Amazon Relational Database Services (RDS) DB Snapshot pattern-based discovery

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated June 16, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Amazon Relational Database Services (RDS) DB Snapshot pattern-based discovery

    This pattern-based discovery enables ServiceNow customers to identify and map Amazon RDS DB Snapshots within their AWS cloud environments using the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application. It integrates snapshot data into both CMDB and non-CMDB tables, providing detailed visibility into RDS snapshot resources and their relationships.

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    Key Features

    • Pattern Activation: The RDS DB Snapshot pattern is disabled by default. From Visibility Content version 6.28.0 onward, enabling or disabling patterns is not treated as a customization, ensuring patterns receive updates and reset to the latest version after upgrades while retaining activation status.
    • Discovery Prerequisites: Customers must verify AWS discovery prerequisites and remove relevant resources from the Resource Inclusion List table to prevent duplicate discovery.
    • GovCloud Support: For discovering AWS GovCloud accounts, configuring the discovery schedule with a datacenter URL and setting up AWS service accounts accordingly is necessary.
    • Data Population: The pattern populates data in:
      • Non-CMDB tables: Such as cmdbawsrelationaldatabaseservicesdbsnapshot, which includes fields like ARN, snapshot name, availability zone, status, DB instance identifier, engine type/version.
      • CMDB tables: Including cmdbcicmpresource with resource type, install status, operational status, and relationships.
    • CI Relationships: Establishes relationships between RDS DB Snapshot resources and AWS Datacenter CIs to maintain accurate infrastructure mapping.
    • AWS Tag Discovery: Captures tags associated with RDS snapshots and stores them in the cmdbkeyvalue table for better resource classification and management.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Gain comprehensive visibility into RDS DB Snapshots across AWS environments, including GovCloud regions.
    • Maintain accurate CMDB records with detailed attributes and relationships for RDS snapshots, enhancing configuration management.
    • Leverage AWS tag data within ServiceNow to improve resource categorization and reporting.
    • Ensure discovery patterns stay current and manageable through seamless pattern activation and update processes.

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns finds AWS services on your cloud environment. Discovering some of these resources may require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

    Pattern-based discovery and mapping requirements

    Verify the AWS discovery prerequisites
    For more information, see the prerequisites section in Amazon AWS Cloud components discovery using patterns.
    Remove resources from the Resource Inclusion List table
    Verify that the relevant resource isn't listed in the Resource Inclusion List [sa_cloud_inventory_resource_whitelist] table to avoid duplicate discovery. For more information on removing resources from the Resource Inclusion List, see Amazon Web Services (AWS) Resource Inventory.
    Enable the relevant pattern
    The pattern for this service is disabled by default. Starting with Visibility Content version 6.28.0, activating or deactivating a pattern won't be considered a customization, and it will continue to receive updates. Patterns that were previously activated or deactivated will reset to the latest predefined version after upgrading while retaining the last active field value. For more information on enabling patterns, see Activate a disabled pattern.
    Configure the Discovery schedule to support GovCloud
    Discovering AWS GovCloud (US) accounts requires using a datacenter URL when setting up an AWS service account. For more information, see Create AWS service accounts.

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in both CMDB and non-CMDB tables.

    Data stored in non-CMDB tables

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in the non-CMDB table when running the Amazon AWS - Relational Database Services DB Snapshot - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern.

    You can review the non-CMDB AWS tables by navigating to All > Configuration > AWS. You can also search the navigation filter for the specific pattern name.

    Table 1. AWS Relational Database Services - DB Snapshot [cmdb_aws_relational_database_services_db_snapshot]
    Field Description
    Object Id [object_id] The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) that uniquely identifies the database snapshot.
    Name [name] A unique identifier for the RDS database snapshot.
    Availability Zone [availability_zone] The availability zone where the database snapshot was created.
    Status [status] The current state or progress of the database snapshot.
    Configuration Item [configuration_item] References the Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource] table.
    DB Instance Identifier [db_instance_identifier] The identifier of the RDS DB instance associated with the snapshot.
    Engine [engine] The database engine used for the snapshot. For example: MySQL or PostgreSQL.
    Engine Version [engine_version] The version of the database engine for the snapshot.

    Data stored in CMDB tables

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in the CMDB when running the Amazon AWS - Relational Database Services DB Snapshot - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern.

    Table 2. Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource]
    Field Description
    Object ID [object_id] The ARN that uniquely identifies the database snapshot.
    Name [name] A unique identifier for the RDS database snapshot.
    Resource type [resource_type] Type of resource. The value is set to AWS::RDS::DBSnapshot.
    Install Status [install_status] Install status of the resource. Default value is Installed.
    Operational status [operational_status] Operational status of the resource. Default value is Operational.

    CI relationships

    The Amazon AWS - Relational Database Services DB Snapshot - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern creates these relationships to support Amazon RDS DB Snapshot discovery.

    CI Relationship CI
    Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource] Hosted on::Hosts AWS Datacenter [cmdb_ci_aws_datacenter]
    AWS Relational Database Services - DB Snapshot [cmdb_aws_relational_database_services_db_snapshot] References Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource]

    AWS tag discovery

    The pattern collects tags and populates them in the Key Value [cmdb_key_value] table.
    Table 3. Key Value [cmdb_key_value]
    Field Description
    Key [key] Tag name.
    Value [value] Tag value.