Configuration Item Fields

The Picture field shows the picture of the product that was used to register the CI, provided that a picture has been added to the product.

The Label field is used to specify the label that is attached to the configuration item (CI). A label is automatically generated using the same prefix of other CIs of the same product category, followed by the next available number as the suffix.

Example:

• MON00002
  This is the value that will be entered in the Label field of the second configuration item that is registered based on a product which the category “Monitor” if the first CI with this product category has the label “MON00001”.

The generated label can be adjusted as needed, e.g. in case the CI already has a label that is different from the generated label or when it is the first CI being registered for a certain product category.

Software CIs do not require a label.

The Name field is used to enter the name of the configuration item (CI).

The following is recommended for organizations that do not already have a configuration item naming convention.

For hardware, use the following syntax to construct the name:

[Brand] [Model] [Optional Information] [Category]

Note that for a server, the [Optional Information] should describe the server’s function.

Examples:

• Dell Latitude D620 Laptop
• IBM System p5 590 SAP Production Server
• HP LaserJet 2500n Color Printer
• Canon CanoScan LiDE90 Flatbed Scanner

For software, use the following syntax to construct the name:

[Brand] [Software Name] [Version]

Examples:

• Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP3
• Adobe Reader 9.1.0

For software license certificates, use the following syntax to construct the name:
[Brand] [Software Product Name] “License Certificate”

Example:

• Microsoft Office Professional 2007 License Certificate

For websites, the title of the home page should be filled out in this field.

The Product brand field displays the name of the configuration item’s manufacturer.

In case of a hardware CI, the Product model field shows the model of the product that was used to register it.

The Product category field shows the category of the product that was used to register the CI. If the configuration item was created from a software product as a software license certificate, this field will be set to “Software License Certificate” rather than the product’s software category.

In case of a hardware configuration item (CI), the System ID field is used to enter its full network (or canonical) name, if it can be connected to the network (e.g. svr12345.us.com).

If it concerns a database, the System ID field is used to enter its unique name.

In case of a software CI, the System ID field is used to enter its unique identifier by which it is known in the automatic discovery tool, if it is registered in such a tool.

When the CI is a software distribution package, the System ID field is used to enter the unique identifier by which it is known by the distribution software.

For a telephone or a fax, the System ID field is used to enter the number that can be dialed to reach the CI.

For a website, the System ID field is used to enter its URL (e.g. https://intranet.us/).

In case of an IP or MAC address, the System ID field is used to simply enter the address.

This field is not used in any other case.

Note that if the CI is managed by a system management tool that offers a web-based user interface, then the complete URL that points to the CI within this tool should be entered in this field. This allows specialists and service desk analysts to open the CI information within the system management application by clicking on the link.

The Status field is used to select the appropriate status for the configuration item (CI).

The available options are:

• Ordered – The CI has been ordered from an external supplier, but has not yet been delivered.
• Being Built – The in-house development or creation of the CI has been requested, but has not yet been completed.
• In Stock – The CI is currently not used and is available for deployment.
• Reserved – The CI is currently not used, but is planned to be deployed for a specific purpose.
• In Transit – The CI is currently being transported.
• Installed – The CI has been installed at the location where it is going to be deployed, but has not yet been taken into production.
• Being Tested – The CI is currently being checked or tested. It has not yet been taken into production. If, for example, a new software version is being tested, its status should be “Being Tested”. Note, however, that when this new software version is running on a test server, the status of this server should be “In Production”.
• Standby for Continuity – The CI may only be used to replace the production CI that it is related to when a service recovery is required. Note that a continuity hardware CI may not be located at the same site as the production CI that it is to replace.
• Lent Out – The CI has temporarily been borrowed by a specific person. This person is specified in the Users table field.
• In Production – The CI is being used to provide a service.
• Undergoing Maintenance – The CI is temporarily unavailable as it is undergoing preventative maintenance.
• Broken Down – The CI has become unavailable. It is currently not being fixed.
• Being Repaired – The CI has become unavailable and is currently being fixed.
• Archived – The database, software, software distribution package or software license certificate is no longer used, but needs to remain available for legal or policy purposes, or in case a rollback is required.
• To Be Removed – The CI is no longer used and may not be re-deployed. It is awaiting removal.
• Lost or Stolen – The CI can no longer be found. Its removal or destruction was not intended.
• Removed – The financial owner has transferred responsibility for the CI to an external organization. The financial owner no longer bears any responsibility for the CI. This status normally applies to CIs that have physically been removed from the financial owner’s premises or after they have been destroyed.

The Service field is used to select the service, which service instance(s) the configuration item is, or will be, a part of.

The configuration item’s costs will be allocated to this service.

The Service provider field is automatically set to the organization that is selected in the Service provider field of the related service.

The Support team field is used to select the team responsible for supporting the configuration item and maintaining its information in the configuration management database (CMDB).

The Site field is used to select the site at which the CI is located, if it concerns a hardware CI.

In case of a software CI, a software distribution package or a software/interface configuration, the Site field is used to select the facility where the definitive media library (DML) is located in which its master copy is kept.

When the CI is a software license certificate, the Site field is used to select the facility where the DML is located in which the certificate is stored.

The Location field is used to enter the name or number of the room in which the CI is located, if it concerns a hardware CI.

In case of a software CI, a software distribution package or a software/interface configuration, the Location field is used to enter the room name or number of the definitive media library (DML) in which its master copy is kept.

When the CI is a software license certificate, the Location field is used to enter the room name or number of the DML in which the certificate is stored.

Specify “Mobile Device” for mobile devices.

The Remarks field is used to add any additional information about the configuration item that might prove useful.

This field allows basic text formatting.

The Attach file… link is used to attach a file to the configuration item. Multiple attachments can be added to a CI.

The Nr. of processors field is used to enter the number of processors that are installed in the server.

The Nr. of cores field is used to enter the total number of processor cores that are installed in the server.

The Alternate names field is used to enter aliases of software versions when using a discovery tool for populating the CMDB.

The License type field is used to select the type of license that the license certificate covers.

The Nr. of licenses field is used to enter the number of licenses that the license certificate covers.

The Temporary license box is checked for license certificates that are not valid indefinitely.

The License expiry date field is used to specify the date through which the temporary software license certificate is valid. The license certificate expires at the end of this day.

The Site license box is checked for license certificates that may only be used at one or more specific locations.

The Licensed sites table field is used to select all sites at which the software that is covered by the license certificate may be used.

The Service instances table field is used to relate the configuration item to the service instance that it is a part of.

Configuration items of the categories “Software” or “Software Distribution Package” can be linked to multiple service instances of different services.

A configuration item of another category can only be related to one service instance of the related service. The Support team field value of this service instance must equal the Support team field value of the configuration item.

CIs with the category “Software License Certificate” cannot be related to service instances.

The Users table field is used to select the specific persons who make use of the configuration item.

CIs with the category “Software” or “Software Distribution Package” cannot be related to users.

The Product field can be used to relate the configuration item to a product.

Another product can be selected only if its product category has the same rule set as the product category of the previously selected product.

The Configuration items table field is used to relate the configuration item (CI) to other CIs.

The following relation types can be established:

• Parent – Use this relation type to link a software CI to the software suite or software distribution package that it is a module or application of. Also use this relation type to link a virtual machine, software distribution package or software CI to the physical computers on which it has been installed. This relation type is also used to link a hardware CI to the hardware CI that it is a component of, installed in, or directly connected to (not using the network). In case of an address CI, this relation type is used to create a link with the CI to which the address has been assigned.
• Child – Use this relation type to link a software suite or software distribution package to the software modules or applications that it is made up of. Also use this relation type to link a physical computer to the virtual machines, software distribution packages or software CIs that have been installed on it. This relation type is also used to link a hardware CI to its hardware components, CIs that have been installed in it, and CIs that are directly connected to it (not using the network). It is also used to link the addresses that have been assigned to it.
• Network Connection – Use this relation type to link a hardware CI to all other hardware CIs that have a direct network connection with this CI (e.g. a router to a switch).
• Redundancy – Use this relation type to link a hardware CI to all other hardware CIs that provide it redundancy. For example, a server that forms a cluster with another server.
• Continuity – Use this relation type to link a hardware CI to another hardware CI that is located at another site and which is to be used as replacement in case the service instance that the first hardware CI supports needs to be recovered at its continuity site.
• Software Dependency – Use this relation type to link a software CI to all other software CIs, software/interface configurations and databases that depend on this software CI, or which the software CI depends on.

CIs with the category “Software License Certificate” cannot be related to other CIs.

The Contracts field is used to select the specific contracts that pertain to the configuration item.

The Supplier field is used to select the supplier from which the configuration item (CI) has been obtained.

If the CI was developed internally, select the internal organization that is directly linked to the account to which the CI belongs. If the CI is leased, rented or borrowed from a supplier, the supplier company is selected in this field.

The Serial number field is used to enter the serial number of the configuration item.

The Serial number field is used to enter the license certificate number if the category equals “Software License Certificate”.

A serial number must be unique in 4me for each brand. In other words, the concatenation of Brand and Serial Number must be unique within a 4me account.

The Financial owner field is used to select the internal organization which budget is used to pay for the configuration item. If the CI is leased or rented, the organization that pays the lease or rent is selected in this field.

The Asset ID field is used to enter the number under which the configuration item has been registered in the financial application (e.g. SAP).

The In use since field is used to specify the date on which the configuration item was taken in use. This is typically the invoice date or the purchase date.

The Warranty expiry date field is used to specify the date through which the warranty coverage for the configuration item is valid. The warranty expires at the end of this day.

The Workflow template field is used to select the workflow template from which a workflow is to be generated for scheduled maintenance tasks.

The Repeats field is used to select the frequency with which a workflow is to be generated.

The Disabled box of the Recurrence section is checked to temporarily stop workflows from getting generated based on the recurrence schedule.

The Every field is used to specify whether any days, weeks, months or years (depending on the option selected in the Repeats field) should be skipped following the automated generation of a workflow before generating the next workflow.

For example, if the Repeats field is set to “Daily” and the Every field is set to 1, then a workflow will be generated every day. If the Every field is set to 2 instead, then a workflow will be generated every other day.

The On field is used to select the days of the week on which a workflow should be generated.

The Each field is used to select the days of the month on which a workflow should be generated.

The In field is used to select the months in which a workflow should be generated. If the On the field is not selected, then a workflow will be generated in the selected month(s) on the day of the month specified in the Start date field.

The On the field is used to specify on which day of the month a workflow should be generated.

The Weekday field is used to select the weekday on which a workflow should be generated.

The At field is used to specify the time at which a workflow should be generated.

The Time zone field is used to specify the time zone that is applied to the At, Start date and End date fields.

The Start date field is used to specify the date on which the recurrence schedule of the workflow template becomes effective.

The End date field is used to specify the date after which the recurrence schedule of the workflow template stops being effective.

The Calendar field is used to specify the calendar that should be used to determine which occurrences should be skipped because they are planned outside calendar hours.

The Workflow manager field is used to select the workflow manager who should be selected in the Manager field of the new workflows that will be generated in accordance with the recurrence schedule.

The Requests table field lists all requests to which the configuration item is related.

The Problems table field lists all problems to which the configuration item is related.

The Tasks table field lists all tasks to which the configuration item is related.