CMDB Checked In and Checked Out fields

[Nia McCash]

I noticed that cmdb_ci table has a Checked In (checked_in) and Checked out (checked_out) fields out of box.  How were these fields intended to be used? What were the use cases that ServiceNow had in mind for them?  Are there out of box functionality/logic tied to either of these fields?  How have you used them in your organization?

[DaveHertel · Accepted solution]

Hi - As with many, many fields in the CMDB there are some fields provided that your business can choose to use to support misc business processes (or not).   Checked in/out is such a field.   I don't know if there is an articulated 'use case' for the intent of this field, but I can provide 1 example:

When I was CMDB architect for a very large tech company, that field was used (some would say bastardized... but that's another story... 🙂 )  to signify when a CI (which represented some Test Equipment, like an Oscilloscope) was loaned out to someone in the company.   For example, a stockroom had a large inventory of reusable equipment, like an O-Scope.  Employees could sign-out (i.e. 'Check out') an piece if equipment for a while, then return it later.   The Checked in/out  field along with some other fields liked Assigned-To were used to manage who-had-what equipment at any given time.

As you know, there are a ton of out of the box fields in the CMDB.  Not every CI field si used by every business, but the CMDB architecture is intentionally built with the flexibility to meet the varying needs of customers to manage CI's throughout a CI lifecycle.  More info on CI Lifecycle here

CMDB CI Table Attributes (London)

Hope this helps?