CMDB Management

Introduction

In ITIL, a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a centralized repository that organizations use to track hardware and software assets throughout their lifecycle. The ServiceNow CMDB serves as the single source of truth for IT asset management, providing:

  • Asset Tracking: Complete inventory of IT infrastructure components

  • Relationship Mapping: Dependencies and connections between configuration items

  • Change Impact Analysis: Understanding how changes affect related systems

  • Service Mapping: Linking business services to underlying infrastructure

Configuration Items (CIs)

Configuration Items represent individual components in your IT infrastructure:

  • Hardware: Servers, network devices, storage systems

  • Software: Applications, operating systems, databases

  • Services: Business services, technical services

  • Documentation: Procedures, policies, service level agreements

CMDB Automation Benefits

Using Ansible to automate CMDB operations provides:

  • Accuracy: Automated data collection reduces manual entry errors

  • Consistency: Standardized data formats and update procedures

  • Timeliness: Real-time updates as infrastructure changes

  • Integration: Seamless connection with existing automation workflows

Lab Environment Setup

For this module, two Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) servers have been automatically provisioned:

  • node1: Primary test server

  • node2: Secondary test server

These servers have been added to the Automation Controller inventory and are ready for CMDB integration.

Review the Playbooks

Two specialized playbooks have been created in your VS Code workspace:

  • collect-node-info.yml: Gathers detailed information about the RHEL nodes

  • create-update-config-items.yml: Creates or updates configuration items in the CMDB

Example 1. Task: Examine the CMDB playbooks

  1. Open the VS Code tab in your lab environment

  2. Review collect-node-info.yml to understand data collection methods

  3. Examine create-update-config-items.yml to see how CI updates work

  4. Note the data mapping between Ansible facts and ServiceNow fields

Current CMDB State

Before running the automation, examine the current state of Linux configuration items:

Example 2. Procedure: View existing Linux CIs

  1. Access the ServiceNow tab

  2. In the filter navigator, type "Linux"

  3. Navigate to Configuration → Servers → Linux

  4. Review the current list of Linux server configuration items

Note the current number of Linux servers and their details - you’ll compare this after running the automation.

Query Nodes and Update CMDB

Execute the workflow to collect node information and update the ServiceNow CMDB with configuration items.

Workflow Job Template

The CMDB automation has been implemented as a Workflow Job Template that combines multiple operations:

Example 3. Procedure: Execute the CMDB workflow

  1. Navigate to the Automation Controller tab

  2. Go to Automation Execution → Templates

  3. Locate the 4.0 - Query node info and update CMDB (multiple job templates) workflow

  4. Click the rocket icon (🚀) to launch the workflow

Workflow Visualization

The Workflow Job Template includes a visualization feature:

  • Workflow Map: Visual representation of job dependencies and flow

  • Real-time Status: Live updates showing job progress

  • Interactive Nodes: Click on workflow nodes to view individual job details

  • Parallel Execution: Multiple jobs running simultaneously for efficiency

Example 4. Task: Monitor workflow execution

  1. After launching the workflow, look for the visualization button

  2. Click the visualization icon to open the workflow map

  3. Observe the job nodes and their execution status

  4. Click on individual nodes to view job details and output

  5. Monitor the overall workflow progress

Workflow Components

The workflow typically includes these phases:

  1. Discovery Phase: Collect system information from target nodes

  2. Data Processing: Transform collected data into ServiceNow format

  3. CMDB Update: Create or update configuration items

  4. Relationship Mapping: Establish connections between CIs

  5. Validation: Verify successful CMDB updates

Inspect Results

Verify that the configuration items were successfully created or updated in the ServiceNow CMDB.

Verify CMDB Updates

Example 5. Procedure: Check updated Linux configuration items

  1. Return to the ServiceNow tab

  2. In the filter navigator, type "Linux"

  3. Navigate to Configuration → Servers → Linux

  4. Review the updated list of Linux server configuration items

  5. Compare with the initial state you observed earlier

Expected Results

You should observe the following changes:

  • New Configuration Items: Two new Linux server CIs (node1 and node2)

  • IP Address Population: Network information automatically populated

  • System Details: Hardware and software specifications included

  • Timestamps: Creation or update times reflecting the automation execution

Configuration Item Details

Click on each new configuration item to examine the populated fields:

Field Category Expected Information

Basic Information

Hostname, FQDN, operating system

Network Details

IP addresses, MAC addresses, network interfaces

Hardware Specs

CPU count, memory, disk space

Software Info

Operating system version, installed packages

Discovery Data

Last discovered date, discovery source

Data Accuracy Validation

Verify that the automated data collection captured accurate information:

  • IP Addresses: Should match the actual node network configuration

  • System Specifications: CPU, memory, and disk information should be current

  • OS Details: Operating system version and architecture should be correct

  • Hostnames: Should correspond to the actual server names (node1, node2)

Understanding CMDB Automation

This module demonstrates several key concepts:

  • Automated Discovery: How Ansible can collect system information

  • Data Transformation: Converting system facts to ServiceNow format

  • CMDB Integration: Programmatic creation and updating of CIs

  • Workflow Orchestration: Coordinating multiple automation tasks

Benefits Realized

  • Reduced Manual Effort: Eliminates manual data entry for new systems

  • Improved Accuracy: Automated collection reduces human errors

  • Consistent Updates: Standardized data format and update procedures

  • Real-time Synchronization: CMDB stays current with infrastructure changes

Next Steps

With your CMDB successfully updated with new configuration items, you’re ready to proceed to Module 5, where you’ll learn about automated record cleanup and maintenance tasks.

Troubleshooting

If you have encountered an issue or have noticed something not quite right, please open an issue on GitHub.