difference between configuration item field and affected cis

[samadam]

What is difference between configuration item field and affected cis field, Is it just that CI is one to one and Affected CIs is multiple cis attached to an incident? Id I have the related list on the incident do I need Configuration Item field?

Thanks

[Brad Tilton]

It really depends on your setup. In the most basic sense the configuration item field allows you to draw a direct relation between a CI and multiple incidents/changes and let's you easily report on that relationship. The related list let's you do a many to many relationship, so if you're affecting multiple CIs you can use that and reporting is a little more difficult on that list. Most customers I've worked with use the field all the time, and then use the list only if multiple CIs are affected, but I've seen some other uses a s well.

[Mike Allen · Accepted solution]

CI is a one-to-one.

Affected CIs is a related list that shows the task_ci table.   They are generally independent of each other, though you can certainly write scripts that can add the cmdb_ci field to the task_ci table.

Now, why to use both?   Let's say you have a switch go down.   The switch is you cmdb_ci on the record.   Let's say that 4 servers, 2 databases, 4 database instances and 10 applications are down because the switch is.   Those are your affected CIs.

[samadam]

Thank you