IBM To Ship Tivoli Change/Configuration Management Software

IBM said Wednesday it plans to ship its much-anticipated Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database (CCMDB) software on June 30.

CCMDB is enterprise software designed to make complex IT environments more efficient and easier to manage, said Mike McCarthy, director of strategy for Austin, Texas-based IBM Tivoli. CCMDB collects as much data about a network as possible and then applies operating templates based on IBM’s management best practices to the execution of processes, he said.

"It's a repository of critical information about the infrastructure," McCarthy said. "And based upon best practices of what we have learned from running data centers, it automates processes."

CCMDB can execute customized, network management processes using a workflow engine that takes instructions from IBM Tivoli Process Manager software, said McCarthy. Three Process Managers are slated for release with CCMDB in June: IBM Tivoli Availability Process Manager, IBM Tivoli Release Process Manager and IBM Tivoli Storage Process Manager.

The availability component applies root-cause analysis to detect potential problems, such as component failure, and trigger remediation automatically. Release Process Manager automates software updates and patching, and the Storage Process Manager helps consolidate storage and prevent redundant backups.A Capacity Management Process Manager is due out in the second half. Other Process Managers are planned for security, compliance and IT financial assessment, according to IBM. The IBM WebSphere Process Server has been integrated directly into CCMDB, McCarthy said.

IBM announced CCMDB in May 2005, six months before it acquired Collation, a Redwood City, Calif.-based maker of application resource mapping software. To a great extent, Collation’s product makes CCMDB possible, McCarthy said.

Collation brings the ability to federate--or remotely and securely link--data from multiple IT management systems, which can include systems from third-party vendors, said McCarthy. That improves efficiency by reducing overlap in IT management processes that may not be in communication with one another, he said.

Mike Todd, CTO of NorthWind Consulting, an IBM Premier partner in Issaquah, Wash., said he’s in early conversations with customers about how to use CCMDB.

"I see our customers looking to reduce the cost of change and improve the visibility of both approved and unapproved change," Todd said. "We are seeing a lot of interest in products like Tivoli and Solidcore to help manage these areas."McCarthy declined to provide pricing for CCMDB but added that it represents a lucrative opportunity for IBM partners to sell professional services.