Asset and Configuration Item (CI) synchronization for Operational Technology (OT) assets

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Asset and Configuration Item (CI) synchronization for Operational Technology (OT) assets

    This functionality ensures accurate synchronization between assets and configuration items (CIs) for Operational Technology (OT) assets within ServiceNow. It extends the traditional asset-CI synchronization, which relies on serial numbers, by also using MAC addresses to accommodate OT assets that may lack serial numbers but have MAC addresses. This synchronization enhances the accuracy and integrity of asset and CI data, critical for managing OT environments.

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    Key Features

    • MAC Address-Based Synchronization: Synchronization uses the MAC address (stored in the macaddr field of the Asset [almasset] table) alongside serial numbers for OT assets.
    • Network Adapter Table Linking: The Network Adapter [cmdbcinetworkadapter] table stores MAC addresses and references the related CI, supporting multiple MAC addresses per CI and maintaining the MAC-CI relationship.
    • Bidirectional Synchronization:
      • From Asset to CI: Creating or updating an asset with a MAC address creates a corresponding CI and network adapter record; updating the MAC creates a new network adapter record rather than modifying the existing one.
      • From CI to Asset: Creating a CI with a MAC address creates or updates the associated asset and copies the MAC address accordingly.
    • CI Naming Rules: CI names are generated based on the presence of serial numbers and MAC addresses combined with the model name, following defined formats to ensure consistency.
    • Controlled CI Name Updates: CI name synchronization occurs only if the name was not manually changed, the discovery source is SNassetmanagement, and the CI name hasn’t been modified by CMDB.
    • System Property for MAC Synchronization: The snitamcommon.macaddresssync system property controls whether MAC address-based synchronization is enabled. It defaults to false and can be enabled via Enterprise Asset Workspace > Admin center > Other configuration.
    • OT Entity Synchronization: Synchronizes the OT entity reference between the CI (cmdbci.otentity) and asset (almasset.otentity) tables, ensuring consistent OT entity status. Once a CI is marked as an OT entity, it cannot be reverted to non-OT.

    Key Outcomes

    • Enables comprehensive and accurate synchronization between OT assets and CIs using MAC addresses in addition to serial numbers.
    • Maintains the integrity of OT asset and CI data, supporting multiple MAC addresses per CI and ensuring proper relationships through the Network Adapter table.
    • Provides standardized and automatic CI naming conventions that adapt to asset identification fields, improving manageability and clarity.
    • Ensures OT entities are consistently identified and synchronized between asset and CMDB records, supporting OT asset management best practices.
    • Allows ServiceNow customers to enable or disable MAC address synchronization based on their environment needs through a configurable system property.

    Maintain synchronization between asset and CI for OT assets through MAC address on the asset and the Network Adapter CI.

    Synchronization between asset and CI is achieved using the Serial number field. However, an OT asset need not necessarily have a serial number, but it’s associated with a MAC address. Therefore, the asset-CI synchronization for OT assets includes the MAC address (mac_addr) field in the Asset [alm_asset] table in addition to the serial number.

    A CI can have multiple MAC addresses. The Network Adapter [cmdb_ci_network_adapter] table stores all the MAC addresses and also has a reference field to the CI [cmdb_ci] table. Therefore, the relationship between MAC address and CI is maintained.

    Synchronization from asset to CI

    When an asset is created with a MAC address, synchronization happens as follows:
    1. A CI is created.
    2. A record for the corresponding MAC address is created in the Network Adapter [cmdb_ci_network_adapter] table with a reference to the CI.

    When the MAC address of an asset is updated, the existing record in the Network Adapter [cmdb_ci_network_adapter] table isn't updated. Instead, a new record is created in the Network Adapter [cmdb_ci_network_adapter] table.

    Synchronization from CI to asset

    When a CI is created with a MAC address, synchronization happens as follows:
    1. An asset is created.
    2. The MAC address of the CI is copied to the asset.

    If there's an existing CI, then the associated asset is updated with the MAC address only if the asset doesn't have it already.

    Rules for generating CI names

    A CI name follows a format that's based on the following conditions:

    Table 1. Conditions and CI name
    Condition CI name format
    Asset has a Serial number Concatenation of Serial number and Model name separated by hyphen. For example, SN123 - DemoModel.
    Asset has a Serial number and a MAC address Concatenation of Serial number and Model name separated by hyphen. For example, SN123 - DemoModel.
    Asset has no Serial number but has a MAC address Concatenation of MAC address and Model name separated by hyphen. For example, 88-22-33-66-888-AB - DemoModel.
    Asset has no Serial number and MAC address Model name
    Whenever there are updates to Serial number or MAC address fields, the CI name is synchronized only under the following conditions:
    • CI name isn't updated manually.
    • The Discovery source is SNassetmanagement, which means that the CI is created from an asset.
    • CI name hasn't been modified by CMDB.
    Note:
    The sn_itam_common.mac_address_sync system property enables you to synchronize asset and CI using the Mac address. By default, this system property is set to false. To enable synchronization through the Mac address, set this system property to true by navigating to Enterprise Asset Workspace > Admin center > Other configuration.

    OT entity synchronization between asset and CI

    The CI [cmdb_ci] table has the OT entity [cmdb_ot_entity] field. Also, the Asset [alm_asset] has a corresponding OT entity [ot_entity] field. Synchronization of the OT entity happens as follows:

    • When a CI is created with the OT entity reference set on the CI, the OT entity [ot_entity] field in the Asset [alm_asset] table is set to true.
    • When an asset with the OT entity set to true is created, a corresponding CI and an OT entity are created on the CMDB side. The OT entity reference is then set on the CI.
    Important:
    After a CI is marked as an OT entity, it can't be reverted to a non-OT entity.