CMDB Import Tool Schema Mapping and Duplicate Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current configuration management databases (CMDBs) face challenges in importing configuration item (CI) data from external services due to incompatible data formats, schemas, and duplicate entries, which can lead to inaccurate resource management.
Innovation Solution
A CMDB importation tool with a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows designers to define import sources and configurations for external services, applying transformations and enforcing relationships to ensure data consistency, and utilizing a 'Duplicate Of' attribute for managing duplicates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data is imported from external services with incompatible schemas, then data quantity increases, but data quality and consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mapping layer between external service data and CMDB data structures. This mapping layer includes configuration files that define how external data fields correspond to CMDB fields, and transformation logic that converts external schemas to CMDB schemas. The intermediary handles schema compatibility issues without requiring changes to either the external service or the CMDB core structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes data parameters during the import process by applying transformations to external data before inserting it into the CMDB. This includes data type conversions, format standardizations, and value mappings that adapt external data parameters to match CMDB requirements, thereby maintaining data quality while importing diverse external data sources.
2Productivity
If data importation is performed without transformation, then import speed increases, but data consistency and relationship adherence deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring mapping relationships and transformation rules in configuration files before the actual data import occurs. This allows the import process to execute efficiently using pre-defined transformation logic, rather than performing complex consistency checks and transformations during the import operation itself, thus maintaining both speed and consistency.
3Quantity of substance
If duplicate data is imported without management, then data quantity increases, but data integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms during the import process by checking for duplicate records based on configured uniqueness constraints and relationship rules. When duplicates are detected, the system provides feedback through logging and error reporting, and can be configured to either skip duplicates, update existing records, or raise exceptions, thereby preventing data integrity degradation while still allowing legitimate data quantity growth.
4Adaptability or versatility
If custom import configurations are created for each external service, then adaptability increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by implementing a standardized import framework that can handle multiple external service types through a common configuration mechanism. The mapping files and transformation logic follow consistent patterns that can be applied across different data sources, reducing the need for completely custom solutions for each service while maintaining adaptability to various data formats and schemas.
Data Source
AI summary
An importation tool is disclosed that enables importation of configuration item (CI) data into a configuration management database (CMDB) from external services. The CMDB importation tool includes corresponding predefined configurations for particular external services that define how the data collected by the external services is imported into the CMDB, either directly or via one or more transformations, enabling importation of external service data regardless of the format or schema used by the external service. The CMDB importation tool enables relationships to be defined between attributes of the imported data, and ensures that these relationships are enforced during the importation process to provide improved internal consistency of the imported data. Additionally, certain CMDB classes may be modified with specialized fields to enable improved duplicate tracking and management within the CMDB. As such, these techniques enhance both the quantity and quality of CI data stored within the CMDB.