Configuring multitenancy

Multitenancy refers to a situation where a single application on a server supports multiple client organizations. In BMC Discovery, this means the ability to scan the estates of multiple organizations, and to assign a company name attribute to that scan. Any CMDB CIs created as a result of that scan can be assigned the appropriate company name. The BMC Discovery data is not segregated for multiple tenants, it is simply a way to pass company names to the CMDB.

The company name is assigned to the cdm_company attribute on the Discovery Run node. This is mapped onto CMDB CIs created as a result of that scan and assigned to the Company attribute.

Multitenancy is a global setting, it is either enabled or disabled. When you configure multitenancy, you select a default company. That becomes the default for all new discovery runs, though you can choose to set any other company name, or none (no company).

Multitenancy is not supported in RemedyForce and Service Now CMDBs.

Important considerations when using multitenancy

Multitenancy obtains company names from the CMDB. Therefore, you must have a working CMDB Sync connection. Alternatively, you can also obtain company names from BMC Remedy ITSM if it is installed. You do not need to have performed a synchronization, but the connection must be configured and have been successfully tested, with a CMDB user having administrator privileges. Once this is set up, the Lookup Companies list is populated.

The company list on the appliance is not automatically refreshed from the CMDB. If you do not see a company that you are expecting to see, refresh the list by clicking Test Connection on the CMDB Sync connection page. Similarly, if you add a new company name to BMC Remedy ITSM, you must refresh the list by clicking Test Connection on any CMDB Sync connection page.

If there is no company information available from ITSM, the Default Company does not contain any company names. Instead, it displays No Company.

Multitenancy in Consolidation deployments

In consolidating systems with multiple Scanning appliances feeding a Consolidation appliance, it is the Consolidation appliance that requires the CMDB sync connection. Scanning appliances should not be configured to synchronize with the CMDB, they should send data to the Consolidation appliance. As part of the communication that occurs between associated Consolidation and Scanning appliances, the company list on the Consolidation appliance is automatically populated to the Scanning appliances. However, the list on the consolidating appliance is not automatically refreshed from the CMDB.

When you are working on a Scanning appliance, and you do not see a company that you are expecting to, you must log onto the Consolidation appliance and refresh the list on the Consolidation appliance by clicking Test Connection on any CMDB Sync connection page.

In a multitenancy configuration, if default company is changed on a scanning appliance, it is overwritten by the consolidator. 

To enable multitenancy

1. From the main menu, click the Administration icon. The Administration page displays. From the Model section, click CMDB Sync.
2. The CMDB Sync page is displayed. If CMDB Sync connections exist, they are shown here.
   
   
3. Click the Multitenancy Disabled link. 
   The Multitenancy dialog box is displayed.
   
   
4. Select Enabled, choose a default company from the company list dropdown, and click Apply. The list of companies is not populated until one connection has been successfully tested.
5. The CMDB Sync page is displayed, and the Multitenancy Disabled link is replaced with Multitenancy Enabled: Company Name.
   
   
   
   You can also enable multitenancy when adding the first CMDB connection.

To disable multitenancy

1. From the CMDB Sync page, click the Multitenancy Enabled: Company Name link. 
2. Deselect Enabled and click Apply.
   
3. The CMDB Sync page is displayed, and the Multitenancy Enabled: Company Name link is replaced with Multitenancy Disabled.