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Single Source of data about your IT Assets, its relationships & dependencies as a Configurable Item (CI)
Euladox ITAM’s Asset repository is like a CMDB where ITAM data & Asset Service CI data intersect
ITAM Database
The ITAM database is a repository that is designed to track and report on the physical, financial & contractual data of IT Assets through its lifecycle from deployment to retiral.
The ITAM database has information on
- Hardware inventory
- Software inventory
- Contract Renewals
- Contract Terms
- Assets costs
- Software License Entitlement
- Effective License Position (ELP)
What is a CI ?
A configuration item (CI) is any service component, infrastructure element, or other item that needs to be managed in order to ensure the successful delivery of services.
Each CI has several characteristics:
- A classification, or type, which indicates what kind of item it is.
- Attributes, which vary by classification and describe the characteristics of the individual CI.
- A status value, which represents the CI’s state in the lifecycle used for CIs of this classification.
- Relationships, which indicate how the CI is related to other CIs.
- An owner, the person who is responsible for the CI.
CIs vary in complexity, size, and type. They can range from an entire service, which may consist of hardware, software, and documentation, to a single program module or a minor hardware component. The lowest-level CI is usually the smallest unit that will be changed independently of other components.
For IT Assets, we should be looking at the following information (at a minimum) :
- Hardware Details
- Software Inventory
- Warranty & AMC details
- Support contacts and responsibilities
- Ownership and maintenance responsibilities
- Connections to and interdependencies with other IT components, applications, and users
- Product documentation
- Relevant associated people and their specific responsibilities
- Costs and contract details
CMDB
Configuration Management Database (CMDB) in ITIL is defined as a database used to store Configuration Records throughout their Lifecycle. Each CMDB stores Attributes of CIs (Configuration Items), and Relationships with other CIs.
CIs are classified as:
- Hardware
- Software
- SNMP Devices
- Network / Communications
- Location
- Documentation
- People (staff and contractors)
Relationships between CIs are a crucial component of the CMDB & can be understood by the following examples:
A ‘server’(CI) has
a ‘database’ (CI)
is in Location L is
a component of ‘Application X’ (CI) and
has to be serviced by ‘Contractor Y’ (CI)
Rythium IT Asset Repository
Rythium’s Euladox ITAM’s Asset repository is like a CMDB where ITAM data & Asset Service CI data intersect. It is a CMDB for the Asset CI.
The Rythium Asset CMDB has all the attributes needed to manage the IT Asset lifecycle as well as the Asset Service Lifecyle. It is more efficient as you need a single database to get Asset & CI data. This will benefit an organization because they would not have to purchase a separate software solution nor would they have to train employees how to manage an additional product.
Brief Comparison of ITAM Database & CMDB
Euladox ITAM combines data of both databases for the Asset CI.
The following table provides you a brief description of features needed in a CMDB and those found in an ITAM database. It also provides you with details of features built into Euladox ITAM.
| Feature | CMDB | ITAM Database | Rythium IT Asset Repository |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Discovery |  |
 |
|
| Hardware Inventory | |
|
|
| Software Inventory | |
|
|
| Software Licensing | |
|
|
| IP & MAC Address | |
|
|
| Subnet Details | |
|
|
| Asset Lifecycle Management | |
|
|
| Incident Management | |
|
|
| CI Application Relationships | |
|
|
| Contract & Financial Data | |
|
|
| User Information | |
|
|