We are starting to look into Configuration Management for our hardware. I want to start by recording the configuration items for all of our servers. However, not sure what CI's to capture. Anyone have some examples and possible tools? Thanks!

John Bevly

First, a question for clarification -- by "Configuration Management for our hardware" do you mean:

a. CM of the hardware composition of your center (i.e., your network)?
b. CM in the sense of ensuring that the configuration is maintained (i.e., everything is connected and all the correct apps are loaded and functioning? or
c. CM for developing hardware?

It makes a difference!

CM of the HW composition (a) goes to ensuring that your "set" of equipment meets physical and performance specs.

For choice (b), would, in my mind, best be phrased as Configuration Maintenance. I have seen advertisements for what are essentially monitoring tools that also have capability for correcting a "glitch" in the system or restoring an app when a fault is detected.

Choice (c) probably doesn't apply unless you are a HW manufacturer.

Please clarify.

Really it is a combination of A and B. I want to know the configuration of a server with configuration items such as OS, Patches, Any Security Patches, Software, etc. I would like a tool that can produce reports of this type of information and be able to determine what hardware/network changes occured. I want to find a tool and slowly integrate our CM process with the IT Department. CM will be maintained by CM staff be doing CM audits. I was also wondering what different types of CI's individuals are using and the tools they are using to maintain a CMDB of sorts.

John Bevly

For the A part, presumably there is a diagram of the network design. Network design would probably be the highest order CI. It would include components such as Servers (APPS1, APPS2, FILE1, FILE2, HUB1, HUB2, SWITCH1, SWITHC2, etc.) and the connections among them (wiring diagram?) If you want to go into finer detail, you can list which ports go to which workstations/rooms.

Each type of component will probably have requirements specifications (minimum processing speed, minimum storage capacity, type of OS, etc.) So these requirements specs for each piece might require control.

Server contents would also be formally controlled, except maybe file servers unless they are for specified types of files (in which case the control serves to make sure no other types have been placed there).

After the above, it really depends on the level of detail you want/need to control.

As to situation B, as I said, I consider this to be more on the order of configuration MAINTENANCE. I don't know any particular tools but I seem to recall Tivoli and BMC Patrol. I suspect that you could do a search on the combined terms of: "configuration management" network monitor. Something should pop.

As to the CMDB, according to some writings on ITIL, the CMDB is (or can be) a combination of SEVERAL CM libraries. This makes sense if you consider that a large company might have separate libraries: one for the IT Department, one in software development, one for building airplane bodies, another for engines, etc.

So, the CMDB toolset might consist of Konfig in IT, Dimensions in air bodies, MKS in SW development, and ClearCase in engines; and the CMDB would be the combination of each of the libraries.

I am sure that someone else can help you more than I have, but hopefully it will give you someplace to start.