How can I specify a Business Application "type"?

[Jon Collins2]

Hi Folks, 

We are starting to build out our CSDM, largely based on this post by @Venni Mäkäräinen, and I have a question: 

We have different types of Business Applications (e.g. Lab Systems vs. Enterprise Applications) - is there a good way we can tag or mark these different types of Business Applications, so that when we create our catalog items, we can design reference variables to one type or the other?

For instance, if I create a reference variable that should only list Business Applications that are "Lab systems", it'd be ideal to be able to select a tag or type field, rather than specifying all the specific Business Apps the requestor should be able to select from. Is there an OOTB way to accomplish this, or do I need to create a field?

Thanks in advance. 

[Giles Lewis · Accepted solution]

It sounds to me like "Lab Systems" and "Enterprise Applications" might be two Service Portfolios. However, Service Portfolio (spm_service_portfolio) is an OOB field on the Service table (and also Application Service). It does not appear (OOB) on the Business Application table.

In the CMDB white paper, it states pretty clearly that Business Application is NOT an operational CI. When you describe a catalog item where a user selects an "application", it sounds to me like an operational function. I wonder if you should be using either Service or Application Service instead of Business Application.

If I am correct about "Lab Systems" and "Enterprise Applications" being Service Portfolios, but you decide that you are using the correct table, then you may want to consider adding Service Portfolio as a reference field to cmdb_ci_business_app.

If I am wrong or you are uncertain, then I would recommend adding a custom choice field to cmdb_ci_business_app. If you add a custom choice field, and you later find out that there was an out-of-box field or table that you should have used, then you can always migrate to the OOB and retire the custom field. However, if you misuse an OOB field (for example, you decide today that "Lab Systems" is a Service Portfolio, and decide tomorrow that "Lab Systems" is NOT a Service Portfolio), then it will create problems down the road.

There is already an OOB choice field named Application type, but the values are "Homegrown" and "COTS". Therefore, you would need to come up with a different name for your custom choice field.

[Jon Collins2]

Thanks Giles!