Network Discovery – Automatically Incorporating New Subnets into Discovery Scope

[SteveR781314613]

Hi all,

We’re currently implementing Network Discovery within ITOM and are trying to better understand how it handles newly discovered subnets in dynamic network environments.

Use Case

Our environment frequently introduces new subnets, and we’re aiming to minimize manual effort in maintaining Discovery scope. Ideally, we’d like Discovery to adapt automatically as the network evolves.

Specifically, we’re trying to:

• Automatically include newly discovered subnets in Discovery
• Organize those subnets into Discovery Range Sets (e.g., by location)
• Avoid ongoing manual creation and maintenance of IP ranges

What We’re Seeing

From testing so far:

• The Auto Discovery Subnets related list is being populated over time as Discovery runs
• These subnets include useful metadata like location and associated network devices
• However, they do not appear to automatically translate into Discovery IP Ranges or populate Range Sets
• Discovery Range Sets and IP Ranges still need to be created and maintained manually

We’re also trying to better understand the role of the Auto Discovery Subnets list:

• Does it represent all subnets discovered during a schedule run?
• What determines which subnets are included?
• Is there any intended connection between these subnets and the actual Discovery scan scope?

Gap / Challenge

We initially expected Network Discovery to dynamically expand its scope based on discovered topology.

Instead, it seems:

• Auto-discovered subnets are informational only
• Discovery scope must still be explicitly defined (IP ranges / range sets)
• There’s no out-of-the-box way to convert discovered subnets into active Discovery ranges

This creates a scalability concern in environments where subnets change frequently.

Questions for the Community

1. Is there any out-of-the-box functionality to convert Auto Discovery Subnets into Discovery IP Ranges or Range Sets?
2. How are others handling dynamic environments where new subnets are introduced regularly?
3. Is there a recommended approach for keeping Discovery scope updated without heavy manual effort?
4. Can Range Sets be automatically populated based on attributes like location?
5. Are there best practices (e.g., leveraging IP Network CIs or other data) to support this kind of automation?

Goal

We’re looking for a scalable and supported approach where:

• Newly discovered subnets can be incorporated into Discovery scope automatically
• Range Sets can remain logically organized
• Manual maintenance is minimized

If this isn’t supported out of the box, any guidance on recommended patterns or architectures would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!