CIS-Discovery Sample Questions Answers

File-based Discovery is a process that helps identify what software is running on your Windows and UNIX servers and devices, even if there is no registration information available. File-based Discovery is triggered in the exploration phase of normal Discovery, after the target device has been classified and identified. File-based Discovery probes execute a scan searching for specific file extensions or file names in paths that you configure. The resulting file information is returned in the probe payload. The sensor attempts to match the discovered files with installed software, using the file name, size, and version returned by the probe.

References: File-based Discovery, File Based Discovery - Support and Troubleshooting

 The Service Account for the MID Server must have the Log on as service right on the Windows platform. This right allows the MID Server to run as a Windows service and communicate with the ServiceNow instance. The Service Account does not need to have local or domain admin rights, as these are not required for the MID Server functionality. The MID Server User Role is a role on the ServiceNow instance, not on the Windows platform, and it is used to control the access and permissions of the MID Server on the instance.

References:

• Correcting MID Server Windows service account user and permissions
• What is a ServiceNow MID Server and how does it work?
• Configure Windows MID Server service credentials

The Duplicate CI Remediator is a feature of ServiceNow Discovery that helps to identify and merge duplicate CIs in the CMDB. It uses predefined rules and criteria to compare CIs across different data sources and determine if they are duplicates. It also provides a user interface to review and approve the suggested merges, or to manually merge CIs as needed. The Duplicate CI Remediator helps to improve the accuracy and quality of the CMDB data and reduce the maintenance efforts.

References:

• Duplicate CI Remediator
• Identify and merge duplicate CIs
• Duplicate CI Remediator rules

 The WMI service is a Windows service that enables remote management of Windows devices using the WMI protocol. The WMI service is required for Discovery to access the configuration and status information of Windows devices using WMI queries. If the WMI service is not running on a host, it will prevent the discovery of Windows devices, as Discovery will not be able to communicate with the WMI Collector or execute WMI queries on the target device123.

References:

• How to resolve a failure to communicate with the WMI Collector during top-down discovery - Support and Troubleshooting - Now Support Portal
• Windows discovery without ‘domain admin’ or ‘local admin’ privileges ? - Support and Troubleshooting - Now Support Portal
• Discovery — ServiceNow Elite

Discovery uses the ping method to determine if a host IP is active or alive. Ping is a network utility that sends an ICMP echo request packet to a target IP address and waits for an ICMP echo reply packet. If the target IP address responds, it means that the host is active or alive12.

References:

• 1: ServiceNow Discovery Documentation, Discovery Process section
• 2: ServiceNow Discovery Overview, page 8

SNMP credentials are used by Discovery to communicate with devices that support the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). SNMP credentials do not include a user name, just a password, called the community string. The default read-only community string for many SNMP devices is public, and Discovery will try that automatically. Enter the appropriate SNMP credentials if they differ from the public community string1.

References: 1: SNMP credentials - Product Documentation: Utah - Now Support Portal

A Functionality Definition is a configuration record that defines what protocols to detect from within a Behavior. A Behavior is a set of Functionality Definitions that Discovery uses to identify and explore a device or application. A Functionality Definition specifies the order, type, and parameters of the probes that Discovery launches to gather information about a device or application12.

References:

• Functionality Definition
• Behavior

The reconciliation process in ServiceNow refers to the method of ensuring data integrity and consistency in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) by allowing only designated authoritative data sources to write or update information at the CI (Configuration Item) table and attribute level. This process helps maintain accurate and reliable data in the CMDB by controlling how and from where data is sourced and updated. The other options describe different processes or aspects of CMDB management and are not directly related to the reconciliation process. References = ServiceNow CMDB documentation, particularly the sections on CI data management and reconciliation processes.

 The MID Server’s user account must have the mid_server role to interact with a ServiceNow instance. This role allows the MID Server to access protected tables and perform discovery and orchestration tasks on behalf of the instance. The other roles are not related to the MID Server functionality. The discovery_admin role is for configuring and managing discovery, the sm_mid role is for using the Service Mapping MID Server, and the mid_discovery role is for running discovery probes and sensors.

References:

• Setting up MID Server user and role
• Configure Windows MID Server service credentials
• Correcting MID Server Windows service account user and permissions

The deletion strategy ‘Mark as absent’ means that when a related CI that was previously discovered by a pattern is no longer found, the install_status attribute of that CI is set to Absent. This indicates that the CI is missing or removed from the network. The main CI (in this case, the Linux Server CI) is not affected by the deletion strategy of the related CI (in this case, the Disk CI)12.

References1: Set a deletion strategy - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow2: Network adapter status setting to “Absent” in EMC … - ServiceNow …

 A scheduled job is a background process that runs at a specified time or interval to perform a specific task1. It is not a method for deleting specific CIs that are not discovered in 30 days. The other options are methods for deleting or updating CIs based on discovery data. A UI policy is a script that can dynamically change the behavior of a form or list2. A service mapping is a process that creates a map of the relationships between CIs that support a business service3. A data policy is a rule that enforces data consistency and accuracy by validating the data entered into a record.

References: 1: Scheduled Jobs 2: UI Policies 3: Service Mapping : Data Policies

Pattern operations are the building blocks of patterns that define the logic and actions to perform on the target CIs. Some pattern operations query targets to retrieve information or execute commands, while others manipulate data or perform other tasks. WMI Query and Get Process are examples of pattern operations that query targets. WMI Query executes a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) query on a Windows target and stores the results in a variable. Get Process executes a command to list the processes running on a target and stores the results in a variable12.

References:

• Pattern operations - Product Documentation: Vancouver - ServiceNow
• Pattern operations - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal

Global variables are variables that are automatically available for all steps in horizontal discovery patterns. They store information about the target CI, such as its IP address, host name, operating system, and credentials. There are two global variables that may be used for steps in horizontal discovery patterns: system and computer_system. The system variable contains the information about the target CI’s IP address, host name, and credentials. The computer_system variable contains the information about the target CI’s operating system, such as its name, version, and architecture12.

References:

• Patterns and horizontal discovery - Product Documentation: Tokyo - Now Support Portal
• Horizontal Pattern probe - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal

Variables are used in discovery patterns to store and manipulate data that is collected or calculated during the discovery process. There are three kinds of variables used in discovery patterns12:

• CI attributes: These are variables that correspond to the attributes of the configuration item (CI) type that the pattern is discovering. For example, name, serial_number, manufacturer, etc. CI attributes are used to populate the CI record in the CMDB with the information gathered by the pattern.
• Temporary: These are variables that are created and used within the pattern, but are not stored in the CMDB. For example, $result, $output, $user_var, etc. Temporary variables are used to store and manipulate data such as the output of a command, the value of a parameter, or the result of a calculation.
• Global: These are variables that are defined in the global scope and can be accessed by any pattern. For example, $mid, $target, $ip_address, etc. Global variables are used to store and access data that is common to all patterns, such as the MID Server, the target device, or the IP address.

References:

• 1: ServiceNow Discovery Documentation, Pattern Variables section
• 2: ServiceNow Discovery Overview, page 11

In configuring the MID Server Service Settings in ServiceNow, the MID Server name must adhere to certain naming conventions. Among the options provided, "mid server1" (D) is not a valid MID Server name because it contains a space. MID Server names should not include spaces or special characters that are not typically used in naming conventions. Names like "mymidserver1," "mid.server1," and "midserver1" are more in line with the standard naming practices. References = ServiceNow MID Server documentation, specifically the sections detailing MID Server configuration and naming conventions.

The $process.executableDir expression correctly calls the value of the executableDir variable from the tabular process variable. The process variable is a tabular variable that contains the output of the ps command, which lists the processes running on a CI. The executableDir variable is a column name that holds the directory path of the executable file for each process. To access the value of a column name from a tabular variable, you need to use the dot notation, such as $variable.columnName12.

References1: Pattern variables - Product Documentation: Tokyo - Now Support Portal2: Examples of EVAL scripts used in Discovery patterns - ServiceNow

The Parse Variable pattern operation allows you to extract information from the output of a previous operation and save it in a variable. You can choose from different parsing methods, such as JSON File, XML File, Regular Expression, or Custom Script. To have two different parsing methods to populate variables, you need to use two different steps, each with a different Define Parsing selection. For example, you can use one step to parse a JSON file and another step to parse an XML file. You cannot use two different parsing methods on the same step, as the Define Parsing selection is unique for each step.

References:

• Parse command output: This article explains how to use the Parse command output operation and the different parsing methods available.
• Pattern Designer: Parse Variable - JSON File gives error: This article provides a troubleshooting tip for using the JSON File parsing method.
• Examples of EVAL scripts used in Discovery patterns: This article provides some examples of custom scripts that can be used for the Custom Script parsing method.

When increasing the maximum number of threads for a MID Server in ServiceNow Discovery, it's often necessary to also increase the memory allocated to the MID Server application. This is because more threads can result in higher memory usage as each thread may consume resources while performing discovery tasks. Increasing disk space, updating ACL rules for CMDB tables, or increasing the MID Server max payload size are not directly related to the number of threads used by a MID Server. References = ServiceNow Discovery documentation, especially sections discussing MID Server configuration and performance tuning.

Based on the image, the value assigned to the label “Value” is a concatenation of variables and strings. One of the variables is $name_details[1].exec_info, which indicates that $name_details is a tabular variable, meaning an array or a map that can store multiple values1. The [1] is the index or the key that accesses the element of the tabular variable. The .exec_info is the attribute or the property of the element. Therefore, the choice D is true.

The other choices are not true based on the image. The choice A is false because the image does not show any WMI query operation step. A WMI query operation step is a pattern step that executes a WMI query on a Windows device and returns the results as a tabular variable2. The image does not show any WMI query syntax or result. The choice B is false because there is no scalar variable labeled ‘1’. A scalar variable is a variable that can store only one value1. The image shows a label “Value” but not a variable name. The choice C is false because the value can be used in a pattern step. A pattern step is a unit of logic that performs a specific action during Discovery or Service Mapping3. The value can be used as an input or an output of a pattern step, depending on the context.

References: 2: Define a WMI query 3: Pattern steps 1: Pattern variables

ServiceNow Discovery can be extended in three main ways: Classifiers, Probes & Sensors, and Discovery Patterns. Classifiers are used to identify the type of device or application that is being discovered, based on the information returned by a probe. Probes are commands or scripts that are executed on the target device or application to collect data. Sensors are scripts that process the data collected by probes and create or update configuration items (CIs) in the CMDB. Discovery Patterns are graphical representations of the discovery process that can be customized or created to discover specific types of devices or applications, using classifiers, probes, and sensors as building blocks.

References:

• Discovery overview - Product Documentation: Vancouver - Now Support Portal
• Create a Discovery CI classification - Product Documentation: Vancouver - Now Support Portal
• Discovery probes and sensors - Product Documentation: Vancouver - Now Support Portal
• Discovery patterns - Product Documentation: Vancouver - Now Support Portal

An extension section of a discovery pattern is a section that allows you to modify or extend the functionality of an existing pattern without customizing it. An extension section can contain shared libraries, which are reusable code snippets that can be invoked from any pattern or extension section. Shared libraries can be used to define common functions, variables, or constants that are used across multiple patterns or extension sections. Shared libraries can also be used to override the default behavior of some built-in functions, such as identification or classification12. References = 1: ITOM: Extending Discovery/Service Mapping Patterns - GlideFast ServiceNow 2: How to Create Discovery Pattern Extensions and Why to Use Them

The SNMP Query operation on a pattern for a custom device query allows Discovery to retrieve information from the target device using the SNMP protocol. It is best practice to use the published manufacturer’s device MIB, which is the official and standard definition of the device’s SNMP data. Using the manufacturer’s device MIB ensures that the query is accurate, consistent, and compatible with the device. Modifying the default MIB information, enabling SSH as a secondary protocol, or using live devices in production are not recommended practices, as they may introduce errors, security risks, or performance issues123.

References:

• SNMP Query pattern operation - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal
• Load a MIB file - Product Documentation: Vancouver - ServiceNow
• How Loading of MIB file works on SNMP Browser ( Pattern Step - SNMP Query) - Support and Troubleshooting

The Discovery pattern log is a log that records the execution of a pattern during Discovery or Service Mapping1. It shows the success or failure of the individual pattern steps, as well as the input and output variables, the CI attributes and relationships, and the errors or warnings2. The ECC Queue is a table that displays the input and output messages from and to MID Servers3. It shows the payload of CI attributes and relationships, the Shazzam probe payload, and the relationships created, but not the success or failure of the individual pattern steps4. The success or failure of the individual pattern steps is specific to the Discovery pattern log and can be used to debug or troubleshoot the pattern execution2.

References: 1: Discovery pattern log 2: View the Discovery pattern log 3: ECC Queue 4: ECC Queue Processing and Debugging, with “Discovery - Sensors” used as an example

In ServiceNow Discovery, most properties related to the Discovery module start with the prefix 'glide.discovery'. This naming convention is part of ServiceNow's system property design, where 'glide' typically indicates system properties and 'discovery' specifies that the property is related to the Discovery module. Properties are used to configure various aspects of the Discovery process, such as behavior, timeouts, and performance settings.

From the Discovery Status record, a Device record in ServiceNow Discovery contains a link to the discovered Configuration Item (CI). This link provides direct access to the CI record that was discovered and processed during the discovery cycle. The Device record does not contain the contents of the CI, a link to the discovered Asset, or a link to the CMDB Health Dashboard. References = ServiceNow Discovery documentation, focusing on the details of Discovery Status records and the information contained within Device records.

The Put file operation allows the transfer of a file from the MID Server to a target1. This operation can be used to copy files from the MID Server to a target device, such as configuration files, scripts, or binaries2. The Put file operation requires the file path on the MID Server and the file path on the target as inputs2.

References:

• 1: Put file
• 2: Define discovery steps

A horizontal pattern must have a TCP entry point type or an ALL entry point type to execute from a process classifier. A process classifier is a rule that matches a process running on a host and triggers a horizontal pattern to discover the application associated with that process1. The entry point type determines the type of connection that the pattern uses to access the target host. A TCP entry point type means that the pattern uses a TCP port to connect to the host, while an ALL entry point type means that the pattern can use any available connection method2.

References:

• 1: Process classifiers - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow
• 2: Horizontal Pattern probe - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow

According to the ServiceNow website1, the key capabilities of a ServiceNow ITOM Enterprise solution are:

• Manage hybrid clouds: Gain visibility and control across your hybrid cloud environment with a single system of action for IT.
• Proactively eliminate service outages: Identify issues and anomalies before they cause service outages with AIOps and machine learning.
• Automate IT service operations: Automate common service requests, processes, and tasks with digital workflows and virtual agents.
• Optimize IT service delivery: Align your IT resources and investments with business priorities and optimize service delivery performance.

References:

• 1: ITOM - Enterprise IT Operations Management - ServiceNow

To launch any pattern, you need to specify the CI classification and the CI type. The CI classification determines the table where the discovered CI is stored in the CMDB, and the CI type defines the specific attributes and relationships of the CI. For example, if you want to discover a Windows server, you need to select the CI classification as cmdb_ci_win_server and the CI type as Windows Server. These choices are mandatory for any pattern, as they enable Discovery to identify and classify the CIs correctly.

References: Patterns and horizontal discovery, Available discovery patterns