inloook! Natual tendencies that make or break the CMDB

If you are like me, every time a CMDB program?is envisioned, hopes are high that we won't let the same mistakes happen again.?After all there is now a solid foundation of guidance and best practices.?

Yet,?3-6 months after the initial implementation (a.k.a?getting data in the system), a new CMDB program is needed because - Oh **bleep**... we did miss to ACTUALLY?ensure?the process, governance, and roles?are in place.?

I?had good discussions with my peer Bruno Guidou . We?agreed?on?situations we find repeatedly?and possible mitigations.?

Getting a solid CMDB is not a one-off topic, but to make it right, you need to start it right.?

1. Show me the data !!

During implementation projects, everyone wants to see progress! Sure, we have timelines to meet, and we need?something?to show to the business?ASAP.??

Very common?PM questions for project reviews are??

• Are CI loaded???
• How many Cis do we have??

YES!?it is satisfying to see a CMDB?nicely filled with thousands of?records.??

BUT, really that should be the latest of our concerns. Anyway, it will be outdated in no time.??

Our recommendation, rather than focusing on data is to focus on the deliverables that?guarantee?smooth and structured operations in BAU.??

For a PM, getting a?straight?answer to following questions is a better indicator that we are on tracks??

• Have we articulated the benefits in a way everyone can understand??
• What triggers a change in the lifecycle or attribute of the CI???
• How is it updated??
• Who/what is the ultimate?source of truth??
• Do we have the staff to do the work in BAU??
• Do they commit?and have time?to do the work continuously??
• What is the fall-back plan if they don't??

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?2. It is "technical"...

Let's state the obvious: ServiceNow has Discovery, ServiceGraph connectors, IRE and a robust range of tools to get the CMDB right. Something funny is that when such tools are involved, the attention shifts drastically towards the technical perspective. Sure, there are serious technical considerations that need attention (network, security,?and many more).??

Does it mean that CI lifecycle, policies, roles and responsibilities are less important? Well?because we incorporate this tooling,?it's getting quite MORE important.??

As soon as we involve Discovery?solutions,?the scale of data?dramatically increases.?So also does the scale of potentials issues.?With large data, small?matters?become?bold issues.?

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3. It's your responsibility ! until it's mine...

?While we push for maximum automation, manual Cis update remains to some extent. More often than not, the ServiceNow platform is owned by a centralized entity, while CIs are owned and managed by operational entities (the ones that front the business bring money in).?

When operating entity?are reluctant?to?update?their CIs (never in principle, but in fact), the?data?quality?inevitably?drops.?Let's be honest, it is not rewarding for agents who have to do it.??

Interestingly, when it becomes generalized, we observe a transfer of ownership of the?CMDB mess?to the platform owner.??

As platform owner, you just cannot say "it's not my fault if the data hosted in my platform is crap, I don't own the data".?You must protect your platform reputation.?

Our recommendation is to define policies stating that platform owners?can take ownership and execute clean-up, when CI become blatantly wrong.??

Such a rule could be "when the CI support group is inactive, notify and assign the CIs to the next best group managing records the same class?in the same organization".?Sometimes it will be wrong.?

But it turns out human nature?doesn’t always to right, but?loves to correct other's?errors, so that could lead to a regain of interest and ownership from local entities!?

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Key takeaways:?

• What matters most is to have a vision of the business outcomes, and then set up the organisation, governance and tools AROUND the CMDB. Getting data IN is a result of the effective process on a day-to day basis.?
• Discovery and automation are incredibly helpful to keep the data right. More technical considerations doesn't mean we can indulge in less governance and process.?
• Sometimes we just need people to update data manually. If they have a better agenda, it's their problem until... it becomes YOUR problem as a platform owner. Consider having fall-back practices, to keep an acceptable level of data.?

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Thank you for reading my first blog article of the inloook weekly series. The goal is to humbly share insights and advices based on experience. Please contribute by sharing your reactions in the comments section below.?

Thank you also to Bruno Guidou from Engage ESM who was a delight to talk to. This guys knows his stuff!?

For more info on that topic below are docs from ServiceNow I also find insightful:?

• CMDB Design guidance:?https://www.servicenow.com/content/dam/servicenoCMDB%20Design%20w-assets/public/en-us/doc-type/resou...?
• Define ServiceNow governance:?https://www.servicenow.com/content/dam/servicenow-assets/public/en-us/doc-type/success/insight/data-...?