Nothing important should disappear in a summary
Each source is tracked separately. “Captured” means the material is represented below; “pending lab” is a visible gap, not an implied completion.
CMDB Fundamentals
CapturedIntroduction, Configure, Ingest, Govern, Insight, knowledge checks and simulator task list.
Lesson concepts are mapped to the visual chapters below.CSDM Fundamentals
Labs + quiz completed82 official slides, 6 labs / 87 pages, and the 15-question knowledge check.
The University UI marks CSDM Labs and CSDM Quiz completed; the overall course remains 63% because its video lessons are not marked complete.CMDB Health Deep Dive
Assessment capturedAll 32 assessment objectives and answer choices; dashboard documentation cross-check.
The video narrative is represented by its tested concepts, not copied as a transcript.Configure CMDB Simulator
Executed · 100% passedAll 15 tasks were completed and independently accepted by the official simulator validator.
Exact configuration, IRE output, source precedence and dynamic-reconciliation evidence are captured below.CMDB Health Simulator
Executed · 100% passedAll 12 published tasks were completed and independently accepted by the official simulator validator.
Persisted values, counts, scheduled jobs and query results are captured below.Open the course-by-course extraction ledger
| Course source | Captured content | Where it appears | Open gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMDB Fundamentals — Introduction | CMDB/CSDM, CI, class, attribute, relationship, Asset vs CI, principal/logical CI, foundation data, discoverable data, three pillars | Course 1 mental model and object/class visuals | None identified |
| CMDB Fundamentals — Configure | CI Class Manager, relationships, required/recommended, IRE, identifiers, data source rules, reconciliation, multisource, dynamic reconciliation, reclassification | Course 1 IRE pipeline + exact-name reference | Hands-on simulator screens tracked separately |
| CMDB Fundamentals — Ingest | Discovery phases, Service Mapping, ACC, Service Graph Connectors, IH-ETL, Import Sets, group synchronization, source values | Course 1 tool map + CSDM group precedence | None identified |
| CMDB Fundamentals — Govern | Completeness/Correctness/Compliance, health scope, duplicates, orphans, stale, remediation, lifecycle, Asset-CI sync, Data Manager | Course 1 health visual + Course 3 + reference | Health simulator screens tracked separately |
| CMDB Fundamentals — Insight | Query Builder, Unified Map, Intelligent Search/NLQ, Data Foundations, product consumption | Course 1 insight surfaces | None identified |
| CSDM Fundamentals — 82 slides | CSDM purpose/pillars, six domains, service/product terminology, lifecycle, portfolios, deprecated patterns, implementation approaches | Course 2 domain and object maps | None identified |
| CSDM Fundamentals — 6 labs / 87 pages | End-to-end model, outcomes, dynamic groups, DPM, CSM/SPM, EA/SPM; official Labs and Quiz items completed | Course 2 six-lab implementation story | No lab gap; video-only narrative remains a separate course-coverage check |
| CSDM knowledge check — 15 questions | All objectives and correct selections | Course 2 + CSDM simulator bank | None identified |
| CMDB Health Deep Dive — 32-question assessment | All stems/options, tested dashboards, playbooks, jobs, thresholds, group sync, remediation safety | Course 3 + Govern simulator bank | Video is summarized by tested concepts, not stored as transcript |
| Configure CMDB Simulator | All 15 tasks executed; exact class, identifier, dependency, multisource, static reconciliation, Data Refresh and dynamic reconciliation state verified | Course 4 + Configuration simulator bank | None identified; official result 100% Passed |
| CMDB Health Simulator | Blueprint plus all 12 tasks executed; exact rules, counts, jobs, remediation and Query Builder results verified | Course 5 + Govern/Insight simulator bank | None identified; official result 100% Passed |
One mental model for the whole certification
Read this from left to right whenever a scenario feels overloaded.
Classes, attributes, relationships, identification and source authority.
Discovery, Service Mapping, ACC, connectors and ETL feed IRE.
Health, ownership, lifecycle, remediation and Data Manager.
Queries, maps, dashboards, impact and operational decisions.
A CMDB stores managed objects and meaningful relationships
cost · contract · depreciation · stockroom
status · owner · relationships · incidents
Class hierarchy is a family tree
A table in the hierarchy. Child classes inherit parent fields and behavior.
Name, serial number, OS, owner, lifecycle stage.
Depends on::Used by, Runs on::Runs, Contains::Contained by.
Constrains CI selection in consuming processes so users do not browse every technical class.
Software, a service, or another logical construct can still be a CI when its configuration matters.
Users, groups, companies, and locations give CIs context but are not stored as CI relationships.
OS/RAM/MAC may be discovered; ownership, warranty, and financial values need authoritative non-discovery sources.
IRE is a controlled border crossing
Insert only if the data source rule allows it.
Update only the attributes the source is authorized to change.
Duplicate condition; IRE cannot choose one unique CI.
Identification, reconciliation and multisource — full detail
- Identification uses stable identifiers. Name or IP alone is often weak; installed applications may need host and installation/configuration path context.
- Static reconciliation uses source priorities. Lower order means higher priority. Data refresh can let a lower-priority source update a value after the winning source becomes stale.
- Dynamic reconciliation calculates a winner: First Reported, Most Reported, Last Reported, Largest or Smallest. It overrides static reconciliation for the same attribute.
- Multisource CMDB / CMDB 360 retains source-specific values in
cmdb_multisource_data; rejected values are not simply lost. glide.identification_engine.multisource_enabledis the master capability switch; separate properties covercmdb_ciand non-CMDB classes.
Choose the ingestion path by the shape of the problem
Broad technical inventory. Scan → Classify → Identify → Explore.
OS, RAM, MAC, processes, devicesStart with one service and map the stack that delivers it.
impact and root-cause contextLightweight agent-based discovery and near-real-time monitoring.
endpoints and workloadsSupported vendor integration from the Store; CMDB- and IRE-aware.
ready vendor feedBuild mappings when no packaged connector fits.
extract · transform · loadUse CMDBTransformUtil from onBefore to invoke IRE.
Govern asks three different quality questions
Required + recommended
Duplicates + orphans + stale
Desired State + scripted audits
Govern — tested details that must not be skipped
Correctness
- Duplicate = multiple records for one real object.
- Orphan = missing required relationship; there are no baseline orphan rules.
- Stale uses
sys_updated_on; the course example is 60 days.
Reclassification
- Upgrade: parent → child.
- Downgrade: child → parent.
- Switch: another hierarchy branch.
- Downgrade/switch can lose class-specific data.
Data Manager
- Retirement, Archiving, Deletion, Attestation, Certification.
- Archive/delete require a retired or end-of-life CI.
- De-duplication and reclassification are not Data Manager policy types.
Lifecycle
- Use Life Cycle Stage + Stage Status for modern CSDM alignment.
- CI/Asset synchronization uses
life_cycle_mapping. - Asset and CI keep different lifecycle purposes.
Insight chooses the surface that answers the question
Find CIs that match class, attribute and relationship conditions.
Blend service maps and dependency views; inspect incidents and changes.
Translate a question into CMDB search context.
Indicators, priorities, risks and remediation playbooks.
Six domains: follow the idea until it is consumed
Users · groups · companies · locations
Mission · goals · product ideas · planning
Capabilities · business apps · information objects
SDLC components · deployables · digital assets
Service instances · technical services · CIs
Business services · offerings · subscriptions
One Online Shop, seen from every layer
All environments, ownership, cost, risk and roadmap. Not a running stack.
cmdb_ci_applDiscoverable installed or running software component.
One deployed stack/environment with operational dependencies.
Operational value delivered to a business consumer.
Internal technical capability used to support services and instances.
Commitments, region, environment, price, support hours and responsible groups.
Group precedence: specific beats general
Server → Managed by: Server Team
Production Unix → Unix Support
query selects exact CIs
Managed by · Support · Change
Why Discovery cannot solve this: a scan can observe OS and RAM; it cannot reliably infer organizational responsibility. CSDM - Sync Group Attributes transfers the governed group values.
The six official labs form one implementation story
Foundation data → Business Application/Capability/Information Object → Business Service/Offering → Technology Service/Offering → Service Instance.
Auto-route Incident and Change, inspect Dependency View and Unified Map, trace Event Management root cause, review EA context.
CMDB Group query → Dynamic CI Group → Technology Offering → groups synchronized by scheduled jobs.
Portfolio → Taxonomy Node → Service → Offering → infrastructure. KPIs map, inherit and roll up.
Sold Product, Product Model, Offering, Account and Case connect customer consumption to service delivery.
Product Idea and Demand extend Planning Item and connect the strategy pipeline to Business Applications.
Lab implementation details and operational outcomes
Lab 1 — creation path
Build groups/locations, Business Application, Capability and Information Object; create Business and Technology Management Services/Offerings; use Application Service Wizard to create and relate the Service Instance.
Lab 2 — routing and impact
Incident uses the CI Support group, with offering context as fallback; Change uses Change group. Dependency View, Unified Map and Event Management consume the service relationships.
Lab 3 — dynamic populations
CMDB Group encoded query → Dynamic CI Group cmdb_ci_query_based_service → Technology Offering. Update Query Based Services refreshes membership; CSDM Data Sync applies groups.
Lab 3 — Change behavior
Selecting a Dynamic CI Group can unpack matching records into Affected CIs; Refresh Impacted Services then recalculates impacted service context.
Lab 4 — DPM
Portfolio → Taxonomy Node → Service → Offering → infrastructure. KPI Group and KPI Mapping support daily collection, inheritance and roll-up.
Labs 5–6 — cross-product model
Sold Product/Product Model link customer consumption to offerings. Product Idea and Demand extend Planning Item and expose the strategy pipeline in Enterprise Architecture.
CSDM lifecycle, portfolios and release-sensitive terminology
Lifecycle
Use Life Cycle Stage and Life Cycle Stage Status. Logical and physical objects use appropriate value sets.
Deprecated patterns
Use_for gives way to Environment; prefer modern lifecycle fields; avoid the base Service class when a Business or Technology Management Service class fits.
TEAMs
Modern responsibility patterns replace older generic cmdb_rel_group approaches. Recognize both old and current labels in questions.
Implementation
Outcome-centric, domain-centric and step-wise approaches are all incremental. CSDM is not an all-at-once migration.
CSDM Labs, Read Me: Before Taking Quiz and CSDM Quiz are marked completed in ServiceNow University. The six-lab, 87-page package is represented above. This does not claim that the entire 5 h 51 min video course is complete.CMDB Health Deep Dive
Turn a red indicator into an evidence-based remediation decision.
Do not start with the fix; read the whole metric
Percentage of records meeting the condition.
Foundation-prescribed order of attention.
Internal risk can override the default priority order.
Open evidence and its Get Well playbook.
Exam nuance: with equal business drivers, dashboard priority wins even if another metric has a lower result. A stronger internal business driver is a valid reason to reverse that order.
Every Get Well playbook tells the same causal story
No naming standard, duplicate source, direct writes, missing ownership, no class review.
Unique Locations, stale CIs, custom CMDB tables, dynamic groups without CMDB Group.
Wrong routing, poor binding, slower MTTR, unsafe changes, low trust.
Inspect records, use guidance, test scripts, record rollback, verify the metric again.
High-yield playbooks from the official assessment
Use hierarchical, clear and unique names; populate Full name; maintain one authoritative source.
Reference qualifier and an appropriate business rule reduce empty or invalid CI values.
Upstream causes: no class review and no CMDB customization governance.
Improves CI selection/binding and removes confusing duplicate rows.
Fresh data supports accurate analysis and better decisions.
Supports affected-CI population and safer patch/change execution.
Ownership becomes discoverable; routing and operational accountability improve.
Less manual validation and greater trust in CMDB data.
CMDB Data Foundations and CSDM Data Foundations are not the same dashboard
Best Practices · Customizations · Data Management Practices · ITSM Processes
Immediate refresh: CMDB Get Well Metric Collection + CMDB Data Foundations PA Metric CollectionFoundation · Crawl · Walk · Run · Fly
Indicators connect CSDM relationships and product outcomes to remediation guidance.Exact names worth recognizing
These names, scopes and release-sensitive distinctions are the layer that generic platform experience may not supply.
Properties
glide.required.attribute.enabledIRE enforcement of required attributes; disabling it relaxes enforcement.glide.identification_engine.multisource_enabledMaster switch for Multisource CMDB / CMDB 360.glide.identification_engine.multisource_cmdb_ci_enabledSource values for classes extending cmdb_ci.glide.identification_engine.multisource_non_cmdb_ci_enabledSource values for non-CMDB classes. Do not lose the word non.glide.identification_engine.skip_duplicatesCourse default: true; controls processing when IRE encounters multiple matches.glide.identification_engine.skip_duplicates.thresholdCourse default: 5; limits duplicate matches processed in this mode.glide.class.upgrade.enabledGlobal automatic parent → child reclassification.glide.class.downgrade.enabledGlobal automatic child → parent reclassification.glide.class.switch.enabledGlobal automatic move to another hierarchy branch.glide.identification_engine.update_without_upgrade_enabledAllow attribute update while blocking upgrade.glide.identification_engine.update_without_downgrade_enabledAllow attribute update while blocking downgrade.glide.identification_engine.update_without_switch_enabledAllow attribute update while blocking switch.glide.cmdb.query.nlq.activatedActivates natural-language CMDB query capability.Jobs, rules, tables and roles
CMDB Health Dashboard - Completeness Score CalculationRecalculates Completeness.CMDB Get Well Metric CollectionRefreshes Get Well metric data.CMDB Data Foundations PA Metric CollectionRefreshes CMDB Data Foundations reporting.Update Query Based ServicesRefreshes query-based / Dynamic CI Group populations.CSDM Data SyncScheduled group-value synchronization for the CSDM pattern.CSDM - Sync Group AttributesBusiness rule associated with Managed by, Support and Change groups.cmdb_health_metric_statusHealth metric status records.cmdb_multisource_dataSource-specific values used by Multisource CMDB.life_cycle_mappingMappings used for CI/Asset lifecycle synchronization.data_manager_admin / data_manager_userCMDB Data Manager roles in the course.CSDM class names
cmdb_ci_business_appBusiness Application: logical portfolio/planning record; not a deployed stack.cmdb_ci_applApplication: discoverable installed/running code or application component.cmdb_ci_service_autoService Instance / former Application Service: one deployed operational stack.cmdb_ci_serviceBusiness Service: operational consumer-facing service.cmdb_ci_service_technicalTechnology Management Service: provider-focused technical capability.service_offeringSpecific consumable option beneath a service, including commitments and group fields.cmdb_ci_query_based_serviceDynamic CI Group: query-defined operational CI population.sn_cmdb_ws_nlq_sample_searchSample NLQ searches; companion table configuration uses sn_cmdb_ws_nlq_sample_search_table.Old label → current label
- 1Validate the MID ServerProve that the integration execution point is ready before testing data behavior.
- 2Create the new classPut the object in the correct hierarchy and inherit the right attributes.
- 3–6Test identification under variationBaseline identity, version upgrade, a second Mongoose app on the same host, then a second discovery source.
- 7–8Enable and verify Multisource CMDBRetain source-specific values and confirm which source value becomes the CI value.
- 9–11Configure and test static reconciliationDefine source authority, then test ServiceNow and LANDesk behavior separately.
- 12–13Create and test Data RefreshAllow a lower-priority source only when the preferred value is stale.
- 14–15Create and test Dynamic ReconciliationChoose the winner from reported values rather than a fixed source order.
Exact class and IRE design verified in the lab
Mongoose Web Server configuration
u_cmdb_ci_mongoose_web_serverChild of cmdb_ci_web_server; display name and icon are Mongoose Web Server / Web Server.Mongoose Web Server ruleDependent identification rule, active, priority 100.sys_class_name + running_process_commandIdentifier criteria. Version is deliberately excluded, so an upgrade updates the existing installation.Runs on::Runs → HardwareInherited dependent relationship that supplies the host context.UPDATE the existing application CI.INSERT a second application CI on the same host.NO_CHANGE.Source control chain verified in the lab
- 1Enable source history
glide.identification_engine.multisource_enabled = true. CMDB 360 stores source-specific values incmdb_multisource_data. - 2Apply static precedenceWindows Server rule applies to all attributes:
ServiceNow[1]outranksLANDesk[2]. Lower numeric order means higher authority. - 3Observe a rejected attributeAfter ServiceNow set RAM to 2048, a LANDesk payload reporting 4096 returned
maskedAttributes: ["ram"]. The payload was identified, but RAM remained protected. - 4Permit a stale-value exceptionData Refresh rule: ServiceNow, effective duration 7 days. LANDesk then updated the pre-seeded stale
SPLI-WIN-SERVERRAM to 4096 without becoming permanently higher priority. - 5Override static order for one attributeDynamic rule
Largest Valueon RAM. A later ServiceNow payload reporting 2048 triggeredDYNAMIC_RECONCILIATION; the CI displayed 4096 from the stored LANDesk value.
In the final task the CI can show Discovery source = ServiceNow because ServiceNow submitted the latest accepted payload, while RAM = 4096 because Dynamic Reconciliation selected the largest source-specific value. Use cmdb_datasource_last_update and CMDB 360 data to explain field authority and source history.
Task Result: Success; the simulator reported 100% Passed and awarded the Configure the CMDB micro-certification.CMDB Health Simulator
Exact lab logic: configure → calculate → inspect evidence → remediate → recalculate.
Dashboard configuration · tasks 1–4
- 1Activate and execute the three Health jobs
Completeness Score Calculation,Compliance Score Calculation,Correctness Score Calculation. Verify Active, nine complete rows incmdb_health_metric_status, and dashboard scores. Lab scope: 3.01K CIs. - 2Create a Health-type CMDB GroupName:
Unix and Windows Servers. Combine AIX, HPUX, Solaris and Windows Server classes with encoded queries/conditions; sample scope is 146 CIs. Re-run all three score jobs. - 3Schedule all three Scorecard jobsActive, twice daily, at 07:00 and 19:00, starting today. A calculated score is only as current as the last successful job.
- 4Configure Server recommended fields
Location,Owned by,Support group. Run Completeness Scorecard; the lab verifies 110/146 CIs missing at least one recommended value.
Compliance and correctness · tasks 5–9
- 5Build a desired-state audit chainFilter scopes
cmdb_ci_win_server; template requires Windows 2012 R2 Standard, 2016 Standard or 2019 Datacenter; audit references the template and is executed. Scope → pass criteria → run. - 6Expose only relevant audit resultsDeactivate base-system audits, keep the custom Windows Audit active, run Compliance Score Calculation. Sample result: 54/123 failed, therefore 56% compliant; after duplicate remediation the denominator can be 122.
- 7Create an Email Server orphan ruleAn Email Server is orphaned when it lacks
Runs on::Runstocmdb_ci_server. Run Correctness Scorecard; sample evidence is 7/11 orphaned. - 8Create class-specific staleness rulesWindows Server: 7 days; Unix Server: 14 days. The displayed Healthy value is the number of non-stale CIs, not the number of stale CIs.
- 9Remediate a duplicate without data lossKeep the oldest OWA-SD-01 as main CI; copy Cost center, Company and Assigned to from the duplicate; merge all relationships; then delete the duplicate. Re-run Correctness and verify both the remaining record and the closed-complete task.
Reclassification and Query Builder · tasks 10–12
- 10Force manual review of every reclassificationSet
glide.class.upgrade.enabled,glide.class.downgrade.enabledandglide.class.switch.enabledtofalse, so upgrade, downgrade and switch produce review tasks instead of being applied automatically. - 11Build and independently validate a simple querySaved query returns only Windows 2012 R2 Standard, 2016 Standard and 2019 Datacenter servers. Run it, note the count, store the count in Description, and save again.
- 12Connect CMDB and non-CMDB dataQuery
Configuration ItemwhereOwned byis empty, connected toIncidentwhere Priority is1 - Critical. Results must satisfy both sides of the relationship.
The simulator validates persisted configuration and recalculated evidence. Saving a rule is not enough: run the named job, wait for completion, refresh the metric if necessary, and verify both the scoped records and the displayed score.
Task Result: Success; the simulator reported 100% Passed and awarded the CMDB Health micro-certification. Counts above are the observed lab evidence, not generic production defaults.Thirty-second decision board
Use this before a drill, not as a replacement for the chapters.