There is No CMDB Without Ownership
The most critical distinction about Data Owners is that their role is fundamentally different from that of Data Providers. Managing the CMDB is a complex task that requires coordination and collaboration across multiple teams and stakeholders to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with organizational needs.
And what are Data Owners and Providers again? They're roles that are defined by the Consumer-Owner-Provider model, which is a great framework to clarify and assign responsibilities for Data Quality work.
Key Responsibilities of Owners
- Receive Requirements and Feedback: Owners gather requirements from Consumers and Providers and use their feedback to refine policies and processes.
- Set Policies and Co-Design Models: They establish the policies and collaborate with Consumers and Providers to design effective data models. In Data Content Manager, these data models would materialize as Blueprints.
Owners are responsible for creating the framework and tools to support both Providers and Consumers, including:
- Writing clear instructions.
- Developing systems and processes that enable Providers to manage the data efficiently.
While Owners don’t “touch” the data directly, they play a pivotal role in ensuring its accuracy and usability by guiding and supporting those who do.
What Owners Do NOT Do
- Not Responsible for Data Entry: Owners are not tasked with populating or updating the CMDB data. Instead, their job is to make sure it happens.
The CMDB Owner
We strongly recommend designating a single owner for the entire CMDB. This individual should have the authority to make decisions when necessary. However, while the saying “co-ownership is no ownership” often holds true, having shared ownership is still better than none at all.
Being a CMDB owner can be isolating, so it’s essential to build a network of collaborators. Practical experience from numerous CMDB projects has shown that dividing the CMDB into specific domains and assigning domain owners for each can significantly improve management and oversight. This approach provides clarity and shared responsibility while ensuring the overall system remains cohesive.
Domain Owners
Domain owners are typically experts in their respective areas, making them invaluable for defining requirements for Providers based on Consumer input. Configuration Managers often make excellent candidates for domain ownership roles.
This group of domain owners can also function as an effective “board” to handle prioritization and develop the roadmap for the CMDB. By leveraging their collective expertise, they can ensure the CMDB evolves in alignment with organizational needs.
With limited resources, compromises are often unavoidable. When these compromises are made collaboratively, it helps reduce confusion and questions later on. However, if the group cannot reach a consensus, the CMDB owner is the ultimate decision-maker to ensure progress and consistency.
Data Domain Examples
Now, more than ever, we look to the Common Service Data Model for guidance. It is a fact that ServiceNow’s capabilities now and especially in the future will depend on this data model. So, let’s use that as our example. As you may know, CSDM splits CMDB into five domains:
- Foundation– Common data to all processes and workflows like users, organizational structures, and locations
- Design– Business application portfolio and enterprise architecture
- Build – Components of digital products
- Sell / Consume– Business service portfolio and request catalog
- Manage Technical Services– Technical service portfolio and all “technical” configuration items.
Candidates for domains and domain owners according to CSDM
Especially the Manage Technical Services domain is often too large for a single individual to manage effectively. Therefore, it’s common to divide the domain further based on technological service areas, such as Server capacity, Database management, or Networks and Data centers.
In addition to defining the requirements and owners per domain, the Domain owner should determine Data Providers for each domain or CI class/table. Depending on the size of your organization and partner ecosystem, you should have the following:
- One Owner for the CMDB as a whole
- One Owner for each Data domain (the same person can be the Owner for multiple domains, but we recommend one Owner per domain)
- Possibly multiple Data Providers per Domain.
No Data Without Data Providers
From a CMDB perspective, Data Providers can include systems, integrations, discovery tools, and processes. However, regardless of the technology in use, people are always involved. The key is to identify these individuals and their roles.
A single data domain can involve multiple Data Providers, and one Data Provider may manage data across several domains. This interconnected nature makes it essential to establish clear agreements among Providers, Consumers, and Owners.
- Responsibilities: Define who maintains specific records, attributes, and relationships within the CMDB.
- Data Usage: Ensure all parties understand how the data will be used and its importance to Consumers’ processes.
- Maintenance Processes: Agree on processes and standards for data creation, updates, and quality assurance to ensure consistency and reliability.
From an organizational point of view, data providers can be:
- Individuals like Service Managers and Application Managers responsible for data related to their specific applications and services.
- Operational groups responsible for managing large volumes of similar Configuration Items (CIs), such as
- Server Operations,
- Database Management
- Network Team
- Application Development and Application Management groups maintaining records and relationships related to the applications they develop or manage.
- External personnel: Contractors or outsourced personnel who manage data on behalf of the internal teams mentioned above, often as part of a purchased service.
- Internal systems via integrations.
- External systems, such as a service provider’s CMDB or another operational system.
Build a Strong Foundation in Small Steps
To effectively implement the Consumer-Owner-Provider (COP) model and establish a solid CMDB foundation, follow these fundamental principles:
- Only bring in data that someone uses. Data without Consumers adds no value.
- Only bring in data that someone owns. Ownership ensures accountability and proper management.
- Only bring in data that someone is committed to maintaining. Without maintenance, data quality will degrade over time.
I want to repeat the “only bring in data that someone” part to emphasize that it’s all about that “someone.” If you cannot identify the Providers, Owners, and Consumers for your CMDB data, then it’s probably better to get rid of it.
You are ready to start if you have identified the three roles for at least one domain (or table). But even then, start small.
Focus on “Someone”
It’s all about the “someone”—the people behind the data. If you cannot clearly identify the Providers, Owners, and Consumers for specific data in your CMDB, it’s a sign that this data may not belong there. In such cases, it’s often better to remove that data to avoid clutter and confusion.
Start Small
Begin by identifying the three roles (Consumer, Owner, and Provider) for at least one domain or table. Once you have clarity for one manageable area, proceed cautiously and scale up incrementally. Starting small allows you to refine your processes and build confidence in your CMDB’s foundation.
Prove the Value of CMDB
One of the ongoing challenges with a CMDB is demonstrating its value. What value does the data bring to its users? How are the Data Consumers impacted if the data is bad or missing?
To address these questions effectively:
- Narrow the Scope: Start with a specific use case. Identify the Consumers, Owners, and Providers for the data involved.
- Demonstrate Value: Show how maintaining this data in the CMDB benefits the organization more than the resources it consumes.
For example:
- A general goal like “doing business impact analysis for infrastructure changes” is too vague.
- Instead, make it more specific:
“Conducting impact analysis for virtual Windows servers tied to critical business applications in the Logistics business unit.”
This specific approach clarifies the data needed, the stakeholders involved, and the measurable outcomes. It also makes goals more realistic and actionable, enabling you to engage the right people to achieve them.
By focusing on concrete use cases and actionable outcomes, you can effectively prove the value of your CMDB while aligning its capabilities with organizational needs.
Here are some concrete examples:
- How to Connect Workstations to CSDM
- How to Connect Orphan Servers to CSDM
- How to Connect Discovery to CSDM
- How to Validate ServiceNow Approval Groups
- How to ensure Server CI Relationships exist
- How to Ensure You Can Do Root Cause Analysis
In Summary
Establishing ownership can often be challenging. It’s easy to underestimate its importance or neglect to clearly define it, but without agreed-upon ownership, assumptions among stakeholders can lead to increased risks and errors.
The Consumer–Owner–Provider (COP) model simplifies the process by making these relationships easier to understand and define. We highly recommend adopting this approach, as it fosters effective communication and agreement among stakeholders. There’s no need for complex solutions—this isn’t rocket science, nor does it require reinventing the wheel.
All said, believing your CMDB contains the necessary information is not the same as knowing. To know and to work with facts, you need proper tools, such as Data Content Manager.
Get Started Now
We firmly believe that establishing ownership within your CMDB is essential. The Consumer–Owner–Provider (COP) model, paired with our 5-Steps Model for Improving Data Quality framework, provides a comprehensive approach to CMDB management.
DCM supports the COP model and the 5 Steps model, and it will help you take control of your CMDB, establish and enforce ownership, and improve the governance of your CMDB. This will improve your data quality and enable you to get the most of your ServiceNow investment.
Book some time with us and we will show you how.
