Retrieving federated data stored outside BMC Helix CMDB

By using data federation, access externally stored data that is important but might not be critical to business.

While critical configuration item (CI) data is stored in the CMDB, other data that is detailed and related to the CIs can be federated to an external data store. This helps maintain the efficiency  CMDB while having the advantage of being able to view the federated data through the CMDB Explorer.

Federating non-critical data outside the CMDB includes the following benefits:

  • Reduced Data Duplication and Maintenance
  • Real-Time Access to Current Data
  • Improved CMDB Performance and Scalability

Related topics

Federated-data

Accessing-external-data-through-CMDB-by-using-Federation


Scenario

Apex Global needs to store service and maintenance records of their printers in a Microsoft SQL database.

Allen Allbrook, a BMC Helix CMDB administrator at Apex Global, knows that only core data for a configuration item (CI) should be stored in BMC Helix CMDB. Detailed and related data for those CIs should be federated to help organize CIs and make BMC Helix CMDB more efficient.

Allen determines that the service and maintenance database stores information that is related to CIs in the CMDB, and makes that data available using the retrieval method of federation. The federated data is then available for viewing from within BMC Helix CMDB through CMDB Explorer.

For example, a data store can represent data from databases (retrieval type) or launch in context links. Allen uses the Federation Manager to federate external data through a data store, making that data available to view and query with BMC Helix CMDB tools, such as the CMDB Explorer.

Allen performs the following broad steps in the Federation Manager to make the data available to view and query in BMC Helix CMDB:

  1. Create a federated data store.
  2. Create a federated data class.
  3. Create a federated relationship.

Workflow for retrieving federated data

image2019-9-25_15-38-32.png


Product | Component | Console

User

Action

Reference

Federation Manager


CMDB administrator

Create a data store and define a federated link to cross launch the CI.

Class Manager

Define a federated class

Federation Manager in the old UI

Link the CI to the federated data class using federated relationship class.


 

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