CIS-Discovery Certified Implementation Specialist - Discovery Questions and Answers

Without seeing the specific image, it's challenging to definitively identify the operation. However, based on the options provided, if the image shows an operation that involves interpreting or extracting data from a variable, then "Parse Variable" is the most likely answer. "Parse Variable" is used in ServiceNow Discovery patterns to analyze and extract data from variables collected during the discovery process. References = ServiceNow Discovery documentation, particularly the sections on Discovery Pattern Designer and the various operations that can be used in patterns.

 According to the ServiceNow Discovery documentation, the base system CI Identifiers for Windows Server class are name and serial_number. These are the attributes that Discovery uses to uniquely identify a Windows Server CI. If both attributes match an existing CI, Discovery updates that CI. If only one attribute matches, Discovery creates a new CI. If neither attribute matches, Discovery also creates a new CI. In this scenario, the serial_number is the same for both Windows Servers, but the name is different. Therefore, Discovery will create two separate CIs, one with WindowsSN1 as the name and one with WindowsSN2 as the name.

References:

• 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

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 …

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

 Based on the web search results from the search_web tool, the following choices best represent key capabilities of a ServiceNow ITOM Enterprise solution:

• Manage Hybrid Clouds: ServiceNow ITOM enables organizations to gain visibility into their IT environment, on-premises to cloud, and see the impact of their applications on business services12. It also helps to plan, track, and secure cloud implementation through best-practice governance1. Four apps comprise Cloud Accelerate to help prepare for cloud migration, streamline provisioning requests, and manage cloud resources1.
• Proactively Eliminate Service Outages: ServiceNow ITOM helps to predict issues, reduce user impact, and automate resolutions with predictive AIOps and automation13. It analyzes telemetry and log data using AI to reduce noise, expedite mapping and predict issues1. It also delivers proactive digital operations with real-time log data to solve problems quickly1.

The other choices are not specific to ServiceNow ITOM Enterprise solution, but rather general features of the ServiceNow platform. The ServiceNow platform allows users to create an engaging user experience with intuitive interfaces and workflows. It also enables users to build new apps fast with low-code development tools and pre-built components.

References: 1: ITOM - Enterprise IT Operations Management - ServiceNow 2: ServiceNow IT Operations Management (ITOM) Services | Jade 3: Modernize IT Operations Management with ServiceNow ITOM : ServiceNow Platform

The Pattern Designer in ServiceNow Discovery uses different types of horizontal patterns to model various IT components and services. The temporary variable 'computer_system' seen in the pattern indicates that this is a 'Computer System' pattern type. This type of pattern is used to model and discover details about computer systems, which typically include hardware, operating system, and other related components.

In the ServiceNow Discovery module, under the Recommended Actions pane for an Automated Error Messages list within Discovery > Home, the possible options under ACTION ON ALL include "View instructions" and "Retry Discovery". "View instructions" allows users to see guidance on how to address the errors, while "Retry Discovery" enables users to reinitiate the discovery process for the affected devices. "Make Ranges" and "Ping IP Addresses" are not standard options in this context. References = ServiceNow Discovery documentation and user guides, particularly those discussing the management of automated error messages and recommended actions in Discovery.

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

The Application Pattern Type is a pattern that discovers applications and their dependencies by using probes and sensors1. It has two main components: the Run Order and the Identification Section2. The Run Order defines the sequence of probes and sensors that Discovery uses to find and classify CIs2. The Identification Section specifies the criteria that Discovery uses to identify CIs and their relationships2. The other options, CI Type and Operating System, are not specific to the Application Pattern Type. They are used for other pattern types, such as the Horizontal Pattern Type and the Service Mapping Pattern Type3 .

References: 1: Application Pattern Type 2: Application Pattern Type components 3: Horizontal Pattern Type : Service Mapping Pattern Type

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

The Discovery Dashboard provides a summary of the Discovery status, including the number of active discovery errors, the number of devices discovered, and the number of credentials used. Each error has a help link that provides more information about the cause and possible solutions.

References:

• Discovery Dashboard
• Discovery troubleshooting | Error messages

The Automation Error Messages list displays the errors that occurred during the execution of Discovery automation scripts. From this list, you can view the details of each error, such as the script name, the error message, the device, and the time. You can also perform actions on the errors, such as retrying the script, ignoring the error, or creating an incident. To do so, you can use the options on the right navigation pane, which are categorized as follows1:

• SELECT ALL: This option allows you to select all the errors in the list.
• SELECT ONE: This option allows you to select one error in the list by clicking on the checkbox next to it.
• ACTION ON SELECTED: This option allows you to perform an action on the selected errors, such as Retry, Ignore, or Create Incident. You can also choose to perform the action on all the errors in the list by selecting the All option from the drop-down menu.
• ACTION ON ALL: This option allows you to perform an action on all the errors in the list, regardless of the selection. You can choose from the same actions as the ACTION ON SELECTED option.

References:

• Discovery error messages: This article explains the different types of error messages and warnings in Discovery, and how to access and manage them.

For a pattern operation, the <_> placeholder can be replaced by any valid index or wildcard character that can be used to access an element of an array or a table. The $IfTable variable is a table that contains information about the network interfaces of a device1. The InstanceID attribute is a unique identifier for each interface2. To access the InstanceID of a specific interface, the pattern operation can use the following syntax:

$IfTable[].InstanceID

where is either:

• A numeric index that corresponds to the position of the interface in the table, such as 3 for the third interface.
• A dot (.) followed by a key-value pair that matches a specific attribute and value of the interface, such as [.Name=eth0] for the interface with the name eth0.
• An asterisk () that represents a wildcard that matches any interface in the table, such as [] for all interfaces.

References:

• 1: IfTable - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow
• 2: InstanceID - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow

 To allow a MID Server to access servers using WinRM, the following configurations are required:

• MID Servers need to be added to the WinRM Group policy on the Servers: This enables the servers to accept WinRM connections from the MID Servers and grant them the necessary permissions to execute commands and scripts1.
• MID Server Parameters Add WinRM: This enables the MID Server to use WinRM as a protocol for Discovery and Orchestration and specify the WinRM port, authentication method, and encryption settings2.

References:

• Configure Windows servers for WinRM
• MID Server Parameters Add WinRM

On the ECC Queue, sensor records have a Queue value of output and probe records have a Queue value of input. The ECC Queue is the connection point between the instance and the MID Server, and it displays the input and output messages from and to the MID Server1. A probe is a message that the instance sends to the MID Server to request information from a device or application2. A sensor is a script that the MID Server runs to process the results returned by the probe3. When a probe is created, it is inserted into the ECC Queue with a Queue value of input, which means that it is waiting to be picked up by the MID Server4. When a sensor is created, it is inserted into the ECC Queue with a Queue value of output, which means that it is waiting to be processed by the instance.

References: 1: ECC Queue - ServiceNow 2: Probes - ServiceNow 3: Sensors - ServiceNow 4: How the ECC Queue table records get processed: from output ready to input processed - Support and Troubleshooting - Now Support Portal : [ECC Queue Processing and Debugging, with “Discovery - Sensors” used as an example - Support and Troubleshooting - Now Support Portal]

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

 The Location field for a discovered CI is populated by the Location field of the Discovery Schedule that triggered the discovery of that CI. This is done by the DiscoverySensor script, which gets the location ID from the Discovery Schedule and passes it to the Shazzam probe, which then updates the cidata with the location information. The Location field for a parent CI Type, a Port Probe, or a Discovery Dashboard report does not affect the Location field for a discovered CI.

References: Discovery - How Location field is set for a CI, How to pass discovery schedule fields to a CI record via discovery

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.

One method for deleting specific CIs not discovered in 30 days is to use a scheduled job that runs a script to query the CMDB for CIs that have not been updated by Discovery for a certain period of time, and then delete them or mark them as retired. This method can help you keep your CMDB clean and accurate, and avoid having stale or obsolete CIs. You can configure the scheduled job to run at a specific frequency and time, and specify the criteria for selecting the CIs to delete.

References: Automated way to disable/retire CIs not updated for 45 days, ServiceNow CIS-Discovery Sample Questions

In ServiceNow Discovery, when encountering the error 'Active, couldn't classify' during the discovery of a new SNMP network device, it typically indicates an issue with the classification process. Classification is a crucial initial step in the Discovery process, where the system determines the type of device it is interacting with. If an SNMP Classification rule for the new device type does not exist or needs updating, Discovery will be unable to classify and thus properly discover the device. Incorrect SNMP credentials or firewall issues usually result in different types of errors, such as authentication failures or no response from the device.

A /24 subnet IP Range means that there are 256 possible IP addresses in the range, from 0 to 255. A Shazzam batch size of 5000 means that Discovery will send 5000 ICMP packets at a time to scan the IP addresses. Therefore, Discovery will launch the Shazzam probe once for every 5000 IP addresses in the range, or 256 / 5000 = 0.0512 times. Since the number of times must be an integer, Discovery will round up to 1 and launch the Shazzam probe once. However, since the Shazzam probe is launched for each MID Server that is assigned to the Discovery Schedule, the actual number of times will depend on how many MID Servers are available. If there are N MID Servers, then the Shazzam probe will be launched N times, each sending 5000 ICMP packets to the same IP range. Therefore, the total number of times that the Shazzam probe will be launched during discovery is N * 1 = N.

References:

• Discovery Schedule form
• Shazzam Probe
• Discovery IP range

The Parse File operation is used to extract information from a file and create variables to contain the extracted information1. The two main options within a Parse File operation are Select File and Define Parsing2. Select File allows you to specify the file path or browse to the file. Define Parsing allows you to select the relevant parsing strategy and define parsing criteria2.

References:

• 1: Parse a file
• 2: Define discovery steps

 The Shazzam probe is placed in the ECC queue as a first step in horizontal discovery. The ECC queue is a table that stores requests and responses for communication between the MID Server and the ServiceNow instance1. The Shazzam probe is a script that performs port scanning on a target host to determine what protocols are available and what classifiers to trigger2. The Shazzam probe is sent from the ServiceNow instance to the MID Server, which executes it on the target host and returns the results to the ECC queue3.

References:

• 1: ECC queue - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow
• 2: Shazzam probe, port probes, and protocols - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow
• 3: Discovery Phase Shazzam - Support and Troubleshooting - ServiceNow

er: D

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.

The SNMP Query pattern operation executes an SNMP query on a target device and stores the results in a variable. The Variable Type field determines the format of the results. There are two valid Variable Types for this operation: Table and Scalar. Table is used when the query returns multiple values, such as a list of interfaces or processes. Scalar is used when the query returns a single value, such as the system name or uptime12.

References:

• SNMP Query pattern operation - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal
• SNMP Query pattern operation - Product Documentation: Vancouver - ServiceNow

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

Horizontal pattern types are used to discover the configuration items (CIs) that belong to a specific category or class, such as infrastructure or application. They define the operations that Discovery performs to identify and classify the CIs, and the attributes that Discovery populates for each CI. Horizontal patterns can be applied to any operating system or platform that supports the required protocols and commands12.

References:

• Horizontal discovery patterns
• Discovery pattern types

• A is true because the target table $cmdb_ci_web_server is a ServiceNow CMDB table that stores information about web servers1.
• B is true because the merge table operation is typically used for application patterns, which are horizontal patterns that discover applications and their dependencies. The condition on the process.executablePath variable suggests that the operation is looking for a specific application (mongoose) running on the web servers.
• D is true because the merge table operation requires at least one matching field value between the two source tables1. In this case, the process.executablePath variable is the matching field, and it must contain “mongoose” for the operation to run.

References:

• 1: Merge tables - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal
• 3: Product Documentation | ServiceNow
• [4]: Discovery Patterns - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal