Backing up CMDB data

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated November 5, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Backing up CMDB data

    The cmdbbackupstorageinformation table in the ServiceNow platform stores essential backup information for Configuration Items (CIs) across various categories, including hardware, cloud, and containers. This table plays a crucial role in maintaining data integrity and backup management for CIs.

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    Key Features

    • Backup Policy Management: Tracks backup policies, last successful backups, and attempts.
    • Cascade-Delete Rule: Automatically removes backup records when a CI is deleted to prevent uncontrolled table growth.
    • Integration with IRE: Configurable through CMDB-related rules to populate backup information using IRE payloads.
    • Backup Source Identification: Utilizes unique identifiers for tracking backups from both internal and external services.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing the cmdbbackupstorageinformation table, ServiceNow customers can effectively manage CI backups, ensuring that data is regularly backed up and recoverable. This system helps in minimizing data loss and provides a structured approach to backup operations, enabling better compliance and operational efficiency.

    The cmdb_backup_storage_information table (part of the [app-cmdb-content] ServiceNow Store application) holds generic backup storage information for a CI as a platform related item. The table includes a CI as a reference attribute and stores information for hardware, cloud, containers, and other CI types.

    Backup Store Information [cmdb_backup_storage_information] table

    The table captures backup policy, last successful backup, last backup attempt, execution mode, backup source, backup source ID, and backup service.

    To mitigate the risk of uncontrolled growth of the table, a cascade-delete rule applies to the Backup Source (CI) reference field. When a CI is deleted, the corresponding rows in the table are deleted.

    Diagram of the references that the cmdb_backup_storage_information table makes to the technical service and backup source tables.

    Tables related to backup operations

    Table 1. Tables related to backup operations
    Table Contents
    Backup Store Information [cmdb_backup_storage_information] Informational object that stores CI backup/snapshot information.
    cmdb_related_entry To populate the cmdb_backup_storage_information with an IRE payload, you define a CMDB-related rule in cmdb_related_entry. For the related rule, use the Backup Source ID criteria attributes and Backup Source as a reference field. Example:
    //. Sample IRE payload  var payload = 
{ 
 "items": [ 
   { 
     "className": "cmdb_ci_hardware", 
      "sys_object_source_info": { 
       "source_name": "ServiceNow", 
       "source_native_key": "some key" 
     }, 
     "values": { 
       "name": "I am a good cat" 
     }, 
     "lookup": [], 
     "related": [ 
       { 
         "className": " cmdb_backup_storage_information", 
         "values": { 
           "backup_policy": "true", 
           "last_backup": "2023-02-02", 
           “backup_id”:”sede-09191-fet” 
         } 
       } 
     ] 
   } 
 ] } 
var jsonUntil = new JSON(); var input = jsonUntil.encode(payload); 
var output = SNC.IdentificationEngineScriptableApi.createOrUpdateCI('ServiceNow', input); gs.print(output);
    sys_security_acl Reports and user access.
    sys_ui_related Multisource configuration, default forms.

    Columns in cmdb_backup_storage_information

    Table 2. Columns in cmdb_backup_storage_information
    Column Description

    Backup Configuration Status

    [backup_config_status]

    String (choice)

    • Backup Disabled [False, default]: CI has not been configured for regular backup.
    • Backup Enabled [True]: CI has policies and configurations defined in the backup system, service, or appliance for regular backups
    • Unknown
    • Not Applicable
    • Planned
    • Not Planned
    Last Successful Backup [last_successful_backup]

    glide_date_time

    Date and time of last successful backup. Platform-specific value that can be either the start or end of the backup attempt as reported by the platform API. If ambiguous, use the start time of the backup attempt.
    Last Backup Attempt [last_backup_attempt]

    glide_date_time

    Date and time of the last successful or failed backup attempt. Platform-specific value that can be either the start or the end of the backup attempt as reported by the platform API. If ambiguous, use the start time of the backup attempt.

    For a successful backup, both last_backup and last_backup_attempt will have the same value.

    Execution Mode [backup_execution_mode]

    String (choice)

    • Manual: Run as needed.
    • Automatic: Run periodically.
    • Unknown
    sys_domain and sys_domain_path

    glide columns

    Values copied from cmdb_ci.
    managed_by and managed_by_group Values copied from cmdb_ci.
    Backup Source [backup_source_ configuration_item]

    reference (ci)

    Backup status details for the referenced CI being backed up.
    Backup Source ID [backup_source_id]

    String (1024)

    Backup Service source identifier for the CI. Identifies the CI in external/internal backup service such as host_id, vcenter_id, instance_id, and db_id.
    Backup Service [backup_service_ configuration_item]

    reference (ci)

    Reference to the CSDM technical service that hosts the external or internal backup system, service, or appliance.

    Recovery Point Objective [recovery_point_objective]

    Duration

    Time that can elapse between backups and the acceptable amount of data loss.