Does the ACC Client create relationships between CIs like discovery does?

[Morgan2]

We are looking to leverage the ACC client for other purposes, but the question has come up to whether the ACC client could replace discovery. I cannot find any information listed anywhere on whether the ACC client can create the same relationships that horizontal discovery can. My guess would be no, as it is just reporting data from individual CIs. But would like confirmation. Thanks!

[Community Alums]

Hi @Morgan2 ,

it's not intended to replace traditional discovery methods entirely. ACC complements discovery by gathering detailed data from endpoints, especially for scenarios where credential-based discovery is difficult or unavailable.

Also, 

ACC is agent based discovery where ACC do not have to Pick the Credentials at Run time rather ACC Agents keep sending data to Mid Servers. 

Horizontal Discovery - We create Credentials (Windows , SSH , SNMP ) for Discovery . These Domain, Root credentials are stored in Service Now Credentials table which is on Service Now Cloud. Security Experts see it as a very big risk . Even in Horizontal Discovery Password Vaults Like Cyber Ark can be used but seems in yoor case customer is more happy with ACC.

[Community Alums]

Hi @Morgan2 ,

[Shivalika · Accepted solution]

Hello @Morgan2 

Below 👇 are few points - 

• The Agent Client Collector for Visibility (ACC-V) in ServiceNow serves as an alternative to traditional horizontal IP-based Discovery, focusing on collecting OS-related attributes such as system details, running processes, and installed software. 
• However, ACC-V does not inherently perform application dependency mapping or establish the same comprehensive relationships between Configuration Items (CIs) as horizontal Discovery. While ACC-V captures data like TCP connections, it does not automatically create relationships between them.
• To achieve detailed CI relationships and application dependency mapping, traditional horizontal Discovery remains the more robust solution.

Refer SN documentation - https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/vancouver-it-operations-management/page/product/agent-client-...

Kindly mark my answer as helpful and accept solution if it helped you in anyway. This will help me be recognized for the efforts and also move this questions from unsolved to solved bucket. 

Regards,

Shivalika 

My LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivalika-gupta-540346194

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[Brady Holliday]

Hey @Morgan2, 

The ACC does have the capability to run pattern-based discovery, which would in return replace to some extent the horizontal discovery that is being used, see Application patterns for the Agent Client Collector for more details.

This in addition to Traffic-Based Mapping as well as the ability to perform Service Mapping with Agent Client Collector allows for an alternative approach to normal MID Server mass IP scanning (see Configure Agent Client Collector for use with Service Mapping for additional details).

Hope this helps,

Brady Holliday