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iWise Configuration Management (CMDB) FAQs


iWise Configuration Management (Answers)

Does iWise support configuration items of varying complexity; for example: entire systems, releases, single hardware items, software modules, or hierarchical relationships between configuration items?

Yes. iWise CMDB supports components such as voice and data, system hardware, cables, DASD, PCs, servers, circuits, equipment logical locations, internal telephone numbers, and voice management data.

iWise CMDB is more than just a collection of defined components; it can also include the specifics of connections and relationships. iWise can also ensure that changes to the configuration accurately reflect all required information (network maps, configuration layouts, availability measurements, and others). iWise Change Management and iWise Financial Management provide automated interfaces to iWise CMDB to assist in maintaining and measuring the effectiveness of your configuration.

iWise CMDB is the central component of the iWise applications that are used to define relationships between incidents, changes, configuration items, assets, and other administrative processes using key attributes and automation. iWise CMDB also provides a wide range of validations, functions, and processing rules, ranging from basic product validations to outage and availability analysis. Once referenced, you obtain information defined in iWise CMDB; in other words, as you update products and their related data, iWise automatically reacts to the new information.

To ensure only one entry for all hardware and software objects in the iWise CMDB, each application uses the iWise Configuration Item Definition Hierarchy for consistency of data, support rules, and availability rules (SLA).

Does iWise provide support for configuration items with different model numbers, version numbers, and copy numbers?

Yes. In addition to viewing different model and version numbers for a referenced CI in an iWise object, you can also obtain the Product type, Generic (high-level categorization), Product/Item, Model/Version, and Vendor code by positioning the cursor on the configuration item attribute (CI alias). This invokes a function that retrieves information from the iWise CMDB and displays it in a pop-up window.

You can define as many unique configuration items with different model numbers and version numbers as required, and this automated lookup feature will display the above-mentioned data associated with the CI.

iWise Financial Management stores the number of copies relating to CIs in the CMDB. This allows the customer to track how many copies of the specific CI the customer has bought or are licensed, which in turn can be used by automated processes to cross-check against actual auto-discovered hardware and software in use.

Does iWise provide automatic validation of input data?

Yes. iWise validates all attributes used by the iWise applications for both format and valid values, such as ensuring that date entries, times, and durations are entered in the correct format.

The iWise Calendar feature gives users a quick and accurate way to enter dates by presenting them with a pop-up calendar in which they can click the date. iWise then enters the date in the corresponding attribute.

If authorized, you can change or add iWise attribute drop-down validations as needed. These validations are stored as tables in the iWise database. In a drop-down list box, a user clicks the arrow, which displays a validation list that, in some cases, presents secondary lists dependent on the initial selection. When the user makes a selection, the value is automatically entered in the corresponding attribute. When the value is selected, iWise executes automated functions that may be related to that attribute, such as automatically assigning the object to a certain group of people, or adding a default urgency code based on a value set in the product.

Does iWise provide for automatic establishment of relationships upon the addition of new configuration items?

Yes. The iWise Configuration Item Definition Hierarchy maintains relationships between components, products, and generics. As soon as you enter a new component in the iWise CMDB, such as an HP z5000, any of the iWise applications can reference it. The same rules apply if you add a new product like Windows XP or JES2 running on RC28. All the support and availability objects defined for these products immediately take effect when referenced, so that if any support or availability rules are changed, they are immediately in force. You can reference the latest support and availability objects as you add new CIs for these products. To create new configuration items, iWise also provides the ability to define and copy "model" records with pre-established relationships.

Does iWise provide automatic identification of other affected configuration items when any CI is the subject of an incident record, problem record, known error record, or RFC?

Yes. When creating an iWise incident or problem object, the powerful iWise Diagnostics function checks for other incidents or problems relating to the same CI, in addition to scanning for other values such as the network address, location, etc. Once related items are located, you can use them to solve the current issue by following the steps used to resolve the previous occurrence of the issue.

Based on support records defined for the product or component identified in the issue, you can automatically copy the Checklist information to incidents or problems. In addition to this capability, the iWise Check Recent Changes function lists changes that may have been the cause of the issue. iWise maintains a link between problems, incidents, and changes to ensure that you can establish a relationship between changes made and problems experienced.

Does iWise have the capability to link configuration items to records such as incidents, problems, known errors, and changes?

Yes. In addition to the iWise Diagnostics utility, which is used to locate existing (known errors) incidents, problems, and solutions for the CI, iWise applications use the CI Alias ID to "link" the record to the appropriate configuration item defined in the iWise CMDB.

When resolving an iWise incident or problem, you can:

This gives you the ability to add all of the CIs that are affected by the current issue. At any time, you can locate all incidents, problems, and solutions relating to any CI in the iWise CMDB with the powerful iWise search function.

Does iWise allow automatic updating and recording of the version number of a configuration item, if the version number of any component configuration item is changed?

Yes. Once defined in the iWise CMDB, auto-discovery data provides automatic updates to the product version and other key information for a configuration item by using iWise CI business processing rules (these rules are written in XML and can be customized).

Does iWise provide a maintenance history of all configuration items?

Yes. iWise product and component definitions allow the entry of product specific maintenance information such as PTFs, fix IDs, and EC levels. Any time that a user modifies any of these attributes, the action is stored in the object, along with the date and time of the modification. This gives the customer the ability to browse through the audit trail of an iWise object and see what was changed, when, and by whom.

iWise applications use the Properties dialog, which allows user-defined attributes to hardware and software products. For example, you can have a product called HP-z5000 that represents all HP z5000 laptops. For each component object created using this product, you want to track attributes like number of USB ports, RAM, Processor, Storage, and CD-ROM. You can add these in the properties dialog.

Does iWise provide support for the management and use of configuration baselines, including allowing reversion to trusted versions?

Yes. Baselines can be established for products and components at any time by referencing the iWise product and component objects stored in the iWise CMDB. The component contains all of the original data that was applicable when you first entered the object.

iWise uses the iWise Change and Request Management applications to schedule all changes to products or components while ensuring that documented SLAs and all other responsible parties are aware of any pending changes.

The iWise Incident and Problem Management applications track issues with products or components. These objects cross-reference one another, giving you the ability to verify which changes caused which issues throughout the life cycle of the product or component. Thus you can conclude which changes to the baseline caused issues with products and components.

Business processing rules control the processing of baselines and any reversals to a trusted version. You define business-processing rules using a XML editor.

Does iWise have the ability to graphically present configuration or network maps or interconnected configuration items? Can users enter information about new configuration items into such maps?

Yes. iWise currently supports and interfaces with Microsoft Visio (or any other ODBC-enabled CAD product) to present a graphical view of configuration or network maps and floor plans.

The iWise/Visio interface uses ODBC technology to update the Visio drawings with current iWise CMDB data. The iWise/Visio interface can also scan for open incidents, problems, and changes, and color-codes the graphical display of a configuration item in the drawing. It also compares configuration items in the drawing to the CMDB and flags any mismatches.

In order to ensure data integrity, updates to configuration items in the iWise CMDB are restricted to iWise direct access only. The Visio graphical display can only present configuration item data that is retrieved from the iWise CMDB.

iWise provides an "out of the box" interface with Visio. In the following example, CIs represented in the drawing are "connected" to iWise using the Visio ODBC connector, based on the CI Alias ID defined in the iWise CMDB. Visio allows the definition of "custom properties" that are displayed on the right-hand side of the drawing. These properties are extracted from the CI Definition in the iWise CMDB.

iWise also provides Visio Visual Basic code to synchronize incident, problem, and change activity with items in the drawing. The following actions occurs when the interface options are invoked:

The Visio Visual Basic source code is provided with the iWise base product and can be customized to meet further customer requirements. infraWise will provide customization services upon customer request.

Does iWise have the ability to show the hierarchy of relationships between parent and child configuration items?

Yes. iWise applications make use of parent/child relationships to show hierarchal structures between objects. The iWise Configuration Items Definition Hierarchy uses the parent/child hierarchy. You can easily display child objects from any iWise object that has them using an iWise icon.

Does iWise allow access - via an ODBC connection - to collective configuration management data stored in standard relational databases?

Yes. iWise supports any ODBC-accessible database that gives you access to the collective configuration management data as well as other iWise data such as incidents, problems, and changes.

Any tool that supports ODBC can use this connection for running management reports against the CMDB.

You can generate reports in a variety of formats such as HTML or PDF, then link these to the iWise dashboard for viewing. You can also incorporate the iWise Dashboard into advanced reporting facilities such as Crystal Enterprise; this gives you the ability to run up-to-date reports that are either refreshed at the time you view them or intervals determined by an administrator.

Does the iWise CMDB manage information for both hardware and software? Can you use the CMDB to collect data automatically on a pre-defined basis?

Yes. iWise provides an interface to automatic discovery tools, such as Microsoft SMS. The iWise SMS interface can be used to quickly load initial and subsequent CMDB inventory-discovered data.

Out of the box, iWise provides Monitor Agents that automatically add or update hardware and software products and components stored in the iWise CMDB from auto-discovery data. To create or update iWise objects such as product or component CIs, iWise uses its XML interface (the "iWise XML Server"). Other tools and utilities are available when communicating with legacy systems that do not offer XML interface capabilities.

The auto-discovery feature in iWise applications will automatically combine the CI-discovered information along with other data contained in the iWise CMDB, such as contact information, properties, and SLA information.

Can users view and report on iWise configuration item data from both a Windows client and a web interface?

Yes. All configuration item (CI) information is viewable by authorized users via either the iWise Web or Windows Client. In addition, iWise can automatically e-mail selected groups of people when changes occur to configuration items or specific attributes within them.

Reporting tools can extract CI information from the iWise CMDB. Through ODBC, you can link multiple iWise tables together to produce intelligent management reports and dashboard views of CMDB activity. You can then link reports to the iWise Dashboard for management reporting purposes.

Does the iWise CMDB integrate with a financial asset management component?

Yes. iWise uses the iWise Financial Management application to manage asset information. Configuration and asset data are "linked" in the iWise CMDB via the CI Alias ID definition.

The main functional areas of iWise Financial Management include:

Does the iWise CMDB integrate with and support all ITIL Processes?

Yes. The iWise Service Management Solutions are a robust, COTS, customer-friendly, scalable, and enterprise-wide system that manage the following disciplines, in accordance with the established ITIL standards:

Integrated and designed to work together, iWise applications are easy to install in a phased implementation process. Together, the components of iWise provide a seamless service management solution suite.

Each of the iWise applications addresses one or more processes of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework. You can operate each application independently; however, iWise is most valuable when used as an integrated package or suite.

The following diagram shows the major components of the ITIL framework. Items circled in red show which processes are supported by the iWise Service Management Solutions.

Does the iWise CMDB integrate with existing source code integration products, such as ChangeMan DS/ZMF?

Yes. iWise provides open interface support using XML, and has provided interfaces to a variety of products. The iWise CMDB can integrate with any Source Code Integration product, such as ChangeMan/DS/ZMF, that supports open interfaces. If the third-party source code integration product does not support XML, infraWise can provide a specialized interface based on specific customer requirements.

Our use of SOAP and XML technology opens the door for a wide variety of features and interfaces from a long list of third-party tools and standard office applications. This allows the easy transfer of data and the ability to share related information with processes previously separated by platforms. Many tools and applications have embraced these standards as the mechanisms for future data interchange. Potential interfaces such B2B Communication Enablement and E-Commerce are dramatically enhanced with the iWise Web interface.

Does the iWise CMDB include an easy-to-use report writer, together with supplied reports?

Yes. iWise includes the run-time libraries for Crystal Reports for the generation of all-standard iWise-provided Crystal Reports. Each customer can procure full copies of Crystal Reports if custom reports or modification to the standards reports is required. iWise provides over 150 pre-defined Crystal Reports as part of the base product, for reporting on information from the iWise CMDB and related processes.

The results of search processes can also be saved as CSV files that can be imported to spreadsheet or word processing programs such as Excel or Word. In addition to saving tables produced by iWise queries as .CSV files, within the actual search results display, you can select specific columns of data at the individual user level with any of the attributes for each application. These tailored views can be saved for later recall.

Does the iWise CMDB affect user performance during auto-detection?

Yes. iWise provides an "out of the box" interface to SMS. SMS collects data from multiple, distributed data sources, and offers a variety of collection methodologies. Some options relay on the installation of agents on individual workstations for the collection process, while others can obtain information from simple TCP/IP network scans.

Any auto-discovery tool like NetCool or SMS will not affect iWise search and update functions, since the network discovery tools run independently of iWise. The tool(s) and specific methods employed for inventory collection determine network performance during collection and update. Collection actions scheduled during off-peak hours minimize the impact on the network.

Does iWise inventory collection allow users to enter manual information that will be stored with the inventory information, such as user name and location?

Yes. You can create or update iWise CMDB records once the discovery tool collects the base inventory data. Users can update the CI definitions in iWise with any information. iWise provides default fields, including user name and location, etc, as well as user-defined "properties." iWise properties are customer-defined attributes that are used to track additional fields not supplied by the base iWise product. You can define properties without resorting to programming or database modifications. Properties can include non-machine readable information, such as purchase order number, user name, and phone number.

Does iWise provide a software license management capability?

Yes. infraWise recommends that the Contracts feature of iWise Financial Management be used for a complete license management tool. If the full range of financial management capabilities is not required, then the product administration function of the iWise CMDB can accommodate the simple requirements of basic license management.

Does iWise provide fully customizable user access rights (i.e., the ability to add, delete, and change configuration items and their associated attributes)?

Yes. iWise provides Authorization Groups, as defined in iWise Policy Management, to manage access rights (entry, update, display, purge, over-ride owner, etc.) at the record and field level. You can define multiple users in an iWise Authorization Group, and users may be members of multiple groups.

Does the iWise CMDB provide the functionality to allow or deny users from executing certain applications?

Yes. iWise CMDB provides the capability to define each product or service and link authorized lists of eligible users for each of them. This list, when used in conjunction with execution-limiting tools, can deny unapproved program usage.

Does the iWise CMDB monitor and manage specific "standard" files, and restore them to the authorized version in the event of an update?

Yes. The ability to monitor and manage "standard files" requires careful planning and coordination. In our experience working with the leading tools in this market space, the primary operational issues are security-related and not about file management technology.

The association of the appropriate file management functional policies for each specific PC is defined within the iWise CMDB. infraWise will integrate the corresponding file management process functions of the third-party tool(s) with the iWise policies to accomplish these functions.

Does the iWise CMDB inventory collection process detect changes in the inventory on a specific machine and automatically log a service desk issue, or take some other automated action based on pre-defined policies?

Yes. To collect or discover data associated with configuration items defined in the iWise CMDB, iWise uses auto-discovery tools such as SMS or NetCool. An iWise process rule, based on customer specifications, compares the information collected with the information stored in the iWise CMDB, and applies any updates of changed information. This intelligent process permits iWise to store only unique data, thus preventing duplication of data stored in the discovery tool SQL tables. The customer can also create specific rules for determining when discovery events and data will trigger an iWise incident or problem.

Can iWise manage assets for their full life cycle?

Yes. To manage the complete lifecycle of configuration items (CIs) from initial request, to purchase, deployment, and final retirement, iWise Request, Change, and Financial Management (asset, invoice, purchase order, budget, and financial conflict) applications are used.

After deploying an asset, iWise Incident, Problem, Change, and Request Management manage the day-to-day activities and issues associated with each defined CI and automatically track life cycle changes.

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