IBM Tivoli CCMDB Reconciliation Module Implementation Guide

IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database
Release 7.1
Reconciliation Module Implementation Guide

Note
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This edition applies to version 7, release 1, modification 0 of IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database and
to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions. This edition replaces any previous
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Contents
About This Publication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
IBM Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Chapter 1: Reconciliation Module Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Classification Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Reconciliation Module Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Setting Up a Reconciliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 2: Setting Up a Reconciliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Setting Up Task Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Task Filter Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Modifying Task Filters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Duplicating Task Filters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Deleting Task Filters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Setting Up Link Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Link Rule Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Creating Link Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Modifying Link Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Duplicating Link Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Deleting Link Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Setting Up Comparison Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Comparison Rules Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Data Set 1 Filter Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Data Set 2 Filter Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Matches Found Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Attributes Equality Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Creating Comparison Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Modifying Comparison Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Duplicating Comparison Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Deleting Comparison Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Setting Up Reconciliation Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Reconciliation Task Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Creating Reconciliation Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Modifying Reconciliation Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Duplicating Reconciliation Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Deleting Reconciliation Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chapter 3: Understanding the Reconciliation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Initialization Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Link Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Comparison Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Chapter 4: Setting Up a Full CI Comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Creating a Link Rule for a Full CI Comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Creating a Comparison Rule for Full CI Comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Reconciliation Process for Full CI Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Viewing Full CI Comparison Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Copyright IBM Corp. 2007 iii

Chapter 5: Scheduling Reconciliations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Data Reliability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Recommended Sequence of Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Resource Allocation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Setting Up a Reconciliation Cron Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Defining a Cron Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Scheduling Cron Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Chapter 6: Viewing Results of a Reconciliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

CI Link Results Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Viewing Link Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Deleting Link Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
CI Reconciliation Results Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using the CI Reconciliation Result Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Viewing Comparison Rule Result Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Viewing Link Rule Failure Result Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Viewing Full CI Comparison Result Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Marking CI Reconciliation Results Resolved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Deleting Reconciliation Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Chapter 7: Sample Reconciliation Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Operating System Compliance (Matches Found) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Setting Up the Reconciliation Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Viewing Reconciliation Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Memory Compliance (Attributes Equality) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Full CI Comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
iv IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Implementation Guide

About This Publication
This guide explains how to use Reconciliation module applications in IBM

Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database (CCMDB).
Reconciliation module applications let you reconcile data about information
technology. You use these applications to compare information about authorized
computers and devices in your inventory with information about computers and
devices actually deployed in your enterprise.
Intended Audience
This guide is written for information technology managers, system
administrators, and other personnel responsible for managing data about
information technology assets. The Reconciliation module applications are
administrative applications.
IBM Support
IBM Software Support provides assistance with product defects.
Before contacting IBM Software Support, your company must have an active IBM
software maintenance contract, and you must be authorized to submit problems
to IBM. For information about the types of maintenance contracts available, see
"Enhanced Support," in the Software Support Handbook at
techsupport.services.ibm.com/guides/services.html.
Complete the following steps to contact IBM Software Support with a problem:
1 Define the problem, gather background information, and determine the

severity of the problem. For help, see "Contacting IBM" in the Software Support
Handbook at techsupport.services.ibm.com/guides/beforecontacting.html.
2 Gather diagnostic information.
3 Submit your problem to IBM Software Support in one of the following ways:
a Online: Click the Report problems tab on the IBM Software Support site:
www.ibm.com/software/support/probsub.html.
b By telephone: For the telephone number to call in your country, go to the

Contacts page of the Software Support Handbook:
techsupport.services.ibm.com/guides/contacts.html.
If the problem you submit is for a software defect or for missing or inaccurate
documentation, IBM Support creates an Authorized Program Analysis Report
(APAR). The APAR describes the problem in detail. Whenever possible, IBM
Copyright IBM Corp. 2007 v

IBM Support
Support provides a workaround that you can implement until the APAR is
resolved and a fix is delivered. IBM publishes resolved APARs on the IBM
Support web site daily, so that other users who experience the same problem can
benefit from the same resolution.
vi IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Implementation Guide

Reconciliation Module
1
o
Overview
The Reconciliation module applications let you compare two kinds of

configuration item (CI) data stored in IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration
Management Database (CCMDB). A configuration item is any component of an
IT infrastructure that you want to be under the control of configuration
management and therefore subject to change control. CCMDB maintains two sets
of configuration item data in two different applications, the Configuration Items
application and the Actual Configuration Items application.
Configuration Items In the Configuration Items application you create and maintain data about
Application configuration items that conform to rules and relationships that you specify. This
is data that you record about what you have acquired and installed. It represents
your authorized inventory, how things should be and what you have planned.
These configuration items are in effect "authorized" configuration items.
Actual Configuration In the Actual Configuration Items application you maintain information about
Items Application data collected directly from components actually installed in your enterprise. To
gather this data, discovery tools scan computers, network devices, and other
information technology components deployed in your enterprise and record
information about the hardware and software installed on those components. An
integration tool, such as IBM Tivoli Integration Composer, imports the collected
data into CCMDB.
Reconciliation The Reconciliation module applications let you evaluate data about information
Applications technology devices and networks. You use the Reconciliation module applications
to perform two functions:
! define reconciliation tasks that let you compare information from one data set
with information in another data set
! view and manage the results of reconciliations
You use Reconciliation module applications to configure a behind-the-scenes

process that reconciles objects from one data set (Data Set 1) with objects in
another data set (Data Set 2). For CCMDB, typically Data Set 1 contains
information about authorized CI objects: that is, data that you maintain in the
Configuration Items application. Data Set 2 typically contains information
maintained in the Actual Configuration Items database.
The reconciliation process identifies successful matches as well as discrepancies

and variances between the two sets of data. You can use the results of a
reconciliation to determine whether the objects actually deployed comply with
corporate plans and whether the changes over the life cycle of an object are in
compliance with corporate policies. Discrepancies might be caused by a variety of
factors, including:
Copyright IBM Corp. 2007 1

! incorrect data entry
! reconfigured equipment
! retired equipment
! theft
! unauthorized use of hardware and software in the enterprise
Defining Reconciliation To define the parameters for a reconciliation, you create a reconciliation task that
Tasks combines the elements required for a reconciliation into a specific task. A
reconciliation task consists of three possible components: a task filter (optional),
one or more link rules (required), and one or more comparison rules (optional).
You use the Reconciliation module applications to create these components. After
you create a reconciliation task, you use the Cron Task Setup application to create
a schedule for running the reconciliation.
Reconciliation Options For CCMDB, there are three basic types of reconciliations that you can perform:
! Attributes equality compares an attribute or attributes of a child or parent

object in Data Set 1 with a specific attribute or attributes of a child or parent
object in Data Set 2.
For example, you can evaluate authorized CI records for computer systems at
a specific site to determine whether the RAM on the computers in authorized
CIs matches the RAM actually installed on computers in actual CIs.
! Matches found specifies the ratio of object instances in Data Set 1 to object
instances in Data Set 2 to look for in the comparison.
For example, you can compare authorized CI records for computers at a

specific site with actual CI records to determine whether a specific software
application is actually installed as expected on computers that are actually
deployed. In other words, the authorized CI records indicate that you have
the software installed on certain computers. Do the records in actual CI data
include an instance of that software on the corresponding computers?
! Full CI comparison compares the relationships of authorized CIs and the

attributes associated with the authorized CIs with the relationships and
attributes associated with the corresponding actual CIs.
For example, you can run a full CI comparison and use the results to
determine whether the relationships in authorized CI data between a
computer system, operating system, and software component matches the
relationships in actual CI data. For example, when you reconcile authorized
CIs against actual CIs, is there a successful match to indicate that for the
computer system Mail Server 1, Lotus Domino Server is installed on
Microsoft Windows XP and that Windows XP runs on Mail Server 1?
Viewing Reconciliation After the system executes a reconciliation task, you can view the results of the
Results reconciliation in either the CI Link Results or CI Reconciliation Results
application.
You can also use the CI Reconciliation Results application to mark reconciliation
results resolved after you review and resolve discrepancies between authorized
CI data and actual CI data. When you mark a result as resolved, you can also
record information about how you resolved the discrepancies.
2 IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Implementation Guide

Classification Hierarchy
Classification Hierarchy
To fully understand the reconciliation process, it is important to understand the
classification hierarchy used for configuration items in CCMDB. In CCMDB,
related configuration items are organized into a logical hierarchy or tree. The top-
level configuration item of the tree is called the ancestor.
To classify configuration items, when configuring CCMDB, administrators

modify the database directly by setting a variable (MAXVAR), CICLASS, equal to
the class structure identifier (CLASSSTRUCTUREID) of the top-level CI
classification. Any CI that belongs to the hierarchy of the top-level CI class
structure identifier can be used for reconciliation.
Reconciliation Module Applications

Reconciliation module applications are designed to work with both CCMDB and
Tivoli Asset Management for IT. For this reason, some fields in the applications
display both Asset and Deployed Asset options as well as CI and Actual CI
options. Some applications in the module are specific to the software that you
purchase. If you use CCMDB, you view results in the CI Link Results and CI
Reconciliation Results applications. The license key associated with your software
determines which applications your system displays.
The Reconciliation module includes the following six applications.
Reconciliation Tasks This application combines one or more link rules and, if necessary, a task filter,
and one or more comparison rules into a reconciliation task. This application also
lets you specify how the system reports results for comparison rule evaluations
all results, failed reconciliations, or successful reconciliations.
Task Filters This application defines a subset of either Data Set 1 or Data Set 2 to reconcile. If
you do not define a task filter for a reconciliation task, the system compares all
top-level authorized CI objects with all actual CI objects when it processes the
reconciliation task.
Link Rules This application establishes a link between a top-level object in Data Set 1 and a
top-level object in Data Set 2. A link rule establishes the basis of the comparison
by identifying the object and attribute in Data Set 1 to link to a specific attribute of
the object in Data Set 2.
Comparison Rules This application defines how to compare objects or attributes of a child or parent
object in Data Set 1 with a child or parent in Data Set 2 when the system executes
a reconciliation task. Comparison rules are optional components of a
reconciliation task, and a task can include more than one comparison rule. The
system applies comparison rules only after a link rule establishes a successful link
between an object from Data Set 1 and an object from Data Set 2. The system lists
results for comparison rule reconciliations in the CI Reconciliation Results
application.
CI Link Results This application lists successful one-to-one links between a top-level object in
Data Set 1 and a top-level object in Data Set 2.
Reconciliation Module Overview 3

Setting Up a Reconciliation
CI Reconciliation Results This application lists two kinds of results:
! Link Rule Failures A link failure occurs when the system processes a link
rule and does not find a successful one-to-one link between the object in Data
Set 1 and the object in Data Set 2. Link failures occur when the reconciliation
process finds no links or finds multiple links.
! Comparison Rule Results Authorized users can view results from

comparison rule evaluations. Based on parameters set up in the Reconciliation
Tasks application, the system provides one of the following result sets:
! all results, both successful and failed matches
! instances where the object from Data Set 1 failed to reconcile against the
object from Data Set 2
! instances where the object from Data Set 1 successfully matched the object
from Data Set 2
Setting Up a Reconciliation
CCMDB reconciles Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 by performing a rule-based compare
operation defined in a reconciliation task. You use Reconciliation module
applications to define a reconciliation task and then use the Cron Task Setup
application in the System Configuration module to create a cron task that
schedules the reconciliation task to run. After the reconciliation task runs,
authorized users can view results of the reconciliation in the CI Link Results and
CI Reconciliation Results applications.
You use the following steps to set up and execute a reconciliation:
1 Set up a task filter. A task filter is optional.
2 Define one or more link rules.
3 Define one or more comparison rules. Comparison rules are optional.
4 Set up a reconciliation task.
5 Create a cron task to schedule the reconciliation.
6 View results of the reconciliation.
7 If appropriate, resolve discrepancies and document how you resolve them.

Setting Up a
Reconciliation
2
This chapter provides an overview of the steps required to set up a reconciliation.
It discusses setting up task filters, link rules, comparison rules, and reconciliation
tasks. For detailed, step-by-step instructions for each procedure, refer to online
help for the Task Filters, Link Rules, Comparison Rules and Reconciliation Tasks
applications.
Setting Up Task Filters

A task filter record specifies a subset of either Data Set 1 or Data Set 2 that you
want to evaluate when you execute a reconciliation task. A task filter is an
optional component of a reconciliation task that you can use to limit the scope of a
reconciliation task. You use the Task Filters application to set up task filters.
Examples
You can set up a task filter for actual CIs based on a specific site such as
Boston. A reconciliation task using this task filter selects actual CIs only at the
Boston site for evaluation. Using the link rule or rules in the task, the system
compares the selected actual CIs with all top-level authorized CIs to
determine whether there is a link.
You can set up a task filter for authorized CIs based on a specific site such as
Boston. A reconciliation task using this task filter selects top-level authorized
CIs only at the Boston site for evaluation. Using the link rule or rules in the
task, the system compares the selected authorized CIs with all actual CIs to
determine whether there is a link.
Once you create a task filter, you use the Reconciliation Tasks application to
associate the filter with a specific reconciliation task, and the system applies the
task filter each time the reconciliation task is run. Setting up a task filter for a
reconciliation task is optional. If you do not define a task filter for a reconciliation
task, the system compares all top-level authorized CI objects with all top-level
actual CI objects.
You use the Task Filters application to perform the following actions:
! Create a new task filter.

! Delete a task filter.
! Duplicate a task filter.
! Modify an existing task filter.

The Task Filters application has the following tabs:
! List to search for task filters.
! Task Filter to define new task filters and view, edit, and delete existing task
filters.
Task Filter Components

A task filter includes the following components:
! Filter name a unique name (specified in the Filter field) that identifies the
task filter.
! Description (optional) a brief description of the task filter.
! Filter type type (specified in the Filter Type field) of task filter. The type
selected determines which set of objects the filter applies to. For CCMDB
configuration items, you can select either CI or Actual CI.
! Filter clause(s) In the Task Filter Clauses table window, you define at least
one clause that specifies an attribute and a value for the task filter. You can
create multiple attribute clauses for a task filter.
If you create multiple clauses that specify different attributes, the system
processes the clauses using logical AND between the clauses. For example, if
you set up a task filter for actual CIs based on the Site and Service Group
attributes, the system selects only actual CIs for the specified site and the
specified service group; both criteria must be met.
If you create multiple clauses for the same attribute, the system processes the
clauses using logical OR between clauses. For example, if you create a task
filter for authorized CIs with two filter clauses for Site, one for Boston and one
for New York, the system selects records that have either Boston or New York
as a site.
To specify an attribute, you select from a predefined value list. The values in
the list depend on the value that you select for the Filter Type field. The
following table shows the values available for each filter type.

Task Filter Attributes
Filter Type Attribute
CI CI Number
Class Structure
Collection
Item
Location
Organization ID
Service
Service Group
Site ID
Status
Work Order
Actual CI Class Structure
GUID
Asset Asset
(This filter type does Asset Class Structure

not apply to
configuration items.) Collection
Custodian
GL Account
Organization
Site
Status
Usage
Work Order
Deployed Asset Asset Class
(This filter type does Organization

not apply to
configuration items.) Site
System Role
Setting Up a Reconciliation 7
Setting Up Link Rules
Modifying Task Filters

You use the Task Filter tab in the Task Filters application to modify an existing
task filter. You can change the filter clauses, but you cannot change the task filter
name or filter type. If you want to change the name of a task filter, you can create
a new record with a different name and delete the existing one.
When you save a modified task filter, the application evaluates the filter to
determine whether the clauses are valid expressions; if a clause is not valid, the
application displays an error message and does not save the task filter.
Duplicating Task Filters

You select Duplicate Task Filter from the Select Action menu on the Task Filter
tab in the Task Filters application to duplicate an existing task filter.You can use
this procedure to create a new task filter based on an existing one. Once you
duplicate the filter, the system clears the Filter field, and you must enter a new
name for the duplicated task filter.
Deleting Task Filters

You select Delete Task Filter from the Select Action menu on the Task Filter tab in
the Task Filters application to delete a task filter. Use this procedure if you no
longer want to use the task filter defined in the task filter record.
You cannot delete a task filter if it is associated with a task defined in the
Reconciliation Tasks application. If you attempt to delete a task filter associated
with a task, the application displays an error message.

A link rule is a required component of a reconciliation task. Link rules establish
the basis for reconciliation by identifying which top-level object in Data Set 1 to
link with a top-level object in Data Set 2. Link rules are often based on unique
identifiers. The attribute most commonly used to link configuration items (CIs)
with actual CIs is the actual CI number (ACTCINUM).
Once you create a link rule, you use the Reconciliation Tasks application to
associate the link rule with a specific reconciliation task, and the system applies
the link rule each time it executes the reconciliation task. When the system
executes the reconciliation task, it evaluates each link rule on the task and
attempts to match the object and attribute defined in the rule for Data Set 1 with
the object and attribute defined in the rule for Data Set 2.
The system evaluates link rules in a reconciliation task in a cascading sequence,

based on the sequence numbers, until it finds a match or until it reaches the end of
the cascading rule list. If the system finds a match, it displays the link result in the
Link Results application. If the system does not find a match or finds multiple
matches, it displays a link rule failure result in the CI Reconciliation Results
application.
You use the Link Rules application to perform the following actions:

! Create a new link rule.

! Delete a link rule.
! Duplicate a link rule.
! Modify an existing link rule.
The Link Rules application has the following tabs:
! List to search for link rules.
! Link Rule to define new link rules and view, edit, duplicate, and delete
existing link rules.
Link Rule Components

A link rule consists of the following elements:
! Link name a unique name (specified in the Link field) that identifies the link
rule.
! Description (optional) a brief description of the link rule.
! Data set specifications for Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 that indicate what data to
reconcile.
! Link clauses In the Link Clauses table window, you must define at least one
clause that defines a relation (or link) between a top-level object in Data Set 1
and a top-level object in Data Set 2. Each link clause identifies an object and
attribute in Data Set 1 to link to a specific attribute in Data Set 2 when the
system executes a reconciliation task.
NOTE The Link Clauses table window displays selected fields for each
clause. To view all fields for a clause, select a row and click View
Details .
The following table describes the elements of a link clause.
Link Rule Clauses
Field Function Rules/Requirements
Sequence Number that specifies the order in ! Mandatory.

which to process the clause.
! Use a unique number for each clause.
! Use a number greater than 0.
! The default is increments of ten in

ascending order.
Open Parenthesis ( ... Marks the beginning of a set of Optional. However, for each open
clauses grouped together so that parenthesis, use a corresponding close
the system can perform operations parenthesis.
on them in a specific order.
Data Set 1 Object Specifies the target object in Data ! Mandatory.

Set 1.
! Selected from a value list that includes
the following values:
For assets:
! ASSET (Asset)
! ASSETSPEC (Asset Specification)
For configuration items (CIs):
! CI (Configuration Item)
! CISPEC (CI Specification)
Data Set 1 Class Structure When you select a specification as ! Mandatory if you select ASSETSPEC or
the Data Set 1 object, this field CISPEC for the object.
identifies a specific class structure
for reconciliation. ! Selected from a value list. Values in the
list are class structure identifiers for the
top-level objects.
Data Set 1 Class Structure Displays a description of the Read-only field.

Description selected class structure.
Data Set 1 Classification Displays the classification for the Read-only field.
selected class structure.
Data Set 1 Attribute Identifies the specific attribute of ! Mandatory.

the object or class structure to link.
! Selected from a value list. Values in the
For assets and deployed assets, the list depend on the value selected in the
attribute is typically a serial Data Set 1 Object field and, if
number or asset tag. For CIs and applicable, the Data Set 1 Class
actual CIs, it is typically Structure field.
ACTCINUM, the actual CI
number.
Data Set 1 Attribute Title Displays the title of the Data Set 1 Read-only field.
object attribute.
Operator Identifies the type of link between The equals ( = ) operator is read-only; it
Data Set 1 and Data Set 2. cannot be changed.
Data Set 2 Object Identifies the target object in Data Selected from a value list that includes the
Set 2. following values:
! For assets:
DEPLOYEDASSET
! For configuration items (CIs) :
ACTCI (Actual CI)
ACTCISPEC (Actual CI Specification)

Data Set 2 Class Structure When you select a specification as ! Mandatory if you select ACTCISPEC.
the Data Set 2 object, this field
identifies a specific class structure ! Selected from a value list. Values in the
for reconciliation. list are class structure identifiers for the
top-level objects.
Data Set 2 Class Structure Displays a description of the Read-only field.

Description selected class structure.
Data Set 2 Classification Displays the classification for the Read-only field.
selected class structure.
Data Set 2 Attribute Identifies the specific attribute in ! Mandatory.

Data Set 2 to link.
For assets and deployed assets, the list depend on the value selected in the
attribute is typically a serial Data Set 2 Object field and, if
number or asset tag. For CIs and applicable, the Data Set 2 Class
actual CIs, it is typically Structure field.
ACTCINUM, the actual CI
number.
Data Set 2 Attribute Title Displays the title of the Data Set 2 Read-only field.
attribute selected.
Close Parenthesis ... ) Marks the end of a set of clauses Optional. However, for each close
grouped together so that the parenthesis, use a corresponding open
system can perform operations on parenthesis.
them in a specific order.
Sequence Operator When more than one link clause ! Required if a link rule consists of more
exists, this operator prescribes than one clause.
how the current clause relates to
the next clause in the sequence. ! Must be empty for the last row in the
sequence (that is, the row with the
highest sequence number).

! AND
! OR
Creating Link Rules

You can create link rule records from the List tab or from the Link Rule tab in the
Link Rules application.
Before you can save a link rule, you must satisfy the following requirements:
! Assign a unique link rule name.
! Define data set specifications for Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 that indicate what
data to reconcile.
! Create at least one link rule clause.
! Clauses must be valid expressions. When you save a link rule, the application
uses the following rules to determine whether clauses are valid expressions. If
the application determines that a clause is not valid, it displays an error
message and does not save the link rule.
! ach open parenthesis must have a corresponding close parenthesis.
! he number in the Sequence field must be unique.
NOTE If you enter sequence numbers in random order, the application

sorts the clauses and displays them in ascending numerical order
when you save the record.
! All rows except the row with the highest sequence number must have a
value specified in the Sequence Operator field.
! The row with the highest sequence number must not have a sequence
operator (After the application sorts the clauses, this is the last row in the
table window.).
Modifying Link Rules

You use the Link Rule tab in the Link Rules application to modify an existing link
rule. You can change the data in the description field or in existing fields in link
clauses. You cannot change the name of the link rule in the Link field. You cannot
change the data sets selected in the Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 fields.
When you save a modified link clause, the application evaluates the link rule to
determine whether the clauses are valid expressions; if a clause is not valid, the
application displays an error message and does not save the link rule.
Duplicating Link Rules

You select Duplicate Link Rule from the Select Action menu on the Link Rule tab
in the Link Rules application to duplicate an existing link rule.You can use this
procedure to create a new link rule based on an existing one. Once you duplicate
the link rule, the application clears the Link field, and you must enter a new name
for the duplicated link rule.
Deleting Link Rules

You select Delete Link Rule from the Select Action menu on the Link Rule tab in
the Link Rules application to delete a link rule. Use this procedure if you no
longer want to use the link rule defined in the link rule record.
You cannot delete a link rule if it is associated with a task defined in the
Reconciliation Tasks application. If you attempt to delete a link rule associated
with a task, the application displays an error message.

Setting Up Comparison Rules

A comparison rule is an optional component of a reconciliation task. It defines
how to compare objects or attributes of a child or parent object in one data set
with a child or parent object in another data set when the system executes a
reconciliation task. For example, you can set up a comparison rule to compare
software on computers in authorized CIs with software on computers in actual
CIs. A task can include more than one comparison rule.
To create a comparison rule, you must define Data Set 1 and Data Set 2. Then you
define the comparison rule. You can define a filter for Data Set 1 or Data Set 2 to
limit your comparison to a subset of either data set.
For CCMDB, there are three basic types of comparison rules:
! Attributes equality compares an attribute or attributes of a child or parent

object in Data Set 1 with a specific attribute or attributes of a child or parent
object in Data Set 2.
! Matches found specifies the ratio of object instances in Data Set 1 to object
instances in Data Set 2 to look for in the comparison.
! Full CI comparison compares the relationships of authorized CIs and the

attributes associated with the authorized CIs with the relationships and
attributes associated with the corresponding actual CIs. Full CI comparison
rules are a special type of comparison rule. For a complete discussion of this
type of comparison rule , see Chapter 4, "Setting Up a Full CI Comparison," on
page 39.
Once you create a comparison rule, you use the Reconciliation Tasks application
to associate the rule with a specific reconciliation task, and the system includes
the comparison rule each time it executes the reconciliation task. When the system
runs a reconciliation task, it processes link rules first. The link rule specifies the
top-level object and attribute in one data set to match with a specific attribute of a
top-level object in another data set. When the system processes a reconciliation
task, it processes comparison rules in the task only if the link rule successfully
links an object in Data Set 1 with an object in Data Set 2.
When defining a reconciliation task in the Reconciliation Tasks application, you

can specify how to report comparison results by selecting from the following
options:
! instances where the object from Data Set 1 failed to reconcile against the object
from Data Set 2
from Data Set 2
When the system executes a reconciliation task, it lists results of comparison rule
evaluations in the CI Reconciliation Results application.
In summary, you use the Comparison Rules application to perform the following
actions:
! Create a new comparison rule.

! Delete a comparison rule.
! Duplicate a comparison rule.
Comparison Rule Tabs The Comparison Rules application has the following tabs:
! List to search for comparison rules.
! Comparison Rule to define new comparison rules and to view, edit, and
delete existing comparison rules.
The comparison rule tab includes the following subtabs:
! Data Set 1 Filter Subtab to define one or more filter clauses that specify a
subset of Data Set 1 objects to reconcile against Data Set 2 objects when
you use a comparison rule.
! Data Set 2 Filter Subtab to define one or more filter clauses that specify a
subset of Data Set 2 objects to reconcile against Data Set 1 objects when
you use a comparison rule.
! Matches Found Subtab to define one or more matches found clauses that
specify the acceptable ratio of Data Set 1 object instances to Data Set 2
object instances in the comparison after the system applies the data set
filter or filters.
! Attributes Equality Subtab to define one or more attributes equality

clauses that define how to compare the specific attribute or attributes of a
child or parent object in Data Set 1 with specific attribute or attributes of a
child or parent object in Data Set 2 when the system processes a
comparison rule.
Comparison Rules Components

You can use the following components to create comparison rules:
! Comparison name (required) a unique name (specified in the Comparison

field) that identifies the comparison rule.
! Description (optional) a brief description of the comparison rule.
reconcile. (required)
! Full CI comparison specification (optional) selecting the Full CI

Comparison check box creates a full configuration item (CI) comparison rule
that lets you compare CI relationships. Selecting this check box disables all
subtabs in the application. This feature applies only to customers who install
CCMDB.
! Data Set 1 filter clause(s) a Data Set 1 filter is optional; however, if you
include matches found clauses, you must have a Data Set 1 filter, a Data Set 2
filter, or both.

! Data Set 2 filter clause(s) a Data Set 2 filter is optional; however, if you
include matches found clauses, you must have a Data Set 1 filter, a Data Set 2
filter, or both.
! One of the following definitions:
! Matches found to define the ratio of object instances in Data Set 1 to

object instances in Data Set 2 that you want to look for in the comparison.
! Attributes equality to define how to compare the specific attribute or

attributes of a child or parent from Data Set 1 with specific attribute or
attributes of a child or parent in Data Set 2.
Data Set 1 Filter Clauses

On the Data Set 1 Filter subtab, you define filter clauses that specify a subset of
Data Set 1 objects to reconcile against Data Set 2 objects when you use a
comparison rule. Each clause identifies an object and/or attribute in Data Set 1 to
evaluate when the system processes a comparison rule.
When working with comparison rules, it is important to understand that all

filtering and comparisons work on sets of objects and to be aware of the way
expressions operate with sets in reconciliation comparison. To designate which
output objects to select, a Data Set 1 filter clause defines one of the following
conditions:
! Select an object from Data Set 1 if the selected attribute matches a specified
value based on the operator selected. Using the operator specified in the
clause, the system evaluates each top-level object in Data Set 1 and all its
children and selects any objects that match the value specified.
! Select an object from Data Set 1 if the selected attribute of a class specification
matches a specified value. Using the operator specified in the clause, the
system evaluates each top-level object in Data Set 1 and all its children and
selects any objects that belong to the class specified in the clause. Any object
that has a different class is skipped. Then the filter uses the operator to
evaluate the attribute value and selects all objects that match the value
specified.
! Select an object from Data Set 1 if the specified classification exists. The system
evaluates each top-level object in Data Set 1 and all its children and selects all
instances that have the specified class.
The following table describes the elements of a Data Set 1 filter clause.

Open Parenthesis ( ... Marks the beginning of an Optional. However, for each open
expression. Parenthesis marks group parenthesis, use a corresponding close
expressions to control the order of parenthesis.
operations when you use multiple
clauses joined by a logical operator
(AND or OR).
Data Set 1 Object Specifies the target object in Data ! Mandatory.

Set 1.
If Data Set 1 is assets:
! ASSET (Asset)
! ITEM (Item)
! ITEMSPEC (Item Specification)
If Data Set 1 is configuration items (CIs) :
Data Set 1 Class When you select a specification as the ! Mandatory if you select a specification
Structure Data Set 1 object, this field identifies a for the object.
specific class structure for
reconciliation. ! Selected from a value list. Values in the
top-level objects.
Data Set 1 Class Displays a description of the selected Read-only field.

Structure Description class structure.
Data Set 1 Displays the classification for the Read-only field.

Classification selected class structure.
Data Set 1 Attribute Identifies the specific attribute of the ! Optional.

object or class structure to use for the
Data Set 1 filter. ! Selected from a value list. The object
selected determines which values the
system displays in the value list.
Data Set 1 Attribute Displays the title of the attribute Read-only field.
Title selected.
Operator Identifies the operator for the Mandatory if you select an attribute.
attribute specification. Otherwise the field is read-only.
Value Specifies a value for the attribute ! If you do not select an attribute, the field
selected. is read-only.
! If you select an attribute, the field is

mandatory unless you select
NOTEMPTY or NOTNULL as an
operator. If you select NOTEMPTY or
NOTNULL, the field is read-only.

Close Parenthesis ... ) Marks the end of an expression. Optional. However, for each close
Parenthesis marks group expressions parenthesis, use a corresponding open
to control the order of operations parenthesis.
when you use multiple clauses joined
by a logical operator (AND or OR).
Sequence Operator When more than one clause exists, ! Required if the filter consists of more
this operator prescribes how the than one clause.
current clause relates to the next
clause in the sequence. ! Do not enter a value for the last row in
the sequence (that is, the row with the

! AND
! OR
Attribute Definition Operators
Operator Description Example
= Select the attribute if its value is Attribute: SITEID

equal to the value specified.
Operator: =
Value: Bedford
< Select the attribute if its value is

less than the value specified.
<= Select the attribute if its value is

less than or equal to the value
specified.
> Select the attribute if its value is

greater than the value specified.
=> Select the attribute if its value is

greater than or equal to the value
specified.
<> Select the attribute if its value is

not equal to the value specified
(that is, any value that is greater
than or less than the value
specified).
LIKE Select the attribute if it matches a LIKE

sample specified as value.
%Office%
NOTEMPT Select the attribute if its value is

Y not null and it is not empty.
NOTLIKE Select the attribute if it is any

value other than the value
specified.
NOTNULL Select the attribute if any value

exists at all.
Wildcard Use You can use a wildcard character or characters with letters or numbers to
indicate you want to find records that begin with, end with, or contain those
letters/numbers. The Reconciliation module applications use standard wildcard
rules. The following table describes the four wildcard characters available.

Wildcard Characters
Character Description Usage
* asterisk Stands for any number of characters (zero,

one, or multiple) in the specified position.
% percent sign Stands for any number of characters (zero,

one, or multiple) in the specified position.
_ underscore Stands for a single character in the specified

position.
? question mark Stands for a single character in the specified

position.
Wildcard Character Examples
Enter ... to find ...
123* or 123% records that start with 123, such as 123, 12345,
123ABC, etc.
*123 or %123 records that end in 123, such as 123, 5123, or

PUMP123.
*123* or %123% records that contain 123, such as 123, 1234,

PUMP123, or XX12300Valve.
Elec* or Elec% records that contain words that start with Elec,
such as electric, electromagnetic, or electrode.
123? or 123_ any four-character records that start with 123, such
as 1234, 1230, 123g, etc.
_18 or ?18 any three-character records that end with 18, such
as 418 or J18.
There should be no space between the wildcard character and the other
characters.
If the specified value contains no wildcard characters, it is compared as

%<value>%. For example, %3% returns all records with the number three
anywhere in the string.
To look for the *, %, _, or ? as characters without using them as wildcard

characters, duplicate the character. For example, DAY_ _THREE finds the match
DAY_THREE value but not DAY12THREE.
Logical AND/OR A Data Set 1 filter can be a logical expression made of multiple clauses using the
logical operators AND and OR. Operations on clauses are binary; that is, two
values are considered at a time. Clauses are evaluated from left to right. You can
use parentheses to alter the order of operations. By default, AND has a higher
priority than OR; consequently, if no parentheses are present, operands joined by
AND are processed first.
Example
ClauseA AND ClauseB AND ClauseC
is evaluated as
(ClauseA AND ClauseB) AND ClauseC
Result AND Clause C
Example
ClauseA OR Clause B AND ClauseC AND ClauseD OR ClauseE
is evaluated as
(ClauseA OR ((Clause B AND ClauseC) AND ClauseD)) OR ClauseE
(ClauseA OR ( Result AND ClauseD)) OR ClauseE
(ClauseA OR Result ) OR ClauseE
Result OR Clause E
Logical OR When the system processes two clauses joined with the logical operator OR, it
selects an object for the output set if it meets the criteria of either of the two
clauses. If the object matches one of the specified criteria, the system selects it.
Logical AND When the system processes two clauses joined with the logical operator AND, it
selects an object for the output set only if it meets the criteria of both clauses.
When evaluating clauses in a filter, in order to ensure that the correct set of output
objects is created for the comparison rule, the system always fully evaluates all
clauses; that is, the system does not apply any shortcuts to the logical expression
even if it becomes obvious before all clauses are evaluated that the expression will
succeed or fail.

On the Data Set 2 Filter subtab, you define Data Set 2 filter clauses that specify a
subset of objects in Data Set 2 to reconcile against objects in Data Set 1 when you
use a comparison rule. Each clause identifies an object and/or attribute in Data Set
2 to evaluate when the system processes a comparison rule.
When working with comparison rules, it is important to understand that all

filtering and comparisons work on sets of objects and to be aware of the way
expressions operate with sets in reconciliation comparison. To designate which
output objects to select, a Data Set 2 filter clause defines one of the following
conditions:
! Select an object from Data Set 2 if the selected attribute matches a specified
value based on the operator selected. Using the operator specified in the
clause, the system evaluates each top-level object in Data Set 2 and all its
children and selects any objects that match the value specified.

! Select an object from Data Set 2 if the selected attribute of a class specification
matches a specified value. Using the operator specified in the clause, the
system evaluates each top-level object in Data Set 2 and all its children and
selects any objects that belong to the class specified in the clause. Any object
that has a different class is skipped. Then the filter uses the operator to
evaluate the attribute value and selects all objects that match the value
specified.
! Select an object from Data Set 2 if the specified classification exists. The system
evaluates each top-level object in Data Set 2 and all its children and selects all
instances that have the specified class.
The following table describes the elements of a Data Set 2 filter clause.

Open Parenthesis ( ... Marks the beginning of an expression. Optional. However, for each open
Parenthesis marks group expressions to parenthesis, use a corresponding close
control the order of operations when parenthesis.
you use multiple clauses joined by a
logical operator (AND or OR).
Data Set 2 Object Specifies the target object in Data Set 2. ! Mandatory.
! Selected from a value list. Values

displayed in the list depend on the
data set that you select for Data Set 2.
Structure Data Set 2 object, this field identifies a for the object.
specific class structure for reconciliation.
list are class structure identifiers for
the top-level objects.


Data Set 2 Attribute Identifies the specific attribute of the ! Optional.

object or class structure to use for the
Data Set 2 filter. ! Selected from a value list. The object
selected determines which values the
system displays in the value list.
Data Set 2 Attribute Displays the title of the attribute Read-only field.
Title selected.
Operator Identifies the operator for the attribute Mandatory if you select an attribute.
specification. Otherwise the field is read-only.
Value Specifies a value for the attribute ! If you do not select an attribute, the
selected. field is read-only.
! If you select an attribute, the field is

mandatory unless you select
NOTEMPTY or NOTNULL as an
operator. If you select NOTEMPTY or
NOTNULL, the field is read-only.
Parenthesis marks group expressions to parenthesis, use a corresponding open
control the order of operations when parenthesis.
you use multiple clauses joined by a
logical operator (AND or OR).
Sequence Operator When more than one clause exists, this ! Required if the filter consists of more
operator prescribes how the current than one clause.
clause relates to the next clause in the
sequence. ! Do not enter a value for the last row in
the sequence (that is, the row with the

! AND
! OR
A Data Set 2 filter can be a logical expression made of multiple clauses using the
logical operators AND and OR. Operations on expressions are binary; that is, two
values are considered at a time. Expressions are evaluated from left to right. You
can use parentheses to alter the order of operations. By default, AND has a higher

priority than OR; consequently, if no parentheses are present, operands joined by

AND are processed first.
Example
ClauseA AND ClauseB AND ClauseC
is evaluated as
(ClauseA AND ClauseB) AND ClauseC
Result AND Clause C
Example
ClauseA OR Clause B AND ClauseC AND ClauseD OR ClauseE
is evaluated as
(ClauseA OR ((Clause B AND ClauseC) AND ClauseD)) OR ClauseE
(ClauseA OR ( Result AND ClauseD)) OR ClauseE
(ClauseA OR Result ) OR ClauseE
Result OR Clause E
Logical OR When the system processes two clauses joined with the logical operator OR, it
selects an object for the output set if it meets the criteria of either of the two
clauses. If the object matches one of the specified criteria, the system selects it.
Logical AND When evaluating two clauses joined with the logical operator AND, the system
first checks the type of objects specified (for example, processor, computer
system, operating system) in the two clauses. If both clauses specify objects of the
same type, the system selects only objects that are specified in both clauses. This
means that only the objects that are specified in both clauses joined by the AND
operator go to the output set.
When one of the clauses joined by the logical operator AND yields an empty set,
the system does not select any objects for the output set.
When the clauses do not yield an empty set and specify objects of different types
(for example, computer system and operating system), the system selects an
object if it meets the criteria of either of the two clauses, the same way it would
select objects if using the logical operator OR.
This behavior of the logical AND for Data Set 2 might seem counterintuitive at
first, but consider the case when the filter is designed to select all Dell computer
systems with Microsoft Windows XP operating systems. A filter for this situation
must have at least two clausesone that selects computer systems with the
manufacturer Dell and another that selects Windows XP operating systems. These
two clauses are joined with a logical AND, but they contain different types of
objects. The comparison rule will yield a successful result if both the clauses
produce a non-empty set and the system finds objects that match either the
computer system or operating system.
When evaluating a filter, in order to ensure that the correct set of output objects is
created for the comparison rule, the system always fully evaluates all clauses; that
is, the system does not apply any shortcuts to the logical expression even if it
becomes obvious before all clauses are evaluated that the expression will succeed
or fail.
Matches Found Clauses

A matches found definition is a component of a comparison rule defined in the
Comparison Rules application. You use the Matches Found subtab on the
Comparison Rule tab in the application to create matches found clauses. Each
clause specifies the acceptable ratio of Data Set 1 object instances to Data Set 2
object instances in the comparison after the system applies the data set filter or
filters.
Each clause identifies an object in Data Set 1 and an object in Data Set 2 to
evaluate; the clause also includes an operator that specifies the number of
instances of the Data Set 1 object and the number of instances of the Data Set 2
object.
The following table describes the elements of a matches found clause.
Matches Found Clauses

Open Parenthesis ( ... Marks the beginning of an Optional. However, for each open parenthesis,
expression. Parenthesis marks use a corresponding close parenthesis.
group expressions to control the
order of operations when you use
multiple clauses joined by a logical
operator (AND or OR).
Data Set 1 Object Identifies the target object in Data ! Mandatory.

Set 1.
! Selected from a value list that includes the
following values:
For assets:
! ASSET (Asset)
! ITEM (Item)
For configuration items (CIs) :

Data Set 1 Class When you select a specification as ! Mandatory if you select a specification for
Structure the Data Set 1 object, this field the object.
for the Data Set 1 filter. ! Selected from a value list. Values in the list
are class structure identifiers for the
objects that belong to the top-level Data
Set 1 objects.
Data Set 1 Class Displays a description of the Read-only field.

Structure Description selected class structure.

Operator Identifies the number of instances ! Mandatory.

allowed for the Data Set 1 and Data
Set 2 objects in the comparison rule. ! Selected from a value list that includes the
following operators:
! At least 1 to at least 1
! At least 1 to exactly 1
! Exactly 1 to at least 1
! Exactly 1 to exactly 1
! Exactly N to exactly N
Data Set 2 Object Specifies the Data Set 2 object for ! Mandatory.
reconciliation.
! Selected from a value list.
Data Set 2 Class When you select a specification as ! Mandatory if you select ACTCISPEC for
Structure the Data Set 2 object, this field the Data Set 2 object.
for the Data Set 2 filter. ! Selected from a value list. Values in the list
are class structure identifiers for the
Set 2 objects.
Data Set 2 Class Displays a description of the Read-only field.

Structure Description selected class structure.

Close Parenthesis ... ) Marks the end of an expression. Optional. However, for each close parenthesis,
Parenthesis marks group use a corresponding open parenthesis.
expressions to control the order of
operations when you use multiple
clauses joined by a logical operator
(AND or OR).
Sequence Operator When more than one clause exists, ! Required if more than one clause exists.
this operator prescribes how the
current clause relates to the next ! Must be empty for the last row in the
clause in the sequence. sequence (that is, the row with the highest
sequence number).
! Selected from a value list that includes the

following values:
! AND
! OR
The following table describes the operators you can use to define the ratio
between Data Set 1 object instances and Data Set 2 object instances:
Matches Found Operators
Operator Description
At least 1 to at least 1 At least one Data Set 1 object exists, but you can have
more than one;
and
at least one Data Set 2 object exists, but you can have
more than one.
At least 1 to exactly 1 At least one Data Set 1 object exists, but you can have
more than one;
and
only one Data Set 2 object exists.
Exactly 1 to at least 1 Only one Data Set 1 object exists;
and
at least one Data Set 2 object exists, but you can have
more than one.
Exactly 1 to exactly 1 Only one Data Set 1 object exists;
and
only one Data Set 2 object exists.
Exactly N to exactly N N Data Set 1 objects exist;
and
N Data Set 2 objects exist,
where N is the same number for each.

Attributes Equality Clauses

An attributes equality definition is a component of a comparison rule defined in
the Comparison Rules application. You use the Attributes Equality subtab on the
Comparison Rule tab in the application to create attributes equality clauses that
define how to compare the specific attribute or attributes of a child or parent
object in Data Set 1 with specific attribute or attributes of a child or parent object
in Data Set 2 when the system processes a comparison rule.
The following table describes the elements of an attributes equality clause.
Attributes Equality Clauses

Open Parenthesis ( ... Marks the beginning of an expression. Optional. However, for each open
Parenthesis marks group expressions parenthesis, use a corresponding close
reconciliation.
For assets:
! ASSET (Asset)
! ITEM (Item)
For configuration items (CIs) :
Structure Data Set 1 object, this field identifies a for the Data Set 1 object.
specific class structure for the object
in the attributes equality clause. ! Selected from a value list. Values in the
Set 1 objects.


Data Set 1 Attribute Identifies the specific attribute of the ! Mandatory.

Data Set 1 object or class structure to
use for the Data Set 1 object in the ! Selected from a value list. The Data Set
attributes equality clause. 1 object selected determines which
values the system displays in the value
list.
Data Set 1 Attribute Displays the title of the Data Set 1 Read-only field.
Title attribute selected.
Operator Identifies the operator for the Mandatory. The equals (=) operator is read-
reconciliation. only; it cannot be changed.
reconciliation.
! Selected from a value list.
Data Set 2 Class When you select a specification for ! Mandatory if you select ACTCISPEC
Structure the Data Set 2 object, this field for the Data Set 2 object.
identifies a specific class structure for
the Data Set 2 object in the attributes ! Selected from a value list. Values in the
equality clause. list are class structure identifiers for the
Set 2 objects.


Data Set 2 Attribute Identifies the specific attribute of the ! Mandatory.

Data Set 2 object to reconcile.
! Selected from a value list. The Data Set
2 object selected determines which
values the system displays in the value
list.
Data Set 2 Attribute Displays the title of the Data Set 2 Read-only field.
Title attribute selected.
Data Set 2 Unit of Identifies the unit of measurement Optional.

Measure Attribute attribute when the attribute selected
requires a unit of measurement, such Available only when creating a rule where
as megabytes or kilobytes. the Data Set 1 Object is ASSETSPEC and
the Data Set 2 Object is
DEPLOYEDASSET.
Data Set 2 Unit of Displays the title of the Data Set 2 unit Read-only field.
Measure Attribute of measure attribute.
Title
Parenthesis marks group expressions parenthesis, use a corresponding open

Sequence Operator When more than one clause exists, ! Required if more than one clause exists.
this operator prescribes how the
current clause relates to the next ! Must be empty for the last row in the
clause in the sequence. sequence (that is, the row with the

! AND
! OR
Creating Comparison Rules

You use the Comparison Rules application to create comparison rules that you
can add to a reconciliation task. You can create comparison rule records from the
List tab or from the Comparison Rule tab in the application.
Before you can save a comparison rule, you must satisfy the following
requirements:
! Assign a unique comparison rule name.
! Define data set specifications for Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 that indicate what
data to reconcile.
! Define a comparison based on one of the following components:
! matches found definition

! attributes equality definition
! full CI comparison specification
NOTE Full configuration item (CI) comparison rules are a special kind of
comparison rule that let you compare CI relationships. For more
information about full CI comparison rules, see Chapter 4, "Setting Up
a Full CI Comparison," on page 39.
! If you create a matches found clause, define a Data Set 1 filter or a Data Set 2
filter or both.
! Create clauses that are valid expressions. When you save a comparison rule,
the application uses the following rules to determine whether clauses are
valid expressions. If the application determines a clause is not valid, it
displays an error message and does not save the comparison rule.
! Each open parenthesis must have a corresponding close parenthesis.
! The number in the Sequence field must be unique.
NOTE You can enter sequence numbers in random order; when you save
a record, the application sorts the clauses and displays them in
ascending numerical order.
! All rows except the row with the highest sequence number must have a
value specified in the Sequence Operator field.
! The row with the highest sequence number must not have a sequence
operator (After the application sorts the clauses, this is the last row in the
table window.).
Modifying Comparison Rules

You use the Comparison Rule tab in the Comparison Rules application to modify
an existing comparison rule. You can perform any of the following modifications:
! Change the data in the description field or in existing fields in Data Set 1 filter
clauses, Data Set 2 filter clauses, matches found clauses, or attributes equality
clauses.
! Add new Data Set 1 filter, Data Set 2 filter, matches found, or attributes
equality clauses.
! Delete existing Data Set 1 filter, Data Set 2 filter, matches found, or attributes
equality clauses.
NOTE If the comparison rule has a matches found clause, define at least one
Data Set 1 filter or Data Set 2 filter clause. If you attempt to delete the
last filter clause on a comparison rule that has a matches found clause,
the application displays an error message and does not delete the
clause.
You cannot modify the comparison rule name in the Comparison field. You
cannot change the data sets selected in the Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 fields.
Duplicating Comparison Rules

On the Comparison Rule tab, you can select Duplicate Comparison Rule from
the Select Action menu to duplicate existing comparison rules. You can use this
procedure to create a new comparison rule based on an existing one. Once you
duplicate the comparison rule, the application clears the Comparison field, and
you must enter a new name for the duplicated comparison rule.
Deleting Comparison Rules

You can select Delete Comparison Rule from the Select Action menu on the
Comparison Rule tab to delete comparison rules. You delete comparison rules if
you no longer want to use the rule defined in the comparison rule record. When
you delete a comparison rule, the application deletes all Data Set 1 filter, Data Set
2 filter, matches found, and attributes equality clauses associated with the rule.
You cannot delete a comparison rule if it is associated with a reconciliation task

defined in the Reconciliation Tasks application. If you attempt to delete a
comparison rule associated with a reconciliation task, the application displays an
error message.

Setting Up Reconciliation Tasks

Before you can execute a reconciliation to compare two data sets, you must set up
a reconciliation task. A reconciliation task record combines a task filter (optional),
one or more link rules (required), and one or more comparison rules (optional)
into a specific job task that the system executes based on the schedule that you
create in the Cron Task Setup application.
You use the Reconciliation Tasks application to perform the following actions:
! Create a new reconciliation task.

! Delete a reconciliation task.
! Duplicate a reconciliation task.
! Modify an existing reconciliation task.
The Reconciliation Tasks application has the following tabs:
! List to search for tasks.
! Reconciliation Task to define new tasks and to view, edit, duplicate, and
delete existing tasks.
A reconciliation task consists of three primary components:
! task filter (optional)

! link rule (required)
! comparison rule (optional)
Task Filter (optional) A task filter specifies a subset of either Data Set 1 or Data Set 2 to evaluate when
the system executes a reconciliation task.
For example, you can define a filter that selects CIs only at your Boston site; in this
case the reconciliation task evaluates top-level CIs only at the Boston site but
evaluates all actual CIs.
You can apply only one task filter to a reconciliation task. For CCMDB, if you do
not define a task filter for a reconciliation task, the system uses all CIs (authorized
configuration items) as the default when it processes the reconciliation task. Task
filters apply only to link rules, not comparison rules.
Link Rule (required) A reconciliation task must include one or more link rules. A link rule specifies
which top-level object and attribute in Data Set 1 to link to a specific attribute of a
top-level object in Data Set 2. Link rules are often based on unique identifiers. The
attribute most commonly used to link CIs with actual CIs is ACTCINUM, the
actual CI number.
If you add multiple link rules, you must assign a sequence number to each rule to
specify the order in which to process the rule. Sequence numbers and link rule
names must be unique for each rule. When the system executes the reconciliation
task, it evaluates each link rule and attempts to match the object and attribute in
Data Set 1 with the object and attribute in Data Set 2.
The system evaluates link rules in a reconciliation task in cascading sequence,

based on sequence numbers until it reaches the end of the cascading rule list.
Comparison Rule A comparison rule is an optional component that defines how to compare objects
(optional) or attributes of a child or parent object in Data Set 1 with a child or parent in Data
Set 2 when the system executes a reconciliation task. You can add one or more
comparison rules to a reconciliation task. If you add a comparison rule, you must
select a value in the Comparison Results field in the Reconciliation Tasks
application to specify what kind of comparison results to display in the CI
Reconciliation Results application. The system applies comparison rules only
after it establishes a successful link between an object from Data Set 1 and an
object from Data Set 2.
Scheduling Tasks When you schedule a reconciliation task in the Cron Task Setup application, you
must use the name specified in the Reconciliation Task field in the Reconciliation
Tasks application to set up the cron task. The system lets you schedule cron tasks
for multiple reconciliation tasks. You cannot delete reconciliation task records that
are associated with a cron task.
When the system executes a reconciliation task, it lists results in the CI Link
Results application and in the CI Reconciliation Results application. For more
information about viewing link results and reconciliation results, see Chapter 6,
"Viewing Results of a Reconciliation," on page 47.
Reconciliation Task Components

You can use the following components to create reconciliation tasks:
! Reconciliation task name a unique name (specified in the Reconciliation

Task field) that identifies the reconciliation task.
! Description a brief description of the reconciliation.
! Task filter (optional) You specify a task filter for the reconciliation task by
selecting a task filter in the Task Filter field. When you select a task filter, the
application displays the type for the selected filter in the Filter Type field.
! Filter type type of task filter associated with the reconciliation task.
! Case sensitivity specification The Is Case Sensitive? check box specifies

whether or not the reconciliation task is case sensitive. Selecting the check box
makes all elements of the reconciliation task case sensitive, including the task
filter and any link rules and comparison rules associated with the task.
! Comparison results specification The Comparison Results field specifies

what kind of result records to add when a comparison rule is included in the
reconciliation task. This field is not active unless you define a comparison
rule.
reconcile.
! Link Rule(s) In the Link Rules table window, you specify one or more link
rules for the reconciliation task. The Link Rules table window on the
Reconciliation Task tab displays the following information about the link
rules used in the reconciliation task:
! Sequence sequence number to specify the order in which to process the

link rule when multiple link rules exist

! Link unique name to identify the link rule
! Description link rule description
! Data Set 1 Data Set 1 specified in the link rule
! Data Set 2 Data Set 2 specified in the link rule
You can use the Select Link Rule button in the Link Rules table window to
select one or more link rules for a reconciliation task. Selecting this button
opens a dialog box that lists link rules that you have created.
! Comparison Rule(s) (optional) In the Comparison Rules table window, you

specify one or more comparison rules for the reconciliation task. The
Comparison Rules table window on the Reconciliation Task tab displays the
following information about the comparison rules used in the reconciliation
task:
! Comparison unique name to identify the comparison rule
! Description comparison rule description
! Data Set 1 Data Set 1 specified in the comparison rule
! Data Set 2 Data Set 2 specified in the comparison rule
You can use the Select Comparison Rule button in the Comparison Rules
table window to select one or more comparison rules for a reconciliation task.
Selecting this button opens a dialog box that lists comparison rules that you
have created.
Creating Reconciliation Tasks

You use the Reconciliation Tasks application to create reconciliation tasks that you
can schedule for execution using the Cron Task application. You can create
reconciliation task records from the List tab or from the Reconciliation Task tab in
the application.
From the Reconciliation Task tab, you have several options that you can use to
add task filters, link rules, and comparison rules to the task:
! You can click Select Link Rule to open the Select Link Rule dialog box. This
dialog box displays a list of existing link rules. You can select one or more link
rules for the task.
! You can click Select Comparison Rule to open the Select Comparison Rule
dialog box. This dialog box displays a list of existing comparison rules. You
can select one or more comparison rules for the task.
! You can click Detail Menu icon next to the Task Filter, Link, and
Comparison fields to select one of the following options:
! Open a Select Value dialog box to choose from a set of existing task filters,
link rules, or comparison rules.
! Go to the selected application. Once you are in the application, you can
create a new task filter, link rule, or comparison rule; or you can select an
existing record and modify it. You can return the value to the
Reconciliation Tasks application. You can also return to the Reconciliation
Tasks application without selecting a value.
Modifying Reconciliation Tasks

You use the Reconciliation Task tab in the Reconciliation Tasks application to
modify an existing reconciliation task. On this tab, you can change the following
reconciliation task fields:
! Description field
! Is Case Sensitive? check box
! Comparison Results field (if the task contains comparison rules)
You cannot change the name of the reconciliation task in the Reconciliation Task
field.
You can also modify the components of the reconciliation tasktask filter,
comparison rules, or link rules.
Modifying the Task Filter In the Task Filter field, you can select a different task filter or you can delete a task
filter. You can also go to the Task Filters application and create a new task filter or
modify the values in an existing task filter and return the new or modified task
filter to the Reconciliation Tasks application.
Modifying Link Rules You use the Link Rules table window on the Reconciliation Task tab in the
Reconciliation Tasks application to modify existing link rules on a reconciliation
task. You can add a new link rule to a task or delete an existing link rule from a
task. You cannot change the name of an existing link rule.
Modifying Comparison You use the Comparison Rules table window on the Reconciliation Task tab in the
Rules Reconciliation Tasks application to modify comparison rules on an existing task.
You can add a new comparison rule to a task or delete an existing comparison
rule from a task. You cannot change the name of an existing comparison rule.
Duplicating Reconciliation Tasks

You select Duplicate Reconciliation Task from the Select Action menu on the
Reconciliation Task tab in the Reconciliation Tasks application to duplicate an
existing task. You can use this procedure to create a new reconciliation task based
on an existing one.
When you duplicate the reconciliation task, the application clears the
Reconciliation Task field, and you must enter a new name for the duplicated
reconciliation task. The application also clears the Last Completion Date field.
Deleting Reconciliation Tasks

You select Delete Reconciliation Task from the Select Action menu on the
Reconciliation Task tab in the Reconciliation Tasks application to delete an
existing reconciliation task. You cannot delete a reconciliation task if it is
associated with any cron task.

Understanding the
3
o
Reconciliation Process
The reconciliation process is controlled by a reconciliation task set up in the

Reconciliation Tasks application. A reconciliation task record combines a task
filter (optional), one or more link rules, and one or more comparison rules
(optional) into a specific job task that the system runs based on the schedule that
you set up in the Cron Task Setup application.
The reconciliation process includes three phases:
! Initialization
! Linking
! Comparing
Initialization Phase In the initialization phase, the system checks for a task filter to determine which
set of objects to evaluate.
Link Phase In the link phase, the system processes one or more link rules to determine
whether there is a link or match between a top-level object in Data Set 1 and a top-
level object in Data Set 2. When the system executes the reconciliation task, a link
rule might successfully identify a link between an object in Data Set 1 and an
object in Data Set 2, or it might not be able to identify a successful link. The system
creates result records for both successful and failed links.
Comparison Phase If the system establishes a successful link, it processes any comparison rules in the
reconciliation task, applying the comparison rules one by one to each linked pair
of Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 objects. A comparison rule compares either instances
of the top-level objects and their children (a matches found comparison) or
attributes of the top-level objects and their children (an attributes equality
comparison). The system creates comparison result records for each comparison
rule evaluated.
NOTE Full CI comparisons, which compare relationships, are a special type of

comparison rule. For more information about how the system processes full CI
comparison rules , see Chapter 4, "Setting Up a Full CI Comparison," on page 39.
Initialization Phase
The purpose of the reconciliation process is to compare objects in Data Set 1 with
objects in Data Set 2. When setting up a reconciliation task, it is important to
consider which of the two data sets is the basis or leading set for comparison.
When the system performs a reconciliation, it takes the first object in the leading
set and attempts to find a match for that object in the corresponding data set using
the link rule or rules specified in the reconciliation task.

Link Phase
You can use a task filter to specify a subset of either authorized CIs or actual CIs to
evaluate. The system determines the leading set based on the type of the task filter
specified in the reconciliation task. By default, if a reconciliation task has no task
filter, the system selects all authorized CIs for the leading set.
In the initialization phase of the reconciliation process, the reconciliation engine

reads in reconciliation task information and determines whether or not there is a
task filter. If there is a task filter, the engine creates a subset of the objects specified
in the task filter and selects all of the objects in the corresponding subordinate
data set.
For example, if you want to evaluate authorized CIs at your Boston location,
define a task filter with the type CI for the Boston location. The system then
selects authorized CIs at the Boston location for the leading set in the
reconciliation. It compares each of the authorized CIs at the Boston location with
all the actual CIs.
Conversely, if you want to evaluate actual CIs at your Boston location, define a
task filter with the type ACTCI for the Boston location. The system then selects
actual CIs at the Boston location for the leading set in the reconciliation. It
compares each of the actual CIs at the Boston location with all the authorized CIs.
Link Phase
In the link phase, the system attempts to find a match or link between each object
in the leading set and an object in the subordinate set. The system compares
objects in the leading set to the whole subordinate set in the following manner:
! The system selects the first object in the leading data set and looks for a match
in the corresponding data set using the first link rule in the reconciliation task.
! If the system finds a match for the object in the leading set, it checks the
subordinate set for additional matches.
! If the system does not find additional matches, it generates a record

for the CI Link Results application.
! If the system finds any additional matches, it generates a link rule

failure record for the CI Reconciliation Results application.
! If evaluation of the first link rule does not find a match to an object in the
subordinate set, the system processes the next link rule in the
reconciliation task. The system processes link rules in a task in a cascading
sequence, based on sequence numbers, until the first match or until it
reaches the end of the cascading rule list.
! If the system processes all link rules and finds no match to an object in the
subordinate set, it creates a link rule failure record for the CI
Reconciliation Results application.
! When a link rule in a reconciliation task yields a match for an object (single or
multiple), the system does not process any more link rules for that object. The
system selects the next object in the leading data set and attempts to find a
match for that object.

Link Phase
It is possible for two different objects in the leading set to link to one subordinate
object. If that happens, the system creates a link failure record.
The following diagram illustrates how the system processes the leading set using
link rules:
Processing the Leading Set
Understanding the Reconciliation Process 37

Comparison Phase
Comparison Phase
Processing during the comparison phase depends on the type of comparison that
you choose. The process for full CI comparison rules differs from the process for
matches found and attributes equality rules. The following section describes how
the system processes matches found and attributes equality comparison rules. For
more information about how the system processes full CI comparison rules, see
Chapter 4, "Setting Up a Full CI Comparison," on page 39.
If a link rule in a reconciliation task yields a successful link between an object in

Data Set 1 and an object in Data Set 2, the system processes any comparison rules
in the reconciliation task, applying the comparison rules one by one to each
linked pair of Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 objects.
Unlike the link phase, which processes only top-level objects, the comparison
phase evaluates entire hierarchies. Using the clauses defined in the comparison
rule, the system evaluates each of the linked pairs collected by a link rule, one pair
at a time, processing children as well as parents.
You can limit the scope of the comparison by defining filters that select a subset of
data to compare. When processing comparison rules, the system first processes
any filters in the comparison rule and creates output sets for further evaluation.
The system then applies the comparison rule clauses to the objects in the output
sets created by the filters.
The system uses the following sequence to process a comparison rule:
1 Create a Data Set 1 output set. If a Data Set 1 filter exists, include the objects
specified in the filter. If no Data Set 1 filter exists, include all CIs.
2 Create a Data Set 2 output set. If a Data Set 2 filter exists, include the objects
specified in the filter. If no Data Set 2 filter exists, include all actual CIs.
3 Process the comparison specified in the rule. A comparison rule compares

either instances of the top-level objects and their children (a matches found
comparison) or attributes of the top-level objects and their children (an
attributes equality comparison). A comparison rule specifies either a matches
found or an attributes equality comparison, never both.
NOTE A comparison rule with a matches found comparison must have at

least one filter.

Setting Up a Full CI
Comparison
4
This chapter describes how to set up a full configuration item (CI) comparison
rule. Full CI comparison rules are a special kind of comparison rule that let you
compare CI relationships. In addition to comparing the attributes associated with
the two instances from each data set, full CI comparison also takes into account
the tree of relationships an authorized CI has with other authorized CIs. Full CI
comparison rules compare all the relationships of authorized CIs and the
attributes associated with the authorized CIs with the relationships and attributes
associated with the corresponding actual CIs.
Example
You can run a full CI comparison and use the results to determine whether the
relationships in authorized CI data between a computer system, operating
system, and software component match the relationships in actual CI data.
For example, when you reconcile authorized CIs against actual CIs, is there a
successful match to indicate that for the computer system Mail Server 1, Lotus
Domino Server is installed on Microsoft Windows XP and that Windows XP
runs on Mail Server 1?
Because the authorized CI represents what should be in the environment under

change control, this set of data is always the leading set for full CI comparisons.
Consequently, when you set up a task filter, select CI for the Filter Type field.
In most cases, for a full CI comparison, use a link rule that links CIs in Data Set 1
with actual CIs in Data Set 2 based on ACTCINUM (actual CI number) as the
value in the Attribute field for both Data Set 1 and Data Set 2.
When you create the comparison rule for full CI comparison, name the rule, select
CI for the Data Set 1 Field, and select the Full CI Comparison check box. The
Comparison Rules application disables the subtabs for data set filters, matches
found, and attributes equality. You cannot define comparison rule filters or define
comparison rule clauses when creating a full CI comparison rule.
For CI to actual CI relationship comparison, the system uses the task filter (if one
exists) and link rule to determine what objects in Data Set 1 to link to objects in
Data Set 2. Once the link is established between instances, relationships and
attributes for the authorized CI returned in the link and for all subsequent lower
level authorized CIs down the tree are compared with the linked Actual CI.

Creating a Link Rule for a Full CI Comparison
Creating a Link Rule for a Full CI Comparison

To create a link rule to use in a full CI comparison, complete the following steps:
1 In the Link Rules application, create a new link rule.
2 In the Link field, enter a name for the link rule.
3 If appropriate, in the description field, enter a description.
4 In the Data Set 1 field, click Select Value and select the value CI.
5 Click New Row to create a link clause.
6 In the Data Set Object 1 field, click Select Value and select the value CI.
7 In the Data Set Object 1 Attribute field, click Select Value and select the
value ACTCINUM.
8 In the Data Set Object 2 field, click Select Value and select the value ACTCI.
9 In the Data Set Object 2 Attribute field, click Select Value and select the
value ACTCINUM.
10 Save the link rule record. Use it in the reconciliation task for full CI
comparison.
Sample Link Rule Clause
Data Set 1 Object: CI
Data Set 1 Class Structure: ----
Data Set 1 Class Structure Description: ----
Data Set 1 Classification: ----
Data Set 1 Attribute: ACTCINUM
Data Set 1 Attribute Title: Actual CI Number
Operator: =
Data Set 2 Object: ACTCI
Data Set 2 Class Structure: ----
Data Set 2 Class Structure Description: ----
Data Set 2 Classification: ----
Data Set 2 Attribute: ACTCINUM
Data Set 2 Attribute Title: Actual CI Number

Creating a Comparison Rule for Full CI Comparison
Creating a Comparison Rule for Full CI Comparison

To create a full CI comparison rule, complete the following steps:
1 On the toolbar in the Comparison Rules application, click the New

Comparison Rule icon. The application displays a new comparison rules
record on the Comparison Rules tab.
2 In the Comparison field, enter the name that you want to assign to the
comparison rule. This name is the unique identifier of the comparison rule.
3 If appropriate, in the description field, enter a brief description of the

comparison rule. To enter additional information, click the Long Description
icon.
4 In the Type of Reconciliation section, in the Data Set 1 field, click the Select
Value icon and select CI. The application automatically populates the Data
Set 2 field with ACTUAL CI.
5 Select the Full CI Comparison check box. The application disables the
comparison rule subtabs.
6 When you complete the comparison rule, click the Save Comparison Rule icon
to save the comparison rule.
Reconciliation Process for Full CI Comparisons

Relationships between configuration items can be extensive. The reconciliation
process limits the scope of the CI relationship comparison to CI relationships
which transverse "down" the CI relationship tree. Establishing this scope
provides focus for reconciliation processing, minimizes the overall volume of
comparison processing, and provides significant comparison results to support
the CI remediation process.
For full CI comparison, authorized CIs are compared to actual CIs in the
following manner:
! If a task filter exists in the reconciliation task, the system selects authorized CI
objects based on the attributes defined in the task filter. If no task filter exists,
the system selects all authorized CIs for the leading set.
! Using the link rule or rules, the system compares CI objects in the leading set
with actual CI objects and determines whether there is a successful match.
! If the link rule establishes a match between instances, the system compares
the relationships and attributes for the top-level authorized CI in the link with
the relationships and attributes of corresponding top-level actual CI.
For a given authorized CI instance, the system performs the following

comparisons:
Setting Up a Full CI Comparison 41

Viewing Full CI Comparison Results
! Compares the attribute values defined in the authorized CI with the

attribute values defined in the actual CI where the attribute fields are
equal.
! Compares the relationships the authorized CI has with other authorized

CIs to the relationships for the actual CI. The system checks for:
! Validity of the specific target for the relationship (that is, whether it is
the correct type).
! Whether the relationship name between the source and the target
matches.
During comparison processing if a failure occurs down a branch of the

linked CI then a failed result is written, processing of that branch stops,
and the next branch of the linked CI is processed. It is unlikely that any
other relationship on the branch below the failure would be correct, and
this limits the number of failures returned in results.
! When the system finishes comparing the attributes and relationships of

the top-level authorized CI with the attributes and relationships of the
actual CI, it compares any authorized CIs that are related to the top-level
authorized CI down the relationship tree in iteration until there are no
other downward related authorized CIs.
! For each authorized CI comparison, a result is written to the CI Reconciliation

Results table.
The comparison of CI to actual CI relationships and attributes always takes

the data from the authorized CI and compares this against the actual CI data.
Since only a portion of the actual CI data is promoted to authorized CIs, only
discrepancies with the authorized set are processed and written as results to
the CI Reconciliation Results application. No results are generated for actual
CI relationships or attributes that exist outside of the linked authorized CI
relationships and attributes.
Viewing Full CI Comparison Results

For more information about viewing results of a full CI comparison, see "Viewing
Full CI Comparison Result Messages," on page 54.

Scheduling
Reconciliations
5
Because reconciliation tasks process data imported from external sources, you
must exercise caution when scheduling reconciliation tasks. This chapter
discusses how to schedule reconciliations and effectively integrate the
reconciliation process with data imports from IBM Tivoli Integration Composer
(Integration Composer). The timing of data migration must be carefully
coordinated with the reconciliation process; for example, you should not attempt
to reconcile actual CIs against authorized CIs if you have not yet imported actual
CI data into CCMDB. Scheduling is an important consideration because it affects
the reliability of the data and the allocation of computer resources.
Data Reliability
Data might be unreliable if any of the following conditions exist:
! The system executes a reconciliation task before Integration Composer

imports data.
To collect data, a discovery tool scans devices connected to a network and

records information about the hardware and software installed on those
devices. Integration Composer transforms the collected data and imports it
into the target database. To ensure that the system compares data about
authorized CIs with the most current data collected about your actual CIs, you
should schedule reconciliations to occur after Integration Composer imports
data collected by discovery tools.
! Integration Composer imports data and the system processes a reconciliation

task simultaneously.
Flawed data might result if an Integration Composer migration and a

reconciliation task occur simultaneously. The two processes must never
overlap, and you must schedule migrations and reconciliation tasks so that
the system does not execute the two processes at the same time.
! The system processes multiple reconciliation tasks that include overlapping

data.
Administrators can set up multiple cron task instances to run reconciliation

tasks. If different reconciliation tasks are set up to process overlapping sets of
data, the results are unpredictable.

Resource Allocation
Recommended Sequence of Operations

To ensure data reliability, use the following sequence of events:
1 Collect data about equipment deployed in your enterprise using a discovery

tool, such as Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager.
2 Use Integration Composer to import the collected data into the Maximo
database. For more information about importing data with Integration
Composer, refer to the IBM Tivoli Integration Composer System Administrators
Guide, Integration Composer Help, or Integration Adapter for Tivoli Application
Dependency Discovery Manager Implementation Guide.
3 Create a cron task that schedules the reconciliation tasks to run.
Resource Allocation
Because the reconciliation process demands a large amount of server resources,
run reconciliations at a time when the server is least busy, such as late evening.
Setting Up a Reconciliation Cron Task

You define reconciliation tasks in the Reconciliation module applications, but you
set up the schedule for running the task in the Cron Task Setup application. A
reconciliation task record combines the components required for a reconciliation
into a specific job task that the system runs based on the schedule that you set up
in the Cron Task Setup application. Before you can run the reconciliation process,
you must define a cron task to set up a schedule for running the reconciliation
task. The name that you enter in the Reconciliation Task field for the
reconciliation task is the parameter in the cron task that identifies which
reconciliation task to process.
Defining a Cron Task

The cron task must point to the following class:
psdi.app.recontask.engine.ReconCronTask
The following example illustrates a cron task that schedules a reconciliation to

determine whether the RAM on servers in actual CIs is in compliance with
corporate requirements.

Cron Task Example
Note that the Class field contains the class file for the reconciliation process. The
Value field for the parameter RECONTASKNAME in the Cron Task Parameters
table window contains the reconciliation task name entered in the Reconciliation
Task field in the Reconciliation Tasks application.
Scheduling Cron Tasks

CAUTION The system lets you create cron tasks for multiple reconciliation tasks. If different
cron tasks are set up to process overlapping sets of data, the results are
unpredictable. Be sure that you do not set up multiple cron tasks with
overlapping schedules.
In addition, you should make sure that Integration Composer imports data before
reconciliation cron tasks are processed. You should also define reconciliation cron
tasks so that imports from Integration Composer and reconciliation cron tasks do
not occur simultaneously.
Scheduling Reconciliations 45

Viewing Results of a
Reconciliation
6
When the system processes a reconciliation task, it produces results from link rule
evaluations and, if the task included one or more comparison rules, comparison
rule evaluations. The Reconciliation module includes two applications that let
you view the results of a reconciliation: CI Link Results and CI Reconciliation
Results.
CI Link Results Application

You use the CI Link Results application in the Reconciliation module to view
results generated when the system executes a reconciliation task that compares
two different sets of configuration item data. Each reconciliation task contains one
or more link rules that establish the basis of a reconciliation by identifying a top-
level object and attribute in Data Set 1 (typically authorized CI data) to match
with a specific attribute of a top-level object in Data Set 2 (typically actual CI
data). If the system processes a link rule and finds a one-to-one link between a
top-level authorized CI and an actual CI, it creates a link result record that you
can view in the CI Link Results application.
When the system processes a reconciliation task, link rules sometimes

successfully identify a link between objects, and sometimes they do not. The CI
Link Results application lists the successful links.
The CI Link Results application has the following tabs:
! List to search for link results.
! CI Link Result to view and delete CI link results.
You use the CI Link Results application to perform the following actions:
! View link results.

! Delete link results.
Viewing Link Results

To view link result records, open the CI Link Results application in the
Reconciliation module. The application lists the successful links.
For each object in the list, the application displays the following information
about the most recent link:
! Rule name name of the rule that generated the result. You can use the Detail
Menu in this field to navigate to the Link Rules application.

CI Reconciliation Results Application
! Link date date and time the link result record was created.
The Authorized CI Information area displays the following information about the
authorized CI:
! CI authorized CI object. You can use the Detail Menu in this field to perform
the following actions:
! view classifications for the object

! view attributes of the object
! navigate to the Configuration Items application.
! description of the authorized CI.
The Actual CI Information area displays the following information about the
actual CI;
! Actual CI actual CI object.
! Description description of the actual CI.
Deleting Link Results

You use the CI Link Results application to delete link results.
On the List tab you can delete selected CI link results or all CI link results in the
table window. Use the Select Records check box to select individual records to
delete or clear the check box to delete all records in the table window. If
appropriate, you can apply a filter to search for selected link results and then
delete all link results found.
You can also delete a record from the CI Link Result tab by selecting the record
that you want to delete and then selecting Delete CI Link Result(s) from the
Select Action menu.

You use the CI Reconciliation Results application to view and manage result
records produced when the system runs a reconciliation task. In this application,
you can view and manage two different kinds of results:
! Link Rule Failures A link failure occurs when the system processes a link
rule and does not find a successful one-to-one link between the object in Data
Set 1 and the object in Data Set 2. Link failures occur when the reconciliation
process finds no links or finds multiple links.
! Comparison Rule Results The system produces comparison rule results

when it processes a comparison rule. The specific kind of comparison rule
data depends on a parameter set in the Reconciliation Tasks application,
which lets you select one of the following options for comparison results
when you set up a reconciliation task:

from Data Set 2
If you want to view only link rule failure or comparison rule results, you can use
the advanced search features to display only link results or comparison results.
You can also use the reconciliation results application to record information about
how you resolve discrepancies between Data Set 1 and Data Set 2. If you evaluate
a discrepancy and resolve it, you can mark a result record resolved. You can also
enter information about how you resolved the issue or an explanation about why
the discrepancy exists in the Comments field on the reconciliation result tab.
You use the CI Reconciliation Results application to perform the following

actions:
! View reconciliation results.

! Mark reconciliation results resolved.
! Delete reconciliation results.
The reconciliation results application has the following tabs:
! List to search for reconciliation results.
! CI Reconciliation Result to view and delete reconciliation results, to

mark results resolved, and to add comments about how you resolved
discrepancies.
Using the CI Reconciliation Result Tab

You use the CI Reconciliation Result tab in the CI Reconciliation Results
application to view reconciliation results. The application displays the following
information for each reconciliation result record:
! Reconciliation Task unique identifier of the reconciliation task that produced

the result. To view additional details about the task, you can use the Detail
Menu in this field to navigate to the Reconciliation Tasks application.
! Result Type type of results displayed (either link rule failures or comparison
rule results).
! Rule Name name of the rule that generated the result. If multiple link rules
exist and the system found no matches for any of the cascading link rules, the
field is blank. You can use the Detail Menu in this field to navigate to the Link
Rules application or the Comparison Rules application.
! Created Date date and time the reconciliation result record was created.
! Message message that describes the result of the reconciliation.
! Resolved? check box that specifies whether discrepancies found by this

comparison rule have been resolved. You can edit this field.
Viewing Results of a Reconciliation 49

! Comments comments that describe how discrepancies were resolved. You

can edit this field.
! Top-Level CI unique identifier of the top-level authorized CI that the system

compared to the actual CI. To view more details about the CI, you can use the
Detail Menu in this field to navigate to the Configuration Items application.
! Actual CI unique database identifier of the actual CI. You can use the Detail
Menu in this field to perform the following actions:
! view Classifications
! view Attributes
! navigate to the Actual Configuration Items application
The Authorized CI Information table window displays the following information

about the object evaluated:
! CI Object authorized CI object
! CI Attribute attribute of the object
! CI Value value for the attribute
! CI Unit of Measure unit of measurement for the attribute
! Top Level Site site of the top-level object evaluated
! CI unique identifier for the object. You can use the Detail Menu in this field
to perform the following actions:
! view Classifications
! view Attributes
! navigate to the Configuration Items application
! view Work Details
! view Actual CI Details
! view CI Collections
! view CI Relationship History
The Actual CI Information table window displays the following information

about the object evaluated;
! Actual CI Object unique identifier for the actual CI object

! Actual CI Attribute attribute that was evaluated
! Actual CI Value value for the attribute
! Actual CI Unit of measure unit of measurement for the attribute
! Actual CI Key field key field for the object
! Actual CI Key value value of the key field for the object
In some cases fields displayed on the reconciliation result tab are empty. For
example, the system might not be able to determine a value based on the rule
definition. In some cases, multiple operations performed on different objects fail
to produce results. The system displays the maximum amount of unambiguous
information available.

Viewing Comparison Rule Result Messages

The results that the CI Reconciliation Results application displays for comparison
rule evaluations depend on the parameter you select in the Comparison Results
field when you set up a reconciliation task in the Reconciliation Tasks application,
where you can choose either all results, successful comparison results, or failed
comparison results.
The following table describes the result messages CCMDB displays for
comparison rule evaluations in the Message field.
Comparison Rule Result Messages
Message Message Comment

Key
C1a No CIs were retrieved by the The comparison rule has a Data Set 1 filter, and the system did
comparison filter. not retrieve any objects from Data Set 1 when applying this
filter.
C2a No actual CIs were retrieved by The comparison rule has a Data Set 2 filter, and the system did
the comparison filter. not retrieve any objects from Data Set 2 when applying this
filter.
C3 Matches found comparison has The number of Data Set 1 objects and the number of Data Set 2
succeeded. objects (after the system applied any applicable filter or filters)
matched the ratio specified in the rule.
If you specify CI for Data Set 1 Object:
! The system counts the top-level object and all children of

that object.
or
! If you specify a Data Set 1 filter, the system counts the

objects selected by the filter.
If you specify a CI specification, for Date Set 1 Object:
! the system counts objects with the class identifier

specified.
or
! If you specify a Data Set 1 filter, the system counts all

objects in Data Set 1 with the specified class identifier
selected by the filter.
The system always lists the Data Set 2 object.
C4b Attribute equality comparison The attributes for the Data Set 1 object and the Data Set 2 object
has succeeded. (and, if applicable, their measurement units) match exactly.
C5 Matches found comparison has The number of Data Set 1 objects and the number of Data Set 2
failed. objects (after the system applied any applicable filters) did not
match the ratio specified in the rule.


Key
C6b Attribute equality comparison The attributes for the Data Set 1 and the Data Set 2 objects (or,
has failed. if applicable, their measurement units) did not match exactly.
C7 No CI object for attribute This result message occurs only when a specification is
equality comparison. selected for the Data Set 1 Object field. The message indicates
that the system did not find any object in Data Set 1 with the
class specified.
C8 No actual CIs object for attribute The system did not find any of the Data Set 2 objects specified
equality comparison. by the comparison rule.
C9 No CI and actual CI object for The system did not find any Data Set 1 object or Data Set 2
attribute equality comparison. object specified in the comparison rule.
aIf a comparison rule has both a Data Set 1 filter and a Data Set 2 filter and neither filter returns any records, the system might display both
C1 and C2 messages for the same objects.

bThe
number of attribute equality comparisons processed by an attributes equality comparison rule is equal to the number of the objects in
the leading set (The leading set is determined by the type of task filter in the reconciliation task. For more information about task filters and
leading sets, see Chapter 3, "Understanding the Reconciliation Process," on page 35.) For every comparison, the result is either a success or
failure. The system writes these results to the CI Reconciliation Results application based on the parameter that you set for Comparison
Results in the Reconciliation Tasks application. In that application, you specify whether you want all results, only successful results, or
only failed comparison results.
Messages C3 and C4 indicate that the system successfully matched the Data Set 1
object and Data Set 2 object when the comparison rule was processed. All other
messages indicate that the system did not successfully match a Data Set 1 object to
a Data Set 2 object.
Viewing Link Rule Failure Result Messages

If you want to view only link rule failure, you can use the advanced search feature
on the List tab to display only link results or comparison results
The following table describes the link failure messages CCMDB displays in the
Messages field.
Link Rule Failure Messages

Key
L01 No CIs were retrieved in task Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: CI
<TASK_NAME>.
Reason for Link Failure: When the system processed the
specified reconciliation task (that is, <TASK_NAME>), it did
not retrieve CI objects from the database.
L02 No actual CIs were retrieved Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: Actual CI
in task <TASK_NAME>.
specified reconciliation task (that is, <TASK_NAME>), it did
not retrieve actual CIs from the database.


Key
L03 This CI has no matching Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: CIs
actual CI.
Reason for Link Failure: The system did not find an actual CI
that matched the CI in the leading set.
In the Rule Name field:
! If one link rule exists, the system displays the link rule
name.
! If multiple link rules exist, the system leaves the field

blank.
The Actual CI field is empty.
The Top Level Site and CI field in the CI Information table

window display authorized CI data.
L04 This actual CI has no Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: Actual CIs
matching CI.
Reason for Link Failure: The system did not find an object in
CIs that matched the Actual CI object in the leading set.
In the Rule Name field:
! If one link rule exists, the system displays the link rule
name.
! If multiple link rules exist, the system leaves the field

blank.
The Actual CI field displays actual CI data.
The Top Level Site and CI fields in the CI Information table

window are empty.
L05 This CI links to more than Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: CIs
one actual CI.
reconciliation task, the link rule specified in the Rule Name
field found more than one object in the actual CI data set that
matched the CI object in the leading set.
L06 This actual CI links to more Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: Actual CIs
than one CI.
field found more than one object in the CI data set that
matched the actual CI object in the leading set.
L09 More than one actual CI links Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: Actual CIs
to this CI.
field found more than one object in the actual CI data set that
matched the CI object in the subordinate set.


Key
L10 More than one CI links to this Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: CIs
actual CI.
field found more than one object in the CI data set that
matched the actual CI object in the subordinate set.
L11 More than one actual CI links Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: Actual CIs
to this CI due to different
cascading rules. Reason for Link Failure: When the system processed the
reconciliation task, different cascading link rules found more
than one actual CI object in the leading set that matched the
same CI.
L12 More than one CI links to this Leading Set in the Reconciliation Task: CIs
actual CI due to different
cascading rules. Reason for Link Failure: When the system processed the
reconciliation task, different cascading link rules found more
than one CI object in the leading set that matched the same
actual CI.
The system generates the following messages when there is no task filter or when
the task filter has the type CI: L01, L03, L05.
The system generates the following messages when the task filter has the type
Actual CI: L02, L04, L06,.
Viewing Full CI Comparison Result Messages

The following table describes the messages CCMDB displays in the Messages
field for full CI comparisons.
Full CI Comparison Messages
Message Key Message
R1 Relationship comparison between {Authorized CI} and {Related Authorized CI) has failed.
R2 Relationship comparison between {Authorized CI} and {Related Authorized CI} has
succeeded.
C20 Attribute comparison has failed.
C21 Attribute comparison has succeeded.

Marking CI Reconciliation Results Resolved

You use the CI Reconciliation Results application in the Reconciliation module to
mark reconciliation results resolved after you review and resolve discrepancies
between authorized CI data and actual CI data. When you mark a result as
resolved, you can also record information about how you resolved the
discrepancies in the Comments field on the CI Reconciliation Result tab.
Setting Up a Filter To set up a filter before marking CI reconciliation results resolved:
1 On the List tab in the CI Reconciliation Results application, click Advanced

Search. The application displays the Advanced Search menu.
2 On the Advanced Search menu, select More Search Fields. The application
displays the Select Value dialog box.
3 In the Result Type field, click Select Value to select the type of result that you
want to view. The application displays the Select Value dialog box.
4 In the Select Value dialog box, select the type of result that you want to view.
The application displays the selected value in the Result Type field on the
More Search Fields dialog box.
5 On the More Search Fields dialog box, click Find. The application displays
the selected results in CI Reconciliation Results table window on the List tab.
Resolving from the List In the table window on the List tab, you can mark selected reconciliation results
Tab resolved or mark all reconciliation results resolved. Use the Select Records check
box to select individual records to resolve or clear the check box to mark all
records resolved.
To mark CI reconciliation results resolved from the List tab, select one of the
following options:
! To mark all reconciliation results retrieved in the table window as resolved:
1 From the Select Action menu, select Mark Result(s) Resolved. The
application displays a confirmation dialog box asking you to confirm that
you want to mark all rows as resolved.
2 On the confirmation dialog box, click Yes. The application marks all
reconciliation results in the table window resolved.
! To mark selected reconciliation results as resolved:
NOTE You cannot use this feature unless your result set is less than 200 rows.
1 To select specific reconciliation result records, select the Select Records

check box at the bottom of the List tab table window. The application
displays a Select Row check box next to each row in the table window.
2 In the List table window, select the Select Row check box for each record
that you want to mark resolved.
3 After you have selected the check box for each record that you want to
resolve, select Mark Result(s) Resolved from the Select Action menu. The

application displays a confirmation dialog box asking you to confirm that

you want to resolve selected rows.
4 On the confirmation dialog box, click Yes. The application marks the
selected reconciliation results resolved.
Resolving from the CI To mark reconciliation results as resolved from the CI Reconciliation Result tab,
Reconciliation Result Tab complete the following steps:
1 In the Reconciliation Results application, display the reconciliation result that

you want to mark as resolved.
2 Select one of the following options:
! From the Select Action menu on the CI Reconciliation Result tab, select
Mark Result(s) Resolved. The application displays a confirmation dialog
box asking you to confirm that you want to mark the record as resolved.
On the confirmation dialog box, click Yes. The application marks the
reconciliation result record resolved.
! Select the Resolved? check box.
3 If appropriate, in the Comments field, enter a comment to describe the

resolution of the discrepancies.
4 When you finish viewing the result, click the Save icon to save the comment.
Deleting Reconciliation Results

You use the CI Reconciliation Results application to delete reconciliation results.
On the List tab you can delete selected reconciliation results or all reconciliation
results in the table window. Use the Select Records check box to select individual
records to delete or clear the check box to delete all records in the table window. If
appropriate, you can apply a filter to search for selected reconciliation results and
then delete all reconciliation results found.
You can also delete a record from the CI Reconciliation Result tab by selecting the
record that you want to delete and then selecting Delete CI Reconciliation
Result(s) from the Select Action menu.
The CI Reconciliation Results application displays both comparison results and

link rule failure results. If you want to delete only link rule failure results or
comparison rule results or a subset of these, you can use the advanced search
feature to set up a filter that selects a specific set of results to display in the table
window on the List tab. You can then delete all results in the table window or
select specific results and delete them.

Sample Reconciliation
Scenarios
7
This chapter provides sample reconciliation scenarios to illustrate how to use the
Reconciliation module applications. It includes sample scenarios for the following
types of reconciliations:
! matches found
! attributes equality
! full CI comparison
The examples illustrate how to set up task filters, link rules, and comparison
rules.
Operating System Compliance (Matches Found)

In this sample scenario, CCMDB reconciles authorized CI records for computer
systems at the McLean site with actual CI records to determine whether the
Microsoft Windows XP operating system is installed as expected on computers in
actual CIs. In other words, the records in the Configuration Items application
indicate that Microsoft Windows XP is installed on certain computers; does the
actual CI data gathered by a discovery tool show instances of Microsoft Windows
XP on the corresponding computers?
To process this reconciliation, define a task filter that selects authorized CI records
at the McLean site for evaluation.
For this subset of records, use a link rule based on actual CI number to search for
a match between a computer system in authorized CIs and a computer system in
actual CIs.
If the system succeeds in matching an authorized CI to an actual CI, it processes

the comparison rule on the reconciliation task. The comparison rule has a Data
Set 1 filter that selects computer systems in authorized CIs with Windows XP
installed. The comparison rule also has a matches found comparison rule clause
that compares each authorized CI computer system with the matching computer
system in actual CIs to determine whether instances of the Microsoft Windows
operating system are on both systems.
Note that if the system does not succeed in establishing a link between the
authorized CI and an actual CI, the system reports link failure results that you can
view in the CI Reconciliation Results application.

Setting Up the Reconciliation Task

Because the Reconciliation Tasks application lets you go to the Task Filters, Link
Rules, and Comparison Rules applications to retrieve existing values or create
new records, you can set up most parameters from the Reconciliation Tasks
application. The following steps describe the task filter, link rule, and comparison
rule to set up. You can find step-by-step instructions for creating these
components of the reconciliation task in the online help provided for the Task
Filters, Link Rules, and Comparison Rules applications.
For this reconciliation task, you create the following components:
! CI task filter for McLean authorized CIs
! link rule that matches actual CI number in authorized CIs with the
corresponding actual CI number in actual CIs
! comparison rule with the following elements:
! a Data Set 1 filter that selects authorized CIs that have Windows XP
installed
! an attributes equality clause that compares instances of Microsoft

Windows XP in authorized CIs with instances of Windows XP in
actual CIs.
To set up the reconciliation, complete the following steps:
Task Filter 1 In the Task Filters application, define a task filter to select only authorized CIs
at the McLean site. To do this you specify the following parameters:
Filter Type CI
Attribute SITEID
Value McLean
When you use this task filter, the system selects authorized CIs at the McLean
site for the leading set in the reconciliation.
Link Rule 2 In the Link Rules application, define a link rule that searches for links between
computer systems in authorized CIs and computer systems in actual CIs

based on actual CI numbers. To define this link rule, you set up the following
parameters:
! To specify the data sets to reconcile:
Data Set 1 CI
Data Set 2 ACTCI
! To specify the authorized CI object and attribute:
Data Set 1 Object CI
Data Set 1 Attribute ACTCINUM
! To specify the actual CI object and attribute:
Data Set 2 Object ACTCI
Comparison Rule 3 Define a Data Set 1 filter for the comparison rule that selects authorized CIs
that have the Windows XP operating system. To set up the actual CI filter,
select the following parameters:
Data Set 1 Object CISPEC
Data Set 1 Class Structure 1294
Data Set 1 Object Attribute OSNAME
Operator LIKE
Value WINDOWS XP
In this case, the system selects authorized CIs with operating systems with a
name like Windows XP and applies the comparison rule to those authorized
CIs.
4 In addition, add a matches found clause to the comparison rule that specifies
you want to find at least 1 instance of the actual CI object for each instance of
the authorized CI. To define the matches found clause, you specify the
following parameters:
! To specify the authorized CI:
Data Set 1 Class Structure 1294 (Windows XP Operating System)
! The Operator for the comparison is ExactlyNtoExactlyN.
! To specify the actual CI:
Data Set 2 Object ACTCISPEC
Data Set 2 Class Structure 1294 (Windows XP Operating System)
Sample Reconciliation Scenarios 59

In this case, for each instance of Windows XP operating system in authorized

CIs, the reconciliation process determines whether there is also an instance in
actual CIs.
Reconciliation Task 5 Create a reconciliation task named XPComplianceMclean that combines the
following components into a reconciliation task that you can schedule in the
Cron Task Setup application:
! CI task filter for McLean authorized CIs
! comparison rule that reconciles instances of Microsoft Windows XP in

authorized CIs with instances of Windows XP in actual CIs.
6 Because this reconciliation task contains a comparison rule, enter a value in

the Comparison Results field to specify what kind of result records to create
when the comparison rule is processed. Select one of the one of the following
result sets:
from Data Set 2
7 To specify whether components of the reconciliation are case sensitive, select

or clear Is Case Sensitive? check box. Selecting the check box makes all
elements of the reconciliation task case sensitive, including the task filter and
any link rules and comparison rules associated with the task.
Cron Task 8 In the Cron Task Setup application, define a cron task to schedule execution of
the operating system compliance reconciliation task. In the Cron Task
application, make sure that you use the same value in the Value field on the
Parameters tab that you used in the Reconciliation Task field on the
Reconciliation Task tab: XPComplianceMclean.
Viewing Reconciliation Results

You can view reconciliation results in the CI Link Results or CI Reconciliation
Results applications.
CI Link Results In the CI Link Results application, you can view the instances where the actual CI
Application number on an authorized CI matched an actual CI number on an actual CI.
CI Reconciliation Results In the CI Reconciliation Results application you can view two types of
Application reconciliation results:
! instances where the link rule based on actual CI number did not find a
successful link between an authorized CI and an actual CI
! results for the comparison rule that evaluated operating systems.

Memory Compliance (Attributes Equality)
If you evaluate a discrepancy and resolve it, you can mark a result record
resolved. You can also enter information about how you resolved the issue or an
explanation about why the discrepancy exists in the Comments field on the CI
Reconciliation Result tab.

In this sample scenario, the system evaluates CI records for computer systems at
the McLean site to determine whether the memory on the computers in
authorized CIs matches the memory actually installed on computers in actual CIs.
In other words, the records in the Configuration Items application indicate that a
specific amount of memory is installed on a computer; does a discovery tool
report the same amount of memory on the corresponding computer in actual CIs?
To process this reconciliation, define a reconciliation task with a task filter that
selects CI records at the McLean site for evaluation.
For this subset of records, use a link rule based on actual configuration item
number to search for a match between a CI and an actual CI.
If the system succeeds in matching a CI to an actual CI, it processes the

comparison rule on the reconciliation task, which compares the memory on the
computer systems in authorized CIs to the memory on the computers in actual
CIs to determine if the amounts match.

For this reconciliation task, create the following components:
! task filter to select configuration items at McLean from authorized CIs
! comparison rule that compares memory size on computer systems in

authorized CIs with memory size on computer systems in actual CIs.
Task Filter 1 Define a task filter to select only authorized CIs at the McLean site. To do this
you specify the following parameters:
Filter Type CI
Attribute SITEID
Value McLean
When you use this task filter, the system selects authorized CIs at the McLean
site for the leading set in the reconciliation.

parameters:
Data Set 1 CI
Data Set 2 ACTCI
Comparison Rule 3 In the Comparison Rules application, define a comparison rule ( with an
attributes equality clause that compares memory size for the computer
systems in authorized CIs (Data Set 1) with memory size of computer systems
in actual CIs (Data Set 2). To define the attributes equality clause, you set up
the following parameters:
! To specify the authorized CI:
Data Set 1 Class Structure 1277 (which is generic computer system)
Data Set 1 Attribute MEMSIZE
! The Operator for the comparison is =.
! To specify the actual CI:
Data Set 2 Object ACTCISPEC
Data Set 2 Class Structure 1277 (which is generic computer system)
Data Set 2Attribute MEMSIZE
Reconciliation Task 4 In the Reconciliation Tasks application, create a reconciliation task named
MemComplianceMclean that combines the following components into a
reconciliation task that you can schedule in the Cron Task Setup application:
! CI task filter for authorized CIs at the McLean site

! comparison rule that compares memory size on computer systems in

authorized CIs (Data Set 1) with memory size on computers in actual CIs
(Data Set 2).

result sets:
! instances where the object from Data Set 1 fails to reconcile against the
! instances where the object from Data Set 1 successfully matches the object
from Data Set 2

the memory compliance reconciliation task. In the Cron Task application,
make sure that you use the same value in the Value field on the Parameters
tab that you used in the Reconciliation Task field on the Reconciliation Task
tab: MemComplianceMclean.

! results for the comparison rule that evaluated memory size
explanation about why the discrepancy exists in the Comments field on the
reconciliation result tab.

Full CI Comparison
Full CI Comparison
In this sample scenario, CCMDB compares authorized CI records for computer
systems at the McLean site with actual CI records. Because this is a full CI
comparison rule, this scenario compares the relationships of authorized CIs and
the attributes associated with the authorized CIs with the relationships and
attributes associated with the corresponding actual CIs.
To process this reconciliation, define a task filter with two clauses, one that selects
authorized CI records at the McLean site and a second that selects generic
computer systems. When processing this task filter, the system selects an actual
CI only if the item is a computer system assigned to the McLean site. Both
conditions must be met. The system creates a leading set based on these two
criteria.
For the reconciliation task, use a link rule based on actual CI number to search for
a match between a computer system in authorized CIs and a computer system in
actual CIs.
In the comparison rule defined for this task, select the Full CI Comparison check
box. If the system succeeds in matching an authorized CI (that is, a computer
system at the Mclean site) to an actual CI, it processes the comparison rule on the
reconciliation task and compares the relationships and attributes of that computer
system with the corresponding computer system in actual CIs.
Note that if the system does not succeed in establishing a link between the
authorized CI and an actual CI, the system reports link failure results that you can
view in the CI Reconciliation Results application.

Because the Reconciliation Tasks application lets you go to the Task Filters, Link
Rules, and Comparison Rules applications to retrieve existing values or create
new records, you can set up most parameters from the Reconciliation Tasks
application. The following steps describe the task filter, link rule, and comparison
rule to set up. You can find step-by-step instructions for creating these
components of the reconciliation task in the online help provided for the Task
Filters, Link Rules, and Comparison Rules applications.
For this reconciliation task, you create the following components:
! CI task filter with two clauses: one to select CIs for McLean and a second
to select only generic computer systems
! comparison rule with the Full CI Comparison check box selected.
Task Filter 1 In the Task Filters application, define a task filter and select CI for the Filter
Type field.

Full CI Comparison
2 Define two clauses for the task filter:
a To select only authorized CIs at the McLean site, create a task filter
clause with the following parameters:
Attribute SITEID
Value McLean
b To select only generic computer systems, create a second task filter

clause with the following parameters:
Attribute CLASSSTRUCTUREID
Value 1277 (which is generic computer system)
When you use this task filter, the system selects computer systems at the
McLean site for the leading set in the reconciliation.
parameters:
Data Set 1 CI
Data Set 2 ACTCI
Comparison Rule 4 Define a comparison rule for full CI comparison. Name the rule, select CI for
the Data Set 1 field, and select the Full CI Comparison check box. The
Comparison Rules application disables the subtabs for data set filters,
matches found, and attributes equality. You cannot define comparison rule
filters or define comparison rule clauses when creating a full CI comparison
rule.
Reconciliation Task 5 In the Reconciliation Tasks application, set up a reconciliation task that
combines the following components into a reconciliation task that you can
schedule in the Cron Task Setup application:
! CI task filter that selects computers in authorized CIs at the McLean site

Full CI Comparison
! comparison rule that specifies a full CI comparison

result sets:
! instances where the object from Data Set 1 fails to reconcile against the
! instances where the object from Data Set 1 successfully matches the object
from Data Set 2

the full CI comparison reconciliation task. In the Cron Task application, make
sure that you use the same value in the Value field on the Parameters tab that
you used in the Reconciliation Task field on the Reconciliation Task tab.

! results for the comparison rule that evaluated CI relationships
explanation about why the discrepancy exists in the Comments field on the
reconciliation result tab.

Notices
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may be used instead. However, it is the user's responsibility to evaluate and verify
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70 IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Reconciliation Module Implementation Guide
Index
A L
Actual Configuration Items application 1 leading set 35

attribute definition operators 18 link clauses 9
attributes equality link results
defined 2, 13 deleting 48
attributes equality clauses 27 viewing 47
attributes equality example 61 link rule failure results
messages 52
viewing 52
link rules 8
components 9
C creating 11
deleting 12
duplicating 12
CI Link Results application 47 modifying 12
CI Reconciliation Results application 48 Link Rules application 8
Classification 3
comparison rule results 51
messages 51
comparison rules 13
components 14 M
creating 29
deleting 30
duplicating 30 matches found
modifying 30 defined 2, 13
Comparison Rules application 13 matches found clauses 24
Configuration Items application 1 operators 26
cron task matches found example 57
defining 44
scheduling 45
customer support v
D online support v
Data Set 1 filter clauses 15

Data Set 2 filter clauses 20
R
reconciliation cron task 44

F Reconciliation Module applications 3
reconciliation process 35
comparison phase 38
full CI comparison full CI comparison 41
creating comparison rule 41 initialization 35
creating link rule for 40 link phase 36
defined 2, 13 reconciliation results
full CI comparison example 64 deleting 56
resolving 55
viewing 47
reconciliation tasks 31
components 32
creating 33

Index
deleting 34
duplicating 34
modifying 34
setting up 4
Reconciliation Tasks application 31
sample reconciliation scenarios 57

attributes equality 61
full CI comparison 64
matches found 57
scheduling reconciliations 43
support, online v
task filters
components 6
deleting 8
duplicating 8
filter type 6
modifying 8
Task Filters application 5
wildcard characters 18

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IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database

Reconciliation Module Implementation Guide

Portions 1996-2005, i-net software GmbH

Portions 2007 Intrinsyc Software Inc. and its licensors

Portions 2001-2003 PowerTeam, Inc.

Sentry Spelling-Checker Engine Copyright 2000 Wintertree Software Inc.

Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2007. All rights reserved.

About This Publication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Chapter 1: Reconciliation Module Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 2: Setting Up a Reconciliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 3: Understanding the Reconciliation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Chapter 4: Setting Up a Full CI Comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Copyright IBM Corp. 2007 iii

Chapter 6: Viewing Results of a Reconciliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Chapter 7: Sample Reconciliation Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

iv IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Implementation Guide

This guide explains how to use Reconciliation module applications in IBM

1 Define the problem, gather background information, and determine the

2 Gather diagnostic information.

b By telephone: For the telephone number to call in your country, go to the

Copyright IBM Corp. 2007 v

vi IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Implementation Guide

The Reconciliation module applications let you compare two kinds of

! view and manage the results of reconciliations

You use Reconciliation module applications to configure a behind-the-scenes

The reconciliation process identifies successful matches as well as discrepancies

Copyright IBM Corp. 2007 1

! Attributes equality compares an attribute or attributes of a child or parent

For example, you can compare authorized CI records for computers at a

! Full CI comparison compares the relationships of authorized CIs and the

2 IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Implementation Guide

To classify configuration items, when configuring CCMDB, administrators

Reconciliation Module Applications

The Reconciliation module includes the following six applications.

Reconciliation Module Overview 3

CI Reconciliation Results This application lists two kinds of results:

! Comparison Rule Results Authorized users can view results from

! all results, both successful and failed matches

You use the following steps to set up and execute a reconciliation:

1 Set up a task filter. A task filter is optional.

2 Define one or more link rules.

3 Define one or more comparison rules. Comparison rules are optional.

4 Set up a reconciliation task.

5 Create a cron task to schedule the reconciliation.

6 View results of the reconciliation.

7 If appropriate, resolve discrepancies and document how you resolve them.

4 IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Implementation Guide

Setting Up Task Filters

! Create a new task filter.

Copyright IBM Corp. 2007 5

The Task Filters application has the following tabs:

! List to search for task filters.

Task Filter Components

! Description (optional) a brief description of the task filter.

6 IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database: Implementation Guide

Task Filter Attributes

Filter Type Attribute

Actual CI Class Structure

(This filter type does Asset Class Structure

Deployed Asset Asset Class

(This filter type does Organization

Modifying Task Filters

Duplicating Task Filters

Deleting Task Filters