The IT landscape of many companies has grown explosively in recent years. In addition to traditional on-premises systems, teams now operate cloud services, containers, microservices, and SaaS solutions. Added to this are tools for monitoring, ITSM, IAM, CMDB, and security. This diversity is an advantage because each specialist domain can choose the best solution for its needs. However, it also presents challenges: data must flow reliably, processes must function end-to-end, and manual work must not become a bottleneck.
The answer is automation. And if you want to implement automation sustainably, there’s no getting around open source. At becon, we have been consciously pursuing this approach for years. With OpenCelium (integration/automation) and DataGerry (CMDB/ISMS), we demonstrate how open technologies can be combined to create powerful IT operations – transparent, flexible, and without vendor lock-in.
Why open source is the key to IT automation
Automation is no longer a “nice to have,” but rather a prerequisite for keeping pace with growing environments, security requirements, and cost pressures. Open source reinforces this effect:
- Transparency instead of a black box:
The code is visible. Security gaps, data flows, and dependencies are traceable. - Adaptability & Extensibility:
Policies, workflows, and data models can be adapted to your processes—not the other way around. - Cost control:
Instead of high license fees, you invest in expertise, services, and operation. - Community innovation:
Active communities provide ideas, plugins, and quick fixes. - Independence:
No dead ends due to proprietary interfaces; full data sovereignty remains with your company.
Especially in times of rapid technological change, this openness becomes a real advantage for the future.
Automation in practice: OpenCelium & DataGerry
Before we look at other tools, it is worth taking a look at two open source components that have proven themselves in many projects.
OpenCelium – the bridge between your systems
In many IT environments, monitoring systems (e.g., Zabbix, Checkmk), ticketing solutions (KIX, Jira), CMDBs (DataGerry, i-doit), IAM systems (Keycloak, AD), cloud platforms, and security tools run in parallel.
Each of these systems provides valuable information—but without proper integration, data silos, duplicate maintenance, and media discontinuity arise.
OpenCelium connects these systems via API without any programming effort. In a drag-and-drop interface, you can model workflows, synchronize objects, enrich data, or automatically trigger tickets and actions. This creates a central data and process hub.
Advantages at a glance:
Less manual work, fewer errors
Higher data quality through consistent synchronization
Faster response times in the incident/problem/change process
Full control over integrations — without dependence on third-party manufacturers
Example: An alarm from Zabbix is detected by OpenCelium and the status is automatically synchronized to the appropriate config item in DataGerry. A ticket is then generated in KIX or Jira, a suitable Ansible playbook is triggered, and the result is immediately documented in the ticket.
DataGerry – the flexible open source CMDB
Many CMDBs fail due to rigid data models. DataGerry deliberately takes a different approach: schema-free and model-free. You define how objects, attributes, and relationships should look—whether they are classic servers, cloud resources, IoT devices, or business objects.
Strengths of DataGerry:
Maximum flexibility in the data model
Uniform database for automation workflows
Deep integration with OpenCelium and other tools
Open source: transparent, expandable, future-proof
Integrated ISMS that supports NIS2 compliance
This makes the CMDB a central hub for automation rather than just an inventory list.
Example: In the workshop, key object types such as servers, applications, and cloud resources are modeled and connected to systems such as Zabbix, KIX, and Ansible via OpenCelium. This allows monitoring data to flow automatically into the CMDB, tickets to be enriched with relevant information, and standard playbooks to be triggered directly. The result is an up-to-date, integrated database that actively supports IT operations and significantly reduces manual maintenance.
The open-source toolbox for IT automation
With our well-coordinated portfolio of open source tools, we cover all core areas of IT automation—from databases and integration to monitoring and service management.
Integration & Orchestration:
OpenCelium connects your systems via API, automates data flows, and enables end-to-end workflows.
CMDB & Asset Management:
DataGerry provides a flexible, schema-free CMDB that adapts precisely to your processes and serves as a central database.
Service Management:
KIX, OTRS, Znuny, and OTOBO ensure efficient ticketing, incident, and service management.
Monitoring & Visualization:
Zabbix, Sensu, and Grafana provide you with full transparency over your infrastructure and services, deliver events for automation, and enable data-driven decisions.
Configuration & infrastructure automation:
Ansible automates deployments, configurations, and standard tasks in IT operations.
Analysis & Logging:
Elastic Stack and Time Series Databases support you in evaluating log and metric data—for informed decisions and rapid error analysis.
Reference architecture: From events to actions
A tried-and-tested automation cycle usually follows this pattern:
- Observe – Record events (e.g., monitoring alerts)
- Enrich – add relevant CMDB or context data
- Decide – Check rules and conditions
- Act – Automatically trigger tickets or scripts
- Feedback – document and evaluate results
This creates a closed automation loop – traceable, documented, and auditable.
6 automation cases that have an immediate effect
- Ticket autofill in the incident process
- CMDB synchronization
- Alert remediation
- User onboarding/offboarding in IAM
- Planning and implementation of patch windows
- Standardized change templates
Security, Compliance & Governance
Open source is not “less secure” – on the contrary: openness allows security to be specifically designed and controlled.
- Transparent code base
- Role and rights concepts (RBAC)
- Traceable changes
- Policies and configurations as code
This is how security by design is created—firmly embedded in processes rather than added later as an add-on.
Step by step to an automation ecosystem
1. Select use case: Identify a clearly defined, recurring pain point, e.g., incident enrichment in KIX.
2. Secure the database: Model relevant CIs cleanly in DataGerry to create a consistent basis.
3. Define interfaces: Determine which systems deliver or receive data—e.g., Zabbix for monitoring and KIX for tickets.
4. Build workflow in OpenCelium: Model rules, mappings, and error paths, and connect systems with each other.
5. Automate actions: Implement standard measures with Ansible or initiate processes directly in KIX.
6. Make it measurable: Use monitoring data from Zabbix or visualization with Grafana to make results transparent.
7. Scaling: Add further use cases, reuse standards and templates – based on OpenCelium and DataGerry.
Common pitfalls in IT automation – and how to avoid them
- Starting too big: It’s better to begin with clear, manageable scenarios.
- Unclear responsibilities: Define responsibilities early on.
- Missing tests: Regularly check and document workflows.
- CMDB neglected: Without an up-to-date database, there can be no reliable automation.
- Just technology, no processes: people and procedures are part of it.
¡ Open source as the foundation of sustainable IT automation
IT automation is not a trend, but an operational necessity. Open source tools provide the ideal basis for this: transparent, flexible, community-driven, and cost-efficient. With OpenCelium as the integration and workflow layer and DataGerry as a flexible CMDB, the backbone for end-to-end processes is created. In combination with other tools, this results in an ecosystem that shortens response times, increases quality, and noticeably reduces the workload on teams.
Our tip: Start with a specific use case, make success measurable, and scale gradually. If you wish, we can assist you with advice, consulting, support, and training—from proof of concept to productive rollout.
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