As a specialist in IT mapping and application tracking, we are often asked how Kabeen, our SaaS solution, compares with traditional Configuration Management Databases (CMDB). This article delves into this comparison and explains why these two tools differ but can also complement each other in various IT scenarios.
Understanding Kabeen: A 360° view of your IT systems
Kabeen provides a SaaS platform for enterprise application mapping. Beyond just identifying assets in an IT ecosystem like a traditional CMDB, it examines how these assets relate to the overall application landscape. This permits a unified picture covering documentation, usage measurement, user experience, associated costs and other key indicators. CIOs, IT decision-makers, and architects can then gain a cross-functional, real-time view of their company's information system through dashboards and reports.
Additionally, Kabeen goes beyond the infrastructure layer to provide insights into the actual application usage. By combining efficient tracking technologies with AI-powered analytics, it creates a real-time dynamic picture of the company's application landscape, hence taking the role of a CIO's cockpit.
CMDB: The dictionary of your IT infrastructure
The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a repository that catalogs all pertinent assets of the IT infrastructure. Among other things, the CMDB handles hardware, software, systems, facilities, and personnel. The CMDB is the "encyclopedia" of the IT environment, conserving data used to monitor assets throughout their lifecycle. See the article What is a CMDB?
A key advantage of the CMDB is its ability to inform relationships within the Information System - how Server A connects to Server B, which in turn interacts with an application server, and so on. This information aids IT teams in managing changes and dealing with daily incidents by rapidly identifying the impacted ecosystem.
Kabeen vs CMDB: Application at the core of concerns
A crucial differentiation factor between Kabeen and the CMDB resides in their level of consideration.
While the meticulous details of infrastructure (the famous assets!) are the heart of a traditional CMDB, Kabeen places enterprise applications at the forefront. Doing so, it offers a deep understanding of the applications themselves, and of the user's journey and experience. With Kabeen, the IT landscape is analysed beyond the infrastructure to focus on functionality and business needs, and provides indicators shareable with business teams and general management.
Real-time Discovery: Kabeen's advantage over the CMDB
Traditional CMDB systems typically rely on manual asset documentation or semi-automated processes to be kept up to date, a process which may sometimes delay information collection and decision-making, and most of all, render them obsolete: There is no lack of examples of abandoned CMDB projects due to a lack of time for their maintenance. And an obsolete CMDB is hence useless…
Kabeen, however, continually discovers applications based on detected use by users. This permits maintaining an accurate, real-time picture of an IT landscape without more effort than the initial deployment of an agent on user stations.
Key Indicators Tracking
As its name hints, a CMDB is limited to managing "Configuration Items". If we wish to obtain metrics on these, supplementary solutions need to be deployed: A management platform such as Nagios or PRTG, an APM for application performances, even EUEM for better understanding usage. This accumulation is costly and technical. These are tools that are not necessarily oriented for a complete SI view, but more for a finely-tuned analysis to make a diagnosis.
Kabeen associates application documentation with the measurement of various indicators. It combines them in a unified view to give a complete picture of the organization's app portfolio. Among other things, Kabeen measures health, usage, performance, time spent, and the real cost of use associated with each application. Such information can prove essential in crafting an IT strategy adapted to the company's needs.
Reports and restitutions
Kabeen is equipped with a high-level report and restitution system that helps companies understand their IT landscape and make informed decisions. It generates real-time dashboards, detailed reports and offers data export functions for deeper analysis.
These reports can cover various key areas such as resource usage, service costs, incident tracking, application performance and much more. Additionally, the reports can be customized to meet the company's specific needs, thereby providing the most relevant information for each situation. This level of detail, combined with the ease of use of Kabeen's interface, allows companies to extract maximum value from their IT data, equipping their teams with the information necessary to optimize operations, improve efficiency and support company growth.
Comparative Table
Conclusion
In conclusion, Kabeen offers an integrated platform for SI application mapping, which is not limited to the technical aspects traditionally documented in a CMDB, but extends its capacities to a deep understanding of the relations between the Information System and the users' business activity.
Although Kabeen and the CMDB head in different directions, they massively complement each other. A CMDB provides the basic framework of an ITIL implementation, cataloging the infrastructure at a granular level. However, it's Kabeen's application-focused approach that truly underscores the value of IT investments, leveraging the power of AI for simple and intelligent information and application portfolio tracking.
