IBM WebSphere Application Server discovery using patterns

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of IBM WebSphere Application Server discovery using patterns

    This content explains how ServiceNow’s Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application uses predefined patterns—specificallyWebsphere On WindowsandWebsphere On Unix—to detect and classify IBM WebSphere Application Servers across Windows and Linux environments. This enables automated population and updating of Configuration Management Database (CMDB) records related to WebSphere servers, supporting accurate infrastructure visibility and management.

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    Starting with Visibility Content version 6.1.0, pattern-based discovery is the default, replacing older probe-based methods (which are now disabled by default).

    Prerequisites and Setup

    • Common Requirements: Keep Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns and Visibility Content applications updated to the latest versions.
    • Windows Discovery:
      • Enable PowerShell on the MID Server to execute discovery tasks.
      • Verify access to critical WebSphere installation and configuration files (e.g., versionInfo.bat, server.xml, application.xml).
      • Create appropriate Windows credentials with access to these files.
      • Schedule a horizontal discovery job within ServiceNow to initiate the process.
    • Linux Discovery:
      • Enable SSH access on WebSphere servers following IBM’s documented procedures.
      • Verify access to WebSphere's installation and configuration files (e.g., versionInfo.sh, server.xml, cell.xml).
      • Create SSH credentials with elevated privileges required for executing WebSphere commands.
      • Schedule horizontal discovery similarly to Windows setup.

    Data Collected

    When the discovery patterns run, they populate various CMDB tables with detailed WebSphere information:

    • IBM WebSphere Server [cmdbciappserverwebsphere]: Captures server name, version, node and cell associations.
    • WebSphere EAR [cmdbciappserverwsear]: Records enterprise application archive details including name and installation directory.
    • Web Service [cmdbciwebservice]: Contains web service name, ID, and additional attributes.
    • WebSphere Cell [cmdbciwebspherecell]: Stores cell name, ID, type, discovery protocol used, and a description (Linux only).

    Configuration Item (CI) Relationships

    The discovery process automatically establishes relationships between CIs to reflect the WebSphere environment structure:

    • Each WebSphere server is linked to its containing WebSphere cell and enterprise application archive (EAR).
    • Web services are linked to the WebSphere servers they run on.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By using these discovery patterns, customers can efficiently and accurately map their IBM WebSphere Application Server infrastructure within ServiceNow’s CMDB. This improves operational visibility, supports impact analysis, and enhances service management processes by maintaining up-to-date server, application, and service data automatically.

    The Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application uses the Websphere On Windows and Websphere On Unix patterns to find IBM WebSphere Application Servers. Discovering some of these resources may require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

    The IBM WebSphere Application Server is a software framework with middleware that hosts Java-based web applications. Discovery identifies and classifies information about the IBM WebSphere Application Server on both Windows and Linux computers.

    Note:
    Starting with Visibility Content version 6.1.0, pattern-based discovery is the default method for discovering IBM WebSphere Application Servers. The WebSphere probes are disabled by default. For more information, see IBM WebSphere server discovery using probes.

    Request apps on the Store

    Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Prerequisites for Windows discovery

    Verify that the following applications are up to date:
    • Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns
    • Visibility Content
    Enable PowerShell on the MID Server
    For more information, see Set up MID Servers to use PowerShell.
    Verify access to files and directories
    Verify access to the following files and directories:
    • Installation directory of the product
    • Configuration directory of the product
    • versionInfo.bat
    • WAS.product
    • BASE.product
    • profile.version
    • Express.product
    • application.xml
    • server.xml
    • cell.xml
    Create Windows credentials
    For more information, see .
    Schedule a horizontal discovery
    For more information, see Schedule a horizontal discovery.

    Prerequisites for Linux discovery

    Verify that the following applications are up to date:
    • Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns
    • Visibility Content
    Enable SSH on WebSphere Application Server
    For more information, see the "Setting up SSH on Linux or UNIX servers" article in the "WebSphere Automation" section of the IBM documentation (https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/products).
    Verify access to files and directories
    Verify access to the following files and directories:
    • Installation directory of the product
    • Configuration directory of the product
    • oeconsol
    • WAS_HOME
    • CONFIG_ROOT
    • versionInfo.sh
    • WAS.product
    • BASE.product
    • profile.version
    • Express.product
    • application.xml
    • server.xml
    • cell.xml
    Create SSH credentials
    For more information, see .
    Verify elevated rights for IBM WebSphere Application Server commands
    For more information, see IBM WebSphere Application Server (on UNIX) table in Service Mapping commands requiring a privileged user.
    Schedule a horizontal discovery
    For more information, see Schedule a horizontal discovery.

    Data collected by Discovery during horizontal discovery

    Discovery populates the data in the CMDB when running the Websphere On Windows and Websphere On Unix patterns.

    Table 1. IBM Websphere [cmdb_ci_app_server_websphere]
    Field Description
    Name [name] Name of the WebSphere Application Server.
    Version [version] Current version of the WebSphere Application Server.
    Node [node] Name of the Node grouping the WebSphere Application Server or servers.
    Cell [cell] Name of the cell grouping one or more nodes of the WebSphere Application Server.
    Table 2. Websphere EAR [cmdb_ci_app_server_ws_ear]
    Field Description
    Name [name] Name of the enterprise application archive (EAR) file.
    Installation directory [install_directory] Installation directory of the EAR file.
    Table 3. Web Service [cmdb_ci_web_service]
    Field Description
    Name [name] Name of the web service.
    Service ID [service_id] ID of the web service.
    Attributes [attributes] Additional attributes of the web service.
    Table 4. Websphere Cell [cmdb_ci_websphere_cell]
    Field Description
    Name [name] Name of the WebSphere cell.
    Cell ID [cell_id] ID of the WebSphere cell.
    Cell type [cell_type] Type of the WebSphere cell.
    Cell discovery protocol [cell_discovery_protocol] Cell discovery protocol.
    Description [short_description] Description of the cell, if one has been provided. This field is populated in Linux discovery only.

    CI relationships

    Discovery creates these relationships to support the WebSphere Application Server discovery for both Windows and Linux systems.

    CI Relationship CI
    IBM Websphere [cmdb_ci_app_server_websphere] Contains::Contained by Websphere Cell [cmdb_ci_websphere_cell]
    IBM Websphere [cmdb_ci_app_server_websphere] Contains::Contained by Websphere EAR [cmdb_ci_app_server_ws_ear]
    Web Service [cmdb_ci_web_service] Runs on::Runs IBM Websphere [cmdb_ci_app_server_websphere]