CMDB Discovery Project

As the University’s IT ecosystem continues to expand there is an important need to capture, document and collectively store the unique components that make up our IT environment. Doing this, through the establishment of a Configuration Management Database (CMDB), will allow the University to better manage planned and unplanned outages that occur, and holistically understand and support our IT environment. The CMDB Discovery Project proposes to expand on identified business needs including Incident Management, Request Automation, Change Management, and Problem Management and how a CMDB will support those.

Why is the project needed?

IT Services do not currently have a functioning CMBD. This project will investigate the University’s limited current state and propose a roadmap that will enable an appropriate, scaled, achievable and fit-for-purpose CMBD along with a set of proposed business processes to be established for the ANU.

What is a Configuration Management Database (CMDB)?

A CMDB is not an asset management tool but is often mistaken for one. Instead, a CMDB is a repository of information about uniquely identifiable components of an IT environment (e.g., hardware, software assets, business services) and their relationships. These components are commonly referred to as Configuration Items (CI’s). The CMDB provides a way of collating and understanding the relationships these configuration items have with one another, such as information systems, upstream sources or dependencies of assets, and the downstream targets of assets.

What will the project deliver?

A desired future state is a CMDB that will store ITS and University-wide Configuration Items (CIs) that underpin an increasingly efficient set of business processes and provides accurate and timely information to decision makers and front-line services.

Through the engagement of a selected delivery partner the CMBD Discovery Project will deliver the following key outcomes:

• Clearly understand and capture the University’s business requirements, how configuration management supports them, how it contributes to value creation, and the overall value of a CMDB in Service Management.
• Promote the awareness and benefits of a CMDB and related processes with business and technical groups in the University.
• Validate existing ServiceNow CMDB current and future capability / suitability and that the current component aligns with the University’s Configuration management desired future-state.
• Develop and document a clearer understanding of stakeholders that require Configuration Information, how it will be used, what is the best way for them to obtain it and who can maintain and update this information.
• Definition of ongoing operational support requirements – internal and external to ITS along with a recommendation provided to the University on how to deliver the future-state.
• Options paper including maturity assessment and implementation roadmap summary for future delivery phases.
• Indicative costs and timelines to deliver future phases in-line with the University’s desired future state.

The CMDB Discovery Project is now underway until November 2021 and forms part of the Digital Tomorrow Program