Overview
CMDB doesn't just hold a flat list of assets — it records how config items relate to each other (this server runs that app, that app depends on this database, this switch connects those hosts). The Topology Map visualizes those relationships, and Impact Analysis walks them to show the blast radius before you change or take down a CI. Both are client-scoped.
How To: Build Relationships
- With a client selected, open Relationships under Network.
- Add a relationship between two config items, choosing the relationship type (depends on, connects to, runs on, etc.).
- Save. The link is two-way — each CI shows the other under its related items.
CMDB can also suggest relationships (Relationship Suggestions) inferred from discovery and existing data; review and accept the ones that are correct.
How To: View the Topology Map
- Open Topology Map under Network (full-screen view).
- The map renders config items as nodes and their relationships as edges.
- Click a node to focus it and see its immediate connections; use it to understand a client's architecture at a glance.
How To: Analyze Blast Radius
- Open the config item you're about to change.
- Choose Impact Analysis.
- CMDB walks the relationships graph and lists everything that depends on this CI — directly and transitively.
- Use that list to notify owners and plan a maintenance window before you touch the CI.
Why This Matters
A change that looks isolated ("just rebooting one server") often has downstream dependents — an app, a scheduled job, a client-facing service. Impact analysis turns "I think this is safe" into "here's exactly who is affected."
Troubleshooting
The map looks empty / disconnected. You haven't recorded relationships yet. Add them under Relationships, or accept Relationship Suggestions, then revisit the map.
Impact analysis shows nothing for a critical CI. It has no recorded dependents. That may be true, or relationships are missing — verify against what you know about the environment.