Managing Configuration Items

• US 20090187596A1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: AKIYAMA, KAZUHITO, SUZUKI, YASUHIRO, TSUMURA, TADASHI
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A computer system is disclosed that includes a repository, a discovery section, a determining section, and a data creating section. The repository holds, for each configuration item, data indicating at least one predetermined attribute of the configuration item and a relationship with another configuration item. The discovery section detects information on configuration items. The determining section determines association of a first configuration item with a second configuration item and association of the first configuration item with a third configuration item. The data creating section creates common data including an attribute common to attributes of the first configuration item associated with the second configuration item and attributes of the first configuration item associated with the third configuration item and plural derived data items, each including an attribute that is not common thereto. The common data and the plural derived data items are stored in the repository.

Claims

1. A computer system for managing a configuration item to be associated with a plurality of other configuration items, the system comprising:

a repository that holds, for each configuration item, one set of data indicating at least one predetermined attribute of the configuration item and a relationship with another configuration item;

a discovery section to detect information on the configuration items;

a determining section to determine, from the information detected by the discovery section, an association of a first configuration item with a second configuration item and an association of the first configuration item with a third configuration item; and

a data creating section to create, from one set of data of the first configuration item, common data including an attribute common to an attribute of the first configuration item associated with the second configuration item and an attribute of the first configuration item associated with the third configuration item and plural derived data items including an attribute that is not common thereto and a relationship with another configuration item, wherein the common data and the plural derived data are stored in the repository.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the data creating section associates the common data with each of the plural derived data items, associates one of the plural derived data items with data of the second configuration item, and associates another one of the plural derived data items with data of the third configuration item.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the determination is carried out by analyzing data stored in the repository that indicates the association of the first configuration item with the second configuration item and data detected by the determining section that indicates the association of the first configuration item with the third configuration item.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the common data includes an attribute having an attribute value common to a predetermined attribute of the first configuration item that is stored in the repository and a predetermined attribute of the first configuration item that is detected by the determining section, and each of the plural derived data items includes an attribute having an attribute value that is not common to the predetermined attribute of the first configuration item stored in the repository and the predetermined attribute of the first configuration item detected by the determining section.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein association of the common data with each of the plural derived data items is achieved by a link to each of the plural derived data items.

6. The computer system of claim 2, wherein association of one of the plural derived data with data of the second configuration item and association of another one of the plural derived data items with data of the third configuration item are achieved by use of relationship data that is stored in the repository.

7. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a determining section to determine that the first configuration item is associated with neither the second configuration item nor the third configuration item; and

a deleting section to inactivate or delete the common data and the plural derived data items from the repository when the first configuration item is associated with neither the second configuration item nor the third configuration item.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the deleting section sets one set of data of the first configuration item inactive.

9. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a setting section to set data of the first configuration item inactive in response to the creation of the common data and the plural derived data items.

10. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a control section to control access to data selected from the common data, the plural derived data items, data of the second configuration item, and data of the third configuration item, based on each attribute value of attributes selected from the common data and the plural derived data items.

11. A method of managing a configuration item to be associated with a plurality of other configuration items, the method comprising:

holding, at a repository, for each configuration item, data indicating at least one predetermined attribute of the configuration item and a relationship with another configuration item;

detecting, at a discovery section, information on the configuration items;

determining, from the information detected by the discovery section, an association of a first configuration item with a second configuration item and an association of the first configuration item with a third configuration item; and

creating, from data of the first configuration item, common data including an attribute common to an attribute of the first configuration item associated with the second configuration item and an attribute of the first configuration item associated with the third configuration item and plural derived data items, each including an attribute that is not common thereto and a relationship with another configuration item, wherein the common data and the plural derived data items are stored in the repository.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising associating the common data with each of the plural derived data items, associating one of the plural derived data items with data of the second configuration item, and associating another one of the plural derived data items with data of the third configuration item.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining comprises determining data stored in the repository and indicating an association of the first configuration item with the second configuration item and indicating an association of the first configuration item with the third configuration item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein creation of the common data is achieved by including an attribute having an attribute value common to a predetermined attribute of the first configuration item that is stored in the repository and a predetermined attribute of the first configuration item that is detected by the determining section, and creation of each of the plural derived data items is achieved by including an attribute having an attribute value that is not common to the predetermined attribute of the first configuration item stored in the repository and the predetermined attribute of the first configuration item detected by the determining section.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein associating the common data with each of the plural derived data items comprises linking to each of the plural derived data items.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein associating one of the plural derived data items with data of the second configuration item and associating another one of the plural derived data items with data of the third configuration item comprises creating use relationship data and further comprising storing the use relationship data in the repository.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the first configuration item is associated with neither the second configuration item nor the third configuration item; and

invalidating or deleting the common data and the plural derived data items from the repository when the first configuration item is associated with neither the second configuration item nor the third configuration item.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising setting one set of data of the first configuration item inactive in response to the invalidation or deletion.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing, from the information detected by the discovery section, one set of data of the first configuration item and one set of data of the second configuration item associated with the first configuration item in the repository; and

detecting one set of data of the first configuration item and one set of data of the third configuration item associated with the first configuration item, wherein

determining comprises determining, from data indicating the first configuration item is associated with the second configuration item and data indicating the first configuration item is associated with the third configuration item, that the first configuration item is associated with the second and third configuration items,

creating comprises creating the common data, first derived data for the second configuration item and second derived data for the third configuration item,

associating comprises associating the common data with the first derived data and the second derived data, associating the first derived data with one set of data of the second configuration item and associating the second derived data with one set of data of the third configuration item, and

wherein the method further comprises storing the common data, the first derived data, and the second derived data in the repository.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein associating the first derived data with one set of data of the second configuration item comprises creating first use relationship data, associating the second derived data with one set of data of the third configuration item comprises creating second use relationship data, and further comprising storing the first use relationship data and the second use relationship data in the repository.