Basic CMDB Quick Start Guide

Overview

The Basic CMDB Schema is your minimum viable Configuration Management Database - perfect for small teams getting started with IT asset tracking. With just 3 object types (Person, Server, Application), you can establish foundational visibility into your infrastructure without complexity overhead.

Who Is This For?

• Small IT teams (1-10 people)
• Startups building their first CMDB
• Organizations piloting JSM Assets
• Teams transitioning from spreadsheets

What You Get

• Track servers and who owns them
• Document applications and where they run
• See who is responsible for what
• Foundation for future growth

Schema Overview

Why Start Basic

Object Type Summary

Relationship Architecture

┌─────────────┐       ┌─────────────┐       ┌─────────────┐
│   Person    │◄──────│   Server    │◄──────│ Application │
│             │Managed│             │Runs On│             │
│  (IT Team)  │  By   │(Infrastructure)     │ (Software)  │
└─────────────┘       └─────────────┘       └─────────────┘

Key Relationships:

• Server → Person (Managed By): "Who manages this server?"
• Application → Server (Runs On): "Where does this app run?"
• Application → Person (Managed By): "Who manages this application?"

Object Type 1: Person

The Person object type represents individuals who own, manage, or are responsible for IT assets. Start with your IT team members, then expand to include application owners from the business.

Attribute Reference

Active Values

Best Practices

Do:

• Use official work email addresses
• Keep Department consistent across records
• Update Active status when people leave - don't delete records

Don't:

• Use personal email addresses
• Create multiple records for the same person
• Delete records when people leave (set to Inactive instead)

Real-World Example

Full Name: Sarah Chen
Email: sarah.chen@acme.com
Department: IT Operations
Active: Active

Object Type 2: Server

The Server object type represents physical servers, virtual machines, and cloud instances that host your applications. This is the core of your infrastructure inventory.

Attribute Reference

Server Type Values

Environment Values

Hostname Naming Convention

Use a consistent naming pattern:

Format: [purpose]-[environment]-[number]

Examples:
web-prod-01      Web server, production, first
db-prod-01       Database server, production
app-dev-01       Application server, development

Best Practices

Do:

• Use consistent hostname naming conventions
• Assign Managed By for every Production server
• Keep Operating System current (e.g., "Ubuntu 22.04 LTS")
• Update Status when servers are retired

Don't:

• Use spaces in hostnames
• Leave Production servers without a manager
• Keep non-operational servers as Operational

Real-World Example

Hostname: web-prod-01
IP Address: 10.0.1.50
Server Type: Cloud
Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Environment: Production
Status: Operational
Managed By: Sarah Chen

Object Type 3: Application

The Application object type represents business applications that run on your servers. This connects your infrastructure to business value.

Attribute Reference

Environment Values

Status Values

Naming Applications

Use business-friendly names that users recognize:

Good: Customer Portal, Inventory System, HR Platform
Bad: app1, legacy_system_v2, test123

Best Practices

Do:

• Use names that business users recognize
• Link every Production app to at least one server via Runs On
• Assign business owners via Managed By
• Track version numbers for change management

Don't:

• Use technical project codes as names
• Leave Production apps without a manager
• Keep non-operational applications as Operational

Real-World Example

Application Name: Customer Portal
Version: 2.4.1
Environment: Production
Status: Operational
Managed By: Mike Johnson
Runs On: web-prod-01

Getting Started

Step 1: Plan Your Data (15 minutes)

Before creating records, make a quick inventory:

People to add:

• IT team members
• Key application owners from the business
• Start with 5-10 people

Servers to add:

• Production servers first
• Development/staging later
• Start with 10-20 servers

Applications to add:

• Business-critical applications
• Customer-facing systems
• Start with 5-10 applications

Step 2: Create Person Records (10 minutes)

Start with your IT team:

1. Navigate to Assets → Basic CMDB → Person
2. Click "Create"
3. Enter Full Name, Email, Department
4. Set Active to "Active"
5. Save

Tip: Do IT team first, then add business application owners.

Step 3: Create Server Records (20 minutes)

Add your production servers:

1. Navigate to Assets → Basic CMDB → Server
2. Click "Create"
3. Enter Hostname, Server Type, OS, IP Address
4. Select Environment = "Production"
5. Link Managed By to a Person
6. Set Status to "Operational"
7. Save

Tip: Start with production, add test/dev later.

Step 4: Create Application Records (15 minutes)

Document your key applications:

1. Navigate to Assets → Basic CMDB → Application
2. Click "Create"
3. Enter Application Name, Version
4. Link Managed By to a Person
5. Link Runs On to Server(s)
6. Select Environment
7. Set Status to "Operational"
8. Save

Tip: Link applications to servers to enable impact analysis.

Step 5: Verify Relationships (5 minutes)

Check that your data is connected:

1. Open a Server record
2. View the "References" section
3. Confirm Managed By is linked
4. Confirm Applications are linked

Quick Verification Query:

objectType = "Application" AND "Runs On" IS EMPTY AND Status = "Operational"

This should return zero results for a well-linked CMDB.

Relationship Patterns

Pattern 1: Single Server, Single Application

The simplest setup - one application on one server.

Customer Portal (App) → web-prod-01 (Server) → Sarah Chen (Owner)

Pattern 2: Single Server, Multiple Applications

Multiple lightweight apps sharing a server.

Inventory System (App)  ─┐
Order Tracker (App)     ─┼→ app-prod-01 (Server) → Sarah Chen (Owner)
Reporting Tool (App)    ─┘

Pattern 3: Load-Balanced Application

Application running on multiple servers.

                        ┌→ web-prod-01 (Server)
Customer Portal (App) ──┼→ web-prod-02 (Server)
                        └→ web-prod-03 (Server)

Pattern 4: Environment Separation

Same application in different environments.

Customer Portal (Production) → web-prod-01
Customer Portal (Staging)    → web-stg-01
Customer Portal (Development)→ web-dev-01

Growing Beyond Basic

When to Upgrade

Consider upgrading to a larger schema when:

Upgrade Path

1. Export your data - CSV export of all objects
2. Deploy new schema - Standard or Enterprise CMDB
3. Import existing data - Map to new object types
4. Add new object types - Database, Location, Team, etc.
5. Extend relationships - More detailed dependency mapping

What Carries Forward

Your Basic CMDB data maps directly to larger schemas:

• Person → Person (with additional attributes)
• Server → Server (with additional attributes)
• Application → Application (with additional attributes)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Useful AQL Queries

Find all operational servers:

objectType = "Server" AND Status = "Operational"

Find servers without managers:

objectType = "Server" AND "Managed By" IS EMPTY AND Environment = "Production"

Find applications without servers:

objectType = "Application" AND "Runs On" IS EMPTY AND Status = "Operational"

Find inactive people who still manage assets:

objectType = "Person" AND Active = "Inactive"

Then check if they're still referenced by servers or applications.

Quick Reference

Essential AQL Queries

Health Check

Run these weekly:

• All production servers have managers assigned
• All operational apps link to servers
• No inactive people manage active assets
• No duplicate hostnames or app names