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Native features

These native features provide the core capabilities required to model, manage and analyze configuration items and their relations. The following chapters describe the mechanisms that support data visualization, traceability, automation, georeferencing, document management and notifications, illustrating how CMDBuild enables efficient operational and administrative processes in complex asset environments.

Relationship Paradigm​

A necessary condition for a CMDB is the ability to describe all managed Configuration Items (CIs) and all related connections. The relations among CIs are as important as the CI information itself, as they allow operators to understand mutual dependencies and analyze potential impacts in case of changes, failures or other events.

When modelling the database, CMDBuild allows you to create all required domains (relation types), supporting cardinalities 1:N, 1:1 and N:M.

You can also configure specific domain attributes, such as the role for which an operator is responsible for a CI or the color of a cable connecting two CIs.

During standard use, you are naturally led to register, view and intuitively navigate relations among CIs.

The interface of the Management Module allows operators to:

  • open the list of existing relations
  • create new relations, either explicitly by selecting a domain and the CIs to link, or implicitly by updating a reference attribute (foreign key)
  • edit or delete a relation
  • navigate to the connected card, following the link
  • open relations in a graphical mode (see next paragraph)

Relation Graph​

The Relation Graph is a tool designed to facilitate the analysis of relations among cards. It allows you to:

  • examine relations visually, identifying items through class icons and benefiting from the available features
  • assess effects among cards in order to decide in advance how to intervene or identify the reason for an issue after an intervention

The viewer operates in 3D to ensure optimal usability even with complex charts.

The Relation Graph allows you to:

  • pan, zoom, rotate and refresh the graph
  • select a card and navigate its 3D relations
  • apply filters to analyze homogeneous subsets of relations
  • access full data of cards and analyzed relations

Documents Archive​

Documents are an important informational component associated with every card (CI) stored in the CMDB: images, videos, technical documentation (manuals, brochures, certifications), administrative documents (bills, invoices, contracts), forms, error screenshots and more. CMDBuild allows operators to upload and attach files to any card without limits on number or type.

The system admin can configure, for each class, customized lists of allowed document categories. For each category, different metadata (attributes) can be defined to describe documents.

From each card you can open the list of attached documents, download files or view them directly in the browser.

CMDBuild natively supports the use of Alfresco and SharePoint as document repositories. Connectors for other document management systems can be developed as needed.

GIS and BIM Georeferences​

Keeping the location (georeference) of items updated is important, especially for Asset Management activities. CMDBuild includes three possible solutions:

  • georeferencing items on maps (e.g. buildings, data lines, external assets such as street cabinets, traffic lights, cameras in restricted areas)
  • georeferencing items (plants, technical items, furniture, fire extinguishers) on 2D floor plans of buildings
  • georeferencing items within 3D models

All viewing, querying and position-editing features are available directly from web browsers, without installing plugins.

For map-based georeferencing, CMDBuild uses external map services such as OpenStreetMap.

For 2D plans, you can upload vector maps in DWG or DXF format as background files, while item positions are stored in PostgreSQL using the PostGIS spatial extension.

For 3D models, CMDBuild supports the BIM paradigm (Building Information Modeling). It can automatically synchronize selected information from a BIM repository using the IFC open standard (Industry Foundation Classes) and display interiors and assets through an integrated interactive 3D viewer.

Data History​

To ensure complete traceability of operations, CMDBuild stores historical versions of edited cards and relations. This allows you to:

  • reconstruct the situation of part of the CMDB at a specific date (e.g. analyzing the context of a failure)
  • identify the operator who made an irregular edit
  • compute an inventory at a previous date

Each historical record stores all attributes of the card, its start and end dates, and the username of the operator who performed the change.

Operators can consult the list of all changes applied to a card, with edited attributes highlighted for each version.

You can also create views and reports showing the situation (inventory, list of open tickets, etc.) at any previous date.

A visual browsing mode will be implemented to consult historical CMDB data in read-only mode using a time slider.

Automatic Tasks​

CMDBuild allows you to configure automatic, synchronous and asynchronous operations executed in background by an integrated task manager. In particular, the task manager allows you to:

  • monitor e-mail inboxes, register incoming messages and attachments, notify their arrival and start a workflow
  • send scheduled e-mails, optionally with attached reports
  • start import or export operations of CSV or Excel (XLS, XLSX) files according to configured templates
  • start data import and synchronization from relational databases according to import/export templates
  • import DWG files (plans) or IFC files (BIM models) using template configurations
  • start workflows by specifying their type and parameters
  • run service bus jobs

A visual configuration wizard is available in the Administration Module, where the Task Manager also provides an overview of configured tasks, their status and the related management actions (start, suspend, remove, configure).

User Profiling and Multitenant Configuration​

Enterprise applications require a solid and flexible data protection system. CMDBuild manages access permissions in a consistent and granular way:

  • consistent, because permissions are enforced independently of the access channel (web interface, mobile app or REST web services)
  • granular, because permissions can be defined on classes (also with row or column restrictions), processes, views, search filters, reports and dashboards

Permissions are assigned to user roles, and each user can belong to multiple roles.

Login methods include:

  • local authentication on the CMDBuild database (with optional LDAP password check)
  • Header Authentication
  • SSO via LDAP using CAS, SAML 2.0 or Oauth2

In multi‑company or multi‑department contexts, CMDBuild can operate in Multitenant mode, enabling each tenant to work in an isolated CMDB subdivision. Both fully separate databases and partially shared structures are supported.

The list of available tenants can be defined from a specific CMDBuild class (e.g. sites, companies, customers) or from a database custom function implementing complex visibility rules.

Data Import / Export​

In addition to reading and writing data via web services, CMDBuild provides a sophisticated import/export system supporting:

  • CSV, XLS and XLSX files
  • relational databases
  • DWG files (2D plans)
  • IFC files (3D BIM models)

During import, you can work in merge mode: editing existing records (identified by a unique key), adding new ones and removing missing ones (logical deletion or status update).

Import/export operations can be executed interactively from the user interface or in batch mode through the scheduler.

A complete error handling system is available. Errors are displayed in the interface (interactive mode) or sent by e-mail. Once corrected, the same file can be reprocessed, as already imported records are ignored.

To simplify these complex operations, the system uses configurable templates, which define access permissions and all automation-related information: operation type, attribute mapping (including multi-class sync), sync mode (unique key, deletion mode) and more.

Notifications​

CMDBuild provides a unified notification system that supports multiple channels, allowing operators to receive relevant information directly where it is most useful. Notifications can be delivered by e-mail, shown in the web interface as in‑app notifications or displayed on the mobile application.

Notifications can be generated in different ways. They may originate from the workflow engine, either manually through the management widget or automatically via API. They can also be produced by the task manager when receiving e-mails on specific accounts, for example to notify the relevant operator or as the outcome of import or export operations. Additionally, custom code such as programs, scripts or triggers can generate notifications through the available APIs.

Both e‑mail messages and interface notifications are based on configurable templates, which allow the system administrator to standardize content, layout and delivery rules.

From the user interface, operators can access a dedicated tab where they can consult e-mails produced by CMDBuild or received from external accounts, all stored as information linked to cards or processes. From the same interface, they can also send new e-mails, either freely or using predefined accounts and templates.

The task manager can also start processes automatically when receiving e-mails on predefined IMAP accounts, for example to open a maintenance workflow following an alarm or other automated communication.

Schedule​

This function helps operators manage single or recurring deadlines related to certifications, warranties, contracts, administrative procedures or staff-related activities.

Deadlines can be generated automatically when inserting data cards containing attributes marked as deadline, or entered manually in the Scheduling class. System administrators can define generation criteria (start, end, occurrences, frequency, notification mode, etc.) and associate them with any attribute of type Date. Users can view or edit these criteria when creating a card of that class.

Tasks due are notified by e-mail, with the necessary advance, to the specified user or group.

With the required permissions, in the Scheduling class you can:

  • view the list of deadlines, with standard search, filter and print functions
  • view or edit the complete card of a deadline, including category, date, description, assigned user or group and status
  • close or cancel a deadline by updating status and event date
  • access the Calendar view and display deadlines visually
  • view received notifications