--- sourceDocument: Brazil IT Operations Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-operations-management Release : - brazil ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Brazil IT Operations Management ft:clusterId : - itom bundleId : - itom workflow : - Technology --- # CI deletion strategies for pattern discovery # CI deletion strategies for pattern discovery {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Brazil Updated October 8, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of CI deletion strategies for pattern discovery When performing discovery using patterns in ServiceNow, you can manage what happens to Configuration Items (CIs) in the CMDB that Discovery can no longer detect. This feature applies exclusively to pattern-based discovery, not to probes or sensors. The process involves identifying a main CI type (e.g., IIS web server) and discovering related CIs such as the hosting machine, configuration files, and hosted websites. After the initial discovery, you configure deletion strategies for related CIs to control their lifecycle in the CMDB during subsequent discoveries. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Pattern-based discovery:** Identifies a main CI and discovers related CIs to build a comprehensive dependency map. * **Related CI Types table (\[sacitopattern\]):** Manually configure deletion strategies for each relation between the main CI and related CI types. This table governs the behavior for related CIs only. * **Deletion strategies for related CIs:** Options include: * **Keep:** Retains the CI record unchanged (default). * **Delete:** Removes the CI record and its relationship from the CMDB. * **Mark as absent:** Sets the CI's status to Absent, indicating Discovery cannot find it; does not delete the CI or relationship except for network adapters and IP addresses, which are deleted. * **Delete relations:** Removes only the relationship between the related CI and the main CI. * **Mark as retired:** Sets the CI's status to Retired, indicating it is no longer used by Discovery without deleting the record or relationship. * **Limitations:** Deletion strategies are not applicable to main CIs of Infrastructure pattern types or to related entries (rules based on related CIs). The main CI can only be deleted if it belongs to Application or Cloud Resource pattern types. ## Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers By configuring CI deletion strategies, you can maintain an accurate and clean CMDB, reflecting the current state of your IT environment. This approach helps prevent stale or orphaned CIs from persisting when Discovery no longer detects them. It enables you to: * Automate the cleanup or status update of related CIs based on discovery results. * Preserve critical configuration data when needed by choosing to keep or mark absent rather than delete. * Ensure relationships in the CMDB accurately represent existing dependencies by deleting obsolete links. * Control the lifecycle of application and cloud resource main CIs by deletion if they become undiscoverable. Implementing these strategies improves CMDB reliability, supports effective IT service management, and minimizes manual maintenance efforts. When you perform discovery with a pattern, you can choose what to do with configuration items (CIs) that are in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) but Discovery can no longer find. Note: Deletion strategies are available only with patterns, not probes/sensors. When you use a pattern to perform discovery, you identify a CI Type, which is the main CI you're trying to find, such as an IIS web server or Tomcat server. Discovery can also find related CIs and populate the CMDB accordingly. For example, after Discovery finds an IIS server with the IIS pattern, it can also find these related CIs: * The Windows machine that hosts the web server * The configuration files for the IIS server * The website that the IIS server hosts {#deletion-strategy__ul_twt_lwh_vz} The dependency map on the main CI also shows the related CIs, as illustrated by the following graphic:Figure 1. An example of an IIS server main CI and its related CIs After you discover the main CI and its related CIs for the first time using a pattern, you must manually configure an entry in the Related CI Types \[sa_ci_to_pattern\] table for each relation between the main CI and a related CI type. These records are where you determine the deletion strategy for each related CI based on its type. Note that you cannot set a deletion strategy for the main CI for Infrastructure pattern type. You can view a list of the relations as the following image illustrates:Figure 2. Example CIs related to an IIS server The deletion strategy on a related CI takes effect when both of these conditions occur: * After you run Discovery with the pattern again. * Discovery successfully finds the main CI but cannot find the related CI. {#deletion-strategy__ul_qdp_2x5_zz} These deletion strategy options are available: {#deletion-strategy__table_xl2_jwf_5z__entry__2} | Value | Description | |-|-| | Keep | Preserves the configuration file CI record and makes no other changes to the record. This option is the default setting. | | Delete | Deletes the configuration file CI record from the CMDB, and the relationship to the main CI. | | Mark as absent | Marks the Status \[install_status\] field of the configuration file CI record as Absent, meaning that Discovery cannot find the tracked configuration file. This status does not instruct the system to delete the actual CI or the relationship. Note: There are two tables that do have their CIs deleted if marked as absent: cmdb_ci_network_adapter and cmdb_ci_ip_address. | | Delete relations | Deletes only the CI relationships between the related CI and the main CI. | | Mark as retired | Marks the Status \[install_status\] field of the configuration file CI record as Retired, meaning that Discovery no longer uses this configuration file. This status does not instruct the system to delete the actual CI or the relationship. | [ ] {#deletion-strategy__table_xl2_jwf_5z} Note: Deletion strategies are not available for related entries, which are rules that are based on related CIs. For more information, see [Related entries](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=c_IdentificationRules&version=brazil&pubname=brazil-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US#section_ftc_tg4_j1b). * **[Set a deletion strategy](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/~Nq2MIrmIA4aqWQxHZpR6g)** Set a deletion strategy when you want to take action on a related configuration item (CI) that Discovery can no longer find through pattern discovery. You can delete the main CI only when it is an Application or Cloud Resource pattern type.