--- sourceDocument: Yokohama IT Operations Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/yokohama/it-operations-management Release : - yokohama ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Yokohama 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: Yokohama 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 In ServiceNow Discovery using patterns, you can manage what happens to Configuration Items (CIs) in the CMDB that are no longer found during subsequent discovery runs. This feature is specific to pattern-based discovery and does not apply to probes or sensors. When a pattern identifies a main CI type (e.g., an IIS web server), Discovery also finds related CIs that form the complete infrastructure and configuration context. Show full answer Show less ## Setting Deletion Strategies for Related CIs After initially discovering the main CI and its related CIs, you must manually configure deletion strategies for each related CI type in the **Related CI Types \[sacitopattern\]** table. This configuration determines how Discovery handles related CIs when they are no longer detected during subsequent discovery runs, assuming the main CI is still found. Note that deletion strategies cannot be set for the main CI in Infrastructure pattern types, but can be set for Application or Cloud Resource pattern types. ## Deletion Strategy Options * **Keep**: Retains the related CI record with no changes. This is the default. * **Delete**: Removes the related CI record and its relationship to the main CI from the CMDB. * **Mark as absent** : Updates the related CI's `installstatus` to Absent, indicating it is currently not found, without deleting the record or its relationships. Note this causes deletion only for `cmdbcinetworkadapter` and `cmdbciipaddress` CIs. * **Delete relations**: Deletes only the relationships between the related CI and the main CI, leaving the related CI record intact. * **Mark as retired** : Updates the CI's `installstatus` to Retired, meaning it is no longer used by Discovery, without deleting the record or relationships. Deletion strategies do not apply to related entries, which are rules based on related CIs rather than the CIs themselves. ## Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers This capability enables customers to maintain accurate and clean CMDB data by controlling the lifecycle of related CIs discovered via patterns. By choosing an appropriate deletion strategy, you can prevent stale or orphaned CI records, reduce CMDB clutter, and better reflect the current state of your infrastructure and applications. Properly configuring these strategies supports reliable dependency mapping and impact analysis based on up-to-date CI relationships. 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=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US#section_ftc_tg4_j1b). * **[Set a deletion strategy](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dVzVBe2~6ov25jRLq1pwlA)** 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.