CMDBt

CMDBt is a term used in information technology and IT service management to denote a configurable, modular approach to building and operating a configuration management database (CMDB). It is described as an architectural pattern rather than a single product, emphasizing the storage of configuration items (CIs) and the relationships among them to support infrastructure management, change control, incident response, and service delivery.

Key concepts include a flexible data model capable of representing diverse CI types—such as hardware, software, networks, virtual machines, and cloud resources—and the relationships that connect them. CMDBt supports data discovery, normalization, deduplication, reconciliation, and versioning, enabling a consistent view of the current and historical configuration state. It may incorporate service maps, impact analysis, and lineage tracing to assess how changes propagate through the environment.

Architecturally, CMDBt typically consists of an ingest layer for data collection, a normalization layer, a storage layer (often a graph- or document-oriented database), and a presentation or query layer. It provides APIs or adapters to integrate with asset inventories, monitoring systems, ticketing platforms, and automation tools. Standards-oriented interfaces and data formats facilitate interoperability across vendors and tools.

Data governance, data quality, and access control are common concerns. CMDBt implementations emphasize data ownership, auditing, and policy-driven synchronization to ensure accuracy over time. Adoption decisions balance completeness, performance, and cost, with organizations aligning CMDBt capabilities to ITIL processes and digital transformation goals.