Obsolescence

Introduced by iTop 2.4, the Data Model now includes an obsolescence notion defined per class of object, to improve user experience by highlighting / hiding obsolete objects.

Purpose

Highlight obsolete objects

Object defined as obsolete are flagged in the console to make this aspect obvious, by graphical icon and tag.

On a list:

On an object:

On a list of linked object:

Improved Impact Analysis

Obsolete objects are ignored by Impact Analysis

Before iTop 2.4.0:

After:

Hide obsolete objects

Based on user preference, objects which are defined as obsolete, are removed from displayed lists in the iTop console.

An obsolete object details is displayed regardless of user preference.

The same Farm as above displayed for a user, requesting to not display obsolete objects:

Be cautious with this user preference, it does hide existing objects:

modify mode

In details screen, on a drop-down list: obsolete objects will not be proposed.
In a relation tab, obsolete objects will not be displayed, so cannot be removed.
In a relation tab, obsolete objects cannot be added.

other display difference

Shortcut display a list without obsolete objects
Dashlets do not include obsolete objects
Global Search do not return obsolete objects
Audit does not report audit errors on obsolete objects
RunQuery does not return obsolete objects

Export should return a list without obsolete objects

CSV import of obsolete objects is still possible in this mode

Searching for obsolete objects

Use RunQuery and automatic attribute obsolescence_flag

Be cautious to set User Preference show obsolete data before!

obsolescence_date won't be documented unless the iTop cron is running.
This is done in background as an asynchronous task

iTop default Data Model

Which objects are Obsolete?

Objects with a status equal to obsolete or inactive,
Objects being a sub-object of another one, are obsolete if their main object is. Example: Physical Interface is obsolete if its ConnectableCI is. There are two exceptions to this rule: a Virtual Machine and an Hypervisor are obsolete if and only if their own status is obsolete
Ticket which have been closed more than 15 months ago, (in 2.4.x only, was removed in 2.5.0)
License expired more than 15 months ago, (Search query cannot be cached, so cautious with high volumes)

Default Obsolescence Conditions

Configuration Management core

Contact: status='inactive' Cautious: user preference may impact who is notified
Document: status='obsolete'

CIs

Application Solution: status='inactive'
Business Process: status='inactive'
DB Server: status='inactive'
Database Schema: its DBServer is obsolete
Middleware: status='inactive'
Middleware Instance: its Middleware is obsolete
Network Device: status='obsolete'
Other Software: status='inactive'
PC Software: status='inactive'
Server: status='obsolete'
Web Application: its Web server is obsolete
Web server: status='inactive'

Miscellaneous

Group: status='obsolete'
Location: status='inactive'
OS Licence: Licence is not perpetual and end date defined and exceeded by more than 15 months
OS Patch: no obsolescence defined
Organization: status='inactive'
Physical Interface: its Device is obsolete
Software: no obsolescence defined
Software Licence: Licence is not perpetual and end date defined and exceeded by more than 15 months
Software Patch: no obsolescence defined
Subnet: no obsolescence defined
VLAN: no obsolescence defined

End User devices

On all end-user devices use the same logic defined on Physical Device: status='obsolete'

Virtualization Management

Farm: status='obsolete'
Hypervisor: status='obsolete'
Logical Interface: its Virtual Machine is obsolete
Virtual Machine: status='obsolete

Advanced Storage

Fiber Channel Interface: its Datacenter Device is obsolete
Logical Volume: its Storage System is obsolete
NAS: status='obsolete'
NAS File System: its NAS is obsolete
SAN Switch: status='obsolete'
Storage System: status='obsolete'
Tape: its Tape Library is obsolete
Tape Library: status='obsolete'

Datacenter

Enclosure: status='obsolete'
PDU: status='obsolete'
Power Source: status='obsolete'
Rack: status='obsolete'

Ticket

None, due to performance issue, if based on current date, it is never cached and recomputed all the time

Configuring Obsolescence

How is it defined

Obsolescence is defined on a class per class basis.
A obsolescence condition is an OQL statement, using any field of the class, including those of type AttributeExternalField
Obsolescence condition are inherited from parent classes, but can be redefined on a child class.
If no obsolescence condition is defined on a class and none of its parent, then objects of that class are never considered as obsolete.

        <obsolescence _delta="redefine">
          <condition><![CDATA[status='inactive']]></condition>
        </obsolescence>

Adding a sophisticated obsolescence condition may lead to exceed the 61 tables limitation of MySQL. In such a case, the symptom is: MySQL can only use 61 tables in a join, mysql_errno = 1116. An example of sophisticated condition is to base the obsolescence of a Virtual Machine on the obsolescence of its Hypervisor.

An object with its status undefined (= no value = ISNULL), is not considered as obsolete by default. If you want to have undefined status considered as obsolete then use this condition:

        <obsolescence _delta="redefine">
          <condition><![CDATA[status='inactive' OR ISNULL(status)=1]]></condition>
        </obsolescence>

Examples

Based on object status:

   <classes><class id="Organization"><properties><obsolescence><condition>
        <![CDATA[status = 'inactive']]>
   </condition></obsolescence></properties></class><classes>

Based on object status combined with status of a parent if parent exists :

   <classes><class id="Hypervisor"><properties><obsolescence><condition>
        <![CDATA[status = 'obsolete' OR (server_id != 0 AND server_id_obsolescence_flag)]]>
   </condition></obsolescence></properties></class><classes>

Combination of status and delay:

   <classes><class id="Ticket"><properties><obsolescence><condition>
       <![CDATA[operational_status='closed' AND (close_date < DATE_FORMAT(DATE_SUB(NOW(), INTERVAL 15 MONTH),'%Y-%m-%d 00:00:00') OR (ISNULL(close_date) AND last_update < DATE_FORMAT(DATE_SUB(NOW(), INTERVAL 15 MONTH),'%Y-%m-%d 00:00:00')))]]>
   </condition></obsolescence></properties></class><classes>

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