In the last blog, I introduced a couple of courses geared towards getting you started on your training journey with ServiceNow. Maybe you are looking for some training that is more in-depth. Now Learning has you covered there too! Configuration Management Database (CMDB) Fundamentals is a four-course On Demand training that also includes an Assessment Simulator. In this blog I’ll be giving an overview of the CMDB and what you can expect to learn in this multi-part, free On Demand course.
The Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
First, a little bit of background, the ServiceNow Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a data repository made up of a series of tables that contain all the assets and services managed by a company. This information includes servers, network devices, applications, services, their relationships, and more.
The CMDB is a purpose-built database explicitly designed to support Configuration Management. Configuration Management is an engineering and management discipline that seeks to ensure your products or services are built and operating by the required and desired state.
The IT Service Desk can use the CMDB during an incident management process to better understand their network users' equipment and software; network managers can gain visibility into the servers, applications, and network devices on their network including the relationships between them.
Leveraging proven tools and processes during a CMDB implementation helps maintain the integrity of the CMDB. One of those tools is CI Class Manager which is a central view to create or edit basic class definitions, and class settings for identification, reconciliation, and CMDB Health.
One of those processes is the Identification and Reconciliation module which provides a centralized framework for identifying and reconciling data from different data sources. It helps maintain the integrity of the CMDB when multiple data sources such as Discovery, import sets, and third-party discovery tools populate the CMDB and create and update CI records.
The use of multiple sources increases the risk of introducing inconsistencies through duplicate records. Identification and Reconciliation, helps you prevent duplication of CI records, reconcile CI attributes, reclassify CIs, and allows only authoritative data sources to update the CMDB.
Accurate and complete CMDB data is essential to provide enterprise-wide visibility. The most efficient way to populate the CMDB is with automated discovery tools such as ServiceNow Discovery and Service Mapping which both provide vast capabilities to discover a wide array of infrastructure, applications, and relationships, both on premise and in the cloud.
CMDB Administrators can further enhance the data they collect for the CMDB by integrating with third-party applications such as Microsoft SCCM, activating a ServiceNow provided integration, installing a certified integration from the ServiceNow Store.
Introduction to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
The first course in the series provides an introduction to the features and functionality of the CMDB, as well as highlights IT challenges remedied by a well-implemented and maintained CMDB. In this one hour, free, On Demand course, you will explore IT challenges in modern enterprises fueled by technology. Upon completion, you will be able to describe the CMDB and the attributes that provide enterprise-wide visibility. The course contains a review of terminology leveraged to describe the CMDB on the NOW Platform. You will be able to describe the configuration management capabilities enhanced by the CMDB. Finally, you will identify stakeholders and their unique roles
Design a Successful Configuration Management Database (CMDB) Implementation
The second course provides a series of recommended stages to follow when starting on your CMDB journey. In this free, one hour, On Demand course you will review the stages for planning a successful CMDB deployment. You will learn how to write clear goals mapped to use cases. Next, you will build a team and define roles and responsibilities. Then you will learn how to design a plan that ensures the CMDB delivers value. Finally, you will show value to other stakeholders by tying back goals and objectives set earlier.
Configure the Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
In this third, one hour thirty minutes, free, On Demand course in the CMDB Fundamentals series you will explore best practices for configuring and implementing your CMDB, including the role of Healthscan. You will learn how to explain how the CI Class Manager provides a centralized place to create and edit CI classes. You will be able to leverage the Identification and Reconciliation Framework for identifying and reconciling data from different data sources. Finally, you can identify when rules are needed to avoid duplicated or overloaded CIs, as well as which data sources are trustworthy.
The CMDB Simulator allows you to assess the knowledge you have gained by using CI Class Manager and the Identification and Reconciliation Engine. You’ll have a chance to practice using the CI Class Manager, Background Scripts, Identification Rules, Reconciliation Rules, Data Precedence Rules, History, and Data Refresh Rules.
Populate the Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
This free, four hours, On Demand course explores multiple options to populate the CMDB by using both native ServiceNow and third-party discovery tools, including leveraging ServiceNow Store applications. You will learn how to use ServiceNow Discovery to discover both on-premise and cloud infrastructure, applications, and relationships. The course also covers how to leverage the ServiceNow Store to discover additional environments. Finally, you will learn to populate the CMDB using manual import and third-party discovery tools.
UPDATE January 2020
Two new items have been added to the CMDB Fundamentals course.
NEW: Maintain the Health of the CMDB
This free, 3 hours and 25 minutes On Demand class covers how to maintain the valuable data contained in your CMDB. It can be challenging to maintain data with the changes occurring in the IT environment and track how these changes impact Configuration Items (CIs) and the services they support. Over the years ServiceNow customers have often asked how they can determine the current health of their CMDB.
The CMDB Health Simulator allows you to assess your knowledge of using CMDB Health Dashboard to remediate potential issues with the health of the CMDB.
Let’s get learning!
The benefits of the ServiceNow CMDB extend throughout the NOW Platform and enhance Configuration Management capabilities including Service Management, Asset Management, Operations Management, Security Management, Cloud Operations, Event Management, and Compliance. Completion of this course will prepare you for a successful deployment of the CMDB.
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