Free ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist - Discovery CIS-Discovery Exam Questions

Tracked configuration files are files that contain settings and parameters of certain applications or devices that Discovery can find and add to the CMDB. Some of the benefits of tracked configuration files are:

Content version comparison: You can compare the content of different versions of the same configuration file and see the changes that occurred over time. This can help you troubleshoot issues, audit changes, and restore previous configurations if needed.

Files tracked as CIs: You can view the configuration files as configuration items (CIs) in the CMDB and see their relationships with other CIs, such as the applications or devices they belong to. This can help you understand the dependencies and impact of the configuration files on your IT environment.

In ServiceNow Discovery, a horizontal discovery pattern refers to the logical set of steps that the Discovery process executes to find CI information across the network. Each step in a horizontal discovery pattern performs specific operations such as running probes, executing commands, or querying databases to gather information about the configuration items (CIs). It's about expanding the breadth of discovery across devices and applications, rather than going in-depth into a specific CI's details, which would be vertical discovery. Classifiers, credential depots, and port scanning tools are part of the discovery process but do not describe the horizontal discovery pattern itself.

In ServiceNow Discovery, relationships between Configuration Items (CIs) in a horizontal pattern are created using the 'Create Relation/Reference' operation. This operation allows the pattern to define and establish relationships or references between discovered CIs, based on the information gathered during the discovery process. Options B and C are incorrect as relationships are not automatically created nor is it true that they cannot be created via patterns. Option D, 'Create Connections,' is not a standard operation in this context. Reference = ServiceNow Discovery documentation, specifically the sections on creating and managing horizontal discovery patterns.

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.

Setting up MID Server user and role

Configure Windows MID Server service credentials

Correcting MID Server Windows service account user and permissions

Credential-less Discovery is a feature of ServiceNow Discovery that allows the instance to identify configuration items (CIs) without using credentials. Credential-less Discovery uses Network Mapper (Nmap), a free and open-source network scanner, to collect information about the CIs by sending packets and analyzing the responses. Nmap must be installed on the MID Server that runs Credential-less Discovery.Credential-less Discovery can be used as a fallback option when credential-based probes fail, or as a primary option for scanning certain types of devices, such as network devices, printers, or IoT devices12.

Credential-less Discovery with Nmap - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal

Credential-less host Discovery - ServiceNow - Now Support

For ServiceNow Discovery to detect a Windows device, the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service needs to be running on the host. WMI is a Windows feature that provides a standardized way to access management information about operating system components and services. Discovery uses WMI to query Windows hosts for information about their hardware, software, and system configuration. SSH is used for Unix-like systems, WinRM is an alternative Windows management protocol, and CIM (Common Information Model) is a cross-platform standard; however, WMI is the primary service used for Windows device discovery.

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.

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

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.

1: ServiceNow Discovery Documentation, Pattern Variables section

2: ServiceNow Discovery Overview, page 11

Create a Discovery CI classification - Product Documentation: Tokyo - Now Support Portal

Identification rules - Product Documentation: Tokyo - Now Support Portal

ServiceNow IRE: Identification Rules Explained --- Cookdown

A Discovery schedule of type Configuration Item collects complete information from the scanned IP ranges and sends it to the CMDB. This type of schedule runs a series of probes and sensors to identify and classify the devices and applications on the network, and to create or update the corresponding configuration items in the CMDB. A Discovery schedule of type Configuration Item can also run patterns to discover more details and relationships about the configuration items.

ServiceNow Discovery Overview

Create a Discovery schedule

Discovery schedule types