- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
‎02-02-2025 05:33 AM
How does the Identification and Reconciliation process impact CI creation in CMDB, and how would you verify if it's causing failures in this scenario?
Solved! Go to Solution.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
‎02-02-2025 05:41 AM
Hi @sanyalshubh
The Identification and Reconciliation (I&R) engine in ServiceNow CMDB ensures data integrity and prevents duplicate Configuration Items (CIs). When new CI data is introduced via discovery, integrations, or manual input, I&R determines whether to create, update, or ignore the incoming data. The process works as follows:
-
Identification Rules:
- The system checks if an incoming record matches existing CIs using predefined identification rules.
- If a match is found, the record is updated.
- If no match is found, a new CI is created.
- If multiple matches are found, an error occurs, preventing duplicate or conflicting data.
-
Reconciliation Rules:
- Defines which source has the authority to update specific attributes.
- Prevents unauthorized overwrites from less authoritative sources.
-
Duplicate Prevention:
- Ensures a single source of truth by avoiding duplicate CIs.
- If strict identification rules exist, legitimate new CIs may be rejected due to rule mismatches.
How to Verify if I&R is Causing CI Creation Failures:
If you suspect that the I&R process is blocking CI creation, follow these steps:
-
Check Identification Rules:
- Navigate to Configuration > CI Class Manager > Identification Rules.
- Verify if the rules match the incoming data.
- If rules are too strict, adjust the criteria accordingly.
-
Review Identification Logs:
- Navigate to CMDB Identification and Reconciliation > Identification Log.
- Look for errors such as:
- Multiple Matches Found (indicating duplicate CIs).
- No Matches Found (indicating failure to identify existing CIs).
- Authorization Issues (when a source lacks permission to update fields).
-
Check CI Reconciliation Status:
- Go to CMDB Reconciliation > Reconciliation Logs.
- Identify if the "Target Rejected" status appears.
- Check which data source is authoritative for conflicting attributes.
-
Validate Discovery or Import Data:
- If CIs are coming from Discovery or Integration, inspect the Raw Import Table (
imp_*
tables). - Ensure required attributes are mapped correctly to match identification rules.
- If CIs are coming from Discovery or Integration, inspect the Raw Import Table (
-
Test Manual CI Creation:
- Try manually creating a CI via the CMDB CI form.
- If manual creation succeeds but automated creation fails, I&R is likely interfering.
-
Use CMDB Health Dashboard:
- Navigate to CMDB Dashboard > Health KPIs.
- Review metrics like Duplicate CIs and Orphan CIs to detect anomalies.
If you found my response helpful, I would greatly appreciate it if you could mark it as "Accepted Solution" and "Helpful."
Your support not only benefits the community but also encourages me to continue assisting. Thank you so much!
Thanks and Regards
Ravi Gaurav | ServiceNow MVP 2025,2024 | ServiceNow Practice Lead | Solution Architect
CGI
M.Tech in Data Science & AI
ï”— YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learnservicenowwithravi
ï”— LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravi-gaurav-a67542aa/
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
‎02-02-2025 05:41 AM
Hi @sanyalshubh
The Identification and Reconciliation (I&R) engine in ServiceNow CMDB ensures data integrity and prevents duplicate Configuration Items (CIs). When new CI data is introduced via discovery, integrations, or manual input, I&R determines whether to create, update, or ignore the incoming data. The process works as follows:
-
Identification Rules:
- The system checks if an incoming record matches existing CIs using predefined identification rules.
- If a match is found, the record is updated.
- If no match is found, a new CI is created.
- If multiple matches are found, an error occurs, preventing duplicate or conflicting data.
-
Reconciliation Rules:
- Defines which source has the authority to update specific attributes.
- Prevents unauthorized overwrites from less authoritative sources.
-
Duplicate Prevention:
- Ensures a single source of truth by avoiding duplicate CIs.
- If strict identification rules exist, legitimate new CIs may be rejected due to rule mismatches.
How to Verify if I&R is Causing CI Creation Failures:
If you suspect that the I&R process is blocking CI creation, follow these steps:
-
Check Identification Rules:
- Navigate to Configuration > CI Class Manager > Identification Rules.
- Verify if the rules match the incoming data.
- If rules are too strict, adjust the criteria accordingly.
-
Review Identification Logs:
- Navigate to CMDB Identification and Reconciliation > Identification Log.
- Look for errors such as:
- Multiple Matches Found (indicating duplicate CIs).
- No Matches Found (indicating failure to identify existing CIs).
- Authorization Issues (when a source lacks permission to update fields).
-
Check CI Reconciliation Status:
- Go to CMDB Reconciliation > Reconciliation Logs.
- Identify if the "Target Rejected" status appears.
- Check which data source is authoritative for conflicting attributes.
-
Validate Discovery or Import Data:
- If CIs are coming from Discovery or Integration, inspect the Raw Import Table (
imp_*
tables). - Ensure required attributes are mapped correctly to match identification rules.
- If CIs are coming from Discovery or Integration, inspect the Raw Import Table (
-
Test Manual CI Creation:
- Try manually creating a CI via the CMDB CI form.
- If manual creation succeeds but automated creation fails, I&R is likely interfering.
-
Use CMDB Health Dashboard:
- Navigate to CMDB Dashboard > Health KPIs.
- Review metrics like Duplicate CIs and Orphan CIs to detect anomalies.
If you found my response helpful, I would greatly appreciate it if you could mark it as "Accepted Solution" and "Helpful."
Your support not only benefits the community but also encourages me to continue assisting. Thank you so much!
Thanks and Regards
Ravi Gaurav | ServiceNow MVP 2025,2024 | ServiceNow Practice Lead | Solution Architect
CGI
M.Tech in Data Science & AI
ï”— YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learnservicenowwithravi
ï”— LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravi-gaurav-a67542aa/