ASG ChoosingTheRightCMDB Whitepaper 20080624

8/8/2019 ASG ChoosingTheRightCMDB Whitepaper 20080624

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Choosing the Right CMDB

Sm Consdons fo Sgc Dcson Mks

a white paper

B y J o h n C o n n o r


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As the role of the CIO changes and

the functions of IT expand, you must

understand and choose your CMDB

wisely. Along with delivering operational

advantages, a CMDB should propel CIOs into

the business forum, while offering support

for timely, informed, bottom-line decision

making throughout the enterprise.

Choose your CMDB wisely


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Much of the buzz surrounding CMDBs has to do with IT cost-saving

benefits. IT managers who have deployed CMDBs cite several areas

of operational savings6:

Reducing or eliminating unnecessary servers and other

hardware

Better license and maintenance contract management

Tighter management of outsourcing agreements

Improved overall service delivery

However, these cost containment gains dont necessarily translate

into improved service quality from a business perspective. Business

users are not interested in servers, operating systems, or IT

components; instead, they are interested in how well IT helps them

create business value.

a Ll Knon advng of CMDBs

This leads to a less frequently discussed advantage of CMDBs: the

creation of clear business value (beyond operational savings) for

decision makers.

Certainly, CMDBs have the potential to reveal how the changes and

incidents of IT impact business. But is this where the challenge of

Business Service Management (BSM) ends? Does the IT concept of

BSM fully bridge the gap between IT and business?

The Line of Business, or LOB, manager is concerned about the

following type of items:

Introducing new products and services

Improving customer loyalty and satisfaction

Increasing gross margins

Growing market share

To move towards effective BSM adoption, IT metrics must be linked

directly to business outcomes; they must demonstrate how IT

initiatives contribute favorably to improving these outcomes.

The initiative to fuse IT and business is underscored by the evolving

role of CIOs, who are already being pushed beyond their familiarsupport regime. Expectations of CIO performance are expanding

beyond cost-cutting to include business strategy. More and more,

they are being challenged to shed their operational duties and to

concentrate on identifying, and even developing, technologies that

will help their organizations innovate.7

As the CIO role changes, the function of information technologies

expands. Formerly evaluated from a cost reduction standpoint,

IT now finds itself responsible for top-line growth in increasingly

dynamic environments.

IT executives must keep this in mind as they choose a CMDB. Along

with delivering operational advantages, a CMDB should propel CIOsinto the business forum, supporting timely, informed, bottom-line

decision making throughout the enterprise that turns IT into an

enabler of business and not just a utility service that is looked at as a

cost, and is always under pressure to cut costs.

This is the new BSM: staying in step with the CIO evolution,

propelled by a CMDB with a decision-driven data model based on

real-time information.

ITIL v3 defines a CMDB as a repository used

to store configuration records throughout

their lifecycle. The Configuration Management

System (the ITIL name for CMDB federation)

maintains one or more CMDBs. Each

CMDB stores attributes of CIs and

relationships with other CIs.

More Information

What are CIs?

Configuration items can include hardware,

software, applications, people, processes, and

documentation. An effective CMDB should have

the ability to handle millions of relations

between CIs.

More Information


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Coosng rg CMDB: Sm Consdons fo Sgc Dcson Mks

w Sould You CMDB do fo You?

A CMDB does not automatically create business value. It pays off only when the data within it is current, complete, and actionable. Ideally, a

CMDB enhances an enterprises agility. It should be flexible enough to adjust to new IT requirements stemming from new IP devices that are

now under the purview of IT, ITIL best practice initiatives, government regulations, and post-merger/acquisition data integration. In addition,

it should empower business to be strategically responsive to changing market conditions, product/service development opportunities, and

shifting income streams.

inllgncTransform your data into meaningful information. A CMDB should automatically understand and navigate arbitrarily

complex relationships between dissimilar CIs and have the ability to represent that data in multiple views that are relevantto individual decision makers throughout your organization.

DscovyDetermine what you have. A CMDB should identify all the CIs in your IT repertoire without the costs and errors associatedwith manual discovery.

FdonManage data throughout your enterprise. A CMDB should access data where it lives, pulling appropriate data, regardlessof each sources vendor or performance level, into a unified view and provide transparent read access.

CngConolManage change in dynamic environments. Because IT is dynamic and change is constant, a CMDB should include versioningcapabilities to recognize and address change.

FlxblyChange what you need, when you need to. A CMDB should provide a platform for growth and should be easily modifiableto accommodate new data sources, tools, and applications; more business processes; and additional and changing CIattributes and relationships.

exnsblyGrow with your business. The CMDB data model should be extensible to easily support the addition of new CI class typessuch as process controllers in manufacturing lines and radiology and other diagnostic machinery in hospitals.

SclblyHandle organizational size and complexity. A CMDB should be able to store and manage a virtually unlimited number ofCIs and their relationships without negatively impacting system performance.


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Relational Databases

How They Work

Relational databases are highly structured, well

known, and well understood. They work well for tedious

operations that involve grinding through incredible

amounts of structured data. Some examples of this

are banking applications, report generators, and usage

analyzers.

These databases, sometimes called many-to-many

relationships, are represented by joining tables that are

typically created by a series of outside programming

commands.

However, relational databases are limited in that they

are not efficient at traversing relationships. Problems

occur because it is difficult to arrange locality of

storage.

An example of this might happen when accessing

employee information from a relational database.

Throughout the process of tracking the employees

name, then the employees department, and then the

employees office location, the database needs to be

accessed multiple times.

Advantages

Handles large volumes of structured data with easePerforms queries if you know in advance what youwant to see

Limits of a Relational Database

The limits of relational databases lie in the fact that

they cannot support the large number of changing

relationships and dynamic data that is flowing in and out

of a modern enterprise.

Changing the structure of the data in a production

database takes planning and preparation and may

require completely reloading the data. The relational

data model allows for representation of simple, uniform

data structures. Because RDBs follow a fixed schema

paradigm, representing arbitrarily complex structures

requires unnatural compromises and navigating them is

cumbersome.

What is a Relational Database?

Relational databases, or RDBs, store data in tablescomprised of rows and columns and typically handle largevolumes of structured data very well. Links betweendata elements are implemented through common keysand join tables, which can make the database designprohibitively complex, especially when a large numberof different types of links must be supported.

A well-designed and normalized RDB supports flexiblequeries through the SQL query language; queries thatfollow long chains of relationships, however, can becomedifficult to design and very inefficient quickly.

03-4472822 Random House 123 4th Street, New York

PubID Publisher PubAddress

04-7733903 Wiley and Sons 45 Lincoln Blvd, Chicago

03-4859223 OReilly Press 77 Boston Ave, Cambridge

03-4472822 Random House 99 Market, San Fransisco

345-28-2938 Halie Selassie

AuthorID AuthorName AuthorBDay

392-48-9965 Joe Blow

454-22-4012 Sally Hemmings

663-59-1254

14-Aug-92

14-Mar-15

12-sep-70

12-Mar-06Hannah Arendt

1-34532-482-1 345-28-2938 Cold Fusion for Dummies

ISBN AuthorID PubID TitleDate

1-38482-995-1 392-48-9965 Macrame and Straw Tying

2-35921-499-4 454-22-4012 Fluid Dynamics of Aquaducts

1-38278-293-4 663-59-1254

03-4472822

04-7733903

03-4859223

03-4472822

1990

1985

1852

1967 Beads, Baskets & Revolution

Example of a Relational Database


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How They Work

Data in an object-oriented database are typically

unstructured and are treated as individual objects.

Therefore, OODBs more accurately reflect the real

world. They support diverse data types rather than

only the simple tables, columns, and rows of relational

databases.

OODBs contain relationship logic that usually includes

support for classes of objects and the inheritance of

class properties and methods by subclasses and their

objects. Because there is currently no widely-usedstandard for what constitutes an OODB, homegrown

infrastructure is often required.

Similar to relational databases, OODBs have no

mechanism for handling undefined configuration items

(CIs); which then must be manually defined.

Although OODBs can support the large number of

changing relationships and dynamic data that is flowing

in and out of a modern enterprise, they make a poor

choice for a CMDB. This is because of their limited ability

for searching, sorting, and scaling.

Advantages

Treats data in a way that is closer to the non-flatnature of CIs

Defines complex data and complex relationshipsIncludes relationship logic inside the databaseChanges to object details do not affect theapplication

Limits of an Object-Oriented Database

Because relationship logic is contained within an OODB,

it avoids the extra overhead incurred by relational table

creation. Also, performing an order query is a much

simpler process in an OODB than it is in the relational

model.

However, like their relational counterparts, OODBs have

no mechanism for handling undefined CIs; they must

be manually defined. Another significant weakness of

OODBs is that structural changes are difficult because

the relationship to the object-oriented programming

environment must be kept in sync. Neither relational

nor object-oriented databases excel at handling the

enormous complexity of CI relationships found within

modern enterprises.

Object-Oriented Databases

Group

+STAFF GROUP ORDER ID : int-grouping : Grouping

+compareTo : int+createLearnerGroup : Group+createStaffGroup : Group+equals : boolean+Group+Group+hashcode : int+hashLearner : boolean+isNull : boolean+toString : String

GroupdId : LongorderId

Grouping

+STAFF GROUP ORDER ID : int-grouping : Grouping+hashcode : int+hashLearner : boolean+isNull : boolean+toString : String+compareTo : int+createLearnerGroup : Group

+createStaffGroup : Group+equals : boolean+Group+Group+STAFF GROUP ORDER ID : int-grouping : GroupingGroupdId : LongorderId

Group

RandomGrouping

+CreateCopy : RandomGrouping-grouping : Grouping+hashcode : int+hashLearner : boolean+isNull : boolean

+hashcode : int+hashLearner : boolean

ChosenGrouping

+ChoosenGrouping+ChoosenGrouping+CreateCopy : LDs+hashLearner : boolean+isNull : boolean

isLearnerGoup : boolean

Grouper

+doGrouping : void+doGrouping : void

What is an Object-Oriented Database?

An object-oriented database, or OODB, storesdata in a form that is closely aligned with the datamodel for object-oriented languages. This allows thedevelopment environment to directly save and recallthe data being working on with minimal overhead.

The object-oriented data model allows forrepresentation of complex, uniform data structures.Links between objects in the database areimplemented as pointers, which embed addressesin data that specify the location of data in anotherrecord or file. Accordingly, the data structure in

an OODB must be designed in anticipation of thequeries that are to be efficiently supported.

The tight relationship between the database and theprogramming environment involves manual programmingand makes structural changes to the data in a productionenvironment particularly complex. Data in OODBsmore accurately reflects the real world because, unlikeRDBs, which handle CIs as flat items, an OODB treatsa CI as an object. As a result, an OODB, with its closerepresentation of reality, is more resilient and adaptable.

Example of an Object-Oriented Database


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CMDB Slcon: t imonc of D So

Many leading providers of CMDBs utilize conventional database

management systems to store and manage their data. While these

CMDBs help consolidate configuration data and document CI

relationships, they typically fall considerably short of completely

fulfilling the requirements for BSM. These disappointing results,

which can often be directly attributed to the underlying data model,

can occur with both relational and object-oriented databases. While

the lines are blurring between conventional databases, there are still

key differentiators.

Md rososTraditional database models do not acclimate to change without

considerable cost and effort. Yet, IT is in a constant state of flux.

And so is business. Clearly, another data store model is needed to

support BSM and accommodate innovation.

Metadata repositories offer a different approach from traditional

databases. A distinguishing feature of metadata repositories is the

use of a self-descriptive, attributed graph model. The graph model

allows for representation of arbitrarily complex and non-uniform

structures. The foundation for superior performance is a unique

physical data organization supporting the graph data model natively

in the same manner as the relational model is supported natively by

RDB.

The core of metadata repositories is designed to support dynamic

data, the structure of which can change at any time. The related

metadata in the repository is organized according to a meta-model

that describes the structure of the metadata and their relationships

Metadata repositories are ideal for an environment in which data

values, data structure, and data relationships change and evolve

over time. Because the meta-model in a true metadata repository

is not fixed, it is flexible, extensible, and easily adaptable to the

changes and needs of dynamic, real world environments.

t Dffnc s n Md

Metadata is the data that describes the structure and workings of

an organizations use of information or data, as well as the systems it

uses to manage that information or data. It is structured information

that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to

retrieve, use, or manage an information resource.8 In addition to

describing data, metadata also explains an organizations methods

for understanding its data, activities, people, geography, timing,

and motivation. It also provides information about how different

What is Metadata and how is it used?

To understand the power of a true meta-database, you mustfirst understand the fundamentals of metadata.

Lets use a simple example of trying to locate a book at alibrary to help with this difficult concept. However, unlike ourmodern computerized filing system, this library still usesdrawers filled with cards based on the Dewey DecimalClassification System.

Today, were looking for a book about database technology.When approaching the filing drawers, our first step is to makesense of the cabinet and locate the drawer labeled D. Wewould then finger through the cards to locate informationsorted into the Database category.

In this example, the catalog card can be consideredmetadata. The card describes the attributes of the book,specifically the topic, the publisher, the author, and mostimportantly, where in the library the book is physicallylocated.


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data points are related to each other. Metadata makes data

understandable, useable, and shareable. It provides insight into:

What data exists?

Where data is being used?

Where the data is located?

How data is labeled and referenced?

How data is related to other information assets?

Who uses the data?

Why the data is needed?

When the data was last accessed or updated? 9

Enterprise metadata technology contextualizes data, making data-

based decisions more enforceable throughout an enterprise.

For example, metadata helps answer questions such as, Which

policies and rules relate to a business service? If a car insurance

company decides not to sell policies in the state of Wisconsin, that

decision can be tracked through metadata relationships to the

portal and database applications that enforce that decision. The

same metadata advantages apply to any compliance, performance,

or process management situation.

Another benefit of metadata is that it gives data perspective. For

example, an accountant and a marketer can view the same product

code data and arrive at different decisions. In this way, metadata

empowers individual decision makers throughout an enterprise to

make informed decisions within their spheres of influence.

Fdon: t Ulm Gol

Keeping a CMDB in step with large-scale and rapidly changing

business environments is one challenge. Assuming that enterprise-

wide data can be pulled into and accessed through these data stores

is quite another. Most enterprises are not organized in a way that

allows data to be loaded into a single CMDB.

The typical IT portfolio is populated with multidimensional business

models, third-party software, virtualization technology, and complex

systems interfaces, all from an assortment of vendors. The existing

investment in IT systems is staggering. But no relational or object-

oriented CMDB currently on the market is architected to connectseamlessly to all data sources in an enterprise (i.e., federation), so

IT executives have no way of leveraging their existing investments.

Because the concept of enterprise architecture has not been

realized in ITs operational domain, the potential for CMDB silos

exists.

Federation is only part of a BSM solution. Gathering business-

critical information throughout an enterprise is critical, but

so is organizing that information in a way that makes sense to

business and IT decision makers. The ability to understand data/CI

relationshipsin any direction, across multiple business functions,

even among undefined itemswithout additional tools or manual

programming is the type of smart data management needed to

thrive in a hypercompetitive marketplace.

From an IT operations perspective, this type of intelligent CMDB

saves time and labor. From a business perspective, federated

intelligence, when fed into a multiple-view interface, supports

confident, on-the-spot decision making.

According to a leading analyst group, repositories

come with metadata mining capabilities to

understand metadata usage and lineage and

to help address compliancy reporting

[Nevertheless] metadata management

is not pursued consistently in most

organizations.

More Information

The ability to understand relationshipsin any

direction, across multiple business functions, even

among undefined itemswithout additional

tools or manual programming is the type of

smart data management needed to thrive in

a hypercompetitive marketplace.

More Information


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An Example of ASGs Federated MetaCMDB

The True Power of ASGs Federated MetaCMDB

In this example, we can quickly visualize how everything connects and

relates to each other to provide an effective business service.

Powering the business service, eCommerce in this example, are different

applications credit card verification, databases, and other eCommerce

applications. These applications are enabled by critical infrastructure,

such as multiple servers and network devices.

The true power of ASGs MetaCMDB is in the intelligence it provides. It

is the ideal solution for any modern business and provides sustainable,

balanced performance in handling both business and operational data in

unpredictable environments.

Advantages

Intelligence

Discovery

Federation

Change Control

Flexibility

Extensibility

Scalability


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ASGs data federation enables virtually anything to connect to

anything else (even other CMDBs), optimizing current and future IT

investments and creating a single point of truth for an organizations

data.

Flexibility and Extensibility. As business conditions continually

evolve, the needs and requirements of the business change. With

more than 100 out-of-the-box adapters, ASGs MetaCMDB easily

connects to new and existing applications and tools and accesses

data from any and all sources throughout an enterprise. ASGs

MetaCMDB can easily adapt to CI attribute changes on the fly and

add new CI classes such as process controllers in manufacturing

plants and diagnostic machines in hospitals.

Change Control. IT is dynamic and change is constant. ASGs

MetaCMDB includes versioning capabilities to recognize and

address change even in the most dynamic environments.

Scalability. In addition to its object-oriented advantages, ASGs

MetaCMDBs metadata repository supports urgent business needs

for handling enormous amounts of data. ASGs MetaCMDB has

virtually no capacity limits. It can support 100 million CI types and

100 million configurations without substantially lowering system

performance.

ASGs MetaCMDB is the ideal CMDB for modern business. It

provides sustainable, balanced performance in handling both

business and operational data in unpredictable environments.

Exceptional at handling complex data and relationships, ASGs

MetaCMDB can easily adapt to business and technological changes.

Through its object orientation, ASGs MetaCMDB manages CIs

as real-world objects and handles complex relationships without

external programming code. It is flexible, adaptable, and expandable

perfectly suited to managing mammoth amounts of complex

information in a volatile business environment.

Concluson

With proper process and organizational planning, CMDBs can

reduce mean time to repair or overall downtime by as much as 70

percent.10 In turn, improved IT performance paves the way to service

excellence: better service resolution time, business alignment, and,

ultimately, customer satisfaction. 11

However, a CMDB does nothing by itself. The benefits come not fromhaving a CMDB, but from using the knowledge a CMDB organizes.12

And that knowledge is only as good as the CMDBs method of data

management.

To truly support BSM, a CMDB must operate on a flexible model

that can adapt to sudden and continual changein markets,

organizational structure, IT infrastructure, customer preferences,

or product/service offerings. And it must give businesses room to

grow, with virtually unlimited data management capacity and the

ability to connect to new and diverse IT components.

To accommodate rapid business expansion, a CMDB should have the

capacity to store and/or manage data around the globe. And this

data must be easily accessible.

A CMDB with enterprise-wide connectivity (via federation) ensures

that all CIs (people, processes, and technologies) are available for

auto-discovery and relationship-mapping, a vital part of BSM.

A CMDB must be intelligent enough to manage metadata. It must be

capable of associating specific data with descriptive data, not only

for governance, privacy, and compliance, but also for providing an

accurate, informative context for decision making.

These key CMDB differentiators will take CIOs where they need

to go: beyond operations, into the strategic realminto the new

and expansive landscape of BSM, where innovation thrives, and

decisions are as smart as the CMDBs theyre based upon.

A CMDB must be inteligent enough to manage

metadata. It must be capable of associating

specific data with descriptive data and

provide context for decision making.

More Information


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About ASG | www.asg.com ASG provides software solutions to over 85 percent of the worlds largest companies. Through its comprehensive Business ServiceManagement (BSM) solution, Business Service Platform, ASG is an established BSM provider with a strong heritage in Content, Metadata, Applications, Operations,Performance, Infrastructure, and Identity Management technologies. ASG enables clients to reduce costs, enhance customer service, meet business objectives, andtruly go beyond BSM. Founded in 1986, ASG is a privately held company based in Naples, Florida, USA, with more than 90 offices around the world.

Beyond BSM

ASG Worldwide Headquarters | 1333 Third Avenue South, Naples Florida USA 34102Telephone 1.239.435.2200 or 1.800.932.5536

Copyright 2008 Allen Systems Group, Inc.

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ASG ChoosingTheRightCMDB Whitepaper 20080624