Import, Export & Automation in the OTOBO-CMDB

The OTOBO-CMDB offers powerful interfaces and automation features to keep your asset data up-to-date and simplify recurring tasks.

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1. Data Integration via REST and SOAP APIs

• REST API

  • CRUD operations on CI classes and DynamicFields
  • JSON payloads: Simple and lightweight integration
  • Authentication: Token-based or Basic Auth

• SOAP API

  • Legacy systems and deep functionality
  • XML payloads with WSDL descriptions
  • Stateful sessions and extensive methods for CI links

Best Practices

1. Batch Processing: Import data in batches to avoid timeouts.
2. Error Handling: Check return codes and log entries ("SysLog").
3. Rate Limiting: Be mindful of API limits to prevent blocking.

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2. File-Based Import/Export (CSV, XML)

• CSV Import/Export

  • Field mapping: Column names → DynamicField names
  • Delimiter, character set, and header row are configurable
  • Bulk updates for existing CIs via a key attribute (e.g., Name or ID)

• XML Import/Export

  • Complex structures and nested fields
  • Mapping possible via XSLT stylesheets
  • Used with SOAP clients and third-party tools

Workflow

1. Generate a template: First, export a sample CSV/XML file.
2. Enrich data: Adjust values and validate locally.
3. Start import: Via the agent interface or a CLI script.
4. Check results: Review logs for error lines and warnings.

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3. Auto-Discovery & Synchronization

• Network scanning: Detects IP networks, devices, and services
• Agent-based discovery: Local agents report system details to the CMDB
• Integration of external tools: Ansible, Puppet, SCCM, Nagios, and many more.

Features

• Scheduled scans: Plan regular inventory runs.
• Overwrite vs. enrich: Configure rules for update behavior.
• Conflict resolution: Manual review or automatic prioritization of old vs. new data.

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4. Triggers in CI Definitions

• Triggers
  • Trigger actions on field changes (e.g., notification, auto-assign)
  • Configuration directly in YAML under VersionTrigger or via script

VersionTrigger:
  - DefinitionUpdate
  - ValueUpdate

• Use Cases

  • Automatically update the inventory log after a serial number change
  • Send an email reminder when a certificate's expiration date is reached

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5. VersionTriggers

• VersionTrigger: Controls which events create a new CI version

• Common values

  • NameUpdate
  • ConfigItemCreate
  • ValueUpdate
  • DefinitionUpdate

VersionStringModule: Incremental
VersionTrigger:
  - ConfigItemCreate
  - ValueUpdate

Advantage

Version history of all changes for traceability and audit compliance.

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6. Script Fields (ScriptTemplateToolkit)

• Calculated fields: Sum, average, dynamic text snippets
• Syntax: TemplateToolkit ([% … %])

DynamicFields:
  TotalRAMGB:
    FieldType: ScriptTemplateToolkit
    Label: Total RAM (GB)
    Config:
      Expression: |
        [% Count = DynamicField_RAMCount %]
        [% Size  = DynamicField_RAMSize %]
        [% Total = Count * Size %]
        [% Total %] GB
      RequiredArgs:
        - DynamicField_RAMCount
        - DynamicField_RAMSize
      Readonly: '1'

Use Cases

• Aggregated values (e.g., total memory)
• Status calculations (e.g., "critical" at certain thresholds)
• Text generation (e.g., asset descriptions with placeholders)

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7. Combining Automation and Interfaces

1. Automated Imports: Combine a REST job with a CSV import in cron jobs.
2. Discovery + Trigger: Detect new devices and automatically trigger CI creation.
3. Reporting: Use script fields and version history for automated reports via the API.

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With these mechanisms, you can seamlessly integrate processes, ensure data quality, and minimize manual routine tasks in the OTOBO-CMDB.