| Configuration item (CI) |
A record that represents an IT asset or component in your environment. CIs can
include physical assets like laptops or routers, virtual machines, software
applications, and cloud services. Each CI stores data, such as ownership, status, and
configuration details. |
| CI type |
A template that defines the structure and behavior of CIs in a specific category.
The CI type determines which attributes each CI has, how the CI appears in the
hierarchy, and how it’s used in CMDB operations. |
| CI Tag |
A label that helps classify, group, and identify related configuration items
(CIs) in CMDB. Tags can include one or more values and can be applied manually or
through discovery, imports, and APIs. |
| Attribute |
A field that stores specific information about a CI, such as the operating
system, IP address, model number, or serial number. Attributes help define the CI’s
technical, functional, and ownership details. |
| Attribute set |
A reusable group of attributes that you can apply to multiple CI types. An
attribute set enforces consistency by standardizing which fields are available for
similar CI types. |
| CI relationship |
A record that defines how two CIs are connected. The relationship describes
dependencies, connections, or associations between the CIs. For example, a database
hosted on a virtual machine. |
| Relationship type |
A rule that defines the direction and semantics of a CI relationship, for
example, runs on, depends on, or hosts. A relationship type enforces consistency in
how relationships are created and interpreted. |
| Service graph |
A visual representation of the relationships and dependencies between CIs. You
can see how infrastructure components connect to services and identify the potential
impact of outages or changes. |
| Service graph layout |
A predefined or custom configuration that controls how a service graph is
displayed. A service graph layout defines which configuration item types and
relationship types appear in the graph, helping you focus on specific views such as
infrastructure, application dependencies, or network topology. |
| Identification rule |
A rule that determines how to match incoming CI data to existing CIs during
discovery or import. An identification rule uses attributes, such as the serial number
or MAC address, to avoid duplicates and support accurate record matching. |
| Affected CI |
A CI directly associated with an incident, problem, or change. An affected CI
represents the asset experiencing the issue and appears in a dedicated panel on the
related IT service record. These CIs are added manually or filtered from CMDB based on
user selection. |
| Impacted CI |
A CI that is indirectly affected due to a defined relationship with an affected
CI. An impacted CI helps assess the scope of disruption and appears in a separate
panel on the IT service record. These CIs are derived from relationships established
in CMDB. |
