Open source CMDB, or Configuration Management Database, is an essential tool designed to help IT professionals monitor and manage the entirety of their infrastructure. It is, simply put, the central storehouse of all relevant information about the components of an automated system and their relationships. Being open source, it allows IT teams to customize to specific requirements, which one cannot typically do with proprietary CMDB solutions. This also makes it a more cost-effective choice, as it doesn’t sustain licensing fees.
You might wonder: **What is Open source CMDB, and how to use it?**. Using an open source CMDB includes building a master data list, updating the database regularly, and harnessing its power to enhance your organization’s productivity. After the selection and successful deployment of a suitable open-source CMDB tool (such as i-doit, Ralph or CMDBuild), the first step lies in creating a master data list – a detailed inventory of your IT assets. These could include servers, computers, software, licenses, cloud services, network devices, and more. Regularly update this database to reflect changes, including software upgrades or new hardware purchases.
With this database in place, your IT team can now take proactive measures based on the insights provided by the CMDB. For example, they can quickly identify obsolete hardware requiring replacement, avoid license issues by tracking software, or even resolve any IT outage faster by identifying the affected assets. In short, using an open-source CMDB allows for more transparency, better oversight, and more efficient IT operations.