Good points on data currency, Tony. Consider also that you'll need to use an agent-based discovery tool if you have a lot of disconnected assets (like sales laptops) that you want to keep track of and possibly update when they connect via VPN. Agentless processes only are effective against objects that are usually discoverable within the network environment.
Rick -----Original Message----- From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tony Worthington Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 10:59 AM To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG Subject: Re: Real-World Value of SMS & CMDB >So what does SMS get you other than not having to pound a keyboard? The fact that nobody will want pound the keyboard, and as soon as the data is in, it's stale? Add to that data entry errors. As they say for a CMDB ... if you're not going to keep the data updated, it's not worth entering. Imagine the effort of maintaining 30k + desktops, plus 1000k+ servers and associated relationships by hand. I don't know many places that can dedicate resources to manually maintain the level of detail provided with the SMS, Discovery, etc. integrations. We don't plan on using the SMS/Discovery integrations to identify missing or stolen hardware. That's what audits are for. It's more about capturing the CI's and their relationships to assist IT in doing their job and supporting the users. Just my thoughts, Tony -- Tony Worthington [EMAIL PROTECTED] 262-703-5911 Kaiser Norm E CIV USAF 96 CS/SCCE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent by: "Action Request System discussion list(ARSList)" <arslist@ARSLIST.ORG> 06/27/2007 12:49 PM Please respond to arslist@ARSLIST.ORG To arslist@ARSLIST.ORG cc Subject Real-World Value of SMS & CMDB ** Hi everyone: I wanted to discuss the practicality issues of using SMS to populate the CMDB. I understand all (or virtually all) of the theory, but now I want to discuss the real-world practicality of it. By my estimation, the only real-world value I see in using SMS to populate the CMDB is that it saves someone from having to pound the keyboard to get system information into it. That?s it. I?ve heard some folks talk about using SMS to identify deltas within the hardware inventory. That is, on Day 1, Dell Workstation 1 was discovered by SMS. On Day 9, Dell Workstation 1 is missing. That?s a delta. An inventory manager can then be notified of that delta so that he can go figure out if Dell Workstation 1 got up and ?walked away.? But the way SMS is configured at most large sites, this would not work. In some configurations, items do not get removed from the SMS database until their machine account in the Active Directory is removed AND the machine fails to respond to polls for X amount of time. This does the enterprise no good in preventing, say, theft, as a thief does not request that the computer?s machine account be removed from the Active Directory before he steals it! Theft prevention and loss prevention are two of the justifications in the total cost of ownership calculation, according to ITIL. But SMS alone won?t get you there. You need something like RFID to truly identify instances of missing hardware. So what does SMS get you other than not having to pound a keyboard? Thoughts? Norm __20060125_______________________This posting was submitted with HTML in it___ CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This is a transmission from Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. and may contain information which is confidential and proprietary. If you are not the addressee, any disclosure, copying or distribution or use of the contents of this message is expressly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please destroy it and notify us immediately at 262-703-7000. CAUTION: Internet and e-mail communications are Kohl's property and Kohl's reserves the right to retrieve and read any message created, sent and received. Kohl's reserves the right to monitor messages to or from authorized Kohl's Associates at any time without any further consent. ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org ARSlist:"Where the Answers Are" _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org ARSlist:"Where the Answers Are"
