When applying the CSDM, how should incidents be recorded against specific desktop software?

[Robin Chytil]

A customer of mine is migrating to the CSDM and started to create Application services in addition to Business and Technical services they have been using for 10+ years. The plan is to have Application services and Technical services with a Relationship to Business services (Service offerings will come later). For example:

• Business service: Library management (for managing borrowing of books)
• Applications services: Liberty - US, Liberty - Europe, Liberty [TEST]

The plan is going well for software installed on servers. But for software installed on PC, we are stuck on how to apply the CSDM, and more specifically how to record incidents.

The customer is not using ITOM neither Service mapping, but they create software models based on SCCM inventory. they currently have 1000+ software models.

Today, they log all incidents related to desktop software under the same Business service, called "Desktop software". They would like to create 4 Business services for R&D software portfolios, 1 for Finance software portfolio, 1 for HR software, etc. We plan to have 22 software portfolios, i.e. 22 Business services.

What solution can I propose them to be able to record an incident on a specific desktop software?

When using APM, a table exists to link Application services to software models (sn_apm_tpm_service_software_model). This requires APM, for which the customer has a few licenses. That could be a lead to propose a solution.

I considered therefore 3 solutions:

1. create one "Application service" per software model (the software model includes the version number, while the application service would not). This would however mean the creation and maintenance of 1000+ Application services. ==> Application service can be then easily referenced in an incident.
2. Create one "Application service" per "Business service", for all software used in a portfolio, and link this Application service to all software models (using the APM module). ==> But when logging an incident , I won't be able to use the sn_apm_tpm_service_software_model table to select on which specific software the incident occurred, as Software models are not CIs...
3. Use the same table (sn_apm_tpm_service_software_model) to link Business services and Software models? Seems not aligned with CSDM...

Any other solution to propose? 

Thanks

Robin

[Ed Laar1]

Fully agree with you Stig: Great solution direction in a basically simple situation but practically a hard one.

Ed

[Robin Chytil]

Thank you for the suggestion Stig.

As the Software Packages are CIs (cmdb_ci_spkg), I then understand that we should link them to their appropriate service/service offering (with a Relationship) - we could have wither one service Desktop software and several service offering, or as of now, one service for each portfolio of software. Seems a good option, thanks!

One more question: when/if client activates the SAM Pro module, will the cmdb_ci_spkg still be available? This thread in Community seems to say it is not used anymore when SAM is activated?

[salvatore_de-lu]

Hello Robin,

The subject is very interesting and thanks you for opening this post. 

For information, my CMDB_CI_SKPG table no longer updates since the activation of the SAM plugin.

I am also looking for a solution to cover this problem and be CSDM compliant 🙂 and easly to use and maintain.

Salvatore

[Lenny Williams]

Good Afternoon,

    Has anyone dig into this a little more what the best practices are if SAM-Pro is installed for adding Desktop software to CSDM. Is it really needed? If so how?

.

[Manuel D]

Hi Robin, 

did Software Packages (cmdb_ci_spkg) worked well for you case, how did you structured the offering, technical service, business service around it?

Can the user raise de correct Incident, I guess based on offering and Software Package (CI)?
Maybe with a specific entry in the catalog for 'Desktop Software' issues.

How the service desk create such Incident ?

Manuel