]

Application Model has a reference to Software Model. In the "All Application Navigator", type Tables & Columns. This will provide a list of the SN tables where you can navigate to cmdb_application_product_model and "show schema".

Here is an example of how ServiceNow can be added using oob architecture. The table you will be update/adding records to is cmdb_ci_business_app which uses Product Models referenced in the cmdb_application_product_model table. This image shows the "Tables and Columns" application in ServiceNow and I highly recommend learning to use it, reading database tables/relationships is no different than learning how to code; some would agree that it is an essential part of coding/developing and especially architecting.

 

The next image is the list/table view of cmdb_ci_business_app records. (44 total)

snBusApps.xlsx spreadsheet that you will find helpful when building your portfolio(s). Additional attributes listed for each business application. You can make new business apps from the table view, however I did it through the Enterprise Architecture Workspace > Portfolio > Application Portfolio

 

Please Note: Creating Business Applications through the EA Workspace creates and "locks" product records in the Agile Development 2.0 > Products table due to the ModelID field in EA Workspace. This is oob configuration from ServiceNow. **DISCLAIMER**, I did not use this functionality because I did NOT want the Platform Applications to be disassociated from the Platform Host; this makes the platform and platform applications difficult to manage with the CSDM architecture. I would rather have the Model_ID field correlate to both, a Product AND Theme.

Example(s): The below image shows the result of adding a business application through the EA Workspace that corresponds to a ModelID.

 This, in my humblest of opinions, does not fit the Platform and Platform Application architecture used in the CSDM.

This image depicts the "ServiceNow" application model (Platform Host) with subsequent Themes (Platform Apps). 

 

 If you've made it this far, you're probably like "whooptie doo basil, what does it all mean?"

Here is an image of what the oob INC form looks like

 

 

Hope this helps!

vr, ben