Hi @PawanKumarR ,
As per my understanding why this doesn’t happen by default
The payload ServiceNow Discovery sends to the ECC queue:
* Is built by probe & sensor scripts.
* The standard VMware probes (e.g., VMware - vCenter Datacenter, VMware - ESX Server) only include standard fields:
* Name, IP, sys_class_name, support_group, etc.
* Managed by group isn’t included unless you:
* Extend the probe payload, and
* Extend the sensor to read that data and write it to the CMDB.
Solution: Extend probe & sensor to include “Managed by”
Solution Steps can be:-
1. Find the probe you want to extend
* Go to:
Discovery Definition → Probes
* Look for the VMware probe you care about (e.g., VMware - vCenter Datacenter).
2. Add a variable to the probe
In the probe:
* Add a new variable called, e.g.,
managed_by
This will hold the managed by group value you want to send.
3. Update the sensor to populate it
Find the matching sensor (e.g., VMware - vCenter Datacenter Sensor):
* In the sensor script:
* Read or derive the managed_by group value.
* Add it to the payload that gets serialized to ECC.
E.g., pseudo-code:
var managedByGroup = <logic to find group>; // e.g., based on business rules or naming
ci.setValue('managed_by', managedByGroup);
4. Modify the payload creation (if needed)
Most probe payloads are built dynamically using XMLWriter or JSON:
* Add:
<managed_by>name_or_sys_id_of_group</managed_by> to the payload.
5. Ensure the CI update script also updates the CMDB field
* Make sure the sensor uses:
ci.setValue('managed_by', value_from_payload);
to set the managed_by group on the discovered CI.
6. Deploy & test
1. Run Discovery.
2. Go to:
ECC Queue → Filter: Queue=input, Name=tags (or the relevant name).
1. Check the payload XML — you should now see:
<managed_by>Group Name</managed_by>
Points to be careful:
* Extend OOB probes/sensors by cloning → keep upgrade-safe.
* Use meaningful logic to decide the managed_by group.
* Test thoroughly in sub-prod
Final tip:
support by field is there by default because the OOB sensor/probe knows to include it.
To add managed by:
Extend the probe
Extend the sensor
Populate the CI field (managed_by)
Please appreciate the efforts of community contributors by marking appropriate response as Mark my Answer Helpful or Accept Solution this may help other community users to follow correct solution in future.
Thank You
AJ - TechTrek with AJ - ITOM Trainer
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ServiceNow Community MVP 2025
