Overview
A CMDB is a central component of the ITIL framework. It stores 'Configuration Items' (CIs), which can be hardware, software, documentation, or even personnel, and tracks how they are interconnected.
Importance
- Impact Analysis: Understanding how a change to one CI will affect others.
- Asset Management: Tracking the lifecycle and cost of IT assets.
- Compliance: Ensuring that the IT environment matches the documented state.
Challenges
Keeping the CMDB accurate and up-to-date is a major challenge, often requiring automated discovery tools.