Altiris CMDB Solution from Symantec Help. Version 7.0

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1 Altiris CMDB Solution from Symantec Help Version 7.0

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3 CMDB Solution Help topics This document includes the following topics: About CMDB Solution CMDB Global Settings page Default values page Default values page: Data entry for default values page Display String Settings page License Usage page Organizational Hierarchy Settings page Ownership Settings page Report Scoping page Resource List page About the Resource Association Diagram About the resource association type page Resource Data Class page About the resource association type page Merge Resources page Assign Computer's Ownership to be the Primary User task page Clean Ownership task page Duplicate Computer Merge task page

4 4 CMDB Solution Help topics About CMDB Solution Duplicate User Merge task page Inventory Clean Up task page Inventory to Asset Synchronization task page Resource Merge Rule task page Update network resource location task page Update Organizational Hierarchy task page About CMDB Solution CMDB (Configuration Management Database) Solution lets you model configuration items, resources, and the relationships between them in a single, central database. It lets you facilitate the identification of all components and relationships, and to instigate any required changes. The solution actively manages resources according to user-specified instructions in jobs, tasks, configuration policies, and custom CMDB rules. CMDB Solution has the following features and uses: Define organizational groups and hierarchy. Organizational resources such as departments and cost centers are used to mirror your own organization's structure and hierarchy. CMDB Solution hierarchy features and child to parent relationships are used to specify standard settings throughout an organizational hierarchy. For example, a task that is applied to a parent department can be automatically pushed down to child departments. Setting up organizational resources should be the first thing you do with CMDB Solution. Define resources. Resources such as assets and contracts are entered into the database using predefined templates called resource types. The predefined resource types should be used when possible. Predefined resource types leverage other resource types. They provide summary data on the resources created, include associated reports, and include functionality not available in custom resource types. If none of the predefined resource types meet your needs, you can create a new resource type. You can specify default resource type values so that all resources based on a resource type are created with predefined values. When you enter data for assets, certain fields have the same value for many assets of a particular asset type. You can populate these fields with a default value. For example, users in a particular location have the same phone number prefix. You can save time by having the prefix already entered into the appropriate field.

5 CMDB Solution Help topics CMDB Global Settings page 5 Add data to the Configuration Management Database. Importing is the easiest and most efficient method of entering data into the system. You can also enter data manually. As you set up a resource management system, there is certain data that makes sense to enter before other data. For example, most resources rely on the availability of organizational data. Clean up and configure data management with ready-made configuration items. Create customized item actions and CMDB Rules to manage and manipulate data. CMDB rules target a group of assets based on their type and properties, and then make changes to them. Out of the box configuration items address the most commonly required resource management policies. CMDB Rules provide the flexibility to create custom policies for individual resource management needs. Configure security. If multiple users work with resources, for example entering and editing data, then you should configure security. CMDB Solution includes predefined security roles. You can modify predefined security roles or you can create your own roles. You can also restrict or allow access to resource types and data classes. Hierarchy features are used to set and enforce security settings throughout a hierarchy. CMDB Global Settings page This page lets you create custom status values to apply to resources. In some situations, your company might use a status that is not one of the predefined values. For example, a custom value of "On loan" might be applied to a resource being loaned to a user or department. Table 1-1 Custom Status s on the CMDB Global Settings page Lets you create a custom status value if the predefined values do not meet your needs. Add Delete Lets you add a custom status value. Lets you select and delete a custom status value.

6 6 CMDB Solution Help topics Default values page Default values page This page lets you select from a list of resource types so that you may change the resources default values. You can edit the resource type's default value in the Data entry default values page after you have select a resource type. See Default values page: Data entry for default values page on page 6. Default values page: Data entry for default values page This page lets you set and edit default values for resource type fields. When you create a new resource from a resource type with default values, the default values you specify are included in the new resource. Using default values for the fields that do not change from resource to resource saves data entry time. For example, if your company uses the same cost center for most purchases, you can set that cost center as the default cost center for the software purchase resource type. Then, you need to change the value only when a different cost center is used. When data is imported, default values are not applicable. Display String Settings page This page lets you change the way that the predefined name of a report, resource, or field appears in the Symantec Management Console. For example, you can change the predefined name "Monitor" to appear as "Screen" in the Symantec Management Console. In some situations, your organization might use a name for a resource type, report, or certain field that is not one of the predefined names. For example, monitor may be called "screen." In these situations, you can change a name throughout the solution. The Display As Settings page is used to add and delete custom display strings. Table 1-2 Original String Display String Enable Edit s on the display as settings page Displays the predefined name of the item. The new customized name of a field. Lets you choose to enable a string or enable a field change. Lets you edit a display string.

7 CMDB Solution Help topics License Usage page 7 Table 1-2 Add new s on the display as settings page (continued) Lets you add a new item name to change. Lets you choose to save changes. Lets you discard changes. License Usage page This page lets you monitor the number of CMDB Solution licenses that users consume. Organizational Hierarchy Settings page This page lets you configure organizational hierarchy settings. You can choose if you want to update automatically and define how often you want the update to occur. Table 1-3 Enable automatic updating of organizational hierarchies Update Interval Maximum Update Interval s on the organizational hierarchy settings page Lets you choose whether-or-not to update organizational hierarchies automatically. Specifies an interval for updating organizational hierarchies. Specifies the maximum amount of time between updating organizational hierarchies. Lets you choose to save changes. Lets you discard changes. Ownership Settings page This page lets you specify resource ownership settings. Ownership of resources may involve single or multiple users. More than one user, department, or cost center can partly own the same asset. Assets can be transferred from one owner to another.

8 8 CMDB Solution Help topics Report Scoping page Table 1-4 Ownership Style Ownership Rule s on the Ownership Settings page Lets you choose whether an asset can have multiple owners. If you select Multiple With Warning, you are warned when you assign ownership to an asset that already has an owner. Lets you specify what type of owner (user or department) has precedence in the event of a conflict of ownership. Saves the changes that you have made. s the changes that you have made. Report Scoping page This page lets you specify filtering settings for security enables reports. Table 1-5 s on the report scoping page Enable associated security reporting Lets the security enabled reports filter the results based upon resource associations between the logged on user and the organizational types. Enable "Report on owned resources" permissionsecurityfor reporting You can choose which association types you want to have used for filtering the report results. Lets the security enabled reports filter the results based upon the "Report on owned resources" permission. This permission is applied against the locations, the cost centers, and the departments. Lets you choose to save changes. Lets you discard changes. Resource List page This page lists the resources that are associated with a resource type. From this page, you can access the Resource Display page, which lets you specify details for a new resource or for an existing resource. Each Resource List page uses a Notification Server report to specify the data that is displayed on the page. You can change the report that the page uses to a different

9 CMDB Solution Help topics Resource List page 9 report, including custom reports. For example, the List Resource page for the Computer resource type displays all computers. You can change the page to display only computers running a specific operating system. You can right-click on a resource that is listed on this page to perform item tasks. You can also access the item tasks from the Resource Display page. Resource types are grouped into categories for convenience. Resource types within a category have similar characteristics, a common purpose, or other similarities. Table 1-6 Category type Edit s for the Resource List page Lets you Edit the Resource Resource Manager Delete Approve Move Export Properties CMDB Functions CMDB Functions > action Assignment Functions Opens the Resource Manager, which displays details about the resource. Deletes a resource from the Configuration Management Database. Approves a contract. Moves a resource. Exports the resource data as an.xml file. Opens a page that displays data about the resource. Data about the resource can include general, security, and audit data. Includes Assignment Functions, Set Asset Status, Resource Association Diagram, and Resource Change History. Lets you perform a selected action for a resource without opening the Resource Display page. Available actions depend on the resource type. Includes Add Cost Item, Dispose of Asset(s), and Retire Asset(s). Assign the asset to an Owner, Cost Center, or Location. Available actions depend on the resource type. When you assign an owner through an item task, all previous ownership associations are deleted.

10 10 CMDB Solution Help topics About the Resource Association Diagram Table 1-6 Category type Set Asset Status > status s for the Resource List page (continued) Sets the status of a resource. The status of a resource determines how it is treated in reports and statistics. Meanings of the status options are as follows: Active The asset is in use. Disposed The asset is no longer associated with the company. In Stock The asset is available for use. Missing The asset is still associated with the company but missing. On Order The asset will soon be available for use. Retired The asset is no longer is use but is not disposed. Returned to Lessor The asset has been returned to lessor. RMA The asset has been returned to manufacture for repair or replacement. Bulk Edit Clone CMDB Functions > Resource Association Diagram CMDB Functions > Resource Change History Add To Filter When multiple resources are selected, this option lets you make changes to all of the selected resources. Creates a copy of the resource. Clone a resource and make changes to the clone to enter data for similar resources. Opens the Resource Association Diagram. Opens a page with a history of changes to the resource data. Add a resource to a filter. About the Resource Association Diagram The Resource Association Diagram is an interactive graphical representation of a resource and all associated resources. Use the Resource Association Diagram to view relationships between assets, users, locations, departments, and cost centers. You can move about within the Resource Association Diagram by selecting any displayed resource. The Resource Association Diagram has two filters. The Association Type Filter lets you choose which association types you want to see. The Resource Type Filter lets you choose which resource types you want to see.

11 CMDB Solution Help topics About the resource association type page 11 About the resource association type page This page lets you create and view associations between resource types. Each association forms a child-to-parent relationship between two resource types. The association adds a field to the child resource for specifying a parent resource. For example, to associate a non-network printer with a computer, create an association where the printer is the child resource and the computer is the parent. The association adds a field to the printer resource that lets you specify the associated computer. Table 1-7 Item Name Tab Name From Type To Type Resource association type page items The name of the resource association type. A description of resource association type. The resource display page tab on which the field for selecting the parent resource is added. The child resource type in the association. The parent resource type in the association. Allow Association to Itself Minimum Cardinality Maximum Cardinality Allows the asset to be associated with itself. Specifies the minimum number of relationships that must be established between the child and parents. Specifies the maximum number of relationships that can be established between the child and parents. If you do not want to limit the number of relationships, select the Unlimited check box.

12 12 CMDB Solution Help topics Resource Data Class page Table 1-7 Item Resource association type page items (continued) Enable Editing From Specifies the mechanism style that is used to select an associated resource. The options are as follows: Contract Assigned User Picker Generic Picker Hierarchy Picker(for hierarchal parent resource types) Hierarchy Picker Showing Children (for hierarchal parent resource types) List Resource Picker for Asset Software Purchase Association Control Selecting the check box with the same name as the resource association type allows a reverse resource association to be created between two resources. For example, the User check box for the Owners resource association creates an association from a user (parent) to an asset (child). Unless this box is selected, associations only be created from a child resource to a parent resource. Resource Data Class page This page lets you view data about a pre-defined data class. You can edit a custom data class. Predefined data classes cannot be edited. Table 1-8 Multiple Rows Resource Data Class (edit) page Each attribute in a data class makes up a cell in a table row. Select to allow multiple rows in the data class. For example, an invoice where multiple items can be listed requires a multiple row data class. Data Entry Tab Name Data Class Definition Add New Attribute Enter the name for the Resource Display page tab on which the data class attributes are added as fields. Enter values for the data class attributes. Click to add a new attribute.

13 CMDB Solution Help topics About the resource association type page 13 About the resource association type page This page lets you create and view associations between resource types. Each association forms a child-to-parent relationship between two resource types. The association adds a field to the child resource for specifying a parent resource. For example, to associate a non-network printer with a computer, create an association where the printer is the child resource and the computer is the parent. The association will add a field to the printer resource that lets you specify the associated computer. Table 1-9 Item Name Tab Name From Type To Type Items in the resource association type page Resource association type name. of resource association type. The Resource Display page tab on which the field for selecting the parent resource is added. The child resource type in the association. The parent resource type in the association. Allow Association to Itself Minimum Cardinality Maximum Cardinality Allow the asset to be associated with itself. Specifies the minimum number of relationships that must be established between the child and parents. Specifies the maximum number of relationships that can be established between the child and parents. If you do not want to limit the number of relationships, select the Unlimited check box.

14 14 CMDB Solution Help topics Merge Resources page Table 1-9 Item Items in the resource association type page (continued) Enable Editing From Specifies the mechanism style that is used to select an associated resource. The options are as follows: Computer Type Association Picker Contract Assigned User Picker Generic Picker Hierarchy Picker (for hierarchal parent resource types) Hierarchy Picker Showing Children (for hierarchal parent resource types) Asset List List Resource Association Picker for Asset Resource Tree Picker for Asset Software Purchase Association Selecting the checkbox with the same name as the resource association type allows a reverse resource association to be created between two resources. Example: Selecting the User checkbox for the Owners resource association lets you create an association from a user (parent) to an asset (child). Unless you select this box you can create associations only from a child resource to a parent resource. Merge Resources page This page is displayed when you select to merge two resources together. Table 1-10 Primary Resource Data Class Name Keep Merge Resources options The resource that is kept after the merge and on which the merged resource is based. The data for the resources to merge. The data that is kept after the merge.

15 CMDB Solution Help topics Assign Computer's Ownership to be the Primary User task page 15 Assign Computer's Ownership to be the Primary User task page This page assigns the primary user of a computer as the computer owner, if an owner has not already been specified. You can choose which computer collections to enable the policy for, or exclude from using the policy. For the primary user to be assigned, data about the primary user must already be in the Configuration Management Database. The record is created from the inventory that the Altiris Agent on the computer sends. Table 1-11 Include filters Exclude filters New Schedule Task status table s on the Assign Computer's Ownership to be the Primary User task page Lets you select computer filters to be included in the task. Lets you select computer filters to be excluded from the task. Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task. The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Saves the changes that were made to the task. Discards the changes that were made to the task. Clean Ownership task page Ownership relationships have the potential to render data invalid or problematic. For example, when several departments or users own the same resource. This page synchronizes the ownership resource association with the ownership data class. If there is a conflict between the two, the ownership resource association settings take precedence. Table 1-12 New Schedule s on the Clean Ownership Task page Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task.

16 16 CMDB Solution Help topics Duplicate Computer Merge task page Table 1-12 Task status table s on the Clean Ownership Task page (continued) The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Saves the changes that were made to the task. Discards the changes that were made to the task. Duplicate Computer Merge task page This page lets you create and schedule a task to automatically merge the computers that have been duplicated in the database. Table 1-13 Merge key Ignore Exclude filters Task status table New Schedule s on the duplicate computer merge page Lets you find duplicate computers. You can find computers by using the system number, the serial number, or both. Lets you add the parameters to ignore. Lets you select computer filters to be excluded from the task. The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task. Saves the changes that were made to the task. Discards the changes that were made to the task. Duplicate User Merge task page This page lets you automatically merge the users that have been duplicated in the database.

17 CMDB Solution Help topics Inventory Clean Up task page 17 Table 1-14 Merge key User(s) to Exclude Task status table New Schedule s on the duplicate user merge task page Duplicate users can be found through UserID and Domain, or Given Name and Surname. Lets you select filters of users to be excluded from the task. The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task. Saves the changes that were made to the task. Discards the changes that were made to the task. Inventory Clean Up task page Inventory data can be manually or automatically deleted from the Configuration Management Database for computers no longer in use. Computers of any status (predefined or custom) can be cleaned up. For example, Retired, Disposed, or Returned to Lessor. After inventory data for a computer is deleted, financial and other non-inventory data is still available. Table 1-15 Asset Status Include these resources Exclude these resources New Schedule Task status table s on the Inventory Clean Up task page Lets you target assets based on their status. Lets you select resource filters to be included in the task. Lets you select resource filters to be excluded from the task. Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task. The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Saves the changes that were made to the task.

18 18 CMDB Solution Help topics Inventory to Asset Synchronization task page Table 1-15 s on the Inventory Clean Up task page (continued) Discards the changes that were made to the task. Inventory to Asset Synchronization task page Inventory Solution is used to gather computer and device inventory data, which is stored in the Configuration Management Database. The inventory to asset data synchronization task copies the following data (that Inventory Solution gatherers) for computers and devices: Serial number System number Manufacturer Model Copying this data lets you modify or add data through CMDB Solution and not lose the data each time Inventory Solution re-collects data. If CMDB Solution did not copy, but instead modified the data that Inventory Solution collects, the changes that were made would be lost the next time Inventory Solution collects data. The CMDB Solution synchronization feature updates the computer data that was copied from Inventory Solution for added or removed computers. Computer and device data you have entered through CMDB Solution remains intact when the update is made. For example, you use Inventory Solution to collect data on your computers, but no system number data is available as part of the inventory. You use CMDB Solution to enter system number data for each computer. Inventory to asset data synchronization updates the computer data in CMDB Solution, but does not erase any system number data. Table 1-16 Include filters Exclude filters New Schedule s on the Inventory to Asset Synchronization task page Lets you select computer filters to be included in the task. Lets you select computer filters to be excluded from the task. Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task.

19 CMDB Solution Help topics Resource Merge Rule task page 19 Table 1-16 Task status table s on the Inventory to Asset Synchronization task page (continued) The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Saves the changes that were made to the task. Discards the changes that were made to the task. Resource Merge Rule task page To merge duplicate resources for resource types other than computers and users, you must create a merge rule with the Resource Merge Rule task. Default resource type data classes define the merge keys that merge rules are based upon. For example, when you create a merge rule for desk phones, when you select desk phone, the list of available merge keys is limited to the default data classes for telephone like phone number. Additional resource lookup keys can be defined using Connector Solution and appear in the Merge Key drop-down list. When you merge two resources, you select one of them to be the resources that is kept, and you select, for each data class, to keep data from one or the other resource. The resource that is not kept is deleted. If the resource that is not kept has a data class that the kept resource does not have, that data is deleted. You can merge two assets, and you can merge two contracts. You cannot merge an asset and a contract. The resources that you merge do not have to be of the same data type. For example, you can merge a Printer with a Network Printer. Associations from the resource that is not kept are transferred to the resource that is kept. If there is more than one of the same type of association, the older association is deleted. You can use tasks to automate recurring resource merges. A data class that a user adds to a resource type cannot be used as a merge key. Table 1-17 Resource Type s on the Resource Merge Rule task page Lets you select a resource type to be merged.

20 20 CMDB Solution Help topics Update network resource location task page Table 1-17 Merge key Ignore New Schedule Task status table s on the Resource Merge Rule task page (continued) Lets you select the data class to be merged. Lets you choose the filters to ignore. Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task. The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Saves the changes that were made to the task. Discards the changes that were made to the task. Update network resource location task page CMDB Solution can be configured to automatically set the location of an asset based on the subnet associated with the asset. Update Network Resource Location uses the subnet assigned to a location through the location resource type. Then, based on the subnet of an asset that is determined through Inventory Solution, the location of the asset is assigned. The task can be run manually or on a schedule. Some situations require the task to run once to set the location, and then you manually maintain the asset location data. Other situations require the task to run regularly. You might want to make a collection of assets to exclude from the task. For example, laptop computers of users that travel to different locations frequently. Table 1-18 Include filters Exclude filters New Schedule Task status table s on the Update Network Resource Location task page Lets you select computer filters to be included in the task. Lets you select computer filters to be excluded from the task. Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task. The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Saves the changes that were made to the task.

21 CMDB Solution Help topics Update Organizational Hierarchy task page 21 Table 1-18 s on the Update Network Resource Location task page (continued) Discards the changes that were made to the task. Update Organizational Hierarchy task page This page lets you update the organizational hierarchy groups to match the associations that are in the database. Table 1-19 s on the Update Network Resource Location task page UpdateOrganizational Hierarchies Only update resource membership New Schedule Task status table Lets you choose the organizational hierarchies to update. Lets you choose whether-or-not to only update the resource membership. Specifies a schedule to regularly run the task. The task status table displays a list of scheduled task times. You can customize the results with the View, Group by, and Search options. Saves the changes that were made to the task. Discards the changes that were made to the task.

22 22 CMDB Solution Help topics Update Organizational Hierarchy task page