The Planning of a Configuration Management Database for Suomen Erillisverkot Oy : CMDB and Management Model

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving field of information technology, organizations face ever increasing difficulties concerning scalability and effectivization. This document explores the planning of a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) as a potential solution for Suomen Erillisverkot Oy, and the challenges they are facing. The aims are to explore CMDB concepts and to generate a management model which will serve as groundwork and depict how the project should be managed going forward. To ensure that the management model and concepts presented align with the company needs, a qualitative research approach is befitting. Interviews and observations were conducted in order to explore the depths of the organization and thus target the main problems while attempting to utilize pre-existing resources for CMDB needs. The key findings and recommendations of the study are as follow: A Configuration Control Board (CCB) must be established. This group serves as the main driving entity for the project. The different responsibilities depicted in the management model (demand management, configuration management & planning, configuration control and verification & audit) must be delegated to further increase progress in the planning phase. Eventual implementation of a CMDB needs to be done by constructing the database with a horizontal approach. This means that first one service is completely depicted in the CMDB followed by another. Due to the long-term quality of the project and scalability concerns of the company it is vital that the CMDB project stays dynamic. The significance of this document is that it shines a light on the small niche of a management model within a CMDB application and could serve as a guideline for other similar companies.