Configuration item actual states

By default, Service Manager only stores and displays the expected or managed state of CIs. The information Service Manager displays in the Configuration Management form is essentially the definitive list of attributes that the CI should have. However, the actual state of the CI may differ from the expected state.

To view the actual state of the CI, you must first create an integration to an Universal CMDB server. The Universal CMDB server periodically discovers the actual state of CIs and records the actual state in the Configuration Management database. Service Manager accesses the actual state information by using a Web services connection. Service Manager sends the CI ID to the Universal CMDB server and receives a full list of the attributes for that CI. Service Manager displays the CI attributes in the Actual State section of the Configuration Management form.

If a Service Manager CI does not have a matching CI in the Universal CMDB server, then Service Manager does not display the Actual State section. For example, you may track office furnishing CIs in Service Manager that cannot be discovered and tracked in the Universal CMDB.

Related topics

Universal CMDB

View the actual state of a configuration item