About ServiceDesk and the Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a repository of the information that is related to all the components or resources of an information system. In the ITIL context, the CMDB represents the authorized configurations of the significant components (configuration items) of the IT environment. For example, the CMDB can contain information about hardware, software, associated documentation, assets, contracts, and users.
For more information about CMDB Solution, see the
CMDB Solution User Guide
.
The CMDB lets you manage the resources throughout their lifecycle, which helps your organization understand the relationships between these resources and track their configuration.
In the Symantec Management Platform, configuration items are typically referred to as resources.
The CMDB is a standard component of the Symantec Management Platform. CMDB Solution, which is a requirement for installing ServiceDesk, provides additional capabilities for managing the data in the CMDB.
For a CMDB implementation to be successful, the CMDB must be able to automatically discover and update information about the organization’s resources. The Symantec Management Platform provides the tools to perform these tasks.
Examples of the resource management tasks that can be performed are as follows:
  • Automatically discover resources such as computers and software.
    For example, the Symantec Management Platform can discover the computers in an organization and add them to the CMDB.
  • Import resources.
  • Create resources manually.
  • Create associations between resources.
    For example, associations can be created between users, computers, and departments.
  • Create customized actions and rules to manage and manipulate data.