Open Source
CMDB-Kit
The first CMDB schema designed for product delivery. Track what version is deployed where, what infrastructure supports it, and who is responsible.
The Problem
Existing CMDB schemas fall into three categories: process-centric (built around ITIL workflows), infrastructure-centric (built around what discovery tools find), and asset-centric (built around procurement and lifecycle).
None of them are designed for product delivery. If you ship software to customer sites and need to track what version is deployed where, what components make up each release, what infrastructure supports each site, and what changed since the last baseline, there is no schema for that. You end up bending a process-centric CMDB into something it was never designed to do, or tracking it all in spreadsheets.
Questions no other CMDB answers:
- What version is deployed at each customer site?
- Which sites are running a restricted feature set?
- What changed between the last two baselines?
- Which components make up this release?
- Who supports the deployment at this site?
- Was every requirement implemented in this version?
- Which media files were shipped to which sites?
Product-Centric, Not Infrastructure-Centric
The root organizing concept is the Product. A server exists because a product needs it. A database exists because a product stores data in it. The taxonomy mirrors the questions product delivery teams actually ask.
Product CMDB
Products, servers, databases, components, and the infrastructure that supports delivery. Each product gets its own branch so queries are clean and unambiguous.
Product Library
Versions, baselines, documents, certifications, deployment sites, and distribution logs. Everything about what was released, where it went, and who received it.
Directory and Lookups
Organizations, teams, people, locations, and controlled vocabulary shared across all products. One customer identity, multiple product deployments.
Three Layers, One Upgrade Path
Start small. Scale without redesign. Each layer includes everything from the layer below.
Base
20 types
Products, servers, databases, versions, deployments, teams. The minimum viable CMDB for a single product. Populate it in a day.
Extended
50 types
Baselines, certifications, assessments, licensing, SLAs, network segments, and multi-site deployment tracking. Enough to run a change advisory board.
Enterprise
78+ types
Multi-product portfolio with product-prefixed types, shared services, enterprise architecture, requirements traceability, financial tracking, and the Definitive Media Library.
Built From Production, Not Theory
Every design decision was forced by a real problem. The schema evolved through seven iterations on a production CMDB managing multiple product lines across deployment sites.
Products don't share a taxonomy
A flat schema with tags broke down when products had fundamentally different component types. Product-prefixed types let each product have its own hierarchy without polluting other products' views.
Sites are not simple
The same customer runs multiple products at different versions with different teams. Site vs Deployment Site split gives each product its own deployment record while sharing customer identity.
Custom feature sets per site
Different sites get different features based on contract scope, network classification, or security requirements. The schema tracks which features are active at which deployment.
Requirements to deployment traceability
Auditors need to trace from a requirement through to what was actually deployed. Feature Implementation creates an immutable audit record linking requirements to versions to sites.
Works With Your Platform
The same schema, the same data files, adapted to each platform's native model. Import scripts handle the translation.
JSM Assets
Atlassian Cloud and Data Center. Full schema import, data sync, AQL queries, and ScriptRunner automation.
ServiceNow
Maps to OOTB tables where possible, creates custom tables for product delivery concepts. Tested against Zurich release.
Custom Adapters
Platform-agnostic schema with documented adapter patterns. Build your own for iTop, Device42, or any other CMDB.
Need Help Setting It Up?
CMDB-Kit is free and open source. If you want help with implementation, schema customization, or adapting it to your organization's products and deployment model, Ovoco can help.