CMDB - Practical Steps to Successful Implementation

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CMDB - Practical steps to successful implementation

This paper is a five step guide to successful implementation of a Configuration Management Database (CMDB).


CMDB - Practical steps to successful implementation p2

Copyright Notice© Copyright Axios Systems 2009. The information, which is contained in this document, is the property of Axios Systems. The contents of the document must not be reproduced or disclosed wholly or in part or used for purposes other than that for which it is supplied without the prior written permission of Axios Systems.

Table of Contents

Executive SummaryChallenges of TodaySolution

333

Introduction 4

1. Set Objectives and Benefits 2. Set the Configuration Item Policy3. Federation or Centralization? 4. Get the Team Right5. Get Started

Overview of Essential Functional Capabilities within an ITSM Solution

Risk ControlChange AgilityGovernance Automation

579

1113

15

151516

The assyst SolutionSummaryAppendix : CMDBf - what is it?

171920



Executive Summary

Challenges of TodayOnce an organization has decided to implement Configuration Management, there are a number of questions to ask and challenges to face. Despite this process being the backbone of all ITIL disciplines, it has historically proven difficult and complicated to implement successfully and without major impact.

So how do we approach Configuration Management and make it a success? What are the key steps to take and decisions to make? What project structure should be used?

SolutionThis paper describes how to take on Configuration Management and win!

It describes a simple and comprehensive five step guide to scoping and implementation, covering objectives and benefits, features (Configuration Items), options (Federated versus Centralized), people and project challenges.

Information and guidance on the emerging ‘CMDBf’ standard are also provided.

In addition, this White Paper highlights some of the new features in the assyst CMDB, as well as the advantages and benefits these features could bring to your organization.



IntroductionThe five steps detailed within this paper identify key areas to consider when implementing Configuration Management Systems (CMS) and in particular a Configuration Management Database (CMDB). When embarking on such a project, organizations often encounter issues and attribute blame to the data, system complexity and/or incompatibility, multiple platforms etc. Most of the real barriers to success, however, are due to approach, methodology, people, business objectives, skills and knowledge, project management, culture and resistance.

This paper aims to provide simple yet effective advice to ease implementation and ultimately enable project success.



1. Set Objectives and BenefitsBe clear as an organization on what you want to achieve Any organization implementing, or considering implementing, Configuration Management (CM) should be clear on the objectives and benefits expected. Many mistakes have been made at the first hurdle by embarking on this task without any clarity around what is expected and what can realistically be achieved.

Configuration Management can:

Save money instantly on License Management when combined with �Discovery and Asset Management.

Provide information to Incident Management and Service Desk delivery, �while aiding fast diagnosis of issues.

Speed up resolution times. �

Aid Problem Management to diagnose root causes, while saving time �and money lost due to outages.

Avoid costly downtime by assisting Change Management to assess risk �and impact across complex infrastructures.

Speed up audit compliance and reduce costs through automation of �governance processing to ensure changes are authorized and executed.

When combined appropriately with Service Level Management (SVM) �and a Service Catalog, the IT organization is empowered to manage and demonstrate value-based and differentiated IT services.

Figure A:Service Value Management (SVM) and ITSM: 2 key areas for successful SVM are an accurate CMDB and a Service Catalog.

CMDB

Service Catalog Business Intelligence

IT Intelligence

IT Business Services

IT Components andInfrastructure

The CMDB holds information on all IT

infrastructure and components, and their

relationships Each business service or process is defined as a

supply chain of IT components, taken from

the CMDB



What is important is that you are clear about what you want to achieve from CM. Don’t launch into the process without at least compiling a summary list of clear and tangible expected deliverables – without this you are asking for trouble and disappointment.

In addition, make sure that the expected deliverables are also linked to business objectives, so that the success of the CM project can easily point to related success and quality in business delivery.


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About Axios Systems

Axios Systems is the world’s leading provider of IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions. Its customer-centric approach, combined with its award-winning software, enables customers to improve their Service Delivery and Support and deliver Continual Service Improvement (CSI) by helping to align and realign IT services to changing business needs, supporting business processes and improving productivity.

Its core solution, assyst, built around its Configuration Management Database (CMDB), intuitively steers users through the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) processes which help organizations transition toward the next generation of ITSM and Service Desks. assyst offers a unique lifecycle approach to ITSM with the integration of all ITIL processes (including Incident, Capacity, Problem, Change, Asset, Configuration and Service Level Management), twelve of which have been verified by Pink Elephant’s PinkVERIFY service as compatible with industry best practices (based on ITIL V3), in a single, out-of-the-box application. It empowers management with a dashboard-based transparent view of real-time performance against Service Level Agreements (SLA), and Operations Level Agreements (OLA) using Web 2.0 technologies.

Implementing assyst into an organization optimizes IT Infrastructure efficiency, reduces overheads and lowers the total cost of IT ownership (TCO) helping to ensure a significant return on investment (ROI) with rapid time to value. Axios also offers a comprehensive set of consulting and training services to support ITSM best practices in an organization.

Axios is headquartered in the UK, with offices across Europe, the Americas, Middle East and Asia Pacific. Axios’ global presence is further strengthened with a worldwide network of partners.

For more information, visit: www.axiossystems.com.

ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark, and a Registered Community Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce, and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

CMDB - Practical Steps to Successful Implementation

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