CMDBuild Newsletter nr. 87

We are proceeding with the development activities of the new CMDBuild 3.4 version, which started this spring and whose conclusion is scheduled for next January.

In the last days we have completed the first M1 milestone, which includes the following main developments:

• new types of attributes: link, file, formula and multivalued lookup;
• improvements to existing attributes: 1:1 domain reference, Markdown support, encrypted attributes;
• possibility to configure “inline” widgets on the main data card of the class;
• GIS extensions: management of permissions for geographic attributes, loading of DWG files from the map, organization of layers in a menu, information on points in the map.

Tests are now underway for the internal release of the CMDBuild 3.4 M1 version, which will not be made publicly available but will then flow into the final 3.4 version.

In the meantime, work has begun on the M2 milestone, which will include the new CMDBuild Service BUS (see next news), a revision of the BIM functionalities, the restoration of the history of relationships and other innovations.

We are also working on the Mobile APP, and in particular on the following activities (which will also flow into the final CMDBuild 3.4 release):

• integration of the new “core” features described above (new types of fields and inline widgets);
• integration of GIS functionalities, with visualization of maps, plans and geographical attributes;
• planning of offline data management, with synchronization mechanisms to and from CMDBuild.

In parallel, we have completed the development of the new CMDBuild READY2USE 2.2 (see news below) and openMAINT 2.2 (see newsletter n.86) versions. The public release of both products will take place in the second week of October.

The new CMDBuild READY2USE 2.2 version, which will be released in the second week of October, will include new features for both IT operators (CMDBuild interface) and service end users (Self-Service Portal).

The most important interventions concern:

• possibility to manage the “Customer Satisfaction” following the resolution of a ticket, with the insertion, in the automatic email notification of the ticket closure, of the link to a page in the Self-Service Portal where assigning a vote and reporting a comment;
• possibility to configure the automatic closing of a ticket in “Closing status” after a preconfigured number of days, with sending an email notification to the requester;
• automatic updating of the list of services assigned to a user, following the opening of the Request for enabling/disabling services through the Self-Service Portal;
• extension of the Asset Management process with the management of consumables (by quantity rather than by name for each asset);
• completion of the Asset Management process with the possibility of configuring an acceptance step by the assignee of the new assets received, via a page in the Self-Service Portal;
• extension of the connector with the AWS cloud virtualization system (Amazon Web Services), with synchronization of information relating to databases and disks;
• activation of a new dashboard on the progress of the SLAs;
• activation of a new dashboard on Customer Satisfaction summary;
• activation of a new dashboard on statistics about the Change Management process;
• creation of new custom pages for configuring the parameters and groups for opening processes;
• graphic review of reports.

It has been then redesigned the part relating to the management of the Knowledge Management, now structured in “Topics” nested at multiple levels, which can be categorized, updated by authorized users and can be consulted in an optimized form. The KB is now connectable to any type of CI (Configuration Item) and to any IT Service Management process.

The new CMDBuild READY2USE 2.2 version uses the current CMDBuild 3.3.2 core version as base platform.

In the previous newsletter we have published a first in-depth analysis on the CMDBuild Service BUS, called “WaterWAY”.

The new component extends the ETL (Extract/Transform/Load) functionalities already present in CMDBuild, adding the capabilities of an ESB (Enterprise Service Bus).

The goal is to support more effectively interoperability with other systems, providing shared communication services to CMDBuild-based applications.

Going into more details, the CMDBuild Service BUS provides the following functionalities:

• management of flows of data and messages (reception, routing, processing, sending): the system is able to receive messages from external or internal services, route them, process them through work queues and custom components, send them to external services or archive them;
• distributed load management: some batch-type processing (complex reports, data import, etc.) can be distributed on one or more nodes, specifying, through specific configurations, the available nodes and the workload to be allocated to each;
• interoperability with external systems through the creation of special input/output modules, with coordination functions between processes of data sending/receiving/synchronization (this function will be used, for example, for the migration to the new Bus of the current external Connectors for data synchronization);
• error and notification management: for each processing step it will be possible to configure the actions to be taken in the event of an error, which may include sending notifications or forwarding messages to specialized components for error management;
• webhook: an external application can subscribe to a notification service in the occurrence of some events of interest in the CMDB (for example the insertion or disposal of a certain type of asset, the resolution of a ticket, the overcoming of an SLA, etc.).

The new CMDBuild Service BUS is designed with a “plugin” architecture, in which basic standard components available for everyone, advanced standard components supplied with the Subscription, and custom components developed ad hoc for individual orders, can coexist. This will allow the implementation of diversified solutions for different projects and customers, extending the single BUS architecture and using standard centralized services.

Using the CMDBuild Service BUS, a standard “chat” service for communication between users will also be integrated into CMDBuild, which will be then specialized in CMDBuild READY2USE to have a new communication channel between operators and users in the management of IT Processes (Incident Management, Request Fulfilment, etc.).

WeCity in the Netherlands helps cities to become more sustainable, livable and inclusive. In other words: smarter. We do this with an open and transparent platform that brings together supply and demand for Smart City solutions.

A marketplace that offers more options to any product, service or solution that meets transparent, open criteria. And that makes the selection process for cities easier.

WeCity connects and takes away the hassle. With a reliable, open ecosystem for data, sensors and solutions. Accessible to any supplier. And with clear service and contract management, so that process and quality are guaranteed. This gives freedom of choice and offers guarantees. It is the reliable “one stop shop” for smart city solutions.

The platform for WeCity consists of multiple components offering distinct functionalities and preventing functional or technical lock-in. A website/portal has been developed to expose the functionality via the web and all back-end components are connected via an ESB. Right now, the following components have been deployed: Website/Portal, SSO, CRM, SIAM.

The components to build the WeCity platform had to fulfil the following criteria:

• Rest API
• Open Source
• Backed by an organization
• Flexible
• Workflow engine
• BIM functionality
• ITIL processes

CMDBuild perfectly fulfills these requirements for the SIAM (Service Integration & Management) functionalities.

As we did not want to reinvent the wheel, we built our data model on the open API standards set by TMForum. This is a global community in the Telco industry, defining standardized business processes and APIs with a focus on Service Integration and Management.

We built the system from scratch with CMDBuild so we could implement the TMForum plain data model. For this we developed a toolset to import openAPI definitions into CMDBuild to create the classes, attributes and domains. Right now, only 2 of over 30 definitions are implemented but extending the data model is easy this way. It also allows us to work with one single source of truth and deploy the system from its documentation.

As we go for an API first approach for the whole platform, all this is done via the REST API of CMDBuild. With the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) we implemented the Product Maintenance and Catalogue functionality as well as the core of the Organization model. Soon we will extend this with asset management, contract management, KPI monitoring, and we will implement workflow processes to control the portal navigation for the website. All this, again, will be done via the REST API of CMDBuild.

During the development of the MVP, Tecnoteca has been of much help in developing the OAuth2 for authentication against our SSO system, and with both technical and functional support when pushing the limits of the REST API and multitenant functionality.

Paul Tap (Architect and CMDBuild specialist for WeCity)

After the summer break, a webinar to present the new CMDBuild Mobile APP was held on September 16^th. The video recording of the webinar is available here.

We have then scheduled for Thursday 14^th October a webinar entitled: “CMDBuild READY2USE: Asset Lifecycle & Asset Management”, which will be about the movement of assets, license management, QR Code and Barcode printing, management of guarantees and related deadlines.

The webinar will be held in English language, participation is free upon registration.

In the coming months we will continue the “in-depth webinar cycle” for the analysis of the two applications CMDBuild READY2USE, dedicated to the management of IT Assets and Services, and openMAINT, dedicated to the Facility Management and related Maintenance Activities.

The recordings of the webinars already held remain available to interested persons on Tecnoteca.tv