How Discovery populating CMDB Data?

sainath3 · ‎09-15-2020

Hi Teammates,

Am new to ITOM,

i want clear information how & from where the Data populate in CMDB by Discovery,

using Datasource(Transform map) Data is populating using Excell sheet,

Manual entry can be possible through form,

but how Using discovery data is going to populate in CMDB?

Prashanth Kuma4 · ‎09-16-2020

Hello Sainath,

You have to provide the IPs in a discovery schedule and those IPs should be reachable from MID server.

Discovery process

Scanning

Discovery sends a probed called Shazzam to the network to see if commonly used ports are open and if these ports can respond to queries. For example, if Shazzam finds a device that responds on port 135, Discovery knows that it is a Windows server.
Classification

If Discovery finds devices or computers, it sends additional probes to find the type of device or the operating system on the device. For example, Discovery sends the WMI probe to a Windows machine to detect the Windows 2012 operating system. Then Discovery uses records called classifiers, which specify the trigger probe or probes that run during the next two phases. If you are using patterns, the classifier specifies a trigger probe that in turn launches a pattern.
Identification

Discovery tries to gather more information about the device and then tries to determine if a CI for the device exists in the CMDB. Discovery then uses additional probes, sensors, and identifiers to update existing CIs in the CMDB or create new ones. Identifiers, also known as identification rules, specify the attributes that the probes look at when reconciling data with the CIs in the CMDB. If you are using patterns, Discovery uses the appropriate identification rule for the CI type specified in the pattern.
Exploration

The identifier launches additional probes configured in the classifier. These probes are especially designed as exploration probes to gather additional information about the device, like the applications running it, and additional attributes, such as memory, network cards, and drivers. Discovery then creates relationships between applications and devices and between applications. If you are using patterns, the operations in the pattern perform the exploration of the CI.

Find more information here

You can also learn more about discovery by setting up a MID server in your laptop and discovering the other laptops in network (connected to same router) by following the ITOM guided setup in your PDI.

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Vivektietsood · ‎09-15-2020

Please refer to following steps to know how CI Info is created and updated from discovery

Step 1- Create CI Class Manager Use the CI Class Manager to centrally view, create, or edit basic class definitions, and class settings for identification, reconciliation, and CMDB Health. To access the CI Class Manager, navigate to Configuration > CI Class Manager

Opening a class opens information specific to that class

Step 2 - Identification Rules: Clicking Identification Rule opens identification rules specific to the class. Please pay attention to the rules specified:

- Serial Number, Serial Number Type From Serial Number Table

- Serial Number From Hardware Table

- Name from Hardware table

- IP address, MAC address from Network Adapter Table

*** These are the criterion that uniquely identifies the CI

Step 3 - Info on creating or updating CI Info - THis also means that during discovery process when an entry is made in the Linux server table, the criterion mentioned above are evaluated and if a match is found for example with respect to Serial number then an update entry is made, otherwise evaluation against three subsequent criterion is done. If no condition returns true then a new entry is made in the Linux server table.

For example running discovery against the following IP (I have masked IP for security purposes) will create an entry in the Linux Server table. This is the case when this serial number and IP did not exist in the Linux table so it was easy for discovery to create a new entry

Now lets take a case when this IP and serial number exists in CMDB already and check how the specified identification rules get evaluated. For demo purposes I have changed the serial number of the Linux box specified above with the intention of showing that when the serial number identified during discovery is not found to be a match in CMDB, subsequent rules are evaluated and CI is updated.

In this screenshot you can now see that serial number is not found to be match when I kicked off the discovery of the same device again and the system tried to find match with the next criterion, hostname and it found a match, and eventually performed an update on the server.

Please like and or accept solution if this helps.