Configuration Management Database Reference Instance

• US 20080183724A1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Mueller, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A reference instance for use in a configuration management system is a configuration item that may be associated with a number of assets, all of which share a common set of attributes. The use of reference instances permits a single configuration item to identify a potentially large number of assets. This may be particularly useful for identifying and tracking low-priority assets where the detail or amount of information needed to effectively track and manage the asset is relatively small. Use of reference instance configuration items allows an organization to identify and manage virtually all of their assets without the cost and effort of creating large numbers of substantially identical configuration items.

Claims

1. A configuration item entity stored in a computer readable medium for use in a configuration management database, comprising:

a first plurality of attributes for identifying characteristics of an asset; and

a reference instance attribute that, when set, identifies the configuration item as a reference instance configuration item, the reference instance configuration item adapted to identify a plurality of assets each of which are described by the first plurality of attributes.

2. The configuration item entity of claim 1, wherein the configuration management database comprises a relational database.

3. The configuration item entity of claim 1, wherein the configuration management database comprises an object-oriented database.

4. The configuration item entity of claim 1, wherein the configuration management database comprises a relational database utilizing an object-oriented data model.

5. The reference instance configuration item of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises a computer hardware device.

6. The reference instance configuration item of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises a computer software application.

7. The reference instance configuration item of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises an office equipment.

8. The reference instance configuration item of claim 7, wherein the office equipment comprises a desk.

9. A configuration management database method, comprising:

instantiating a configuration item object, the configuration item object having a plurality of attributes and a flag attribute;

setting one or more of the plurality of attributes to identify an asset;

setting the flag attribute to identify the configuration item object as a reference instance configuration item object;

associating a plurality of assets with the reference instance configuration item object; and

storing the reference instance configuration item object in a configuration management data store.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the flag attribute comprises a Boolean attribute.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the asset comprises an electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device comprises a digital storage device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device comprises a computer display.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the asset comprises a software entity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the software entity comprises a software application.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the software entity comprises a software update module.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the asset comprises a non-computer related entity.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuration management data store comprises a relational database.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuration management data store comprises an object oriented database.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuration management data store comprises a hierarchical database.

21. A program storage device, readable by a programmable control device, comprising instructions stored on the program storage device for causing the programmable control device to perform acts in accordance with claim 9.