Case Study: Effectively

Planning for an Enterprise-

Scale CMDB Implementation 
Antonio Rolle
VP of Professional Services
 Objectives

• Review why a CMDB is essential to and

is the foundation of your BSM strategy
• Outline the known challenges that
require planning at the outset of a
CMDB initiative
• Drill down into the approach and
lessons learned in the initial stages of
a CMDB rollout for one of the largest
financial institutions in North America
 Agenda

• Brief Review: The CMDB

• Known Pitfalls in CMDB Deployments

• Case Study: Leading Financial

Services Enterprise
Brief
Brief Review:
Review: The
The CMDB
CMDB
 The Configuration
Management Database
(CMDB) is at the heart of
aligning business with IT.
 The CMDB should -
“
... (1.) Hold the (a.)relationships between all system
components, including incidents, problems, known
errors, changes and releases… (b.)information
about incidents, known errors and problems, and
corporate data about employees, locations and
business units... often… (c.)details of services and
to (2.) relate them to the underlying IT
components…and (3.) store inventory
details… such as suppliers, cost, purchase date,
and renewal date for a license..

”
SOURCE: Office of Government Commerce
 The CMDB should -
“
... (1.) Hold the (a.)relationships between all system
components, including incidents, problems, known
errors, changes and releases… (b.)information
about incidents, known errors and problems, and
corporate data about employees, locations and
business units... often… (c.)details of services and
to (2.) relate them to the underlying IT
components…and (3.) store inventory
details… such as suppliers, cost, purchase date,
and renewal date for a license..

”
SOURCE: Office of Government Commerce
 The CMDB should -
“
... (1.) Hold the (a.)relationships between all system
components, including incidents, problems, known
errors, changes and releases… (b.)information
about incidents, known errors and problems, and
corporate data about employees, locations and
business units... often… (c.)details of services and
to (2.) relate them to the underlying IT
components…and (3.) store inventory
details… such as suppliers, cost, purchase date,
and renewal date for a license..

”
SOURCE: Office of Government Commerce
 The CMDB should -
“
... (1.) Hold the (a.)relationships between all system
components, including incidents, problems, known
errors, changes and releases… (b.)information
about incidents, known errors and problems, and
corporate data about employees, locations and
business units... often… (c.)details of services and
to (2.) relate them to the underlying IT
components…and (3.) store inventory
details… such as suppliers, cost, purchase date,
and renewal date for a license..

”
SOURCE: Office of Government Commerce
Why use a CMDB to do this?

1. Control

2. Integration

3. Decision Support
 Reality Check
• External Factors are Driving our Clients to a CMDB-
centric Service Management Architecture
– Software Providers Are Moving to a CMDB-centric Software
Architecture- You Will Soon Have a CMDB Platform,
probably more than 1
– IT “Supply Chain” Efficiency Requirements

• This is not a Process & Tool initiative, it’s an enterprise

wide shift
Known
Known Pitfalls
Pitfalls in
in CMDB
CMDB Deployments
Deployments
“
Understanding the relationship
between ITIL, IT asset
management, and CMDB
management will help IT construct
and align infrastructure services
to business needs.
Thomas Mendel, PhD - Forrester Research
”
 5 Common Questions

• How wide and how deep should the CMDB be?

• How should I define a configuration item?
• How do I decide if I need to federate information?
• If I do federate, how do I integrate?
• What is the first step I need to take?
 The Big Question
What level of effort and resources will be
involved with implementing a CMDB in
terms of:
People?
Processes?
Technology?
 Common CMDB Implementation Pitfalls
• Unclear business focus
• Unrealistic expectations
• An all-or-nothing approach
• Running the implementation as an IT project
• Improper balance between strategic efforts and
short-term wins
• Treating implementation as a one-time project
• Lack of organizational commitment
 Stages in the Building Process

1. Assemble the Project Team

& Define the Project
2. Define Requirements &
Create IT Service Model Blueprint
3. Select CMDB Solution and Tools
4. Construct & Maintain the CMDB
5. Drive Ongoing Value
 Stages in the Building Process

1. Assemble the Project Team

& Define the Project
2. Define Requirements &
Create IT Service Model Blueprint
3. Select CMDB Solution and Tools
4. Construct & Maintain the CMDB
5. Drive Ongoing Value
Case
Case Study:
Study: Leading
Leading Financial
Financial Services
Services
Enterprise
Enterprise
 Case Study
• Company Profile:
– Fortune 100 Banking Institution
– Over 20 million individual, business and institutional
clients served at more than 6,000 retail branches
– Reported more than $440 billion in assets managed
and administered
– 150,000+ employees

• Environment:
– Remedy Asset Management v5.5
– 13+ Remedy Developers
– Over 20 Federated Data Sources
Stage 1: Assemble the Project Team &
Define the Project

• Create Project Executive Board

• Select Project Manager
• Scope Key Activities
• Select Project Team
• Finalize Project Plan
Stage 3: Select CMDB Solution and
Tools

• Select CMDB Solution

• Plan the CMDB Population
• Select Tools to Automate CMDB
Solution
• Calculate Project ROI
Stage 3: Select CMDB Solution and
Tools

• Select CMDB Solution

• Plan the CMDB Population
• Select Tools to Automate
CMDB Population
• Calculate Project ROI
Stage 1: Assemble the Project Team &
Re-Define the Project

• Create Project Executive Board

• Select Project Manager
• Scope Key Activities
• Select Project Team Our clients like to
bring us in as a
• Finalize Project Plan when
neutral party
projects
cross functional
lines
 Defining the Activities is Easy…

… Building the timelines is a different

challenge.

– You have to get fairly deep, both

functionally and technically to
accurately establish timelines: build in
plenty of time to deal with unknowns
– Don’t underestimate how badly your
timelines can get hosed if you don’t
closely gauge (and manage)
personnel availability
 Internal Resources
Role from Organization Avail.
Executive Sponsor 10%
Configuration Management Process Owner 80%
Asset Management Process Owner 80%
Your stakeholder list Other Process Owners( > CMM Lvl 2)(each) 40%
will be larger than
you thought Software Librarian 60%
possible(!) Software Licensing Manager 40%
Configuration Managers 15%
Obtaining the
Information you Program Manager 80%
need and the Asset and Configuration Reports 70%
consensus required Subject Matter Expert
is half the battle Federated Systems Subject Matter Expert (ea) 20%
Other extended team members may include 5%
HR, Audit, Accounting and select customers.
 External Resources
Consider bringing in
a firm to partner Role from generationE Availability
with you if… Technologies
Project Manager/Managing Consultant 100%
1) You can’t ITIL Process Advisor 80%
dedicate the Process Engineer/Technical writer 50%
right resources
to the project Sr. Configuration Management 100%
Consultant
2) You think an
outside party Sr. Asset Management Consultant 100%
might be able to AR System Consultant 60%
navigate the
functional areas
more effectively
Stage 2: Defining CMDB Requirements
1. Identify & Review 5. Define Service Catalog
Governance Requirements
Requirements 6. Define CMDB
2. Review and Select Requirements to Support
Supporting Best Other Processes
Practices 7. Define CI Level & IT
3. Identify Requirements Service Model
to Address Potential 8. Define CI Relationships
Problems 9. Define CI Attributes
4. Identify Inventory & 10.Design IT Service Model
Asset Management Blueprint
Requirements
 Identify & Review Governance
Requirements

• Identify Key Governance

& Regulatory Stakeholders (SOx, Gramm-
Leach-Bliley, FFIEC, Internal/External Auditors)
• Scope Potential Use of a CMDB (Identify CI’s,
Relationships, Fixed Asset Register)
• Collect and Document Requirements
• Get Approvals
Review and Select Supporting Best Practices

• Research Relevant Best

Practice Frameworks
• Select Appropriate Best
Practice Frameworks
• Document Best Practices
• Check Current Levels of Adherence
• Publish and Distribute Best Practices
 Identify Requirements to
Address Potential Problems

• Review Knowledge Sources

• Document Potential Problems
• Identify Root Causes
• Identify Potential Solutions
• Document Project Requirements
 Identify Inventory & Asset
Management Requirements
• Determine Asset Definition
• List Asset Categories
• Identify Owners of Listed Assets
• Identify Data Inventory Data
Requirements
• Identify Asset Data Requirements
• Compile Inventory Asset Requirements
Drill Down - Inventory and Asset

• This project was driven by the Asset

Management process area with a focus
on:
– Identification
– Control
– Verification & Audit
Define Service Catalog Requirements

• Identify Key Service Catalog

Stakeholders
• Scope Service Catalog CMDB Use
• Collect & Document Requirements
• Publish Approved CMDB Requirements
Define Service Catalog Requirements

• Identify Key Service Catalog

Stakeholders
• Scope Service Catalog CMDB Use
• Collect & Document Requirements
• Publish Approved CMDB Requirements
Define CMDB Requirements to Support
Other Processes
• Identify Stakeholders
• Discover & Distill Requirements to
Support Other Processes
• Review and Agree on CMDB
Requirements to Support Other
Processes
• Publish CMDB Requirements
Drill Down - Process Integration

• Incident & Problem Management

• Change Management
• Asset Management
• Service Continuity Management
• 20 Federated Data Sources
Define CI Level & IT Service Model

• Establish Working Group

• Create A Straw Model Structure
• Validate Straw Model Structure
• Document the Structure, Guidelines
& Criteria
BMC Atrium CMDB 2.0- Common Data Model
 Define CI Relationships

• Define CI Relationship Types

• Review & Agree
• Document Relationship Design
 Define CI Attributes

• Consider Management & Maintenance

• Review
• Document
Design IT Service Model Blueprint

• Document & Validate Blueprint

• Define Governance, Roles &
Procedures
• Review
• Publish
Stage 3: Select CMDB Solution and Tools

• Select CMDB Solution

• Plan the CMDB Population
• Select Tools to Automate CMDB
Population
• Calculate Project ROI
Stages in the Building Process
1. Assemble the Project Team
& Define the Project
2. Define Requirements &
Create IT Service Model Blueprint
3. Select CMDB Solution and Tools
4. Construct & Maintain the CMDB
5. Drive Ongoing Value
 Timeline

Task Description Calendar Days

0 Project Redefinition 4 months
1 Assemble the Project Team 3 weeks
& Define the Project
2 Define Requirements & Create IT 3 months
Service Model Blueprint
3 Select CMDB Solution and Tools TBD
4 Construct & Maintain the CMDB TBD
5 Drive Ongoing Value TBD
 Lessons Learned
• Internal & External Perspectives
are Required for Success
• Large Organizations Are
Slow to Adopt Change
• Project Team Knowledge of ITIL Required
• Continued Sponsor Engagement is Critical
 Next Steps
• Identify Change Agents, Advocates,
Sponsor and potential project team.
• Identify risks and mitigation plans.
• Register as a project.
• Draft CMDB goals/objectives and link
to organizational goals.
• Evaluate process maturity to determine
which processes would be affected.
• Finalize the Service Catalog, formally or informally.
• Read Malcolm Fry’s book, “Step-by-Step Guide to
Building a CMDB”…and other resources.
 Discussion

Antonio Rolle

antonio.rolle@generationetech.com

http://www.generationETech.com