Install Base in CSM

[Anish Reghu]

Dear all,

Can someone explain the real time usage of a install base? How does it help in CSM? No Product docs references please. I want to understand the concept.

Regards,

Anish

[joez · Accepted solution]

Think of this example. I am a company ACME that is buying MS Exchange. I also bought a Server which we named ServerX.

• Account - ACME
• Asset - ServerX that I bought from you (we create a CI with this, called ServerX CI)
• Product Model - MS Exchange (this is a piece of software I can sell over & over)
• Sold Product - "Exchange to ACME" - Note that the Sold Product is an instance of the Product Model sold to an Account
• Install Base Items - ACME PROD Exchange Environment. It is where you will install this Sold product. Note on the Install Base Item you have a CI. This CI will link, in this example, to ServerX CI in the second point
• Installed Products - an m2m relationship between the Sold Product and the Install Base Item

In a sense you can think of the Install Base Item as an environment. In fact, the Install Base Item form requires a CI. So in a very real sense it could be named differently save for the word "environment" is overused in the world. Also, "install base" is something I have seen orgs refer to outside of SN.

Anyway, for the example above, you can have a DEV, TEST, and PROD environment then install that same Sold product in all 3 environments, of Install Bases. 

[Dikesh Kumar]

Hello Anish,

I would like to point you to product view of CSM with CSDM, this is bit detailed document but you would find various use cases with examples for Install Base Items and how it works with other entities.

Documentation Link: https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/paris-servicenow-platform/page/product/csdm-implementation/reference/csm-use-case.html