You use the Comparison Rules application to create comparison rules that you can add to a reconciliation task. If you use IBM® Tivoli® Change and Configuration Management Database, you can create a full configuration item (CI) comparison rule that lets you compare CI relationships.
In addition to comparing the attributes associated with the two instances from each data set, full CI comparison also takes into account the tree of relationships an authorized CI has with other authorized CIs. Full CI comparison rules compare the relationships of authorized CIs and the attributes associated with the authorized CIs with the relationships and attributes associated with the corresponding actual CIs.
For CI to actual CI relationship comparison, once the data set is returned by the task tilter and the link is established between instances, relationships, and attributes for the authorized CI returned in the link and for all subsequent lower level authorized CIs down the tree are compared with the linked Actual CI.
The authorized CI data set is always the leading set for full CI comparison rules. Consequently, if you set up a task filter, enter CI in the Filter Type field.
In most cases, when you define a full CI comparison rule, use a link rule that links CIs in Data Set 1 with actual CIs in Data Set 2 based on ACTCINUM (actual CI number) as the value in the Attribute field for both Data Set 1 and Data Set 2.