--- sourceDocument: Australia IT Operations Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/it-operations-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia IT Operations Management ft:clusterId : - itom bundleId : - itom workflow : - Technology --- # Service Mapping for containerized environments using KVA # Service Mapping for containerized environments using KVA {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 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 Service Mapping for containerized environments using KVA Service Mapping for containerized environments, powered by the Kubernetes Visibility Agent (KVA), enables ServiceNow customers to automatically discover and visualize application dependencies across Kubernetes clusters and related infrastructure. This solution delivers comprehensive topology maps that illustrate how services connect within containerized environments and beyond, including cloud databases, API gateways, and traditional servers. By transforming complex architectures into clear, actionable maps, it enhances troubleshooting, change impact analysis, and application performance optimization. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Seamless Entry Point Discovery and Mapping:** Begin with any application endpoint such as a URL or hostname and port; Service Mapping automatically identifies the Kubernetes resource serving that endpoint. KVA supports multiple Kubernetes exposure methods including load balancers, ingress controllers, NodePort services, Gateway API resources, and OpenShift routes. * **Complete Kubernetes Topology Mapping:** Discover and visualize traffic flows between pods and workloads like deployments, stateful sets, daemon sets, jobs, and cron jobs. Users can switch between viewing workloads or Kubernetes services to analyze container infrastructure flexibly. * **External Dependency Tracking:** Automatically detect and map connections from Kubernetes pods to external resources such as cloud databases, third-party APIs, and traditional infrastructure by resolving DNS connections and Kubernetes ExternalName services. * **Bidirectional Discovery:** Service maps provide visibility whether the entry point connects directly to Kubernetes resources or external components with downstream cluster connections, ensuring comprehensive architecture visibility. ## Use Cases * **Accelerated Incident Resolution:** Immediate visibility into all dependencies helps teams quickly identify root causes and assess impact across Kubernetes and traditional infrastructure. * **Change Impact Analysis:** Visualize upstream and downstream dependencies before implementing changes to Kubernetes deployments or infrastructure to minimize risk and plan maintenance effectively. * **Application Rationalization:** Gain clear insight into which services support critical business applications, enabling informed decisions on resource allocation and technical debt management. ## Benefits * Reduce mean time to resolution by gaining comprehensive visibility into service architectures. * Minimize change risks by reviewing dependencies prior to modifying Kubernetes or related infrastructure. * Improve operational efficiency through automated discovery, eliminating manual documentation of complex service relationships. * Support better decision-making with accurate, real-time topology data reflecting actual application behavior. * Simplify compliance and audit processes using automated documentation of service dependencies and data flows. ## Getting Started To implement Kubernetes service discovery and mapping, install the latest version of Kubernetes Visibility Agent (KVA) and ensure Service Mapping requirements are satisfied. Begin by entering an application entry point into Service Mapping; KVA will automatically detect associated Kubernetes resources and initiate topology discovery to create hybrid service maps that span containerized and external environments. Kubernetes Visibility Agent (KVA) and Service Mapping discover and visualize application dependencies across Kubernetes clusters and related resources, providing complete visibility into containerized environments. Service Mapping for containerized environments provides automated discovery and visualization of application dependencies across your entire technology stack. Your applications can run entirely within Kubernetes clusters or span multiple environments including cloud databases, API gateways, and traditional servers. Service Mapping creates comprehensive topology maps that show how services connect and depend on each other. Service Mapping and KVA combined capabilities transform complex architectures into clear, actionable service maps. These maps help teams troubleshoot faster, assess change impact more accurately, and optimize application performance across environments. ## Key capabilities Seamless entry point discovery and mapping : Start with any application endpoint such as a URL or hostname and port, and Service Mapping automatically identifies the corresponding Kubernetes resource serving that endpoint. KVA recognizes multiple Kubernetes exposure methods including load balancers, ingress controllers, NodePort services, Gateway API resources, and OpenShift routes. Complete Kubernetes topology-mapping : Discover and visualize traffic flows between pods within your Kubernetes clusters. Service maps display workloads including deployments, stateful sets, daemon sets, jobs, and cron jobs. You can choose to view either workloads or Kubernetes services on your maps, providing flexibility in how you analyze your container infrastructure. External dependency tracking : Automatically detect connections from Kubernetes pods to external resources including cloud databases, third-party APIs, and traditional infrastructure. KVA resolves DNS connections and Kubernetes ExternalName services to be able to map dependencies beyond cluster boundaries. Bidirectional discovery : Service maps work regardless of whether your entry point leads directly to a Kubernetes resource or to an external component with downstream connections into clusters. This flexibility promotes comprehensive visibility across any architecture. ## Use Cases Accelerated incident resolution : When incidents occur, Service Mapping provides immediate visibility into all dependencies, helping teams quickly identify root causes and understand the impact across Kubernetes and traditional infrastructure. Change impact analysis : Before changing Kubernetes deployments, APIs, or infrastructure components, visualize all upstream and downstream dependencies to understand potential impacts and plan maintenance accordingly. Application rationalization : Gain complete visibility into which services support critical business applications, enabling data-driven decisions, resource allocation, and technical debt reduction. ## Benefits * Reduced mean time to resolution through comprehensive visibility into service architectures * Minimized risk from changes by reviewing dependencies before modifying Kubernetes or infrastructure components * Improved operational efficiency by automating discovery instead of manually documenting complex service relationships * Better decision-making through accurate, up-to-date topology information that reflects actual application behavior * Simplified compliance and audit processes with automated documentation of service dependencies and data flows ## Getting Started To begin discovering and mapping Kubernetes services, install Kubernetes Visibility Agent (KVA) latest version and make sure Service Mapping requirements are met. For more information, see: * [Configuring Kubernetes Visibility Agent](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/3MG_Xa_QlA4AV6d3R3ywQw "Set up Kubernetes Visibility Agent by performing the described procedures.") * [Configuring Service Mapping](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/W6xGY_P0Zd_x26naDX6xVg "You get started with Service Mapping by configuring roles, credentials, and MID Server connections.") {#mapping-k8s-sm-kva__ul_lvr_4gw_j3c} [Create hybrid service maps](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/liJoD~zePaIK1OmALN8aVQ "Create hybrid service maps that extend outside the Kubernetes cluster and map other related service resources.") Enter an application entry point into Service Mapping. KVA automatically identifies whether this entry point connects to Kubernetes resources and initiates comprehensive topology discovery.