--- sourceDocument: Australia ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/servicenow-platform Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities ft:clusterId : - platcap bundleId : - platcap workflow : - Platform --- # CI class recommendations # CI class recommendations {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated September 28, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 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 class recommendations The CMDB success advisor helps you optimize your Data Foundations scope by analyzing your instance's Configuration Item (CI) and task data to recommend which CI classes to include. It ranks candidate CI classes using a weighted score based on incident, problem, and change (IPC) activity, CI count, and category. These recommendations are updated monthly to guide your principal class selection. Show full answer Show less ## How Recommendations Work * **Weighted Scoring:** Combines IPC activity, CI count (both measured over a default 180-day period), and category. IPC activity has the highest influence when present. * **Category Weighting:** Servers and Cloud classes score highest; Services, offerings, and Enterprise architecture classes score lowest. * **Default Padding:** If fewer than six classes qualify, the advisor supplements with default classes (Computer, Server, Database, Cloud Database, Virtual Machine Instance). * **Monthly Updates:** Scores are recalculated once a month; recent changes may not appear immediately. * **Custom Selection:** Recommendations provide guidance but final selections should align with your organization's priorities. ## CI Class Groups in the Set Principal Classes Dialog The dialog organizes CI classes into logical groups to simplify selection: * **Recommended additions:** Up to 20 CI classes ranked by weighted score, including existing principal classes pre-selected. * **Recommended removals:** Lists currently selected principal classes that match an exclusion list (based on exact class names, prefixes like `cmdbciendpoint`, or suffixes like `template`), suggesting removal from Data Foundations. * **Technology domain groups:** Classes are grouped by domains such as AI systems, Cloud Databases, IT networking devices, Middleware applications, Servers, Storage, Virtualization infrastructure, and others to assist in navigation and selection. ## Recommended Removals Details * Classes matching exclusion criteria (including subclasses of exact matches) appear here if currently selected as principal classes. * Level-1 base class exclusions apply only to the exact class, not subclasses. * Removing classes from the Recommended removals group will exclude them from your Data Foundations scope after applying changes. * Excluded classes are generally not available for new selection but may appear if previously selected. * Information icons provide guidance to review these classes before removal. ## Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers Use the CMDB success advisor's recommendations as a data-driven starting point to refine your Data Foundations scope, focusing on CI classes that impact your IT operations through IPC activity and CI volume. Regularly review both recommended additions and removals to keep your CMDB aligned with actual usage and organizational priorities. Leverage the organized class groups to efficiently navigate and manage your principal classes, ensuring your CMDB remains accurate, relevant, and manageable. CMDB success advisor analyzes your instance's CI and task data to recommend which CI classes should be in your Data Foundations scope. CMDB success advisor ranks each candidate CI class with a weighted score. The score combines three inputs: the class's incident, problem, and change (IPC) activity, its CI count, and its category. IPC activity and CI count are both measured within the same suggestion period. The default suggestion period is 180 days, set in the sn_cmdb_advisor.principal_class_suggestion_period system property. Servers and Cloud classes score highest by category; Services and offerings and Enterprise architecture classes score lowest. IPC activity carries the most weight when any candidate class recorded activity within the suggestion period. On an instance with no IPC activity for any candidate class, the score weights category and CI count only. For more information about system properties in CMDB success advisor for principal classes, see [Principal classes in CMDB success advisor](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/89ngD3nB4JCJQ4nVMii8oQ "Principal classes are CI classes that your organization treats as business-critical. In CMDB success advisor, the CI classes you select define the Data Foundations advisor scope."). Recommendation scores are recalculated once a month by a scheduled job. A recent change in task or CI activity might not affect the Recommended additions group until the next monthly run. You aren't required to accept all recommendations. Recommendations are guidance, and your organization's priorities should drive the final advisor scope selection. Note: If fewer than six CI classes qualify for a recommendation, CMDB success advisor pads the list with default classes. Padding stops when six recommendations are reached or the default list is exhausted. The default list has five classes: Computer \[cmdb_ci_computer\], Server \[cmdb_ci_server\], Database \[cmdb_ci_database\], Cloud Database \[cmdb_ci_cloud_database\], and Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\]. On an instance with no IPC activity for any candidate class, all five default classes are recommended. To configure which classes are suggested on instances with no IPC activity, see [Create the principal class recommendation criteria property](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zFGKfppIEkC78tH4lALA4A "Create the sn_cmdb_advisor.principal_class_recommendation_criteria system property to filter which CI classes CMDB success advisor considers when generating principal class recommendations for the Data Foundations advisor."). ## CI class groups {#cmdb-sa-df-class-recom__section_rec_groups} The Set principal classes dialog box organizes available CI classes into groups. The following groups are available for selection: * AI systems * Cloud * Databases * End user computing devices * Enterprise architecture * Integrations * IP address management (IPAM) * IT networking devices * Kubernetes * Mainframe * Middleware applications * Others * Recommended additions * Recommended removals * SaaS * Servers * Service instances * Services and offerings * Storage * Virtualization infrastructure {#cmdb-sa-df-class-recom__ul_rec_groups_list} Tip: The Recommended additions group is displayed at the top of the list. The group contains up to 20 CI classes ranked by a weighted score of IPC activity, CI count, and category. A CI class that's already a principal class remains in this group, with its check box selected by default. The remaining groups organize classes by technology domain to help you find related classes quickly. ## Recommended removals {#cmdb-sa-df-class-recom__section_rec_removals} The Recommended removals group is displayed in the Set principal classes dialog box when any of your selected principal classes match the CI class exclusion list. A class matches the list by exact class name, the `cmdb_ci_endpoint_` prefix, or the `_template` suffix. A class matches the list in one of five ways. An exact class name match also excludes every descendant of that class. A specific Level-1 base class matches by exact name only, with no cascading to its subclasses. The list also matches the `cmdb_ci_endpoint_` prefix and the `_template` suffix. Any class outside the native `cmdb_ci` class family also matches, including a customer table, scoped application, or Discovery-populated class. Because a Level-1 base class match never cascades, other classes in its technology domain group remain available for selection alongside the Recommended removals group. When present, this group is displayed at the top of the list next to Recommended additions. If none of your currently selected principal classes match the exclusion list, the group isn't displayed. The group lists only the currently selected principal classes that match the exclusion list. The check box for each class is already selected to reflect its status as a principal class. Excluded CI classes generally aren't offered for selection in the Available classes column. A class is displayed in this group if it was selected as a principal class before being added to the exclusion list. It's also displayed if it was marked as a principal class directly in CI Class Manager. Clearing the check box for a class in the Recommended removals group removes it from your Data Foundations scope when you select Done. Selecting the information icon next to the group name displays guidance for reviewing these classes. For the full procedure for updating principal classes, see [Set up the Data Foundations advisor dashboard manually](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/cnTTn8~~BoEwav0U_E5YCA "If the Data Foundations advisor dashboard was not configured automatically, set it up manually by selecting the principal classes that define the Data Foundations scope.").