Concepts and Terminology#

Before you start working with i-doit, it is worth understanding the fundamental concepts. i-doit follows a clear structure — once you have internalized it, everything else falls into place almost naturally.

Objects — the heart of it all#

Everything in i-doit is an object. A server is an object. A room is an object. A person, a contract, a software license — all objects. An object represents a real or logical element of your IT landscape.

Every object has:

• a title (e.g., "web server-01")
• an object type that determines what it is (e.g., "Server")
• a status in the lifecycle (in operation, planned, defective, decommissioned)
• a unique ID and SYSID for technical referencing

Object types — the template#

An object type is the template that determines what kind of object you create. The object type "Server" says: This object is a server and has these categories.

i-doit comes with over 70 predefined object types — from Server, Client, and Switch to Room, Building, and Rack, all the way to Person, Organization, and Contract. You can create your own object types and configure existing ones.

Object types are organized into groups that structure the main menu:

• Hardware — Server, Client, Switch, Router, Printer, ...
• Software — Operating system, Application, Database, ...
• Network — Net, VLAN, Supernet, ...
• Infrastructure — Building, Room, Rack, Air conditioning, ...
• Contacts — Person, Organization, Person group
• Other — Contract, Cable, Mobile phone, ...

Categories — the data fields#

A category is a collection of related data fields. The category "Model" contains, for example, the fields Manufacturer, Model designation, and Serial number. The category "Host address" contains IP address, Subnet mask, and Gateway.

i-doit has over 120 predefined categories. Each object type is assigned the categories that are relevant to it — a server needs "CPU" and "Memory", a room needs "Location" and "Spatially assigned objects".

There are two types of categories:

And three assignment levels:

More on this: Categories and attributes | Assigning categories to object types

Attributes — the individual fields#

An attribute is a single data field within a category. The category "Model" has the attributes Manufacturer, Model designation, and Serial number. The category "CPU" has Designation, Clock frequency, and Cores.

Attributes have different field types:

• Text — Free text (e.g., serial number)
• Dialog — Selection list (e.g., manufacturer)
• Dialog+ — Selection list that you can extend yourself
• Object browser — Link to another object
• Date — Date field
• Number — Numeric value (e.g., RAM in MB)

More on this: Attribute fields | Dialog admin

Relationships — the network#

Objects in i-doit do not exist in isolation. A server is located in a rack. An operating system runs on a server. A person is contact for a contract. i-doit calls these connections relationships.

Relationships are created automatically as soon as you link another object in a category — for example, when you assign a location to a server. You can visually display and analyze them in the CMDB Explorer.

Every relationship has:

• an Object A (master) and an Object B (slave)
• a relationship type (e.g., "Location", "Software assignment", "Contact assignment")
• a weighting that determines which direction is highlighted in the CMDB Explorer

More on this: Object relationships

Locations — the physical world#

Locations form a hierarchy: Country → City → Building → Floor → Room → Rack → Server. Every object can have a location, and objects that are marked as a location can in turn contain other objects.

The location hierarchy enables:

• Location browser — Tree view of all locations
• Rack view — Visual representation of rack occupancy
• Location inheritance — IP networks and contacts can be inherited from the parent location

More on this: Locations

Lifecycle — from planning to decommissioning#

Every object in i-doit goes through a lifecycle:

1

Planned → In operation → Defective/Out of service → Decommissioned

Additionally, there is the documentation cycle that determines how i-doit handles the object internally:

• Normal — visible and active
• Archived — hidden, but recoverable
• Deleted — marked for permanent deletion
• Purged — irrevocably removed

More on this: Lifecycle and documentation cycle

At a Glance#

See also#

• What is i-doit? — Overview of the product
• How do I start documenting? — Practical getting started
• Basics — All details on objects, lists, and categories
• Glossary — Glossary of terms