PR 51 — Geeking Out On CMDB Object Models

Do We Truly See Or Fully Understand Without The Perspective Of Context? Regardless of the marketing hype to the contrary I think that most people would agree that technology has made our lives more complex rather than simpler? This is also true of our human or personal systems as much as it is with our lives at work. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. continue to increase or private networks as we connect / re-connect with people from our current life and distant past. To help us maintain sanity and perspective these social tools help us to visually map our relationships in ever widening arcs of relationship and connectivty. A critical element in keeping all this detail in a form we can easily understand is a visual map or model that represents with whom and how we are connected. Whether this map is presented as a Mind Map or a Family Tree we need a relationship model we can visualize and follow in order for us to place ourselves within the context of the overall system.

These same visual models are are key for IT professionals to understand and represent the complexity of an IT System that is often made up of hundreds of dependancies. Many of these dependancies are outside our own organization in the same way that our human system is made up of people from across the globe. From an IT Service Management discussion this discussion is part of the Process of Service Asset and Configuration (SACM) and specifically called out in a deliverable referred to as Configuration Management Data Base (CMDB) Object Model Design. In discussing this with many people over the years the SACM project has often been started and abandoned and re-started many times. The very nature of the complexity of the project is often used as a reason to stop or not start. However, my perspective is that the complexity of the system is in actual fact a business case for giving SACM the attention it needs.

As a base premise I believe it is reasonable to assume that IT professionals should be able to articulate and describe how any technology element enables business outcomes. If we cannot do this how do we understand technology value or risk or claim to be aligned with business objectives? No - Complexity is not in and of itself a reason to throw in the towel but it is a good reason to build a business case for high degrees of discovery and automation in a SACM project. My experience shows me that any organization's which attempt a SACM / CMDB project from a purely manual perspective will not be able to maintain the accuracy of the CMDB over the long term. On the other hand this is not something we can delegate totally to Nano Bots and automated systems without human governance and some degree of human data entry. All this said and done a CMDB project must start with a Data Model design as well as a process defining governance and management roles. In this Podcast Chris and I explore the interesting world of CMDB Data models.

To hear this podcast check out the link on Apple ITunes: "Geeking Out On CMDB Object Models"

Show Notes:

  • There are Circles and then there are circles
  • The Movie Inception
  • The CMDB Unicorn in the room?
  • CMDB — Spruce Goose, Death Star Or Answer To World Peace?
  • Context is necessary for System Thinking
  • Service Definition is the DNS Construct for All Service Management
  • CMDB = Visual representation of the Service Model
  • The Picture Is The Thing That Captures The Imagination Of the King — Shakespeare
  • CMDB & Google Streetview — Pulling back for context
  • Configuration Management System (CMS)
  • Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS)
  • Visual Representation of Service Relationship & Tools eg: CA Unicenter TNG 10 years ago
  • What's the business case for a CMDB when you don't understand or manage against services?
  • Tools are not the constraint to CMDB
  • CMDB Visualization tools
  • The true constraint for CMDB is task specialization and cultural resistance on system's thinking
  • BMC Atrium Example
  • Modelling Cloud Services and Virtual Elements in a CMDB?
  • Today's Cloud Discussion is the same as the WAN Modeling Challenges
  • Modelling Physical and Virtual Objects (SANs, VLANS, VMs)
  • Fit for Purpose Modelling
  • Complexity is its argument for definition
  • The more complex the puzzle the more important the picture on the puzzle box
  • We design in context to systems but we manage technology in mythical isolation
  • Need the blueprint before I can build the thing!
  • Article: CMDB Resort Condominium
  • Context is subjective?
  • The need for Context relies on core beliefs and language
  • Subject change: News Microsoft abolishes Stake Ranking
  • Stack Ranking re-enforces silo or individual focus and results
  • Human Systems are even more important as Technical Systems

Troy's Thunderbolt Tip: Until we understand and culturally accept the need to manage services and technology systems dependencies we will never really be able to say IT is aligned with business needs

Troy's and Chris's Thoughts What Are yours?

“Remember, always, that everything you know, and everything everyone knows, is only a model. Get your model out there where it can be viewed. Invite others to challenge your assumptions and add their own.” ? Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems: A Primer

To subscribe to Pink's Podcasts on iTunes

Like this article? Like

Comments

Post a comment