You can configure your system in order to manage the CMDB in the way that suits your organization best. Virtually every part of the functionality provided through the CMDB module is configurable to provide immense flexibility to accommodate your organization’s requirements depending on your business processes.
The CMDB refers to the collection of services you provide and the configuration items, people, organizations, locations, agreements, cost centers, and contracts supporting these services.
The Users supported by your Service Desk (that is, the people who contact the Service Desk with problems) can vary. They may be linked to different organizations, be located at different sites, belong to different departments, use different CMDB items, require different levels of support, have specific network IDs, and so on. vFire Core enables you to record all of this information.
You can also give certain analysts in your Service Desk responsibility for particular contracts, and define separate agreements for different Users, organizations and external suppliers.
To consider:
What services do you want to create for your organization?
What type of configuration items do you want to record: hardware, software? How many components of these do you want to record: PC, screen, keyboard, cards in the PC?
Who are your Users (internal staff, external Users)?
Which organizations do you support (if any)?
To configure the CMDB, take the following steps:
- Configure the CMDB Settings – includes enabling auditing and object version control for CMDB items.
- Set and define CMDB Item Types – includes configuring sub types (or classes) to define all the levels in a multi-tiered CMDB.
- Set and define CMDB Item Link Types – to maintain the integrity of the CMDB by defining the way in which CMDB Items can be linked.
- Assign specific values or list options for use in the CMDB Item Details windows using other options on the CMDB administration menu as described below.
- Set Analyst access to different functionality through the Configuration Management Security Role settings.
Once the CMDB has been configured, you can then add and manage your CMDB entities (such as your Configuration Items, Services, Software Products and Inventory, People, Organizations, and Contracts).
Configuring CMDB Settings
Before you start
You must have CMDB Setup enabled within your General Access security role in order to configure any CMDB administration settings. Depending on if or how your system is partitioned, ensure that you are working in the correct partition.
- Select
and then Admin. Alternatively, select the arrow on the Admin button 
. - From the submenu, select System Administration. The System Administration window is displayed
. In the Explorer pane, locate the CMDB group 
, scrolling up or down if necessary. You may need to expand the group to see the options within it. - Select the option you require to configure your CMDB, referring to the list below for descriptions of what each option contains:
| CMDB Settings | To enable configuration of the global settings for the CMDB module. These settings can be used to define options for items in the CMDB containing configuration items, Users, organizations, contracts, agreements, services and external suppliers. |
| CMDB Service Levels | To define the items that will appear in the Service Level list on the CMDB entity Details windows (such as the Configuration Item Details, or Organization Details window). |
| CMDB Item Attributes | To define categories of information related to CMDB Items which are not recorded in the main details window. |
| CMDB Item Classes | To enable CMDB items to be profiled or categorized according to their function in an organization, for example, Sales, or Marketing. |
| CMDB Item Criticality | To define the items that will appear in the Criticality list in the CMDB Item Details window |
| CMDB Item Physical Statuses | To enable you to define the items that will appear in the Status list in each of the CMDB Item Details window |
| CMDB Item Stakeholder Roles | To define roles for stakeholders linked to CMDB items. |
| CMDB Item Types | To enable creation and management of CMDB Item Types. These are required when creating new CMDB items. |
| CMDB Link Status | To define options available in the Link Status list. Creating a link between CMDB items, and assigning link status, provides information such as whether the link is active or frozen. |
| CMDB Link Types | To define the types of links that can be used to link CMDB items, specifying which CMDB item types may be linked, as well as the type of relationship the two items can have. |
| Contract Attributes | To define categories of information related to Contracts which are not recorded in the main details window. |
| Contract Stakeholder Roles | To define roles for stakeholders linked to contracts. |
| Contract Support Type | To define the type of support that is offered with a contract. |
| Contract Types | To define different contract types in order to create different profiles. |
| Cost Center Category | To define categories of cost centers. |
| Cost Center Stakeholder Roles | To define roles for stakeholders linked to cost centers. |
| Custom CMDB Profile 1, Custom CMDB Profile 2, Custom CMDB Profile 3 | Custom CMDB Profiles are types of extension fields (additional fields used by analysts to record non-standard information about a CMDB item) |
| Person Attributes | To define categories of information related to Person Details which are not recorded in the main details window. |
| Person Profile | To define the items available for selection in the Profile lists on the Person Details window. These fields can be used to indicate the area in which the User or analyst is involved, such as Sales, or Systems. |
| Person Stakeholder Roles | To define roles for stakeholders linked to people. |
| External Contact Type | To define external contact types. When analysts add people and designate them as External Contacts, the additional field, External Contact Type, appears on the Person Details window |
| User VIP Status | To define VIP statuses which can then be assigned to Users in the Person Details window. The VIP status indicates to a support analyst that a call they are handling has been logged by a VIP User. |
| Disposal Methods | To define methods of disposal of CMDB items. Analysts can select a disposal method when specifying the CMDB item details. |
| Financial Status | To define financial statuses which can be used when adding financial information to the CMDB item details. |
| Financial Category | To define financial categories which can be used when adding financial information to the CMDB item details. |
| Freeze Status | To define freeze status types which Analysts can use when freezing or unfreezing a CMDB item. |
| Link Manufacturer To Model Type | To enable model types to be linked to specific manufacturers. When Analysts are completing CMDB item details, they can select a manufacturer and then have a list of available models. |
| Location Attributes | To define categories of information related to Locations which are not recorded in the main details window. |
| Location Stakeholder Roles | To define roles for stakeholders linked to locations. |
| Manufacturers | To define the entries within the manufacturer type list |
| Model Types | To define the entries within the model list. |
| Organization Attributes | To define categories of information related to Organizations which are not recorded in the main details window. |
| Organization Stakeholder Roles | To define roles for stakeholders linked to organizations. |
| Organization Profiles | To define values in the Organization Profile field. Analysts can profile an organization by making a selection from this list when specifying the organization details |
| External Supplier Status | To define the entries within the External Supplier Status list |
| Purchase Method | To define purchase methods, that is, describe the ways CMDB items can be purchased. Analysts can select a purchase method when specifying the CMDB item details. |
| Service Link Types | To define the relationships between a service and another entity such as a person or agreement. For example, an SLA might have a link type of Legal Contract, while an organization might have a link type of Minimum Agreed Service. Analysts can select a service link type when linking a service to an agreement or location. |
| Service Portfolio Statuses | To define the values that are displayed in the Portfolio Status drop-down list in the Criticality and Status section of the Service, Service Action and Service Bundle Details in the CMDB Item Details window. |
| Service Cost Types | To define a service cost type (for example, Pay Per Use, Subscription, or No Charge Back) which can be assigned to the service entity. |
| Service Period | To define a Service Period to specify the length of time the service will be available. |
| Subscriber Group Stakeholder Roles | To define roles for stakeholders linked to subscriber groups. |
| Asset Management - Asset Lifecycle Status | To define the options that appear in the Asset Lifecycle Status list on the Inventory or Software Product Details window. These options allow analysts to define the Lifecycle Status of a particular inventory or software license. For example: Available, In Design, or Decommissioned. |
| Asset Management - License Type | To define the options analysts can select in the License Type field, for example: Per Person, Enterprise. |
| Asset Management - Transaction Status | To define the list of transaction statuses in the Transaction Status list, for each type of transaction or “asset pool”. |
| Self Service Portal Display Categories | To define the Self Service portal display categories that appear in the Self Service Portal Display Category list on the Service, Service Action, and Service Bundles Details in vFire Core, and when a user browses the Service Catalog in vFire Self Service. |