Application patterns for the Agent Client Collector

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  • Updated March 12, 2026
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    Summary of Application patterns for the Agent Client Collector

    Application patterns in the Agent Client Collector (ACC) gather detailed information about applications running on ACC hosts, specifically servers. These patterns are executed after the host discovery process completes and are designed to enhance application classification and visibility within your ServiceNow environment.

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    Prerequisites

    • Install the Agent Client Collector Framework and Agent Client Collector for Visibility - Content Discovery.
    • Ensure the agent is connected to a MID Server, which executes the patterns as ad-hoc checks named PatternOnTheFlyCheck.
    • Set the snagent.applclassificationbehavior system property to full and restart connected MID Servers.
    • Windows environments require PowerShell 3.0 or higher.
    • Appropriate host device roles are necessary:
      • Linux/macOS: ServiceNow user with sudoers and nopasswd enabled.
      • Windows: Local System user, SYSTEM, or a local user account with service logon and backup/debug privileges.

    Using and Viewing Application Patterns

    • Only application patterns are supported in ACC; other pattern types are not.
    • View supported patterns via All > Pattern Designer > Supported Patterns for ACC.
    • To see patterns executed on an agent, navigate to All > Agent Client Collector > Agents, select an agent, then open the Application Pattern logs tab.
    • Executed patterns are marked with true in the Executed On Agent column.

    Unsupported Operations

    Application patterns do not support the following operations:

    • WMI method invocation
    • Change/unchange user
    • All custom operations
    • SNMP query
    • Put file

    Configuration Properties

    Key system properties to optimize application pattern usage include:

    • snagent.applclassificationbehavior: Set to full to enable application patterns and allow-list access.
    • snagent.triggerpatternsonendpoints: Set to true to trigger discovery patterns for endpoint Configuration Items (CIs).

    MID Server timeout settings can be configured for command execution responsiveness:

    • mid.discovery.agent.command.mid.timeout: Agent response wait time (default 60s).
    • mid.discovery.agent.command.timeout: Command execution time (default 60s).

    Debugging Patterns in ACC Mode

    • Enable debugging by setting snagent.applclassificationbehavior to full and selecting Use ACC connection in Pattern Designer’s debug options.
    • Review pattern execution status in logs.
    • Set MID Server log level to DEBUG for detailed pattern step information.
    • Search ACC logs for PatternOnTheFlyCheck to see pattern checks.

    Oracle Global License Advisory Services (GLAS) Data Collection

    • Oracle Java process discovery supports both pattern-based and file-based discovery via ACC.
    • When both discovery methods find the same Java installation, pattern data takes precedence.
    • Requirements include Oracle GLAS store app (version 1.8.4+), Agent Client Collector Framework, and optionally, the Visibility - Content store plugin.
    • Oracle Java discovery is fully supported on servers and partially on desktop environments (Windows desktop updates detailed in KB1705845).
    • Application patterns support Oracle GLAS data collection on Linux environments.
    • File deployment for Oracle GLAS uses ACC plugins rather than SSH or WMI.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By leveraging application patterns in the Agent Client Collector, customers gain comprehensive visibility into applications running on their server hosts, improving discovery accuracy and licensing compliance insights. The integration with MID Servers and configurable properties enables tailored discovery workflows, while debugging tools ensure smooth implementation and troubleshooting. Additionally, Oracle GLAS support enhances Java environment discovery critical for license management.

    Application patterns gather details on the applications that run on the Agent Client Collector (ACC) host. Application patterns are supported only for servers, and are triggered after the Agent Client Collector host Discovery is complete.

    Prerequisites for using application patterns

    To enable application patterns on the Agent Client Collector, install the following:

    • Agent Client Collector Framework
    • Agent Client Collector for Visibility - Content
    • Discovery

    Ensure that the agent is connected to a MID Server to enable pattern execution. The MID Server runs the pattern, and each command step is evaluated against the agent as an ad-hoc check who's name begins with PatternOnTheFlyCheck.

    Set the sn_agent.appl_classification_behavior property to full, and restart any MID Servers connected to the agent.

    When working in a Windows environment, ensure that you're working with Powershell 3.0 or higher.

    Role required (on the host device):
    • In a Linux or macOS environment: ServiceNow user with sudoers; nopasswd enabled with regular Discovery commands.
    • In a Windows environment: Local System user, SYSTEM, or a local user account where the local user account uses one of the following:
      • Logon as a service
      • Backup (SeBackupPrivilege)
      • Debug Programs privileges

    Viewing supported application patterns

    To view the list of patterns supported for Agent Client Collector, navigate to All > Pattern Designer > Supported Patterns for ACC. Application patterns are the only pattern types supported for use with Agent Client Collector.

    Viewing Application Patterns executed on Agent Client Collector

    You can view the application patterns that were executed on a given agent.
    1. Navigate to All > Agent Client Collector > Agents.
    2. Select an agent.
    3. Select View > Discovery from the context menu (hamburger icon).
    4. Open the agent.
    5. Select the Application Pattern logs tab on the bottom of the page.

      The list of patterns executed on the agent appears. Executed patterns are indicated with the value true in the Executed On Agent column.

    Unsupported application pattern operations

    Application patterns aren't supported in the following pattern operations:

    • WMI method invocation
    • Change/unchange user
    • All custom operations
    • SNMP query
    • Put file

    Agent Client Collector pattern execution properties

    Configure the following properties (All > System Properties > All Properties) to maximize the use of application patterns with Agent Client Collector:
    Table 1. Application pattern properties
    Property Description
    sn_agent.appl_classification_behavior Set value to full to enable working with applications patterns and to access pattern commands in the allow-list.

    Default: simple

    Note:
    To enable application pattern execution with the allow-list, use the allow-list template for application patterns. For details, see the Pattern execution on ACC: Sample Allowlist for Pattern Content article in the Now Support Knowledge Base.
    Table 2. MID Server configuration parameter properties
    mid.discovery.agent.command.mid.timeout The maximum duration, in seconds, that the MID Server waits for a response from the agent before timing out.

    Default: 60 seconds

    mid.discovery.agent.command.timeout The maximum amount of time, in seconds, that the command is given to execute on the agent host.

    Default: 60 seconds

    Using pattern designer debugging in ACC mode

    You can debug application patterns that are configured in ACC mode.

    1. Set the sn_agent.appl_classification_behavior property to full.
    2. In the Pattern Designer, enable the debug option and select Use ACC connection in the Debug identification section.

    The pattern log indicates whether the pattern was successfully executed on the agent.

    You can also receive pattern details in the following logs:

    • MID Server logs: Set mid.log.level to DEBUG for the mid agent log to display details on the pattern step, ACC check, and the pattern response.
    • ACC logs: Search for the string PatternOnTheFlyCheck for details on pattern checks.

    Oracle Global License Advisory Services (GLAS) data collection

    Oracle Java process discovery works either with patterns (when using either a MID Server or Agent Client Collector), or with file-based discovery (using Agent Client Collector with file-based discovery). If both the pattern and file-based discovery run the same Java installation, the pattern-collected data takes precedence.

    When performing Discovery with Agent Client Collector, ensure that you have the following settings:
    • All users must have the Oracle GLAS store app, starting with version 1.8.4.
    • Agent Client Collector users:
      • Must have the Agent Client Collector Framework store plugin.
      • Can have the Agent Client Collector for Visibility - Content store plugin, for extra data.

      For information about privileged user access, see KB1705845.

      Note:
      Oracle Java discovery with ACC is applicable in all server environments. However, currently, it's partially supported for different Desktop environments. For a Windows Desktop update set, see the KB article KB1705845.

    For information on java installation Discovery using Agent Client Collector for Visibility - Content, see Discover java installation data using Agent Client Collector for Visibility - Content file-based discovery.

    For information on the collected data, see Data collected during Agent Client Collector for Visibility - Content File-Based Discovery.

    Application patterns support Oracle GLAS data collection in a Linux environment. For details on using patterns, see Oracle Global Licensing Advisory Services (GLAS) data collection using patterns.

    Although Oracle GLAS supports Put file operations, the related files are deployed using Agent Client Collector plugins instead of SSH or WMI.