--- sourceDocument: Brazil ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/servicenow-platform Release : - brazil ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Brazil ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities ft:clusterId : - platcap bundleId : - platcap workflow : - Platform --- # Overview # Overview of CMDB {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Brazil Updated September 10, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Overview of CMDB The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) in ServiceNow creates and maintains logical configurations supporting network infrastructure required for ServiceNow services. It maps logical service configurations to the physical network and application infrastructure within your domains. The CMDB tracks both physical and logical states of IT service components, associating incidents to these states to aid in trend analysis and problem reduction. Show full answer Show less Configuration Items (CIs) are entities stored in the CMDB representing physical, logical, or conceptual elements such as computers, routers, database instances, or services. Each CI has attributes, relationships, and dependencies on other CIs, which provide critical insights into the impact of outages or changes, enabling informed decision-making and risk assessment. ## Key Features * **CI Classification and Relationships:** CIs are organized into classes that inherit attributes and relationships, forming a CMDB hierarchy managed through the CI Class Manager. This structure allows customization and extension of CI classes to fit unique customer environments. * **Environment Tracking:** The CMDB supports tracking CIs across different environment stages such as development, test, and production, facilitating lifecycle management. * **Extended CMDB Plugins:** Additional plugins provide specialized modules for managing unique CI types like radio hardware, mainframes, telecom equipment, and test equipment, enhancing the core CMDB capabilities. * **Related Tables:** Certain tables related to but not part of the CMDB hierarchy (e.g., Serial Number table) are linked to CIs and require careful management to avoid orphaned data. Policies can be created to manage deletions and maintain data integrity. * **Localization Considerations:** Use of Translated Text fields in CMDB tables can reduce performance due to dynamic and growing data; therefore, they are recommended mainly for static data. * **Role-Based Access:** Different roles control read and write access to CMDB data and modules, with roles like *sncmdbeditor* , *sncmdbadmin* , and *itil* governing various levels of permissions. ## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers * Enables comprehensive visibility into the IT infrastructure by linking logical and physical components. * Supports proactive incident and problem management by understanding CI dependencies and potential impacts. * Allows customization of CI classes and relationships to mirror your unique organizational and technical environment. * Offers extended capabilities through plugins for specialized hardware and equipment types. * Improves data integrity and lifecycle management with related tables and deletion policies. * Ensures secure and appropriate access to CMDB data through role-based controls. The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) creates and maintains the logical configurations your network infrastructure needs to support a ServiceNow service. In CMDB, the logical service configurations are mapped to the physical layout data of the supporting network and application infrastructure in each of your respective domains. They track the physical and logical state of IT service elements and associate incidents to the state of service elements, which helps in analyzing trends and reducing problems and incidents. The configurations are stored in a configuration management database (ServiceNow CMDB) which consists of entities, called Configuration Items (CI), that are part of your environment. A CI may be: * A physical entity, such as a computer or router * A logical entity, such as an instance of a database * Conceptual, such as a Requisition Service {#cnfig-mgmt-and-cmdb__ul_utx_l4g_fq} In each case, there are attributes about the CI that you want to maintain, and there is control you want to have over the CI. There are changes that may need to be made and tracked against the CI. Also, a CI does not exist on its own. CIs have dependencies and relationship with other CIs. For example, the loss of disk drives may take a database instance down, which affects the requisition service that the HR department uses to order equipment for new employees. It is this relationship data that makes the CMDB a powerful decision support tool. Understanding the dependencies and other relationships among your CIs can tell you, for example, exactly who and what is affected by the loss of that bank of disk drives. When you find out that a router has failed, you will be able to assess the effect of that outage. When you decide to upgrade the processor in a server, you can tell who or what will be affected during the outage. Configuration items differ from environment to environment because each customer has unique needs. Details about the exact physical attributes of a computer may be needed by one customer, but may represent meaningless data to another. The NOW Platform provides a mechanism to easily define new classes of configuration items and new relationships that may exist between CIs. New classes can be defined that extend other classes. For example, a laptop class exists that extends the computer class. The computer class itself extends the base CI class. Customer class extensions are automatically part of the ServiceNow environment and blend seamlessly into the integration points for other ITIL processes. You can for example, set the Used for attribute in the cmdb_ci_server table to a value such as 'development', 'test', or 'production'. These values indicate the environment that the CI is supporting, and serve as a way of tracking a CI through its life cycle in a changing environment. ## Extended CMDB {#cnfig-mgmt-and-cmdb__section_xql_vq1_mwb} In base systems, CMDB provides core functionality for the configuration management database, including modules for hardware and configuration items. The separate Extended CMDB plugin includes a collection of modules for specialized configuration items, such as radio hardware, test equipment, and voice system hardware. To extend the CMDB you can [activate](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_ActivateAPlugin&version=brazil&pubname=brazil-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US) the following plugins to access the modules for specialized configuration items. * CMDB Mainframe (com.snc.cmdb.mainframe) * CMDB Radio Category (com.snc.cmdb.radio.category) * CMDB Telecom Category (com.snc.cmdb.telecom.category) * CMDB Test Equipment (com.snc.cmdb.test.equipment) {#cnfig-mgmt-and-cmdb__ul_oql_q1p_c1b} ## CMDB hierarchy and CI Class Manager {#cnfig-mgmt-and-cmdb__section_cnm_tp1_dpb} Sets of CIs that share attributes are stored in their own class table. All CMDB tables are connected by relationships and inherit attributes from each other to form a web of tables referred to as the CMDB hierarchy. Use the [CI Class Manager](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/9Emvps0eVzx83vnxOGCePw "Use the CI Class Manager to centrally view, create, or edit basic class definitions, class settings for Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE), CMDB Health, and manage some Service Mapping definitions.") to manage CMDB classes within the CMDB hierarchy, CMDB Health, and other class-related definitions. For example, in the CI Class Manager you can view class attributes, class identification rules, and the list of CIs for a specific class. To view the list of CIs in the CMDB, you can also enter cmdb_ci_list.do in the filter navigator. ## Architecture {#cnfig-mgmt-and-cmdb__section_ynz_m2h_n2b} ## Related tables {#cnfig-mgmt-and-cmdb__section_o4g_xrn_h5b} There are tables that are not part of the CMDB hierarchy but which still qualify as CMDB data. Related tables, such as the Serial Number \[cmdb_serial_number\] table, don't inherent from the Configuration Item \[cmdb_ci\] table, but have at least one column that references a CMDB CI. Related tables are specified in the Related Entries \[cmdb_related_entry\] table. Some scenarios that involve related tables, can result in orphan or otherwise stale records in related tables. A CI in a related table can, for example, become orphan if the referenced CI in the CMDB is deleted. You can use the [CMDB Data Manager](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/5DJ9Cy6as_Q3B1H9oQSZ6Q "CMDB Data Manager is a policy-driven framework for bulk management of CI life-cycle operations such as deletion, archival, and attestation. The CMDB Data Manager is a comprehensive and integrated solution that scales to large CMDBs and copes with rapid changes in a cloud-based world.") to create a policy of the 'Delete CMDB Related Entry' policy type, that will cascade-delete that un-needed related items data. For more information about creating that CMDB Data Manager policy, see [Create a CMDB Data Manager policy](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Vh0a7mlqb5tcuH~QZasq9Q "Create a CMDB Data Manager policy in CMDB Workspace to automatically process CIs life-cycle events such as deletion. Applying consistent and standard life-cycle policies to CIs helps maintain the health of the CMDB."). ## Localization {#cnfig-mgmt-and-cmdb__section_lpx_fv5_bcc} Using the Translated Text field type (instead of string) for attributes in CMDB tables, can reduce overall performance, including performance of features such as CMDB Health. This is because values in CMDB tables are dynamic and are likely to change often, and the data itself is likely to continuously grow. Using the Translated Text field also requires manual update of related text. The Translated Text field type is typically effective with static data that doesn't change and doesn't grow. For more information about field types, see [Field types reference](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=r_FieldTypes&version=brazil&pubname=brazil-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US). ## Roles required Reading CMDB tables directly requires the cmdb_read role, however accessing the Configuration module requires the sn_cmdb_editor, sn_cmdb_admin, asset, itil, or itil_admin roles. For viewing CMDB-related records in the user interface, the sn_cmdb_editor or itil roles are usually sufficient. For updating records and for other manipulation of records, roles with higher credentials are usually required, as noted in each procedure throughout the documentation set. For details about CMDB and other roles, see [Base system roles](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=r_BaseSystemRoles&version=brazil&pubname=brazil-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US), or see a feature components topic such as [Components installed with CMDB Workspace](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/U9g9KwgU_3cZoJqio2pqOg "Several types of components are installed with the activation of the CMDB Workspace (sn_cmdb_ws) plugin, including properties, tables, user roles, and scheduled jobs."). **Related concepts** * [CMDB schema model](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/9aMQORAv3XWMrCTYBEX1wA "The CMDB schema model is a series of connected tables that contain all the assets and business services controlled by a company and its configurations.")