Configuration item reconciliation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9501564-B1
Application number	US-201314053407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2013
Priority date	Feb 16, 2010
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a method for reconciliation of a configuration item with a configuration management database. Properties of the configuration item are divided into a plurality of classes. Different classes correspond to properties having a different relationship with a corresponding configuration item. At least one property of the configuration item is compared to properties of configuration items in a configuration management database. Different actions are taken with respect to the configuration item based on the class of the property being compared.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reconciling configuration item information, the method comprising:
selecting a first identifier from a first plurality of identifiers associated with a first configuration item, wherein the first identifier is of a first class of identifiers that has a many identifiers-to-one configuration item relationship with configuration items, wherein the first identifier is of a first type of a plurality of types of identifiers;
comparing the first identifier to a second plurality of identifiers in a database, wherein each of the second plurality of identifiers is of the first class of identifiers and is of the first type of the plurality of types of identifiers;
in response to a determination that the first identifier matches a first of the second plurality of identifiers that is associated with a second configuration item,
reconciling information for the first configuration item with information for the second configuration item in the database; and

in response to a determination that the first identifier does not match one of the second plurality of identifiers,
selecting a second identifier from the first plurality of identifiers associated with the first configuration item;
comparing the second identifier to a third plurality of identifiers in the database; and
determining whether the first configuration item matches a configuration item in the database based, at least in part, on said comparing of the second identifier to the third plurality of identifiers in the database.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting a third identifier associated with a third configuration item, wherein the third identifier is of a second class of identifiers that has a one-to-one relationship with configuration items; and
comparing the third identifier to a fourth plurality of identifiers of the second class of identifiers in the database.

3. The method of claim 2 ; further comprising:
in response to a determination that the third identifier matches a first of the fourth plurality of identifiers that is associated with a fourth configuration item,
reconciling the information for the third configuration item with information for the fourth configuration item in the database.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the third identifier does not match any of the fourth plurality of identifiers,
adding the information for the third configuration item to the database.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said selecting the first identifier associated with the first configuration item is in response to a determination that the first configuration item is not associated with an identifier of a second class of identifiers that has a one-to-one relationship with configuration items.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second identifier is of a second class of identifiers that has a one identifier-to-many configuration items relationship with configuration items, wherein each of the third plurality of identifiers is of the second class of identifiers, further comprising:
in response to a determination that the second identifier does not match any of the third plurality of identifiers,
adding the information for the first configuration item to the database.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third plurality of identifiers includes at least one identifier in the second plurality of identifiers.

8. A system comprising:
a processor;
a machine-readable medium having program code executable by the processor to cause the system to:
select a first identifier from a first plurality of identifiers associated with a first configuration item, wherein the first identifier is of a first class of identifiers that has a many identifiers-to-one configuration item relationship with configuration items, wherein the first identifier is of a first type of a plurality of types of identifiers;
compare the first identifier to a second plurality of identifiers in a database, wherein each of the second plurality of identifiers is of the first class of identifiers and is of the first type of the plurality of types of identifiers;
in response to a determination that the first identifier matches a first of the second plurality of identifiers that is associated with a second configuration item,
reconcile information for the first configuration item with information for the second configuration item in the database; and

in response to a determination that the first identifier does not match at least one of the second plurality of identifiers,
select a second identifier from the first plurality of identifiers associated with the first configuration item;
compare the second identifier to a third plurality of identifiers in the database; and
determine whether the first configuration item matches a configuration item in the database based, at least in part, on the comparison of the second identifier to the third plurality of identifiers in the database.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising program code executable by the processor to cause the system to:
select a third identifier associated with a third configuration item, wherein the third identifier is of a second class of identifiers that has a one-to-one relationship with configuration items; and
compare the third identifier to a fourth plurality of identifiers of the second class of identifiers in the database.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising program code executable by, the processor to cause the system to:
in response to a determination that the third identifier matches a first of the fourth plurality of identifiers that is associated with a fourth configuration item,
reconcile the information for the third configuration item with information for the fourth configuration item in the database.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising program code executable by, the processor to cause the system to:
in response to a determination that the third identifier does not match any of the fourth plurality of identifiers,
add the information for the third configuration item to the database.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the program code executable by the processor to cause the system to select the first identifier associated with the first configuration item comprises program code executable by the processor to cause the system to select the first identifier associated with the first configuration item in response to a determination that the first configuration item is not associated with an identifier of a second class of identifiers that has a one-to-one relationship with configuration items.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second identifier is of a second class of identifiers that has a one identifier-to-many configuration items relationship with configuration items, wherein each of the third plurality of identifiers is of the second class of identifiers, further comprising program code executable by the processor to cause the system to:
in response to a determination that the second identifier does not match any of the third plurality of identifiers,
add the information for the first configuration item to the database.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the third plurality of identifiers includes at least one identifier in the second plurality of identifiers.

15. A computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions to:
select a first identifier from a first plurality of identifiers associa

Assignees

• Ca Inc

Inventors

• Waschke Marvin Garold

Classifications

• G06F8/71 Primary

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title

• G06F17/3015

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30705 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30289

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title