ServiceNow On-Prem Discovery of AWS – MID Server vs API

[zeevz]

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Question

We are running ServiceNow On-Prem, while our applications and infrastructure are hosted in AWS.

Our objectives are:

• Discover AWS infrastructure and application components

• Populate an accurate CMDB

• Build service and dependency mappings

• Use Operational / ITOM dashboards

We are evaluating our architecture and would like to understand best practices from the community:

1. Is deploying a MID Server inside AWS (VPC) required to achieve proper Discovery and Service Mapping?

2. Can AWS API / Cloud Discovery alone provide sufficient data for CMDB and service mapping, without a MID Server?

3. What are the main limitations when relying on API-based discovery only?

4. Are hybrid approaches (API for inventory + MID for critical services) commonly used and recommended?

Any real-world experience or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.