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Reconciling discovered data

BMC Atrium CMDB contains datasets, each of which holds a distinct set of configuration data. Datasets can store data from a variety of discovery applications. The same computer system or other CI can exist in more than one dataset.

Data that is transferred from the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation database to BMC Atrium CMDB is initially stored in a special dataset called the BMC BladeLogic Import dataset. The Dataset ID for this dataset is BMC.IMPORT.BL.

To consolidate data from the BMC BladeLogic Import dataset into the BMC Asset dataset, you use the Reconciliation Engine. The Reconciliation Engine uses the BladeLogic Data Reconciliation Process Job to consolidate the data. The reconciliation process consists of an Identification activity and a Merge activity.

Understanding the Identification activity

The Identification activity of the reconciliation process matches instances among multiple datasets, confirming that each represents the same real-life object. Instances are records in a configuration management database; they can represent CIs or relationships.

BMC BladeLogic Atrium Integration and BMC Atrium Discovery and Dependency Mapping detect computer system A and create an instance of computer system A in each of their datasets. The Identification activity compares each dataset with the BMC Asset dataset separately to determine if computer system A already exists in the BMC Asset dataset.

The Identification activity first compares the Token IDs that each discovery source creates based on Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation scanning technology or UNIX system calls. Because BMC Atrium Integrator transfers relationship data that relates child components (such as disk drives or IP addresses) with their parent computer systems, the Reconciliation Engine considers Token IDs to be unique to each computer system.

If the Reconciliation Engine cannot match the Token IDs to those in the BMC Asset dataset (or the Token ID attribute is not used in the Identification rule), the Identification activity compares other key attributes (such as Name, SerialNumber, and HostName ). If the Identification process determines that the instances match, it assigns the match a reconciliation identity.

If the BMC Asset dataset contains no matching instance, the Reconciliation Engine creates a new instance in the BMC Asset dataset and assigns that instance a reconciliation identity.

Understanding the Merge activity

After the Reconciliation Engine identifies the data, it merges the data into the BMC Asset dataset. Matching instances become a single instance that represents the computer system. CIs that do not match a BMC Asset instance become new instances.

The Merge activity compares precedence values between a source dataset and the BMC Asset dataset, selects the data with the highest precedence, and writes that data to the BMC Asset dataset. You can specify precedence at the dataset, the class, or the attribute level.

BMC BladeLogic Atrium Integration uses best practice categorization. If you are also using BMC Atrium Discovery and Dependency Mapping, it must be configured to use best practice categorization to ensure that the reconciliation process works correctly.

For more information about the reconciliation process, see the BMC Atrium CMDB Normalization and Reconciliation Guide.

Renamed servers

In BMC Server Automation version 8.0 and later, you can rename servers in the BMC Server Automation environment. Renamed servers are added as new entries in the BMC Atrium CMDB. The original entries are deleted from the BMC.IMPORT.BL Dataset.

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