👋 Hello ITOM Admins and Developers!
Here are some practical tips and tricks that can save you time and help you avoid common pitfalls when working with Discovery and CMDB.
🧩1. CMDB CI Class Info Table
This table lists all CMDB CI classes available within the Configuration Management Database.
It also allows you to toggle the “Principal CI” checkbox directly from the list view.
✅ Why it’s useful:
It helps you quickly see the total number of CI classes in the CMDB and identify which Principal classes are leveraged in key processes such as Incident, Change, and Problem Management.
⚡ 2. Bulk Quick Discovery
If you want to run a bulk quick discovery on a list of IP addresses without creating separate discovery schedules:
➡️ Navigate to Discovery Workspace → Quick Discovery.
This lets you trigger fast scans across multiple targets—ideal for quick validation or testing.
🧠 3.Basic ITOM Tip Every Discovery Admin Should Know
Before running a Discovery or troubleshooting connection issues, always check network connectivity between the MID Server and the target device.
🔹 Key Network Commands Every Admin Should Know
|
Command |
Purpose |
Example |
Result |
|
nslookup |
Verify DNS resolution |
nslookup server01.company.com |
Returns IP address (e.g., 192.168.10.25) |
|
ping |
Test reachability |
ping 192.168.10.25 |
Replies indicate connectivity |
|
tracert / traceroute |
Trace network path |
tracert 192.168.10.25 |
Shows network hops and latency |
|
telnet |
Test port connectivity |
telnet 192.168.10.25 22 |
Confirms if the port is reachable |
💡 Pro Tip:
Always run these commands from the MID Server host machine, not your local computer — this ensures you’re testing the actual Discovery connection path.
⚙️ 4. Install Status Flapping Issue
When Multi-Source Discovery is enabled, you might notice that CI’s Install Status keeps switching between Absent and Non-Operational.
This “flapping” happens when the same CI is discovered by multiple sources — for example, both Cloud Discovery and Nutanix Discovery.
If one source reports it as active while another doesn’t detect it, the status toggles each time discovery runs.
🔍 CI Deletion Strategy – sa_ci_to_pattern.list
To review or configure deletion strategies for CIs discovered through patterns:
- Navigate to Application Filter → sa_ci_to_pattern.list.
- Locate the CI type associated with a main CI through Pattern Discovery.
- To set a deletion strategy for cloud databases, search for the CI type cmdb_ci_cloud_database.
🟢 Tip:
cmdb_ci_cloud_database records have Is Main CI = true, meaning you can configure deletion strategies for both AWS and Azure cloud databases — even though they are the primary CIs found by Cloud Discovery.
🔸 Also check:
Any dependency or cascading business rules on CI tables.
For example, if a VM is marked Retired, its related Server CI might also be automatically updated to Retired.
🧩 5. IRE Error – How to Fix It
This error occurs when Discovery fails to insert a CI into the CMDB due to Identification and Reconciliation (IRE) issues.
🧭 Steps to Resolve
- Verify Lookup Rule
- Go to CMDB → Identification and Reconciliation → CI Identifiers.
- Check if a Lookup Rule exists for cmdb_ci_computer.
- If missing, create a new rule with Lookup = Serial Number.
- Add Related Rule for ARP Table
- Ensure a Related Identification Rule exists between cmdb_ci_computer and discovery_net_arp_table.
- If not, create one so the engine can reconcile relationships between computers and ARP entries.
💡 If you found this article helpful, please mark it as “Helpful” and feel free to share your thoughts or additional tips in the comments.
Regards,
Srinija Amisthapur
Rising Star 2025 ⭐
Certified Technical Architect
