Challenges with Removing Duplicate Records in CMDB Table

[Service now11]

Hi,

We are currently facing challenges in removing duplicate records from the CMDB table. Our instance is integrated with multiple tools such as SNOW software, SCCM, etc. We have performed mid-server discovery and also cross-checked via Excel, confirming no duplicates exist. However, within our instance, example, "cmdb_ci_computer" table, columns such as name and asset contain seemingly identical records, with only minor differences observed. Despite running a de-duplication task, some records identified by the mid-server exhibit disparities in the "assigned to" and "location" values, although the column names remain consistent. We are uncertain whether to classify these instances as duplicates. Any advice or solutions on how to resolve this?

Despite attempting various approaches, including background scripts utilizing unique fields like serial numbers, we have yet to find a satisfactory solution to address the duplicate records in the CMDB table. We are currently exploring the option of a remediation task to merge all CIs into a main CI. However, there are concerns that this approach may not yield optimal results. Is there any other method or suggestion?

Thanks.

[Mark Manders]

What are 'minor differences'? If you have multiple systems updating the same records, you need to have one unique identifier for it. It can be different ones for different systems, but that computer is that computer. If it's updated on serial number by one system and the other needs the asset tag, that's fine, but it's still the same computer.

Your 'seemingly identical records' remark states that they aren't identical, because there are differences. We can't say if it's two machines or one. You know your company and your devices. Are these records referring to the same configuration item (in real life) or not? If so, you need to check why it exists twice. What system created them and why aren't they updating on the same item? It could be a coincidence (system A created the item in ServiceNow and before the qualifier for system B was entered, system B also integrated), but that still means that your item is entered in two different systems, before the integration to ServiceNow is started, without having unique identifiers.