---
sourceDocument: Yokohama IT Asset Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/yokohama/it-asset-management
Release :
- yokohama
ft:locale :
- en-US
ft:publication_title :
- Yokohama IT Asset Management
ft:clusterId :
- itam
bundleId :
- itam
workflow :
- Technology
---
# Discovery models and software installations
# Discovery models and software installations {#ariaid-title1}
* Release version: Yokohama
*
* Updated January 30, 2025
*
*  3 minutes to read
Summarize
 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 Discovery models and software installations
Software discovery models in ServiceNow are automatically created during discovery to identify and normalize software installed in your environment.
These models are stored in theSoftware Discovery Model \[cmdbsamswdiscoverymodel\]table and represent discovered versions or configurations of software across your network.
They differ from software models, which represent specific purchased versions or configurations available to users.
Show full answer Show less
## Key Features
* **Automatic Creation and Normalization:** Discovery models are generated automatically when new software installations are found, excluding software with names containing "Security Update."
* **Primary Key Matching:** Software installations are matched to discovery models using a primary key composed of Publisher, Display Name, and Version.
* **Version Matching Logic:** The system first searches for an exact version match; if none is found, it rounds down to a major version for matching (e.g., 8.0.4 matches 8.0).
* **Normalization Process:** Normalization is performed automatically upon model creation to standardize software identification. Users can manually adjust normalized fields under certain conditions, changing the status to "Manually Normalized."
* **Normalization Suggestions:** When discrepancies occur between normalized values and package or pattern data, the system provides normalization suggestions that users can accept or reject.
* **Reverting Normalization:** You can revert normalization to reset discovery models to an unnormalized state ("Match Not Found"), either to reapply manual normalization or await automatic normalization based on the latest rules from the Content Service team.
* **Software Installations Table:** Discovered software installations are stored in the **Software Installation \[cmdbsamswinstall\]** table and linked to discovery models via the primary key.
## Key Outcomes
By leveraging discovery models and software installations, ServiceNow customers can achieve consistent identification and normalization of installed software across their environment. This enables accurate software asset management by associating multiple discovered versions to a single software model, improving reconciliation, compliance, and reporting. The automatic and manual normalization processes ensure that software data remains standardized and actionable, while the ability to revert normalization provides flexibility to maintain data accuracy over time.
Software discovery models are automatically created during
discovery to identify and normalize the software installed in your environment.
Software discovery models are stored in the Software Discovery Model \[cmdb_sam_sw_discovery_model\] table. The normalization process is automatically run when a new discovery model is created. Discovery models are not created for
software installations that have a name containing Security Update.
There is a difference between [software models](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ihrEv8kYoI0yL71FW41mvQ "A software model is a profile of the software that you've purchased, including information about the publisher, version, and discovery map. Software entitlements are used to relate the software model to the rights that you've purchased.") and software discovery models.
* A software model is a specific version or configuration of software that is purchased and/or available to users.
* A software discovery model is a model created when a version of software is discovered in a network environment.
{#c_DiscoveryModels__ul_fqn_m55_hp}
Multiple software discovery models can be associated to one software model. For example, a software model can be defined as follows:
* Publisher = X
* Product = Y
* Version = Starts with 10
{#c_DiscoveryModels__ul_q1m_1gl_c1b}
If there are two separate installs of this product (version 10.1 and version 10.2), two discovery models are created. One of the discovery models has the discovered version set to 10.1, and the other discovery model has the
discovered version set to 10.2. The reconciliation process associates both of these discovery models to the same software model since they both meet the version criterion of Starts with 10.
## Discovery Models {#c_DiscoveryModels__section_g3h_4p4_jbb}
Software discovery models cannot be created manually. The following field combination, called the primary key, is used to match new software installations to a new or existing software discovery model.{#c_DiscoveryModels__p_gzc_qcp_sfb}
Primary key: Publisher, Display Name, and Version
Note:
When analyzing version numbers, an exact match is always searched for first, but rounds down to a major version number when an exact match is not found.
For example, if no match is found for version
number 8.0.4, but version 8.0 is found, then version 8.0 is used in the Software model field.
Note:
If normalized field values differ from the values in the package or pattern, a caution icon is indicated next to the Normalization status field indicating that a normalization suggestion record has been created. Clicking the caution icon opens the [Normalization Suggestion](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/OVjEUe1vYVL0JOjh802Y4g "View normalization suggestion records that are created for discovery models. You can accept or reject these suggestions.") record for that discovery model.
The differing values can be set by the user, or by accepting the normalization suggestion changes. Once a new value is set, the normalization status changes form Normalized to Manually Normalized.{#c_DiscoveryModels__p_j1r_jcp_sfb}
Under specific conditions, certain fields that are typically read-only can be edited. If edited, the status changes to Manually Normalized.
## Revert normalization {#c_DiscoveryModels__section_qh1_mc2_11b}
You can revert a normalization if needed.
When you revert a normalization, discovery models that have a status of Normalized, Partially Normalized, or Publisher Normalized revert to the status of
Match Not Found. All normalized fields are also reset to their original unnormalized values. You can then normalize your discovery models manually or wait for the next normalization to run
automatically. If you are normalizing your discovery models manually, the Software Asset Management application creates normalization suggestions based on the latest normalization rules from the Content Service team. You can choose to accept or reject these suggestions. If you wait for normalization to run automatically, discovery models are normalized using the latest normalization rules from the Content Service team. The discovery models are then set to a status of Normalized, Partially Normalized, or Publisher Normalized, and the
normalized field values are set.
## Software Installations
The Software Installations list contains the software installed in your organization and is populated by discovery.
Installed software is placed in the Software Installation
\[cmdb_sam_sw_install\] table by Discovery, and a primary key is built (using Publisher, Display Name, and Version fields).
Discovery automatically matches the discovered software installation with a new or existing software discovery model using the primary key.