--- sourceDocument: Australia Telecom Service Operations Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/telecom-service-ops Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Telecom Service Operations Management ft:clusterId : - tsom bundleId : - tsom workflow : - Customer and Industry --- # Metric-to-CI binding # Metric-to-CI binding {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated November 5, 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 Metric-to-CI binding Metric-to-CI binding in ServiceNow associates metrics collected via pull connectors with configuration items (CIs) in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). This process enables you to link performance and operational metrics directly to CIs, helping you maintain accurate visibility and management of your infrastructure and services. The platform uses default binding logic for supported connectors, which can be customized to fit your specific CMDB structure. Show full answer Show less ## How Metric-to-CI Binding Works * Connectors pull metric data from external vendors and store it in the metric base (Clotho). * If a metric is not yet bound to a CI, an event is automatically created to request binding. * An event field mapping rule triggers, invoking a scripted extension to resolve the appropriate CI for the event. * The resolved CI is updated on the event's **cmdbci** field, and the binding is recorded in the Metric to CI mappings table. * Subsequent metric data for the same source-resource pair is automatically associated with the bound CI without generating new events. * If no CI is resolved, the metric data remains unbound in the metric base. ## Default Behavior for MPN Metrics The MPN pull connector uses a predefined scripted extension called **NokiaMPNMetricCIMapper** for metric-to-CI binding with no additional configuration needed. This extension follows a specific lookup order across event fields to resolve the correct CI, prioritizing fields such as `additionalinfo.name`, `additionalinfo.pmDataSource.dn`, and others against the CMDB. Notably, fields containing comma-separated values are evaluated right to left, and the first successful match determines the CI. Upon a match, both the **cmdbci** and **citype** fields are set on the event. ## Customizing Metric-to-CI Binding If the default binding logic does not align with your CMDB design or source data, you can override it by implementing your own **EventFieldMapping** extension point. The platform dynamically resolves the implementation based on the source and rule name, allowing you to introduce custom logic without changing the core product code. This flexibility lets you tailor metric-to-CI binding to your environment's unique configuration and naming conventions. ## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers * Automatically link metric data to accurate CIs, enhancing operational insight and troubleshooting. * Leverage out-of-the-box logic for common connectors like MPN, reducing setup effort. * Customize binding behavior to fit complex or non-standard CMDB models. * Maintain a clean and reliable relationship between performance metrics and infrastructure items, supporting better service management. Metric-to-CI binding associates metrics collected by a pull connector with configuration items (CIs) in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). Default binding logic is used for each supported connector, which you can override with a custom implementation. ## How metric-to-CI binding works {#metric-to-ci-binding-tsom-sgc__section_how_binding_works} When a metric is collected, the platform runs the following sequence to associate each metric with a CMDB CI: 1. The connector pulls metric data from the vendor and stores it in the metric base (Clotho). 2. If the metric is not yet bound to a CI, the metric base framework automatically creates an event to record the request for a binding. 3. An event field mapping rule fires on the new event. Telecommunications Service Operations Management ships pre-configured event field mapping rules for each supported connector source. 4. The rule delegates to a scripted extension that resolves the appropriate CI for the event. The script updates the `cmdb_ci` field on the event with the resolved CI. 5. The binding appears in the Metric to CI mappings table. From that point on, all subsequent metric data for that source-resource pair is associated with the bound CI directly, without creating another event. {#metric-to-ci-binding-tsom-sgc__ol_binding_flow} If the scripted extension can't resolve a CI, the event's `cmdb_ci` field is left empty and the metric data is stored in the metric base unbound. ## Default behavior for MPN metrics {#metric-to-ci-binding-tsom-sgc__section_default_behavior_mpn} No additional configuration is required for CI binding. A scripted extension named `NokiaMPNMetricCIMapper` handles metric-to-CI binding for the MPN pull connector by firing on matching events through an event field mapping rule. The extension tries the following event fields in order, stopping at the first match. The first lookup uses the CMDB table named in `additional_info.ciClass` on the event (defaulting to `cmdb_ci`); the remaining lookups always run against `cmdb_ci`: {#metric-to-ci-binding-tsom-sgc__table_mpn_ci_lookup__entry__3} | Order | Event field | Lookup behavior | |-|-|-| | 1 | `additional_info.name` | Matched against `name` on the class specified by `additional_info.ciClass` | | 2 | `additional_info.pmDataSource.dn` | Distinguished name traversal in `cmdb_ci`. The deepest matching component wins | | 3 | `additional_info.pmDataSource.serial_no` | Matched against `serial_number` in `cmdb_ci` | | 4 | `additional_info.pmDataSource.hw_id` | Matched against `name` in `cmdb_ci` | | 5 | `additional_info.pmDataSource.nhg_alias` | Matched against `name` in `cmdb_ci` | [Table 1. MPN metric event CI lookup order] {#metric-to-ci-binding-tsom-sgc__table_mpn_ci_lookup} The `additional_info.name` and `additional_info.pmDataSource.dn` fields can each hold a comma-separated list of values. The extension tries the values from right to left, and the first value that resolves to a CI wins. On a match, the extension sets the `cmdb_ci` and `ci_type` fields on the event. ## Override the default binding behavior {#metric-to-ci-binding-tsom-sgc__section_override_default} If the shipped lookup logic does not match how your CMDB models the source data, you can override it by providing your own implementation of the `EventFieldMapping` extension point. The platform resolves the implementation at runtime by source name and rule name, so you can substitute your own logic without modifying product code. For the procedure, see [Override default metric-to-CI binding](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/wuu3D_ACu_ybOra548_IdA "Replace the shipped logic that binds collected metrics to configuration items (CIs) for a Telecommunications Service Operations Management metric source. Create your own implementation of the EventFieldMapping extension point and wire it into an event field mapping rule."). **Related tasks** * [Configure elastic event pull connectors for MPN](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ApdJSyT9BmZg15ekgpR3qg "Configure a mobile private network (MPN) pull connector instance to collect metrics, including latency KPIs, from specified KPI domains in Elastic data store. The connector publishes metrics for assurance monitoring and analytics.") **Related topics** * [View metric to CI and resource binding](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=view-metric-to-CI-binding&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&ft:locale=en-US) * [Event field mapping configuration](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=c_EMEventFieldMapping&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&ft:locale=en-US) * [Create an event rule to bind metric events to host CIs](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=event-rule-bind-metrics-to-host&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&ft:locale=en-US) * [View metric values in the Insights Explorer](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=view-metrics-explorer&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&ft:locale=en-US) * [Create an Insights Explorer view](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=create-metric-explorer-view&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&ft:locale=en-US) * [Resource binding](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-operations-management/metric-intelligence/resource-binding.html)