Query method and system for lightweight configuration management database

Abstract

The application relates to computer technology and discloses a query method and system for a lightweight configuration management database (CMDB). The method maintains a plurality of model classifications and their configuration item information in the CMDB, and uses an identification group to record the mapping relationship between the external system name, the external system data identifier, the model classification, and the corresponding attribute field, to realize dynamic association and query of a plurality of external data sources. Specifically, after receiving data of a first external data source, the target configuration item in the CMDB can be quickly locked based on the identification group, and the second external data source is called for cross-system data retrieval accordingly, so that flexible linkage between the configuration item and the plurality of external data sources is realized without redundant storage of a large number of external fields. The method reduces the redundant information of the CMDB, improves the operation and maintenance efficiency and the data traceability, and is suitable for scenarios that need to manage a plurality of source data such as an alarm system and a log system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to computer technology, and in particular to configuration management database technology. Background Art

[0002] This section is intended to provide a background or context for understanding the embodiments of the present application and is for reference only. The applicant should not be considered to admit that this section belongs to the prior art that has been disclosed before the filing date of this application.

[0003] The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a key concept in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). It is used to centrally store the software and hardware configuration information and their relationships within an information system. Configuration information, often referred to as Configuration Items (CIs), can include various types, such as servers, network devices, storage devices, and databases. By collecting and maintaining CIs, organizations can effectively manage the resource status, operational status, and configuration changes of their information systems.

[0004] In the existing technology, CMDB usually obtains and summarizes various configuration information from multiple external data sources in order to provide a unified query entry for subsequent operation and maintenance management. When the CMDB needs to match and associate the same configuration object from multiple external data sources, it often directly stores a large amount of field information from each external system within the CMDB. As the scale of information systems continues to expand, the amount of data in the CMDB also grows rapidly, which not only leads to a significant increase in storage costs and maintenance difficulties, but also makes it difficult to trace the root cause of the problem in a timely and accurate manner when changes occur in external data sources or data conflicts. In addition, some CMDBs fail to fully identify the attributes of the data source when connecting data to external data sources, resulting in confusion in data management and difficulty in tracing the source.

[0005] Taking servers as an example, as business systems increase, the same server may have different unique identifiers or field names in different external systems. If traditional CMDBs lack a universal and traceable identification strategy when performing associations or matching, they may encounter problems such as duplicate storage, duplicate management, or ineffective association. In addition, continuously injecting massive amounts of field information into the CMDB to support various operation and maintenance scenarios (such as fault alarms and log troubleshooting) will further increase data redundancy and maintenance burdens. When changing or merging external systems, the corresponding large amounts of redundant data in the CMDB also need to be updated synchronously, resulting in inefficiencies.

[0006] Against this backdrop, the field still requires a new technology that can ensure the CMDB's scalability and compatibility with external data sources, minimize redundant storage of fields across different systems, and reduce the management burden of synchronizing or copying data from multiple sources. Furthermore, it must ensure traceability of data sources, enabling rapid identification of the source of inconsistencies or conflicts. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this application is to provide a query method and system for a lightweight configuration management database, which can significantly reduce the data volume within the CMDB, improve the traceability and scalability to external systems, thereby reducing operation and maintenance complexity and improving data accuracy and consistency.

[0008] This application discloses a query method for a lightweight configuration management database, which is characterized by:

[0009] The lightweight configuration management database includes multiple model categories, each model category includes a configuration item group, and the configuration item group includes multiple configuration item information;

[0010] The lightweight configuration management database further includes an identification group, wherein the fields of the identification group include at least an external system name, an external system data identifier, a model classification, and a corresponding attribute field; the identification group includes information of multiple external systems, and is used to establish associations for multiple external data sources through the identification group;

[0011] The method comprises the following steps:

[0012] 1) Acquire first data from a first external data source;

[0013] 2) Based on the external system name of the first external data source, searching the identifier group for a first model classification, a first external system data identifier, and a first corresponding attribute field corresponding to the external system name;

[0014] 3) searching the identifier group for a second external system data identifier and a second corresponding attribute field corresponding to the external system name of a second external data source required for the target query, wherein the second external data source belongs to the first model classification;

[0015] 4) Based on the first external system data identifier in the first data, searching for a target configuration item having the same attribute value as the attribute field corresponding to the first external system data identifier in the configuration item group classified by the first model, and obtaining the attribute value of the target configuration item;

[0016] 5) using the target configuration item attribute value obtained in step 4), and based on the association between the second external system data identifier obtained in step 3) and the second corresponding attribute field, initiating a query to the second external data source;

[0017] 6) Receive result data returned by the second external data source that matches the attribute value of the target configuration item, and use the result data as the query result.

[0018] In a preferred example, the first external data source is an alarm system, the second external data source is a log system, and the identification group also includes mapping information for associating the data identification of the alarm system and the data identification of the log system to the same model classification.

[0019] In a preferred example, the model classification includes a server model, and the configuration item group includes at least three attribute fields: host name, IP address, and serial number, which are used to uniquely identify a server.

[0020] In a preferred example, the first external system data provided by the first external data source is identified as "object name", and the corresponding attribute field is "host name" in the server model, so as to locate the server based on the host name.

[0021] In a preferred example, the second external system data provided by the second external data source is identified as "agentIP", and the corresponding attribute field is "IP address" in the server model, so as to initiate a query to the second external data source based on the IP address.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, before initiating a query to the second external data source in step 5), a step of verifying the validity of the target configuration item attribute value is further included to ensure that the mapping relationship between the identification group and the configuration item information is accurate.

[0023] In a preferred example, when outputting the result data returned by the second external data source in step 6), the step of enhancing or integrating the result data according to other attribute values ​​of the target configuration item is also included, so that the user can directly view multi-source data from the lightweight configuration management database interface.

[0024] This application also discloses a lightweight configuration management database system, including:

[0025] a memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

[0026] A processor, coupled to the memory, is configured to implement the steps in the method described above when executing the computer-executable instructions.

[0027] The present application also discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, in which computer-executable instructions are stored. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the steps in the method described above are implemented.

[0028] The present application also discloses a computer program product, comprising computer executable instructions, which implement the steps of the method described above when executed by a processor.

[0029] This application can achieve flexible association and fast query of multiple external data sources without redundantly storing a large amount of external system data in the CMDB, significantly reducing the data redundancy and maintenance cost of the CMDB; it also simplifies the query logic across systems, reducing the complex process of traversing or hard-coding external fields in traditional CMDB; it enables the search of configuration items to be completed quickly and accurately, improving the efficiency of operation and maintenance scenarios such as alarm association and log retrieval; while ensuring full association with external systems, the entire method only needs to store the most basic configuration item information in the CMDB, and completes cross-system mapping through identification groups, achieving a unity of "lightweight" and "scalability", and improving the applicability and maintainability of the configuration management database in various operation and management scenarios.

[0030] The various technical features disclosed in the above invention content, the various technical features disclosed in the various embodiments and examples below, and the various technical features disclosed in the accompanying drawings can be freely combined with each other to form various new technical solutions (all of which should be deemed to have been recorded in this specification), unless such a combination of technical features is technically infeasible. For example, in one example, feature A+B+C is disclosed, and in another example, feature A+B+D+E is disclosed. Features C and D are equivalent technical means that play the same role. Technically, only one of them needs to be used, and it is impossible to use them at the same time. Feature E can be technically combined with feature C. In this case, the solution of A+B+C+D should not be deemed to have been recorded because it is technically infeasible, while the solution of A+B+C+E should be deemed to have been recorded. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a method for querying a lightweight configuration management database according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of establishing a relationship between a CMDB and an external data source by identifying a group according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In the following description, many technical details are provided to help readers better understand this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments, the technical solutions claimed in this application can be implemented.

[0034] Description of some concepts:

[0035] A server is a computer system that provides services to other devices on a network. The objects served by a server are typically called terminals or clients, and the server and terminals can communicate via wired or wireless connections. Servers can be implemented in a variety of ways, ranging from a single computer device to a combination of multiple devices (e.g., cluster servers, cloud servers, etc.). In some application scenarios, servers are also referred to as server-side or cloud-side.

[0036] External data source: refers to a data information source that is separated from the CMDB system, independently maintained by other application systems or platforms, and accessible through an interface or network.

[0037] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the implementation methods of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] The embodiments of the present application relate to a query method for a lightweight configuration management database. The lightweight configuration management database includes multiple model categories, each model category contains a configuration item group, and the configuration item group includes multiple configuration item information. The lightweight configuration management database also includes an identification group, and the fields of the identification group include at least the external system name, the external system data identifier, the model category, and the corresponding attribute field. The identification group includes information of multiple external systems and is used to establish associations for multiple external data sources through the identification group.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the query method includes the following steps:

[0040] 1) Acquire first data from a first external data source.

[0041] 2) Based on the external system name of the first external data source, searching the identifier group for a first model classification, a first external system data identifier, and a first corresponding attribute field corresponding to the external system name.

[0042] 3) Searching the identifier group for a second external system data identifier and a second corresponding attribute field corresponding to the external system name of the second external data source required by the target query, wherein the second external data source belongs to the first model classification.

[0043] 4) According to the first external system data identifier in the first data, search for a target configuration item with the same attribute value as the attribute field corresponding to the first external system data identifier in the configuration item group classified by the first model, and obtain the attribute value of the target configuration item.

[0044] 5) Using the target configuration item attribute value obtained in step 4), a query is initiated to the second external data source based on the association relationship between the second external system data identifier obtained in step 3) and the second corresponding attribute field.

[0045] 6) Receive result data returned by the second external data source that matches the attribute value of the target configuration item, and output the result data to the query requester.

[0046] Optionally, in one embodiment, the model classification includes a server model, and the configuration item group includes at least three attribute fields: host name, IP address, and serial number, which are used to uniquely identify a server.

[0047] For example, the server data in the server model in the CMDB is as follows:

[0048] {

[0049] "IP address": "10.0.0.1",

[0050] "Serial Number":"11111",

[0051] "Host Name": "Asset Management"

[0052] }

[0053] Model classification can also include computer rooms, cabinets, storage devices, network equipment, databases, etc.

[0054] Optionally, in one embodiment, before initiating a query to the second external data source in step 5), a step of verifying the validity of the target configuration item attribute value is also included to ensure that the mapping relationship between the identification group and the configuration item information is accurate.

[0055] Optionally, in one embodiment, when outputting the result data returned by the second external data source in step 6), the step of enhancing or integrating the result data according to other attribute values ​​of the target configuration item is also included, so that the user can directly view multi-source data from the lightweight configuration management database interface.

[0056] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the following uses a typical scenario where a server generates an alarm and needs to view its log in the log system to explain the technical solution of this application in detail through a specific example. The details listed in this example are mainly for ease of understanding and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0057] Scenario setup

[0058] · First external data source: alarm system

[0059] · Second external data source: log system

[0060] · CMDB model classification: server model (example)

[0061] · Server configuration items (example fields): hostname, IP address, serial number, etc.

[0062] · Identification group (example record):

[0063] External system name External system data identification CMDB model classification CMDB corresponding attribute fields Bastion host system Inband IP server IP address Logging System agentIP server IP address Asset Management System Device serial number server Serial number Alarm system Object Name server Hostname

[0064] This information allows the CMDB to only maintain a small number of configuration items (hostname, IP address, serial number, etc.) for the "server" classification, and through the identification group, map the respective identification fields (object name, agent IP) of the alarm system and log system to the configuration item fields (hostname, IP address) of the CMDB.

[0065] Figure 2 is an example showing how the CMDB establishes relationships through identification groups and external data sources.

[0066] The following will detail the role and execution content of each step in the actual alarm-log correlation query process.

[0067] Step 1: Obtain first data from the first external data source.

[0068] In this scenario, the first external data source is the alarm system.

[0069] Example: When server A (hostname: ServerA, IP address: 10.0.0.1) experiences a disk failure, the alarm system generates an alarm. The alarm data at least contains:

[0070] · External system name: alarm system

[0071] · External system data identification: object name (value: ServerA)

[0072] · Alarm description (such as "disk failure") and other fields

[0073] At this point, the CMDB or operation and maintenance personnel receive this alarm (the "first data").

[0074] Step 2: In the identification group, based on the external system name of the first external data source, search for the corresponding “model classification, external system data identification, and corresponding attribute field.”

[0075] · Find the record in the identified group:

[0076] o External System Name = "Alarm System"

[0077] o External system data identifier = "object name"

[0078] o Model Class = "Server"

[0079] o Corresponding attribute field = "host name"

[0080] At this point, you can know:

[0081] 1. The object described in this alarm belongs to the server model category;

[0082] 2. The "Object Name" field in the alarm system needs to be mapped to the "Host Name" field in the CMDB server model.

[0083] Step 3: In the identification group, based on the external system name of the "second external data source", search for the "second external system data identification and corresponding attribute field" corresponding to the model classification.

[0084] · Because the next target external system to be queried is the log system, continue searching in the ID group:

[0085] o External System Name = "Log System"

[0086] o Model Class = "Server"

[0087] o External system data identifier = "agentIP"

[0088] o Corresponding attribute field = "IP address"

[0089] In this way, it is clear that in the future the "IP address" field of the server model will be mapped to the "agentIP" field of the log system.

[0090] You can first find the target configuration item in the CMDB, then identify the group and match the mapping relationship in the next step; you can also obtain the mapping information of multiple external systems at once. The key mapping relationship is:

[0091] · Alarm system: object name <--> CMDB: host name

[0092] · Log system: agentIP<-->CMDB: IP address

[0093] Step 4: Among the configuration items classified by the model, according to the external system data identifier of the first external data source, search for a "target configuration item" that is consistent with the corresponding attribute field.

[0094] · Alarm system data identifier = "Object Name" = "ServerA"

[0095] · The corresponding CMDB attribute field in the identification group = "Host Name"

[0096] · In the "Configuration Items" list of the server model, search for the record where "Host Name = ServerA".

[0097] · Once found, it can be confirmed as the "target configuration item".

[0098] For example, there may be dozens of servers in the server model, each of which has fields such as "host name", "IP address", etc. When one of the configuration items "host name = ServerA" is found, it is locked to the server described in the alarm.

[0099] Step 5: Initiate a query to the second external data source based on the attribute value of the target configuration item and the second external data source mapping relationship previously found in the identification group.

[0100] · Read "IP address = 10.0.0.1" from the target configuration item

[0101] · Based on the mapping found in step 3:

[0102] o CMDB "IP address" → Log system "agentIP"

[0103] · Therefore, a request is made to the logging system: agentIP=10.0.0.1. You can also call corresponding APIs, database statements, etc.

[0104] Step 6: Receive result data returned by the second external data source that matches the target configuration item attribute value, and output it.

[0105] The logging system searches for relevant log entries based on agentIP = 10.0.0.1 and returns them to the CMDB or the operations console for review by the operations staff. This completes the cross-system query process from "alarm system → CMDB → logging system."

[0106] The advantages and features of this query method in this scenario are:

[0107] Cross-system association: Identification groups maintain field correspondence between external systems and the CMDB, enabling easy "jump" queries from the alarm system to the log system. The CMDB no longer needs to redundantly store specific data from the log system, retaining only necessary identification relationships and its most basic configuration items (such as "host name" and "IP address") for lightweight management.

[0108] Traceability and scalability: If a data issue is discovered in the alarm or logging system, the configuration in the "identification group" can be quickly located to verify the mapping is accurate. If a new system (such as a bastion host system or asset management system) is later added, simply add the mapping relationship for the new system to the identification group without significantly changing the CMDB data structure.

[0109] Simplified maintenance: In the past, a CMDB might have needed to store detailed fields from multiple external systems, resulting in a large database and complex updates. Now, a CMDB only needs to store key attributes and identification relationship tables (identification groups), reducing unnecessary fields and maintenance costs.

[0110] Efficient problem handling: Once an alarm occurs, operations and maintenance personnel can immediately use the CMDB to know how to map it to other tools such as the log system, quickly track down the cause of the fault or conduct analysis, and improve processing efficiency.

[0111] Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored therein, which implement the various method embodiments of the present application when executed by a processor. Computer-readable storage media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can implement information storage by any method or technology. The information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, read-only compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable storage media does not include transient computer-readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0112] In addition, the embodiments of the present application also provide a lightweight configuration management database system, which includes a memory for storing computer executable instructions, and a processor; the processor is used to implement the steps in the above-mentioned method implementation when executing the computer executable instructions in the memory. Wherein, the processor can be a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, referred to as "CPU"), a graphic processing unit (Graphic Processing Unit, referred to as "GPU"), a digital signal processor (Digital Signal Processor, referred to as "DSP"), a microcontroller unit (Microcontroller Unit, referred to as "MCU"), a neural network processor (referred to as "NPU"), an application specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, referred to as "ASIC"), a field programmable gate array (Field Programmable Gate Array, referred to as "FPGA") or other programmable logic devices, etc. The aforementioned memory can be a read-only memory (read-only memory, referred to as "ROM"), a random access memory (random access memory, referred to as "RAM"), a flash memory (Flash), a hard disk or a solid-state drive, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in each embodiment of the present invention can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0113] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes computer-executable instructions, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments are implemented.

[0114] It should be noted that, in this application, relational terms such as first and second are merely used to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprise," "include," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. Without further restriction, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising the element. In this application, if it is mentioned that an action is performed according to a certain element, it means that the action is performed at least according to that element, including two situations: performing the action only according to that element, and performing the action according to that element and other elements. Expressions such as "multiple," "multiple," and "multiple" include 2, 2 times, 2 kinds, and more than 2, more than 2 times, and more than 2 kinds.

[0115] The serial numbers used when describing the steps of a method do not themselves limit the order of these steps. For example, a step with a larger serial number does not necessarily have to be executed after a step with a smaller serial number. The larger serial number step can be executed first and then the smaller serial number step, or they can be executed in parallel, as long as this execution order is reasonable to those skilled in the art. For example, multiple steps with consecutive serial numbers (e.g., step 1, step 2, step 3, etc.) do not limit other steps that can be executed in between. For example, there can be other steps between step 1 and step 2.

[0116] This specification includes combinations of the various embodiments described herein. Individual references to embodiments (e.g., "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" or "preferred embodiments") are not mutually exclusive unless indicated as such or clear to one skilled in the art. It should be noted that the word "or" is used in this specification in a non-exclusive sense unless the context clearly indicates or requires otherwise.

[0117] All documents mentioned in this specification are considered to be included in their entirety in the disclosure of this application so that they can be used as a basis for modification when necessary. In addition, it should be understood that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of one or more embodiments of this specification should be included in the scope of protection of one or more embodiments of this specification.

[0118] In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims can be performed in an order different from that in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Additionally, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the particular order shown or sequential order to achieve the desired results. In certain embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

Claims

1. A query method for a lightweight configuration management database, characterized by: The lightweight configuration management database includes multiple model categories, each model category includes a configuration item group, and the configuration item group includes multiple configuration item information; The lightweight configuration management database further includes an identification group, wherein the fields of the identification group include at least an external system name, an external system data identifier, a model classification, and a corresponding attribute field; the identification group includes information of multiple external systems, and is used to establish associations for multiple external data sources through the identification group; The method comprises the following steps: 1) Acquire first data from a first external data source; 2) Based on the external system name of the first external data source, searching the identifier group for a first model classification, a first external system data identifier, and a first corresponding attribute field corresponding to the external system name; 3) searching the identifier group for a second external system data identifier and a second corresponding attribute field corresponding to the external system name of a second external data source required for the target query, wherein the second external data source belongs to the first model classification; 4) Based on the first external system data identifier in the first data, searching for a target configuration item having the same attribute value as the attribute field corresponding to the first external system data identifier in the configuration item group classified by the first model, and obtaining the attribute value of the target configuration item; 5) using the target configuration item attribute value obtained in step 4), and based on the association between the second external system data identifier obtained in step 3) and the second corresponding attribute field, initiating a query to the second external data source; 6) Receive result data returned by the second external data source that matches the attribute value of the target configuration item, and use the result data as the query result.

2. The query method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first external data source is an alarm system, the second external data source is a log system, and the identification group further includes mapping information for associating the data identification of the alarm system and the data identification of the log system to the same model classification.

3. The query method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The model classification includes a server model, and the configuration item group includes at least three attribute fields: host name, IP address, and serial number, which are used to uniquely identify a server.

4. The query method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first external system data provided by the first external data source is identified as "object name", and the corresponding attribute field is "host name" in the server model, so as to locate the server based on the host name.

5. The query method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second external system data provided by the second external data source is identified as "agentIP", and the corresponding attribute field is "IP address" in the server model, so as to initiate a query to the second external data source based on the IP address.

6. The query method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before initiating a query to the second external data source in step 5), the method further includes a step of verifying the validity of the target configuration item attribute value to ensure that the mapping relationship between the identification group and the configuration item information is accurate.

7. The query method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When outputting the result data returned by the second external data source in step 6), the method further includes enhancing or integrating the result data according to other attribute values ​​of the target configuration item, so that the user can directly view multi-source data from the lightweight configuration management database interface.

8. A lightweight configuration management database system, characterized in that: include: a memory for storing computer-executable instructions; as well as, A processor, coupled to the memory, configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 when executing the computer-executable instructions.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions, characterized in that: When the computer executable instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are implemented.

Images