i-doit is a comprehensive documentation and CMDB solution for your IT environment.

The concept has existed since 2004 under the slogan ‚From practice, for practice‘, and is being continually developed by synetics GmbH, through the successful combination of system integration, consultancy and software specialism.

Since the beginning of i-doit, an architecture has emerged which is adaptable to a large extent and therefore can meet different requirements. Whether for large, medium or small-sized companies, synetics is not only motivated by licence and price models, many organisations can benefit from professional IT Service Management (ITSM).

The following provides a list of of the most important functions and the differences between the open and pro version. More detailed information regarding the functions can be found in the table, reached via the link at the end of the following text.

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The recording and technical documentation of all used IT components is of course at the forefront of the IT documentation solution. The desired degree of detail lies in your hands and ranges from an acquisition of the relevant manufacturer and model information to an exact representation of the underlying basic infrastructure.  The range includes the following:

• Standard components such as server, clients, switches, router etc.
• Cluster-, middleware and database systems
• Software and licence documentation (seat-based)
• Network mapping including all connections
• Mapping of a complex, virtual environment
• Documentation of the power supply and networks
• SAN documentation including all connections
• Locations, space and racks
• Air conditionning systems, UPS

Alongside the coupling of the different inventory systems are the import functions and formats (XML, CSV, SQL), which, in i-doit, partly capture data. Through the skillful combination of such tools, you can partly automate the data connection of the productive networks, thus reducing the manual input of the initial recording of data.

The supplied object types (i-doit) or CI-classes (ITIL) such as cluster, server, switch etc., can easily be adjusted or hidden. Your object types with attributes (i-doit: categories) can just as easily be created.

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All connections between documented objects in i-doit are based on a common relationship model. For example, the documentation of a connection between a server and a switch is exactly like the relationship between the allocation of software to an appliance. Having this dynamic relationship tree between the components allows you to watch and evaluate accordingly.

In relation to and since version 0.9.9-6, which includes the object type IT-Service, business processes can now be captured, modelled and related to the object types. For every documented IT Service, the result is a dynamically determind relationship tree, which makes the following areas of work much easier:

• Failure analysis and trouble shooting in acute emergencies
• Strategic planning and direction of IT services
• Operational planning of maintenance work
• Helpdesk support for fault containment

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Alongside the documentation of services and infrastructure, i-doit allows the capture and assignment of contract and operating data to the documented objects. Whether the maintenance contract with contact, expiry date and notification functions, the emergency planning for components and systems, digital handbook, configuration data or SLA guidelines.

Due to this, files (for example, contract documents) can be appended to objects. Therefore all information is visible. The files are subject to version administration, so that all changes and amendments remain comprehensible.

Regarding the information system, the following is also helpful: single objects, for example servers, can also be assigned to an external contact with a role (for example a Service Technician). Therefore in the case of an emergency, not only is all the information for every authorised person accessible, but valuable time is not lost in responding to the problem. The alternative would be wasting time gathering information on the whole situation.

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Since version 0.9.9-6, the i-doit pro-version provides the opportunity to document your IT-grundschutz through BSI (German Federal Office for Security of IT).  This provides, for the first time, an integrated solution, in which the operational documentation, the service modeling and security aspects are brought together in a uniform and in a relationship-standing structure. With this, a holistic information matrix is created and therefore there is a consolidated view of the security and operational position.

With these new extensions, i-doit now exceeds the basic requirements of ISO 27001 and BSI, as an Integrated Security Management System (ISMS) and is supported significantly by the certification:

• Listing of the IT system in use and the applications and their allocation
• Network plan of all components
• Description of all risks of the system and applications
• Definition for protection requirements of the system and applications

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Building on the relationship model, with CMDB-Explorer there is an exclusive component of i-doit pro-version, which prepares and displays the relationship tree graphically. The Explorer provides editing and control functions thus allowing you to navigate or run actions within the tree. As well as the service view, in which an arrangement of abstract transactions to the necessary power supplies is included, you can also show a virtual environment or cluster system with all relationships and dependencies.

In principle, every object with its relationships can be mapped in the CMDB-Explorer. Also, a contact person and their relationship to the IT system in use, can be displayed.

It is also supported by a change of direction in the view. The standard view shows the dependencies of the objects. So, for example, the dependency of a piece of software upon a server is shown, and in turn, its power supply, mains connection, location etc. In the reverse view, the objects are displayed accordingly  and their dependencies to the output objects are shown. If we stay with this software then perhaps the business process and therefore users will be affected.

These kind of statements are generated by the relationship model of i-doit and visualised by CMDB-Explorer. The displayed trees can be monitored on several levels in parallel. If you want to see the server dependencies on the network connections and for example, a switch is pressed, then the further dependencies of the switches on the server can be looked at.

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The log book in i-doit logs all amendments made to objects. With an optional commentary function, you can also add further information, for example, the reason for the change. In this sense, the log book acts as a central change and status archive for extensions made and for the IT components in use.

So for example you can record, as well as the coupling of Nagios and RT, your resultant data in the log book of i-doit. In the case of a system failure, the information about the assigned objects will be in the log book. Therefore you can record fully the life cycle of objects.

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There are also query options in the open version. In contrast to the pro-version however these are very limited and ultimately do not go beyond the selection of ready-made queries from an online repository. However, the comprehensive reporting of the pro-version brings with it a Query Editor with which you can ask complex queries concerning a menu-driven and saved inventory data of i-doit.

In addition, there is an SQL Editor, with which queries can be manually written otherwise queries can be ‚refined' with the Query Editor, thus allowing, for example, complex operations to be gone through.

In this context, dynamic views can be seen. Here, complex queries and calculations are displayed in a dynamic view, their results, likewise to the results in the standard form, can be displayed in the following formats:

• CSV
• XML
• PDF
• HTML
• TXT

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Additional to the functions already mentioned, there are many smaller core functions to simplify work with i-doit, to improve integration or to make the integration of business processes more efficient. A short overview of the functions is as follows:

Workflows

A simple workflow system allows the creation, delegation and tracking of work orders or recurring tasks (checklists). Along with the corresponding email notifications between those involved and status tracking, work can be better coordinated and everything can be documented.

Search

Whether a full text search or the generation and storage of search queries, the search function of i-doit is efficient.

Templates

Templates is a powerful tool in i-doit. You can create any number of templates to be used when creating new objects. Either automatically (as Default Template) or manually through a choice of templates in object generation. In particular this ‚or‘ allows efficient working.

A simple example to clarify: An organisation has different locations, but always uses the same type of cabinet. Here, one template for the cabinet and several templates for each location would be created. In the event of creating a new cabinet, the cabinet template be used as the default template, and in the event of a new facility, the appropriate location template would be used. Therefore the main forms are already described by the object application.

Export

i-doit can export your data in different formats. So you can decide whether all the data, certain classes or objects and to what extent should be exported.

Clients

i-doit is multi-client enabled and allows split administration across different environments but under one authority.

LDAP

With the LDAP connection, authentication of an existing LDAP capable system can be carried out.

Range of languages

i-doit can be localised to the country of use. As well as the German version, there are also English and Portuguese versions.

My-doit

The my-doit area gives you a personalised view of your IT environment. As well as an overview of your active workflows, the user can bookmark objects or carry out query searches.

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The construction of i-doit enables three different ways to extend routes, programs or functionality.

Module

i-doit is ultimately a collection of modules. As well as the central CMDB module, from a technical point of view, the search or the LDAP connection as examples, are also modules. So modules in all respects also represent functional extensions. IT basic protection or the CMDB Explorer are likewise modules.

Which modules are available in which version, is also a key difference between the open and pro versions of i-doit.

Interfaces

Interfaces serve as communication with third applications and control the exchange of data, i.e. the corresponding access to data. So for example, the Nagios interfaces not only deliver the documentation generated configurations data, but they receive status messages and organise the objects in i-doit.

Filter

Filter is used for the import specific data. The objective of the filters, is the conversion of the delivered data into an i-doit understandable (XML-) format. The source could be from a databank or database format.