CMDB and Asset Behavior Changes

CMDB and Asset Behavior Changes

Behavior Changes

This document outlines the behavior changes in the Assets and CMDB modules, applicable to customers migrating to build 15100 of ServiceDesk Plus and build 7700 of AssetExplorer.
In this release, CMDB and Assets are treated as separate modules. Previously, these modules were interdependent, and creating a product type will automatically create a CI Type in the CMDB, and vice versa.
Now, ServiceDesk Plus provides a more flexible approach to CMDB and Asset management. Not all assets, users, departments, or other entities need to be CIs. Only those configured as CIs will be added to the CMDB.
Refer to the links below to navigate the document and explore the changes for each entity. 


Assets    

General Changes

  1. Not all product types are CI types. Creating a Product Type does not automatically create a CI Type.
  2. Previously, all product types were CI types, and all assets were considered CIs.
  3. Disposed assets are not included in warranty expiry notifications.

Product Type   

  1. The maximum number of product types allowed has been increased to 300.
  2. You can now add up to 1,500 additional fields across product types, with a maximum of 50 fields per product type.
  3. A maximum of 5 refer fields can be added per product type. Supported refer fields: Region, Department, Site, Impact, Technician, and User.
  4. Workstation additional fields are moved to the asset additional fields section under Admin > Customization > Additional Fields > Asset. All asset-related additional fields will now be listed here. For additional fields to appear for the product type, include it in the product type layout.
  5. Changing the category or asset type of a product type (e.g., IT, Non-IT, Asset, Consumable, Component) is deprecated.
  6. Switch Port is no longer a standalone product type. It can now be added within the Switch Ports section in the Add/Edit asset form of the Switches product type. However, for existing customers, this will be retained as a product type.
  7. Workstations, Servers, and all computer-related assets are now classified under the Computers product type as child product types.
  8. Assets under the Tablet computer group will now be moved under Computers > Workstation > 2 in 1 Tablets.
  9. A new product type named Mobile Devices has been introduced. Smartphones and Tablets now fall under this type.
  10. Duplicate product type names are not supported. Existing duplicates will be renamed with suffixes during the upgrade.
  11. Sorting and pagination in the Product Type list view are deprecated.
  12. Product types can now only be deleted if they contain fewer than 100 assets.

Product   

  1. The Computer Group field has been removed from the Workstation/Server product creation process, as these are now categorized under the Computer product type.

Assets Module 

  1. In the Asset Summary, all references to Workstation are updated to Computer. The count now includes all child product types under Computer.
  2. Virtual Machines and VM Hosts list views are removed.
  3. The Add New Group button is removed from the Groups section in the left navigation panel.
  4. Change as Server action is removed from the workstation list view. The Modify Type action from the list view can be used to change the product type.
  5. Previously configured asset list view personalization (e.g., column chooser) is no longer available due to URL changes. The technician must configure these again.

 Asset Details Page   

  1. During migration, all assets and CIs will be linked by default.
  2. In the Assign/Associate pop-up and asset details page, the option Not associated to any Site is removed. If no site is selected, the value is set to null (-).
  3. Two new check boxes added to the Assign/Associate pop-up:
    1. Retain user site as asset site: This is enabled by default. When enabled, the asset site will retain the site of the assigned user. You can select the required site by disabling the check box.
    2. Is Loanable: Enable to mark that the asset can be loaned. These assets can be accessed from the loanable assets list view. If disabled, users cannot loan the asset.
  4. The Configure Depreciation section is removed from the Add Asset form. You can add depreciation for an asset from Actions > Configure Depreciation or the Financials tab. Depreciation of a product can be added only under Admin > Customization > Asset Management > Product.

Removed Fields 

Business Impact and other default and additional CI fields: Previously, CMDB attributes were displayed in the Assets module. Now that Assets and CMDB are maintained as two separate modules, the Business Impact field, along with other default and additional CI fields, are removed from the Assets module. However, CMDB additional fields can be added as asset additional fields through the migration process after upgrading to build 15100 of ServiceDesk Plus and 7700 of AssetExplorer. 
To sync business impact or other attribute details from CIs, create an asset refer additional field and a sync rule to populate existing attribute data from CMDB to Assets. Add the field to the All Assets layout so the data is synced to the assets under it.  Learn more about asset sync rules.
Computer Group: Previously, for the Workstation product type, the Computer Group field was used to indicate whether a workstation was a desktop, laptop, tablet, or other type. Now, these options (desktop, laptop, tablet, others) are created as separate Product Types.
Is VM Host/Is Virtual Machine: Previously, Is VM Host/Is Virtual Machine checkboxes were displayed on the asset details page to indicate whether an asset was a VM host or a virtual machine. Now, a Virtual Host Details section is added under Assets, which includes the VM Platform field (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V, others), along with Installed VMs and Allowed VMs. Virtual Machines can be added via the subform included in the asset Edit form. Additionally, the Virtual Machines tab on the asset details page displays details of the virtual machines.
Renamed Fields: Model field (for workstations) is renamed as Product.
 

Relationship Tab   

  1. CMDB relationship map options have been removed. If an asset is linked to the CI, then the relationship map can be viewed from the CI Details slider that appears when the CI link on the right pane is clicked.
  2. The Relationship tab now displays associations with other Assets, Business Services, Users, and Components.

Finance Tab   

  1. Purchase Cost cannot be added from this tab and can only be added via the Add/Edit asset form.
  2. Depreciation for the product must now be configured under Admin.

Copy Action   

  1. Only base/target fields can be copied: Product, Purchase Cost, Vendor, Site, Retain User Site, Is Loanable, Depreciation Details, Asset Tag, Acquisition Date, Expiry Date, Warranty Expiry, and all user defined fields.
  2. Fields such as State, Ownership Details, and subforms (one-to-many data) will not be copied.

Workstation/Computer Add/Edit Form   

  1. The Model field has been removed. The Product field is now displayed for all asset types.
  2. The Manufacturer field has been removed. The product’s manufacturer is now displayed.

History   

The CI History section is renamed as Asset History.  Previously, the history of a device was captured under the CI History section within the History tab in the asset/CI details page. Now that Assets and CMDB modules are distinct, the CI History section has been renamed to Asset History.
  1. Only Asset History and Scan History are displayed. CI History is removed.

Reports   

  1. Tabular reports for Computers, Workstations, and Servers are now grouped under All Assets.
  2. The All Computers (Workstations and Servers) option is disabled in Tabular and Matrix reports.
  3. Additional fields are removed from Summary reports.
  4. All custom reports are now API-based. One-to-many fields are not supported in API-based reports. Hence, reports using them are converted into Query Reports (charts are removed).
  5. Reports Computers by Processor Manufacturer and Computers by Processor Type are no longer supported.

Column Name Changes   

Assets 

  1. Associated To → Associated to Assets
  2. Operational Cost → Operational Cost(s)
  3. Total Cost → TCO

Computers / Workstations / Servers 

  1. Associated To → Associated to Assets
  2. Domain Name → Domain
  3. OS → Operating System
  4. Vendor Name → Vendor
  5. Warranty Expiry → Warranty Expiry Date
  6. Model → Product
  7. Processor Name → Processor Names

Deleted Columns   

  1. Computer Group
  2. Machine Name
  3. Keyboard (Manufacturer, Serial Number, Type)
  4. Monitor (Manufacturer, Max Resolution, Serial Number, Type)
  5. Motherboard (Model, Product, Serial Number)
  6. Mouse (Buttons, Manufacturer, Serial Number, Type)
  7. Processor Speed (in MHz), Processor Vendor
  8. Software Usage
  9. Sound Card Name
  10. Version
  11. Video Card (BIOS Version, Chipset, Memory, Name)

Saved Query Reports   

Older query reports referencing outdated tables are dynamically replaced using the Schema Replacer Tool during runtime.

Remote Server 

A remote server in ServiceDesk Plus/AssetExplorer enables asset scanning and data collection from remote or distributed networks. It syncs the collected data with the central ServiceDesk Plus/AssetExplorer server, ensuring seamless IT asset management across locations. Therefore, only scan-related operations are maintained in the remote server, and the following changes are made.
  1. Add/Edit/Delete operations of assets are deprecated in remote servers.
  2. Modify Type, Add Software, and Reconcile options are removed from Actions.
  3. Adding, editing, and deleting Product Type under Admin is deprecated. Product types can only be viewed.
  4. SNMP configurations will be synced from central server to remote servers periodically.

Asset API   

  1. All product types are now accessible via API.
  2. Fields specific to product type can be retrieved using API calls.
  3. Asset details page is now API-driven.
  4. Older APIs (e.g., api/v3/virtual_hosts and api/v3/virtual_machines) are still supported for backward compatibility.

Other Changes   

Asset Replenishment   

  1. Not associated to any site option for the Site field is removed, and site value is now set to null (-) if not specified.
  2. Replenishment count for product types is based on the products within that specific product type and its child product types.

Barcode   

  1. Products appear only after selecting a Product Type.
  2. The site option Not associated to any site is removed. If no site is selected, the value is set to null (-).

Quick Actions   

  1. Only Asset is available in the Quick Actions menu.
  2. You must select a Product Type when creating an asset. Previously, Product was selected.

Additional Fields 

  1. Duplicate additional field names and picklist values are no longer supported.
  2. Post upgrade, suffixes such as _1, _2, _3, etc., are appended to existing duplicate field names to make them unique.

User Details Page   

  1. The Associate Workstation action is removed. Mapping is now managed directly in the Assets tab.

Purchase Orders 

  1. The Associated Assets action is now displayed in a pop-up.

Mobile Apps   

Both AssetExplorer and ServiceDesk Plus mobile apps have been updated to reflect the new UI and API changes.

Analytics Plus Integration   

Deprecated Tables   

Table Name
Replaced By
CI History
Asset History
Change Downtime
Change Deployment Details
 

Removed/Unsupported Fields   

These fields are deprecated and will not receive data during fresh loads or migrations. They are marked as Deprecated in the system.
Table
Deprecated Columns
Reason
Assets
CIID
Moved to a new data model
Workstation
Is Server
Model updated
Virtual Machines
CPU Limit (MHz), Memory Limit (MB)
Switched to byte-based fields
Software Audit History
Location, File Created Time, Workstation (and ID), Operation Performed, Audit Status, Audit Time, Audit ID
Migrated to new audit model
Hardware Audit History
Changed Info, Field, Operation Performed, Workstation (and ID), Audit Status, Audit Time, Audit ID
Migrated to new audit model

CMDB

General Changes

  1. Not all assets, users, and service categories need to be CIs.
  2. Product Type and CI Type are now independent and treated as separate entities.

CI Type 

  1. The maximum number of CI types that can be created has been increased to 300.
  2. Each CI type can now have up to 100 additional fields.
  3. The total number of additional fields allowed across the CMDB module is 1500. It can be extended up to 2500.
  4. Support for filtering active and inactive CI types under Admin > CI Type has been deprecated
  5. The View Relationship Map icon is removed from Admin > CI Type.

Configuration Items   

  1. Duplicate CI additional field names and picklist values are not supported. Existing duplicates will be renamed with suffixes such as _1, _2, _3 after migration.
  2. Creating attributes directly from a CI (i.e., instance attribute) is no longer supported.
  3. A new CIs Involved field is introduced for requests, problems, and changes.
  4. The pending request count for CIs in the business view or relationship map will be based on the CIs Involved field in the Requests module. The same applies to other modules such as Problems, Changes, and Releases.

 
CI Relationships   

  1. Relationship Type under Admin has been renamed to Association Type and is now available under Admin > Associations.
  2. Suggested relationships (CI Type to CI Type) can now be defined in the Relationships tab on the CI Type layout.
  3. A maximum of 90 relationship attributes can be created.
  4. Quick-create relationship support for CIs has been removed.

 
Roles   

  1. New default roles are introduced: SDCMDBAdmin and SDCMDBManager.
  2. The EnableCMDB default role is now editable. After the upgrade, full access (view, add, edit, delete) to the CMDB module will be enabled for this role.
  3. The CMDB module is now included in the Permissions section in the Add Role form.

 
CI Associations   

  1. In problems, changes, and releases, data from the Assets Involved field will be automatically copied to the CIs Involved field.
  2. For requests, the SDAdmin should include the CIs Involved field in the appropriate templates.
  3. In the Requests module, the Assets Involved data will automatically be copied to the CIs Involved field for pending requests, even if the field is not added to the template.

Service Categories, Users, Departments, and Support Groups 

  1. CI attributes are removed from the Add/Edit forms of Service Categories, Users, Departments, and Support Groups.
  2. CI will automatically be linked to admin entities. For example, the service category CI will automatically be linked with the corresponding service category record.
  3. CI attributes will not be included in the SNMP configuration.
  4. Temporary backward compatibility is provided for CI attributes of admin entities such as Users, Departments, Support Groups, and Service Categories.
To learn how to migrate CI attributes, please refer to this document. 

Reports   

  1. Previously, existing customers could generate reports with both asset fields and CI attributes. This has been modified. Reports containing both asset fields and CI attributes can no longer be generated. Asset and CI reports must be created separately.
  2. For service categories, users, departments, and support groups, CI attributes will be excluded from reports.
  3. The default CI History Report will no longer include user, department, support group, or service category details.
  4. Separate reports can be created for user history.
  5. For existing customers using CMDB custom reports with asset fields, asset additional fields, and CI attributes:
  6. Reports containing only asset default and additional fields will be converted to Asset Custom Reports, and all attributes from the parent CI Type will be copied to the corresponding Product Type.
  7. Reports of child CI types with only CI attributes will be converted to CMDB Custom Reports.
  8. Reports of child CI types with both CI attributes and asset fields will be converted to Query Reports. 

OpManager and Applications Manager Integration 

  1. Newly created categories in OpManager/Applications Manager will not be automatically synced with ServiceDesk Plus. These categories will appear under the Unknown Device Type tab. To sync them, configure a sync rule.
  2. Deleting an asset in OpManager/Applications Manager will not automatically delete it in ServiceDesk Plus. To enable automatic deletion, configure the appropriate setting in Server Configuration.
  3. For existing customers who have already integrated OpManager and Applications Manager, the CMDB Module is mandatory to continue using the integration.

  4. Request Creation from OpManager and Applications Manager:

    1. If the customer uses the latest OpManager build and chooses to integrate assets, devices will be synced to the Assets Involved field.
    2. If the customer uses the latest OpManager build and chooses to integrate CMDB, devices will be synced to the CIs Involved field.
    3. If the customer uses the latest Applications Manager build, monitors will be synced to the CIs Involved field.
    4. If the CIs Involved field is not available in the template, the application will attempt to find the corresponding Asset ID for the given CI and map it to the Assets Involved field. If no matching asset is found, the CI will not be mapped in the fields.
    5. If neither CIs Involved nor Assets Involved fields are available, device details configured in the ticket description in OpManager/Applications Manager will be displayed in ServiceDesk Plus.
 

CMDB API   

  1. API support is provided for the CI list view and CI details page.
  2. CMDB reports are now implemented using the Reports API framework.
  3. If any scripts are configured, we recommend using the V3 API.
  4. Temporary backward compatibility is provided for the old API of CMDB.



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