Overview of ServiceNow Admin configuration management database

sindhuja cynixit
6 min readJun 10, 2020

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Configuration Management is to manage the life cycle of all configuration objects. Then a ServiceNow admin can manage their relationships in a managed manner. Thus promotes efficient and successful processes of service management. Moreover, it provides timely and reliable, service-aligned configuration information. This is to allow people to make the right decisions at the right time. CMDB is an asset- and configuration management component. Besides, you are thinking about asset management, it is one of the many processes. Moreover, it relies on the CMDB to work some of the other events. These include event management, crisis management and change management.

Configuration Management has good inter-process relationships with the other ITSM systems. Configuration management and the CMDB are the foundation for integrated ITSM processes. Then consider it at the very beginning of any transformation of ITSM efforts.

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Why should ServiceNow Admin learn about configuration management?

A good ServiceNow Admin keeps a logical records system for all IT devices or components. You may call it the Configuration Items (CI). This gives you and client’s greater visibility and insight into your IT environment. Thus, you can present all your organization’s assets and devices with logic. For example, track all Windows servers in CMDB, Then track all details of its version as well. This significantly assists with any activities related to incident management or analysis.

ServiceNow configuration management CMDB

The ServiceNow platform offers a fully integrated CMDB and database consultants. These are by the experts in implementing and populating the ServiceNow CMDB. The discovery process can be a burdensome and time-consuming task. Thus, it helps you search for each CI for your entire organization and enter it into your CMDB. ServiceNow not only help with the initial manual processes. It introduces automation to ensure that all new CIs as soon as you put these into the environment.

ServiceNow promotes fast, lean and efficient ITSM processes in the design. The ITOM software completely agrees with this strategy. ServiceNow CMDB operates and develops by ServiceNow, with this concept in mind. The users may add extra functionality to the provided CMDB. However, you should get a case in situations where there is a necessary business outcome. These include demonstration, the benefit, and stakeholder agreement that the desired outcome accomplishes.

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Misconceptions of ServiceNow Admin in configuration management

One common misconception is that CMDB is hands-free. It is common for a ServiceNow admin to initially turn on the database. Then populate the CMDB without giving enough thought to strategies to keep the data up to date. It takes constant vigilance or its value rapidly diminishing to the organization. CMDB need careful maintenance to remain relevant and will help with this process.

CMDB challenges for ServiceNow admin

Like every other CMDB, the ServiceNow CMDB faces one specific challenge. as the CMDB expands. Thus, it becomes difficult for administrators to keep track and maintain relevant data. The complexity increases, ensuring your CMDB remains accurate and relevant can be challenging.

The complexity and fluid nature of today’s IT environments means companies are changing. Then update for e.g., domain names and IP addresses are purposes as new projects appear in the image.

CMDB features for ServiceNow Admin

One of the most important things an IT administrator can do is prepare. Then when you activate a CMDB, have a specific scope and intent. The CMDB supports other critical platform features. These include the following management platforms.

  • Incident management,
  • Issue management and
  • Change management, etc.

It further narrows down the categories of CI that maintains them. It excludes and produces non-managed assets such as desktops, laptops, and servers. Excluding non-managed assets avoids unnecessary costs of licensing. This is while also keeping your CMDB focused and concise.

Receiving data from CMDB

It collects data from a variety of points of integration using different vendor resources. Thus, it is common for an organization and sometimes their capabilities overlap.

In the above picture, the customer receives CI information from integrations with various vendor items. This is with each tool reporting conflicting data. It specializes in alignment across various data sources and ensuring incorporation. This of the most important data into your CMDB.

Essentially, a CMDB is an operating resource. In order to be useful it has to be concise and ultimately informational. Although it is tempting to keep all the data in your CMDB, getting too much data. It may also cause frustration and user fatigue. ServiceNow strength is its ability to connect to related records. Thus, it allows you to have a rich CMDB without cluttering it up.

Configuration of applications for ServiceNow Admin

ITIL users can lift the configuration items as you can use it directly in the CMDB application. You can provide this operation via the System of Configuration Managed Service. All manually added CIs go through a complex process of ServiceNow discovery. This is to ensure handling in an automated process.

Bulk uploading data using import sets for ServiceNow admin

Import sets allow you to import and map data from a variety of sources to a specific table. The transform map lets you define a field mapping, coalesce values. Then scriptable actions that occur during the import. This operation provides a system for Configuration Managed Service.

ServiceNow Admin Mapping As a Service (MaaS)

The CMDB automatically populates the Discovery utility. Discovery runs samples and sensors to collect hardware information on the network. Then the software is running on that hardware. Thus, the relationships among all the items found. This information forwards back to the instance ServiceNow. Then you may use it to populate the CMDB. This activity delivers through Managed Service Discovery and Configuration Management.

The MaaS offers designs to speed up application mapping services. Then effectively connect them to infrastructure. The offering of MaaS is carried out by Configuration Managers and Analysts.

ServiceNow CMDB API

The REST APIs instance of CMDB allows easy integration capabilities from external sources. This is to build and upgrade CIs and add relationships.

Using the Help Desk

“Using the Help Desk” is a lightweight native discovery tool that includes the CMDB as a whole. You can use the Help Desk that allows organizations to scan their network proactively. This is to discover all the Windows-based PCs. Then you can install the software packages on those PCs. This includes WMI-based discovery capability in the core functionality of ServiceNow. It is within the Self-Service application.

The ITOM Road map Design (RADIUS) may be part of the design phase. This is from the Configuration Management Service using The Help Desk.

The benefits of Service mapping for CMDB

Function Mapping is a key feature of ServiceNow ITOM. Then you can use a different approach to traditional methods of the CMDB population. Instead of populating all known properties, Service Mapping adopts a service-oriented approach.

  • It only populates only specific devices and components monitors. Then you can display it on the monitor for a technology or business service. This lean approach focuses on the important CIs. This is to avoid many traditional CMDB pitfalls.
  • You can also use Service mapping to power the event effect dashboard. This is available as part of the ITOM offerings for ServiceNow.
  • Having fewer CIs often ensures administrators stop spending time monitoring items. It has a limited value or significance.

Conclusion

I hope you reach a conclusion about ServiceNow configuration management. You can learn more through ServiceNow Admin online training.

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