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Add config items and flexible assets in CMDB

Updated

Config items (CIs) are the core of CMDB. Each one is a server, workstation, network device, application, service or mobile device that you support for a client. Once a CI exists, you can link its passwords, KB articles, warranties, licenses and relationships to it, so the whole story of a device is on one page.

Before you start

CMDB is client-scoped. Open CMDB and pick the client first. See Select a client in CMDB.

How To: Add a config item

  1. In the sidebar, under Asset Management, open Config Items.
  2. Click New (top right).
  3. Pick the CI type: workstation, server, network device, application, service, mobile and so on.
  4. Fill in the name, manufacturer, model, serial number, IP/MAC, OS and location.
  5. If you track them, set criticality, environment and the business owner.
  6. Add the purchase date, warranty expiry and any custom fields you've defined.
  7. Click Save. The CI is now searchable within this client and ready to link to other records.

How To: Link a password, KB article or warranty to a CI

  1. Open the CI.
  2. Scroll to the Related panel.
  3. Click Add Password, Add Article or Add Warranty, then pick an item from the list.
  4. Click Save. The link goes both ways: the password, article or warranty also lists the CI in its own Linked section.

To record dependencies between CIs (this app runs on that server), use Relationships under Network. See Map topology and analyze impact in CMDB.

How To: Use flexible assets for everything else

Some records don't fit the standard CI shape, such as line-of-business apps, vendor accounts or SSL certificates. For those, use Flexible Assets: define the fields once as a template, then reuse it for every record of that type.

How To: Import assets in bulk

  1. Use Export to download a CSV template.
  2. Fill it in.
  3. Upload it with the bulk import feature.

For school Chromebook fleets, you don't need to import. The Google Workspace sync fills them in. See Education and Chromebook management in CMDB.

Asset or CI?

An asset is a thing: a laptop, a switch, a monitor. A CI is something you manage as a service, such as a server, database or application, with relationships and owners. You can link an asset to a CI.

Keep changes controlled

  • Change requests. Propose a change to a CI, review the diff, then approve or reject it.
  • Audit log. Every edit is recorded with the user, the time and a diff of what changed.
  • QR labels. Print a QR code and stick it on the device, so anyone on site can look it up quickly.

Troubleshooting

A CI I just saved doesn't show up in search. The search indexer runs every five minutes, so new items appear after the next run.

I can't find a CI to link. Check that both records belong to the same client. Links never cross clients.

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