Federation methods in BMC Helix CMDB

BMC Helix CMDB enables you to configure federation through the following methods:

• The retrieval method enables you to view federated data as if it were stored in BMC Helix CMDB.
• The cross-launch method enables you to view federated data in another application, such as a AR System form.

Retrieval method of federation

With the retrieval method of federation, you create BMC Helix CMDB classes to represent data that is stored outside of BMC Helix CMDB. You can also create federated relationship classes that join classes that are already part of the BMC Helix CMDB data model with the new federated data classes. This method enables you to view the relationships between federated data and CMDB data through BMC Helix CMDB components such as CMDB Explorer and CMDB Impact Simulator.

The following image illustrates the retrieval method for federation objects:

A federated data class represents a set of information on the external source of data, such as a table on a database, so that data can be viewed within the context of the data model. As part of the process of creating a federated data class, BMC Helix CMDB creates attributes to represent the fields from the external repository. Federated data classes that you create are subclasses of the BMC_FederatedBaseElement class.

A federated relationship class establishes a relationship between CIs stored in BMC Helix CMDB and external data. Federated relationship classes that you create are added to the data model as subclasses of the BMC_FederatedBaseRelationship class. The source class of the relationship must be in the BMC_BaseElement hierarchy of classes, and the destination class of the relationship must be a federated data class.

A federated data class represents information from an external data source, such as a database table, making it accessible within the data model. When a federated data class is created, CMDB generates attributes to represent fields from the external source. These classes are subclasses of BMC_FederatedBaseElement.

A federated relationship class defines a connection between CIs stored in CMDB and external data. These classes are added to the data model as subclasses of BMC_FederatedBaseRelationship. The source class must belong to the BMC_BaseElement hierarchy, while the destination class must be a federated data class.

Cross-launch method of federation

In the cross-launch method of federation, you define the method of viewing the data such as opening the data on a AR System form, and then create a link between that data and CIs in BMC Helix CMDB. For example, in CMDB Portal in Federation Manager > Access Method, use the URL option to link a database through a browser, and use the AR System option to link the data through an AR System form.

BMC Helix CMDB uses several types of objects to implement federation. The following figure illustrates these objects, each of which is represented by a class in the BMC Helix CMDB metadata.

A CI class or instance has a cross-launch link to a launch interface, that provides the necessary details to access specific federated data.

The launch interface connects to a federated data store through a federated product link, identifying the external data source. Since an external source can provide multiple types of federated data, a federated data store can link to multiple launch interfaces.

If foreign key substitution is used, the federated data store establishes federated key link relationships with CIs, carrying key values that identify the federated data for each CI.

CMDB supports attribute substitution and foreign key substitution for implementing cross-launch federation.