CMDB Governance System for Configuration Item Relationship Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Configuration management databases (CMDBs) face challenges in maintaining accurate and reliable data due to inconsistent relationships between configuration items (CIs), which can lead to unreliable system management, especially as organizations grow and data sources become more diverse.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a governance system that monitors and controls the storage of CIs in the CMDB by enforcing relationship rules, ensuring that only consistent relationships are stored, and notifying administrators of inconsistencies, thereby preventing incorrect data from being stored.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If configuration management services populate the CMDB with CIs from diverse data sources, then the quantity and coverage of IT infrastructure data increases, but the consistency and reliability of CI relationships deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated validation rules that continuously monitor and verify CI relationships as they are populated in the CMDB. When inconsistencies are detected (such as invalid parent-child relationships or circular dependencies), the system generates alerts and notifications to administrators, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that maintains data quality despite continuous data ingestion from multiple sources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary validation layer between data sources and the CMDB. This intermediary component applies governance rules and validation logic to incoming CI data, filtering and correcting relationships before they are stored. This mediator prevents inconsistent data from directly polluting the CMDB while still allowing comprehensive data collection
2Manufacturing precision
If administrators manually validate CI information before storing in the CMDB, then data accuracy improves, but the time and effort required for population increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary automated validation of CI relationships before they are committed to the CMDB. Validation rules are pre-configured and automatically applied to incoming data, checking for consistency, valid relationships, and data quality requirements. This preliminary action catches errors early in the ingestion process, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual validation while maintaining high accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The validation system operates autonomously without requiring administrator intervention for routine checks. The governance rules automatically validate CI relationships, and the system self-corrects or flags issues without human involvement. This self-service capability maintains data accuracy while minimizing the time investment required from administrators
3Adaptability or versatility
If the CMDB stores all CI relationships from multiple data sources, then the completeness of IT infrastructure representation improves, but the complexity of maintaining data consistency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data governance function into modular validation rules that can be independently configured and managed. Each rule addresses a specific aspect of CI relationship validation (e.g., parent-child relationships, dependency chains, data format requirements). This segmentation allows the system to handle complex multi-source data integration through manageable, reusable rule components rather than monolithic governance logic
Data Source
AI summary
A method may include receiving a first record associated with a first configuration item from a first data source and a second record associated with a second configuration item from a second data source; identifying a relationship between the first configuration item and the second configuration item based on the first record and the second record; identifying a relationship rule governing the relationship between the first configuration item and the second configuration item; determining that the relationship between the first configuration item and the second configuration item is inconsistent with the relationship rule; remediating the relationship between the first configuration item and the second configuration item such that the relationship is consistent with the relationship rule; and allowing the first record and the second record to be stored in the configuration management database in response to remediating the relationship.