More than just one way to automatically collect data   Automated inventory management is made possible by the discovery feature of theGuard! NetworkManager. It allows you to read the selected types of data  from the system and network components and to store them in the Configuration Management Database in normalized form. The consistent integration of existing WMI and SNMP interfaces eliminates the need to install additional local agents.   Data collection from external sources  Data from external sources is also collected automatically thanks to a standardized XML interface. This allows you to import data from existing inventory tools (LanDesk, ZENworks, Empirum, etc.) into the CMDB. Naturally, it is also possible to manually add data. The XML interface is an integral component of the asset, inventory, and configuration management module of theGuard! Service Management Center. Furthermore, you can choose from the following additional protocols: WMI, JMX, AGP, Script.   Manual data input You can not only add data manually, but also enter and manage data fully by hand from the start. The underlying concept strictly follows the guidelines of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

Brochure: theGuard! Service Management Center (pdf, 386 kB) Contact

The underlying data model allows for the consistent structuring of all data; using normalization, the information coming from a wide variety of different devices and systems can be easily compared. From a technical point of view, configuration items describe the properties of Managed Objects and their mutual interrelations. Configuration management (CM) cannot be equated with asset or inventory management.
 
Baseline and change history
A "baseline" is a precisely specified status at a defined point in time (snapshot of the current situation) that is managed as part of the Configuration Management. This baseline is where the CMDB and the information from the other ITIL processes are based. Using theGuard! Configuration Management one can specify target configurations on the basis of configuration items and compare them to the current status. Deviations, which could also cause problems, can thus be quickly and reliably detected. If required, a change history can be logged on the configuration items.