Guidance on designating principal classes in the CMDB Guidance on designating classes as principal classes in the CMDB What is a Principal Class? A Principal Class is a designation applied to CMDB classes that are most important for foundational data health and governance within an organization. These classes typically represent critical infrastructure, platforms, or services that the business depends on most. By focusing on Principal Classes, organizations can deliberately prioritize the health, completeness, and accuracy of configuration items (CIs) that matter most—improving overall CMDB data quality, trust, and reliability. Learn more Why Principal Classes Matter Marking a class as a Principal Class helps focus CMDB health monitoring, insights, and operational attention on the most important configuration items in your environment. Principal Classes typically represent foundational, high‑impact, and relatively stable components that are critical for: Reliable service deliveryFaster and more accurate incident triageEffective impact analysis and dependency visibility This article provides guidance and examples of class categories that organizations commonly designate as Principal Classes. Principal Class Categories and Recommended Classes Each category below lists example classes that are commonly marked as Principal. These examples are intended as guidance; final selection should align with your organization’s architecture, maturity, and operational priorities. 1. Cloud Focus: Foundational cloud resources that anchor workloads, networking, and core services. Recommended Principal Classes cmdb_ci_vm_instancecmdb_ci_cloud_load_balancercmdb_ci_cloud_databasecmdb_ci_cloud_object_storagecmdb_ci_network 2. Servers Focus: Core compute infrastructure with high operational and incident impact. Recommended Principal Classes: cmdb_ci_linux_servercmdb_ci_win_servercmdb_ci_servercmdb_ci_unix_servercmdb_ci_storage_server 3. Databases Focus: High‑business‑impact data platforms critical for service continuity and incident triage. Recommended Principal Classes: cmdb_ci_databasecmdb_ci_db_oracle_instancecmdb_ci_db_mssql_databasecmdb_ci_db_instancecmdb_ci_db_mssql_instance 4. IT Networking Devices Focus: Core network infrastructure with high blast radius and service dependency. Recommended Principal Classes: cmdb_ci_ip_routercmdb_ci_ip_switchcmdb_ci_ip_firewallcmdb_ci_lb 5. Integrations Focus: High‑impact integration surfaces that enable critical data and service flows. Recommended Principal Classes: cmdb_ci_api_gatewaycmdb_ci_apicmdb_ci_kafka_cluster 6. Service Instances Focus: Service‑level CIs with direct business relevance and operational visibility. Recommended Principal Classes: cmdb_ci_service_autocmdb_ci_network_service_instance 7. End User Computing Focus: End‑user assets with sustained support and productivity impact. Recommended Principal Classes: cmdb_ci_computercmdb_ci_pc_hardwarecmdb_ci_handheld_computing Key Guidance and Best Practices Start with a small, high‑value set of Principal ClassesPrefer classes that are foundational, stable, and well‑ownedAvoid marking short‑lived or low‑signal classes as PrincipalReview Principal Class selections periodically as services and architecture evolve Summary Principal Classes should represent the most critical configuration items in your environment—those that combine business importance, operational relevance, and scale. Selecting the right Principal Classes ensures CMDB health efforts remain focused, actionable, and aligned with real operational needs.