CMDB 360/Multisource CMDB

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of CMDB 360/Multisource CMDB

    CMDB 360 is an advanced feature in ServiceNow's Configuration Management Database (CMDB) that retains complete history and detailed data on how multiple discovery sources update Configuration Item (CI) attributes. It builds upon and includes the Multisource CMDB capabilities, providing enhanced analytics, querying, and visibility into CI attribute updates from different data sources. This feature is accessible through the CMDB 360 view in CMDB Workspace.

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    CMDB 360 captures data about all discovery sources attempting to update the same CI attribute, preserving information even from lower-priority sources whose updates are rejected by reconciliation rules. This comprehensive data is stored in the cmdbmultisourcedata table, enabling detailed tracking, reporting, and analysis of CI attribute provenance.

    Key Features

    • Retention of Discovery Source Data: Maintains records of all discovery sources involved in CI attribute updates, including those not selected by reconciliation rules.
    • Dynamic Reconciliation Rule Creation: Allows creating rules that control which discovery source can update specific CI attributes.
    • Revert and Recompute Functionality: Enables reverting CI updates from specific discovery sources and recomputing attribute values after modifying reconciliation rules.
    • Data Visualization: Provides interface elements such as the Preview Data tab on the Reconciliation Rules page and CMDB 360 Data Preview links on CI forms to inspect attribute values and their sources.
    • Support for Non-CMDB Tables: Extends support beyond CMDB tables to non-CMDB tables, broadening the scope of data tracked.
    • Query Builder and Reporting: Facilitates querying and reporting on CMDB 360 data to identify data sources, compare attribute values across sources, and monitor data quality.
    • Exclusion of Specific Classes: Allows excluding classes and their descendants from CMDB 360 data collection to optimize performance and focus on relevant data.
    • Logging Support: Enables detailed logging of CMDB 360 activities to assist in troubleshooting and auditing.

    Usage and Configuration

    To enable CMDB 360, ServiceNow customers must activate the ITOM Discovery License plugin and set the system property glide.identificationengine.multisourceenabled to true. Additional properties allow enabling or disabling data capture for CMDB and non-CMDB classes separately. Customers can exclude specific classes from data collection if desired.

    Once enabled, CMDB 360 data can be explored through the CMDB Workspace, where users can:

    • Track how discovery sources populate the CMDB at the attribute level.
    • Validate new discovery sources by comparing their data against established ones.
    • Improve data quality and operational insights by querying and reporting on multisource data.
    • Revert data ingestion from unreliable discovery sources and recompute attribute values accordingly.

    Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Enhanced Data Transparency: Understand exactly which discovery source contributed which attribute value and its update history.
    • Improved Data Quality Management: Identify and manage conflicting data from multiple sources, ensuring accurate CI records.
    • Greater Control and Flexibility: Tailor reconciliation rules dynamically and revert problematic data integrations when needed.
    • Operational Insights: Use built-in analytics and reporting to monitor discovery source effectiveness and CMDB health.
    • Support for Complex Environments: Manage multisource data effectively, including data from non-CMDB tables.

    CMDB 360 retains complete history about discovery sources and proposed values, involved in updates of CI attributes. Use CMDB 360 data to track how the CMDB is populated by various discovery sources at the CI attribute level. Also, to revert CI updates from a specific discovery source, or to recompute attribute values using updated reconciliation rules.

    Starting with the Utah release, the Multisource CMDB feature is part of the CMDB 360 feature. CMDB 360 provides all the functionality of Multisource CMDB and additional capabilities such as an analytics dashboard, and new query functionality. You can access all of the CMDB 360 capabilities in the CMDB 360 view in CMDB Workspace.

    How CMDB 360 works

    When multiple discovery sources attempt to update the same CI attribute, the Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE) uses reconciliation rules to select a single discovery source for the update. Without CMDB 360, details about the lower-priority discovery sources whose values were rejected, are discarded. Also, it is difficult to identify the source of an attribute value without CMDB 360.

    With CMDB 360, the raw details for every discovery source and CI combination are retained for both, discovery sources that were selected for an update and all others that were not. CMDB 360 data, consisting of records for each discovery source and CI combination, is stored in the CMDB MultiSource Data [cmdb_multisource_data] table. You can examine, query, and report on the CMDB 360 data store.

    You can optionally exclude classes and their descendents from collecting and processing CMDB 360 data. The CMDB MultiSource Data [cmdb_multisource_data] table doesn't contain data for those excluded classes. For more information, see Exclude classes from CMDB 360.

    Note:
    CMDB 360 supports non-CMDB tables. The widely used term Configuration Item (CI), can also refer to a non-CMDB table record. For information about support for non-CMDB tables, see IRE support for non-CMDB tables.
    Figure 1. CMDB 360 insights into data source processes
    Data flow from initial ingestion and refinement before it is stored in the CMDB, and the type of insights that CMDB 360 provides into these processes.

    After data is initially ingested from multiple data sources, several processes are applied to standardize and reconcile the data before it is stored in the CMDB. CMDB 360 provides insights that can help you configure some of these processes.

    Using CMDB 360

    Use CMDB 360 to:
    • Create a dynamic reconciliation rule.
    • Control CI updates at the discovery source and CI attribute level.
    • Visualize discovery sources of attribute values, at the attribute level.
    • Modify reconciliation rules and then recompute CMDB data, reflecting the updated reconciliation rules.
    • Revert CMDB data integration from a specific discovery source, if, for example, you realize that the discovery source is not reliable. Recompute CI attribute values, while excluding the discovery source that you want to ignore.
    • Validate a new discovery source by comparing its data to data from other discovery sources, which are known to be valid.
    • Improve data management, data quality, and operational insights, by querying on CMDB 360 data. Use the CMDB 360 query builder in CMDB Workspace to create queries for CMDB 360 records, discovery sources, and CI records.

    Enable and configure CMDB 360

    By default, CMDB 360 tracks discovery source information for CIs from CMDB classes and doesn't collect data for non-CMDB tables. You can independently enable or disable tracking data for CMDB and for non-CMDB classes, using these system properties: ​

    Report on CMDB 360 data

    Use the CMDB 360 view in CMDB Workspace to gain insights into the CMDB 360 data store. Build reports that, for example, do the followings:

    • Find CIs not reported by any discovery source.
    • Find discovery sources populating data in your CMDB.
    • Compare attribute values across discovery sources.
    • Compare attribute values between CMDB and other discovery source.
    • Limit reports for CMDB 360 data, to a specific application service, technical service, or a CMDB group.
    See Sample CMDB 360/Multisource CMDB queries for more details.

    Visualize CMDB 360 data

    CMDB 360 is highly verbose in the user interface:
    • On the Reconcliation Rules page in CI Class Manager, click the Preview Data tab to see per attribute, discovery sources that are authorized to update that attribute, in precedence order.
    • On a CI form, click the CMDB 360 Data Preview related link to see per CI attribute, current value in the CMDB and incoming values from other discovery sources.

    Logging

    Enable logging for CMDB 360 by adding and enabling the system property ​ glide.cmdb.logger.source.cmdb_multisource. In the Log [syslog] table, search for entries in which source=“cmdb_multisource”.