CMDB Fundamentals

This course is designed to equip ServiceNow administrators, implementers, and architects with essential skills for designing, configuring, ingesting data, governing, and gaining insights from the ServiceNow Configuration Management Database (CMDB). Based on the CMDB Fundamentals On Demand content from ServiceNow University, the course emphasizes interactive learning through individual and group planning, discussions, and hands-on configuration led by an experienced facilitator. Students will engage with lab exercises and instructor slide decks, using Australia instances for all practical activities. Upon completion, participants can earn micro-certifications in CMDB Configuration and CMDB Health, validating their ability to manage and optimize CMDB implementations.

Prerequisites

Participants should have:

• Working knowledge and experience of the NOW Platform, including a basic understanding of the CMDB
• Understanding of architecting solutions around a company CMDB to meet enterprise-specific use cases
• Completion of ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals or equivalent experience is suggested

Target audience

This course is designed for:

• ServiceNow system administrators
• ServiceNow implementers
• ServiceNow architects
• ServiceNow CMDB administrators
• Customers, partners, and employees who implement or administer the ServiceNow CMDB, or advise on related roles and responsibilities

Introduction to CMDB

• Overview of the Configuration Management Database and its purpose
• Key attributes that provide visibility across the enterprise
• Importance of CMDB in ServiceNow environments
• Roles and responsibilities associated with CMDB management
• Introduction to the CMDB Fundamentals On Demand content

Planning a Successful CMDB Deployment

• Stages of planning for CMDB implementation
• Identifying business requirements and use cases
• Strategies for aligning CMDB deployment with enterprise needs
• Considerations for architecting solutions around the CMDB
• Preparing for data ingestion and governance

Configuring and Implementing the CMDB

• Best practices for CMDB configuration
• Utilizing Health Scan to assess CMDB readiness
• Setting up CI classes using CI Class Manager
• Centralized management of CI class creation and editing
• Ensuring compliance and correctness in configuration

Data Identification and Reconciliation

• Introduction to the Identification and Reconciliation Engine
• Methods for identifying and reconciling data from various sources
• Managing data integrity and consistency
• Handling duplicate CIs within the CMDB
• Leveraging reconciliation processes for accurate data

Multisource CMDB and Data Ingestion

• Enabling and using the Multisource CMDB
• Ingesting data using ServiceNow Discovery and Service Mapping
• Integrating third-party discovery tools and IntegrationHub ETL
• Managing data from multiple sources for comprehensive coverage
• Addressing challenges in data ingestion

CMDB Health and Governance

• Configuring the CMDB Health Dashboard
• Driving improvement in completeness, compliance, and correctness of CI data
• Monitoring and governing CMDB health
• Using dashboards to gain actionable insights
• Strategies for ongoing health management

Querying and Extracting Insights

• Creating complex queries on CMDB data using Query Builder
• Techniques for extracting meaningful insights from CMDB
• Utilizing queries to support decision-making and reporting
• Exploring use cases for advanced querying
• Demonstrations of query building and analysis

Hands-on Exercises and Simulators

• Step-by-step lab exercises reinforcing lecture concepts
• Use of ServiceNow simulator technology for skill assessment
• Objective-based tasks to support micro-certification achievement
• Practical experience with CMDB configuration and health management
• Access to individual student instances and MID Server for Discovery and Service Mapping

Exams and assessments

Students will have the opportunity to earn micro-certifications in CMDB Configuration and CMDB Health by completing objective-based tasks using ServiceNow simulators. Assessments are integrated throughout the course, including hands-on exercises and demonstrations, to validate understanding and practical skills. The course does not provide a guidebook, but all assessment materials are available through the CMDB Fundamentals On Demand content and instructor resources.

Hands-on learning

Extensive hands-on exercises are incorporated, including individual lab activities and simulator-based tasks. These practical sessions reinforce lecture concepts and provide real-world experience in configuring, governing, and extracting insights from the CMDB. Students will use individual ServiceNow instances and MID Servers to perform Discovery and Service Mapping, ensuring a safe and interactive learning environment.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Describe the CMDB and its attributes that provide enterprise-wide visibility
• Understand the stages involved in planning a successful CMDB deployment
• Explore best practices for configuring and implementing a CMDB, including the use of Health Scan
• Explain the role of CI Class Manager as a centralized tool for creating and editing CI classes
• Leverage the Identification and Reconciliation Engine to identify and reconcile data from multiple sources
• Enable and use the Multisource CMDB for comprehensive data management
• Ingest data into the CMDB using ServiceNow Discovery, Service Mapping, third-party discovery tools, and IntegrationHub ETL
• Configure and utilize the CMDB Health Dashboard to improve completeness, compliance, and correctness of CI data
• Identify and manage duplicate CIs within the CMDB
• Create complex queries on CMDB data using Query Builder