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CMDB List Views

CMDB list views are saved, filterable tables of configuration items (CIs). They sit at the core of day‑to‑day work in CMDB: operators use them to slice inventory, investigate issues, and feed reports and automation.

This guide focuses on how list views are organized, how default and custom views behave, and how they relate to CMDB Navigator and Search.

Default List Views​

Cloudaware ships a set of standard list views for common use cases (for example, running EC2 instances, RDS instances without backups, public‑facing load balancers). In the Visual builder, these appear under a DEFAULT VIEWS section and are managed by Cloudaware.

Characteristics:

  • Managed centrally by Cloudaware; definitions are read‑only.
  • Serve as good starting points for filters, columns, and sorting patterns.
  • Can’t be edited directly, but can be cloned to create custom variants.

Examples:

  • ALL - all instances
  • APPLICATION: ATTACHED - instances attached to the Cloudaware Virtual Applications
  • APPLICATION: NOT ATTACHED - instances that are not attached to the Cloudaware virtual applications
  • BREEZE: ACTIVE - instances that have the Breeze Agent installed and active
  • HIDS - instances that have Cloudaware IDS enabled
  • BACKUP: STATUS - instances that have Cloudaware Backups enabled
  • COST AND UTILIZATION - instances with cost (e.g., Cost: Blended, 30-Day, Cost: 30-Day) and utilization (e.g., CloudWatch: CPU, 30-Day, Monitor: CPU, 30-Day) fields
  • RUNNING - all running instances

To create your own version of a default view, select it and use Clone & Edit View in the list‑view builder.

Custom List Views​

Custom list views let your organization define its own ways of viewing CMDB data. In the Visual builder. They appear under CUSTOM VIEWS.

You can create custom views by:

  • Cloning a default view via Clone & Edit View and adjusting filters/columns.
  • Clicking the + button to start from scratch and defining filters, columns, and sort order in the Visual builder UI.

Private vs Public Views​

Every list view has an access mode:

  • Private view – visible only to the creator.
  • Public view – visible to all users (or to a defined audience, depending on configuration).

By default, new custom views are private. Only users with appropriate permissions (for example, Cloudaware Administrator, Cloudaware Collector‑level roles, or a specific list‑view editor permission) should create public views that become part of the shared navigation experience.

Visual Builder UI​

When you clone a list view or create it from scratch, the Visual Builder UI opens. The elements to work in this UI are logically grouped in the following way:

Filters and Scopes​

A set of filter criteria defines each list view:

  • Field selection – choose fields from the object and related objects (for example, AWS EC2 Instance plus parent AWS Account fields) to constrain results.
  • Logical operators – use operators like equals, not equal, greater than, less than, contains, starts with, or like to express conditions.
  • Grouping – combine filters into AND/OR groups to model more complex logic (for example, “production AND not test accounts”).

These filters define the scope of the list view: which CIs are included. That scope can then be used directly, exported, or referenced by other modules (Compliance, Backup, Vulnerability, Cost).

Columns and Sorting​

The Data to display section of the builder controls how results are presented:

  • Select which columns to show (for example, Name, State, Account, Region, Environment, Owner).
  • Adjust column order to surface the most important fields.
  • Configure primary and secondary sort order to keep the most relevant CIs at the top.

Well‑designed columns and sorting make list views more usable for both operators and stakeholders reviewing data.

See also: Browse Objects.

Run or Save Options​

After you adjust filters, group conditions, and columns in the list view, you can:

  • Run a preview of results without saving a list view. Click RUN.
  • Save the results as a new list view. Click SAVE.

Exporting List Views (CSV and Queries)​

From an open list view, you can also export or copy an API/SQL‑style equivalent for use in automation and reporting. The options here are:

  • Use OPEN QUERY to open the Visual builder UI, allowing you to alter list view criteria and copy the link to this CMDB view.
  • Use EXPORT to download a CSV file for ad‑hoc analysis, sharing, or ingestion into other tools. Note that file preparation may take some time, depending on the selected scope.
  • Use SHOW EQUIVALENT to obtain:
    • curl commands that reproduce the view.
    • SOQL query that reproduces the view. Click the button TRY SEARCHING IN SOQL EDITOR to open this query in the Cloudaware SOQL Editor.
    • BigQuery snippets that mirror the filter and column logic.

The list views are a convenient way to prototype queries visually and then reuse them in automation, BI, and integrations.

How List Views Fit Into Navigation​

List views sit between Navigator and CI detail pages:

  • Navigator and Search help you pick the object type and initial filters.
  • List views capture that configuration as a reusable artifact.
  • CI detail pages are one click away from any row in a list view, giving you full context for a specific resource.