--- sourceDocument: Zurich IT Operations Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/it-operations-management Release : - zurich ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Zurich IT Operations Management ft:clusterId : - itom bundleId : - itom workflow : - Technology --- # Discovery IP address configuration # Discovery IP address configuration {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Zurich Updated July 25, 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 Discovery IP address configuration This content explains how to configure IP address ranges for ServiceNow Discovery to query networks or network segments effectively. It highlights methods to include or exclude specific IP ranges and emphasizes best practices for accurate and efficient discovery scans. Show full answer Show less ## Key Methods for Defining IP Address Ranges * **IP Address List:** Allows adding individual IP addresses or host names (which must resolve to IPs) outside any network or range. Useful for targeting specific devices directly. * **IP Address Range:** Enables defining arbitrary IP ranges to scan, useful for selecting network segments or subnets. However, this method may scan network and broadcast addresses, potentially causing inaccurate results. Discovery performance can degrade if ranges exceed /16 size (\~65,536 IPs), so splitting large ranges is recommended. * **IP Network:** Uses CIDR notation to define entire IP networks, automatically excluding network and broadcast addresses from scans. This prevents common errors such as redundant or invalid device entries, making it the preferred method for IP address range configuration. ## Important Considerations * IPv6 addresses are not supported for IP address ranges or networks in Discovery. * If IP addresses in the network are unknown, run Network discovery first to identify IP networks, then convert those into IP address range sets for Discovery. * Clear sysmetadata and sysupdatexml records if integrations populate these tables after importing discovery range items, to maintain data integrity. * To avoid errors and improve accuracy, avoid including broadcast addresses in scans by using IP network definitions in CIDR notation. ## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers By properly configuring IP address collections using these methods, customers can ensure Discovery accurately scans relevant devices without including invalid or redundant addresses. Using IP networks with CIDR notation is the best practice to improve data quality and scanning efficiency. This configuration flexibility supports tailoring Discovery schedules to the customer's network structure and performance needs. Use one or more of these methods in any combination to define the network or network segment for Discovery to query. You can include or exclude specific IP ranges from your query. Note: If you don't know the IP addresses in the network, run [Network discovery](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qVu4SroLebtgeLO7yzcmQg#c_NetworkDiscovery "Network Discovery discovers the internal IP networks and subnets within your organization.") first to determine the IP networks. Then, convert the IP networks into IP address range sets. If you have integrations which populate sys_metadata and sys_update_xml tables, make sure to clear the update and metadata records after the discovery_range_item or discovery_range_item_ip import occurs. Important: IPv6 addresses aren't supported for IP address range or IP network. There are three types of IP collections:{#discovery-ip-address-configuration__table_qqv_ll3_1y__entry__2} | IP collection type | Description | |-|-| | IP address list | Use IP address lists to add individual addresses to query. These addresses aren't included in any existing IP range or IP network. You can enter the IP address of the device or a host name (DNS name). If you enter a host name, it must be [mapped to an IP address](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_MapIPAddressToDNSName&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US). | | IP address range | You can define arbitrary ranges of IP addresses to query. This process is a good way to include selected segments of a network or subnet. However, Discovery has no way of knowing if the IP range includes addresses for private networks or broadcast addresses, and scans all the addresses in the range. If the network and broadcast addresses are included, then the results are inaccurate. Discoveries configured to detect IP networks are more accurate than discoveries configured for IP address ranges. Only those IP addresses in your range that are reserved for manageable devices on the public network should be included. Note: To avoid performance issues, limit Discovery schedules to a maximum range of /16 (approximately 65,536 IPs). For better performance, consider splitting the range into smaller segments. | | IP network | You can also scan an entire IP network. [An IP network](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qVu4SroLebtgeLO7yzcmQg#c_NetworkDiscovery "Network Discovery discovers the internal IP networks and subnets within your organization.") includes the range of available IP addresses in that network. The scan also includes the network address (the lowest address in the range) and the broadcast address (the highest address in the range). After you [run network discovery](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qVu4SroLebtgeLO7yzcmQg#t_RunNetworkDiscovery "Configure network Discovery from a Discovery schedule."), [convert the IP networks that were found into range sets](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qVu4SroLebtgeLO7yzcmQg#t_ConvertIPNWIntoDiscoRangeSet "After you conduct a network Discovery, you must convert the IP networks that were found into range sets for use in discovering other devices.")for use in discovering other devices. IP networks are represented in CIDR notation. Examples of CIDR notation include: * 192.168.0.0/24 * 10.11.128.192/26 {#discovery-ip-address-configuration__ul_crx_bgd_ntb} Discovery will not scan the network or broadcast addresses for a network. The equivalent ranges for the two networks are: * 192.168.0.1 -- 192.168.254 * 10.11.128.193 -- 10.11.128.254 {#discovery-ip-address-configuration__ul_yzf_2gd_ntb} To avoid introducing errors from broadcast addresses, configure Discovery to exclude them by using IP network definitions in CIDR notation. Discovery automatically avoids scanning network and broadcast addresses when using IP networks. Including broadcast addresses in Discovery scans can lead to significant errors in the data, such as redundant or invalid device entries. By excluding broadcast addresses, Discovery helps prevent these errors. This built-in control makes IP networks the best method of defining which IP address ranges to query. | [ ] {#discovery-ip-address-configuration__table_qqv_ll3_1y} For more information about viewing and managing your IP collections, see [Discovery Admin Workspace IP inventory](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/huk0CnVLaiWTTlPn_NMf_Q "The IP inventory page centralizes the IP addresses, ranges, networks, and range sets that Discovery uses to scan your environment. Use it to review existing IP data and add entries to Discovery range sets."). **Related tasks** * [Add IP data](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/UM2sKjzdpB80iLBIb1FFiA "Use the New IP data dialog in the IP inventory page to add IP addresses, ranges, networks, or range sets to your discovery configuration.") * [Add IP data to a range set](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/RlAwLnO91LgOHJ5CM6I9aQ "Use the IP inventory page in Discovery Admin Workspace to add IP ranges or networks to a new or existing range set.") * [Create a Quick IP range for a Discovery schedule](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/EXAmlKnuj2s0~bo63Y6aYA "Quick ranges enable administrators to define IP addresses to scan in a single comma-delimited string without creating separate records.") * [Import IP ranges into Discovery schedules with import sets](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/9PGEzTpm1fqVGba4ZIjD0A "One method of entering large numbers of IP networks into Discovery schedules is by using import sets.") * [Exclude IP ranges from a Discovery range set](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/BtmuL6mljVtJZIk8f~NZrA "You can specify a range of IP addresses that you want to exclude from your Discovery query.") * [Use Global Excludes List for IP addresses and ranges](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/EvAHDTHpUxKpDG1BeD6VSQ "Global Excludes List allows administrators to define global IP exclusions lists that work across Discovery schedules that discover configuration items, IP addresses, or networks. The list helps to prevent access to sensitive IPs as it blocks discovery when the IP is on the exclusion list. This feature is only applicable for Horizontal Discovery starting in the Rome release.") **Related reference** * [IP address selection properties](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/XZ2rsotD9zIEVMoGQjSGIw "You can use system properties to control the selection of IP address for specified configuration item (CI) classes.")