Delete "absent" CI

[ClaudioS]

Hi, 

in our CMDB there are about 1 million CIs in "absent" status.

Is it safe to delete CIs of some classes, eg: Switchport (398710 CI in "Absent" state)?.

For the main classes we don't delete the CIs but we use the states, e.g. "Retired"
Thank you

Claudio

[Gunjan Kiratkar · Accepted solution]

Hi @ClaudioS ,

It's generally a good practice to retain historical data in your Configuration Management Database (CMDB) whenever possible, as this can be useful for tracking the lifecycle of your assets and for reporting and analysis.

Before deleting CIs, you should carefully consider the impact this will have on your CMDB and your organization. Some potential considerations include:

• Dependencies: If the CIs you are considering deleting are related to other CIs in your CMDB, deleting them may cause data inconsistencies or disrupt the integrity of your CMDB. You should carefully consider the impact this will have on any dependent CIs and whether this is acceptable.

• Reports and analysis: If you have used the CIs you are considering deleting in any reports or analysis, deleting them may affect the accuracy of these reports or the conclusions you have drawn from them. You should carefully consider whether this is acceptable.

• Auditing and compliance: Depending on your organization's policies and regulations, deleting CIs from your CMDB may have implications for auditing and compliance. You should carefully consider whether this is acceptable.

If you do decide to delete CIs from your CMDB, you should ensure that you have a well-defined process in place to ensure that this is done in a controlled and consistent manner. You should also consider whether you want to retain a record of the deleted CIs, either by archiving them or by keeping a record of the deletion in a separate table.

In general, it is generally safer to use the "Retired" state to mark CIs as no longer in use, rather than deleting them. This allows you to retain a record of the CIs and their history, while still indicating that they are no longer in use.