# ITIL Configuration Management Database (CMDB) Software - ManageEngine

## Map out every single dependency of your IT infrastructure

Drive faster decisions and reduce risks while managing IT services by visually mapping CI relationships in the built-in CMDB of ServiceDesk Plus.

![Map every dependency of your IT infrastructure with ServiceDesk Plus CMDB software](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/itil-cmdb-software.png)

### Build and maintain a single source of truth for your IT infrastructure.

- Populate the CMDB with built-in discovery or through popular third-party tools.
- Build interactive business views to keep track of specific IT services.
- Associate configuration items (CIs) with key ITIL practices for better stakeholder context.
- Keep the CMDB in sync as new CIs are added in the environment.

## Remove ambiguity when making decisions about your IT infrastructure

ServiceDesk Plus' built-in CMDB is the centralized system of record for configuration data to manage complex IT infrastructures. With newly added CIs automatically synced with the CMDB as your IT environment grows, ensure your stakeholders always have accurate information while managing other ITSM practices.

## Visually map the relationships and dependencies between CIs

Schematically recreate your IT infrastructure component dependencies on a drag-and-drop canvas, defining custom relationships between CIs. Organize service-specific segments of the infrastructure into distinct business views for quick and easy reference.

### Business Views

![CMDB diagram](https://cdn.manageengine.com/products/service-desk/itsm/images/configuration-management-database-diagram.png)

*Map out intricate service dependencies between CIs and save the relationship map as a Business View.*

### CI Impact Analysis extension

![CI Impact Analysis screen showing source, destination CIs, and impact path table](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-ci-impact-analysis.png)

*Pick a specific CI, or set conditions based filtering for a particular depth and direction, and see the full impact path laid out.*

## Support ITSM practices with contextual configuration data

Gain clarity and make decisions faster by leaning on your CMDB data for managing incidents, problems, changes, projects, and releases. When CIs are associated with any ITSM process, stakeholders can effortlessly view the infrastructure dependency map in a single click.

![Configuration Management Database (CMDB) software](https://cdn.manageengine.com/products/service-desk/itsm/images/configuration-management-database-software.png)

*Track which CIs are associated across incidents, service requests, changes, problems, and releases.*

## Baseline your CMDB to detect configuration drift

Capture versioned snapshots of CIs across different points in time using CMDB Baselines to detect configuration drift, perform audits, and comply with regulations.

### Baseline Configuration

![New Baseline Configuration dialog with Configuration Based and Business View Based options](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-new-baseline-configuration.png)

*Set up a baseline configuration: Scope by CI type, or pick a business view to snapshot the whole service.*

### Compare Baselines

![Compare Baselines panel showing modified, added, and removed configuration items](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-compare-baselines.png)

*Capture point-in-time baselines of CI attributes and relationships, and compare versions to spot what was added, removed, or modified across your CMDB.*

### CI version history

![CI details page Baselines tab listing version history for a configuration item](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-ci-version-history.png)

*Baseline your CMDB to detect configuration drift. Drill down into a single CI's version history, straight from its details page.*

## Track CI data decay to keep your single source of truth trustworthy

Set up CMDB data quality policies to track incomplete, stale, and orphaned CIs. Configure the required fields for completeness, the duration for staleness, and essential relationships. Gain context at a glance within CI views on data quality metrics to ensure you have the complete picture.

### Data Quality policies

![Edit CI Type screen showing Completeness, Staleness, and Orphan data quality policies](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-data-quality-policy.png)

*Data Quality policies are configured per CI type.*

### CI Data Quality

![CI details page showing a Data Quality Metrics scorecard with completeness and orphan status](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-data-quality-scorecard.png)

*Each CI carries its Data Quality scorecard alongside its configuration.*

## Stay on top of CMDB health with a dedicated dashboard

Track CI counts by state, monitor data quality metrics like completeness, staleness, and orphaned CIs, and see how CIs connect to your ITSM practices, all from a single CMDB dashboard.

![CMDB Dashboard showing CI state summary and data quality metric charts](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-dashboard.png)

*The CMDB Dashboard surfaces CI counts by status, data quality metrics by CI type, and CI associations with other modules in a single view.*

## Track every CI back to its source with Integration Mapping

Gain insights on where you import CIs and ingest CI data from for ManageEngine applications, down to the instance. Use it to filter out your CIs in custom views, making it easier to drill down the source of your CIs and track CI duplication with ease.

![Custom CMDB list view with Integration Mapping filter options highlighted](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-integration-mapping-filter.png)

*Integration Mapping criteria in a custom CMDB list view, scoping CIs by their source integration.*

## Auto-sync newly discovered assets in the CMDB

Keep your CMDB up to date as new components are added to the infrastructure. Auto-sync newly added assets as CIs using predefined sync rules, identifier rules, and field mappings that prevent duplicate assets and CIs.

![New Sync Rule screen with conditions and automated CI relationship creation](https://www.manageengine.com/products/service-desk/itsm/images/cmdb-solution.png)

*Set up condition-based automations to sync assets as CIs and create CI relationships.*

## Automatically discover Layer 2 devices and application dependencies

Automatically sync the CMDB with Layer 2 network devices, applications, and their interdependencies through integrations with ManageEngine's full-stack observability suite for a real-time, accurate view of the entire IT environment.

![ServiceDesk Plus built-in CMDB](https://cdn.manageengine.com/products/service-desk/itsm/images/manageengine-cmdb.png)

*Get a bird's eye view of your Layer 2 devices, applications, and track their dependencies with ease.*

## Connect the CMDB with full-stack observability solutions to populate CI information and relationships

Integrate with a range of IT monitoring and observability tools and populate ServiceDesk Plus' CMDB with CIs fetched from both ManageEngine and third-party observability tools.

![Task allocation template](https://cdn.manageengine.com/products/service-desk/itsm/images/cmdb-path.svg)

![CMDB with full-stack observability solutions](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/service-desk/images/cmdb-logo.png)

## Frequently asked questions

### 1. What is a configuration management database (CMDB) in ITIL?

A CMDB is a centralized repository that maintains up-to-date information about an organization's IT infrastructure and its interdependencies. These dependencies can include IT assets, departments, and the personnel responsible for managing them.