Extension Pattern that will insert the Master Ip Switch Ip Address in the Secondary Switch

[Dallas2]

Hello,

 being asked to create an extension pattern to insert the master ip of a switch into the secondary switch, so if the primary switch fails or is removed, then the secondary switch will become the primary and contain the IP.  can anyone explain if this is possible, if so, please explain the process, I thought, this was already available oob, when discovery goes out discovers NICs(discoverys one switch with multiple)....

[Sohithanjan G]

Hi @Dallas2 ,

The concept you are referring to is often known as High Availability (HA) or failover in networking. While ServiceNow Discovery can discover network devices and their interfaces, it typically doesn't handle the specific configuration of high availability or failover scenarios out of the box. The configuration you are describing, where the secondary switch takes over if the primary switch fails or is removed, usually involves the configuration of the network devices themselves.

Here is a general guide on how you might approach this:

1. Device Configuration:

   • First, configure your network devices (switches) for high availability or failover. This often involves setting up protocols like High Availability Seamless Redundancy (HSRP), Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), or similar protocols depending on your network device manufacturer.

2. Discovery Process:

   • Use ServiceNow Discovery to discover these network devices. Discovery will identify the devices and their interfaces, but it won't inherently understand the specific failover configurations you've set up.

3. Custom Attributes or CMDB Configuration:

   • Once discovered, you can create custom attributes in the CMDB (Configuration Management Database) to store additional information about the failover configuration. For example, you might create fields to store the primary and secondary switch IPs.

4. Business Rules or Scripted Actions:

   • Depending on your specific requirements, you might need to implement Business Rules or scripted actions that update the CMDB with the failover information dynamically. This could involve scripting to parse the network device configurations and update the CMDB accordingly.

5. Monitoring and Automation:

   • Consider implementing monitoring solutions or orchestration workflows to automate failover processes. This might involve scripting or integration with other tools to monitor the health of the primary switch and trigger failover actions when necessary.

6. Documentation and Testing:

   • Document the failover process clearly, and conduct thorough testing to ensure that the failover mechanisms work as expected. This is crucial for maintaining the reliability and stability of your network.

While ServiceNow Discovery provides a foundation for understanding the devices in your network, specific failover configurations and actions often fall within the realm of network device management and configuration, rather than discovery alone.

Make sure to consult your network device documentation and work with your network administrators to configure high availability or failover on your switches. Once configured, you can use ServiceNow to capture and track this information in your CMDB.

Mark as accepted solution if it suffices your requirement

[Dallas2 · Accepted solution]

So either way if I were to attempt this it would not work as intended correct? 

[Sohithanjan G]

Yes, please HIT helpful if you got an idea