---
sourceDocument: Brazil IT Operations Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-operations-management

 Release :

    - brazil

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Brazil IT Operations Management

ft:clusterId :

    - itom

bundleId :

    - itom

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Alibaba Cloud virtual machines

# Alibaba Cloud virtual machine (VM) pattern-based discovery {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Brazil  
Updated September 10, 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 Alibaba Cloud virtual machine (VM) pattern-based discovery

ServiceNow's Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns include the Alibaba - Virtual Machine (LP) pattern to enable horizontal discovery of Alibaba Cloud virtual machines (VMs).
This pattern allows ServiceNow customers to identify and collect detailed information about Alibaba Cloud VMs and related components, automatically populating the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) with accurate and structured data.
Show full answer Show less  
To leverage this capability, customers should ensure they meet the prerequisites outlined in the Alibaba Cloud discovery documentation and keep the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application updated to the latest version from the ServiceNow Store.

## Data Collected and CMDB Population

During discovery, the Alibaba - Virtual Machine (LP) pattern gathers vital VM details and populates multiple CMDB tables, including:

* **Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdbcivminstance\]**: Contains VM-specific information such as instance name, ID, state (e.g., Running, Stopped), number of CPUs, memory size, attached disks, guest OS type (Windows or Linux), installation and operational status, and network adapter count.
* **Cloud Mgmt Network Interface \[cmdbcinic\]**: Captures details of Elastic Network Interfaces (ENIs) including name, ID, MAC address, private and public IP addresses, primary status, and associated instance ID.
* **Cloud Image \[cmdbcicloudosimage\]**: Stores information about the operating system image used by the VM, including image ID (with specific formats for public and custom images) and cloud provider (Alibaba).
* **Cloud Hardware Type \[cmdbcicloudhardwaretype\]**: Records the hardware configuration ID and provider information for the VM's instance type.

## CI Relationships

The discovery process also establishes critical configuration item (CI) relationships to model the environment accurately, such as:

* Network interfaces linked to virtual machine instances
* VMs hosted within Alibaba datacenters and availability zones
* VMs provisioned from specific cloud images and hardware types
* Tag references linking key-value pairs to the corresponding VM instances

## Tag Discovery

The pattern collects tags associated with each VM and stores them in the **Key Value \[cmdbkeyvalue\]** table. This includes tag keys and values linked back to the relevant VM, enabling customers to manage and query VM metadata effectively.

## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

By implementing Alibaba Cloud VM pattern-based discovery, customers can:

* Automatically and accurately populate the CMDB with Alibaba Cloud VM configurations and relationships
* Gain visibility into VM states, resources, and network interfaces for better asset management
* Track VM provisioning details such as image and hardware types
* Utilize tags for enhanced categorization, filtering, and governance of cloud resources
* Support IT operations, compliance, and service mapping with up-to-date cloud infrastructure data  
Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns uses the Alibaba - Virtual Machine (LP) pattern to discover VMs during horizontal discovery. Discovering some of these resources might require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

## Pattern-based discovery and mapping requirements {#alibaba-virtual-machine__section_qm1_1wl_dhc}

Verify the Alibaba Cloud discovery prerequisites section in [Alibaba Cloud discovery using patterns](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/~97R3JeJxA~Asvhb7cXDlQ "Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns uses patterns to discover components of the Alibaba Cloud deployment during horizontal discovery. Discovering some of these resources might require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.").

## Data collected by Discovery during horizontal discovery {#alibaba-virtual-machine__section_c5g_zvl_dhc}

Discovery populates the data in the CMDB when running the Alibaba - Virtual Machine (LP) pattern.  
{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_ztj_yvl_dhc__entry__2}

| Field | Description |
|-|-|
| Name \[name\] | Name of the instance. |
| Object ID \[object_id\] | Instance ID. |
| State \[state\] | Status of the instance. For example: Running or Stopped. |
| CPUs \[cpus\] | Number of Virtual Central Processing Units (vCPUs). |
| Memory (MB) \[memory\] | Memory size in megabytes (MB). |
| Disks \[disks\] | Number of local disks attached to the instance. |
| Guest OS Name \[guest_os_fullname\] | Type of the operating system (OS) of the instance. Possible values are Windows or Linux. |
| Install Status \[install_status\] | Install status of the instance. Default value is Installed. |
| Operational status \[operational_status\] | Operational status of the instance. Default value is Operational. |
| Network adapters \[nics\] | Elastic Network Interfaces (ENIs) attached to the instance. |
[Table 1. Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\]]

{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_ztj_yvl_dhc}  
{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_dsj_xvl_dhc__entry__2}

| Field | Description |
|-|-|
| Name \[name\] | Name of the ENI. |
| Object ID \[object_id\] | ID of the ENI. |
| MAC Address \[mac_address\] | MAC address of the ENI. |
| Private IP \[private_ip\] | Private IP address of the ENI. |
| IP Address \[ip_address\] | Public IP addresses of instances. |
| Primary \[primary\] | A Boolean indicating whether a network interface is primary or secondary. |
| Node ID \[node_id\] | Instance ID. |
[Table 2. Cloud Mgmt Network Interface \[cmdb_ci_nic\]]

{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_dsj_xvl_dhc}  
{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_yvs_wvl_dhc__entry__2}

| Field | Description |
|-|-|
| Object ID \[object_id\] | ID of the image. * IDs of public images contain the operating system version, architecture, language, and release date. For example: win2008r2_64_ent_sp1_en-us_40G_alibase_20190318.vhd. * IDs of custom, shared, and community images start with m.For example: m-0a1b2c3defghijklm4n5o. {#alibaba-virtual-machine__ul_hzw_p4l_dhc} |
| Provider \[provider\] | Image cloud provider: Alibaba. |
[Table 3. Cloud Image \[cmdb_ci_cloud_os_image\]]

{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_yvs_wvl_dhc}  
{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_n4c_svl_dhc__entry__2}

| Field | Description |
|-|-|
| Object ID \[object_id\] | ID of the instance type. |
| Provider \[provider\] | Image cloud provider: Alibaba. |
[Table 4. Cloud Hardware Type \[cmdb_ci_cloud_hardware_type\]]

{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_n4c_svl_dhc}

## CI relationships {#alibaba-virtual-machine__section_zbb_rvl_dhc}

Discovery creates these relationships to support the Alibaba Cloud virtual machine discovery.  
{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_lqh_qvl_dhc__entry__3}

| CI | Relationship | CI |
|-|-|-|
| Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\] | Implement End Point To::Implement End Point From | Cloud Mgmt Network Interface \[cmdb_ci_nic\] |
| Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\] | Hosted on::Hosts | Alibaba Datacenter \[cmdb_ci_alibaba_datacenter\] |
| Availability Zone \[cmdb_ci_availability_zone\] | Contains::Contained by | Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\] |
| Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\] | Provisioned From::Provisioned | Cloud Image \[cmdb_ci_cloud_os_image\] |
| Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\] | Provisioned From::Provisioned | Cloud Hardware Type \[cmdb_ci_cloud_hardware_type\] |
| Cloud Image \[cmdb_ci_cloud_os_image\] | Hosted on::Hosts | Alibaba Datacenter \[cmdb_ci_alibaba_datacenter\] |
| Key Value \[cmdb_key_value\] | References | Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\] |
[ ]

{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_lqh_qvl_dhc}

## Tag discovery {#alibaba-virtual-machine__section_dll_pvl_dhc}

The Alibaba - Virtual Machine (LP) pattern collects tags and populates them in the Key Value \[cmdb_key_value\] table.  
{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_nlm_4vl_dhc__entry__2}

| Field | Description |
|-|-|
| Key \[key\] | Tag key. |
| Value \[value\] | Tag value. |
| Configuration item \[configuration_item\] | References the Virtual Machine Instance \[cmdb_ci_vm_instance\] table. |
[Table 5. Key Value \[cmdb_key_value\]]

{#alibaba-virtual-machine__table_nlm_4vl_dhc}