Discovery for Alibaba Cloud

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Discovery for Alibaba Cloud

    Discovery for Alibaba Cloud is an automated process within the IT Operations Management (ITOM) Visibility framework that scans and identifies Alibaba Cloud resources in your organization’s cloud infrastructure. This process is essential for maintaining an accurate Configuration Management Database (CMDB) by discovering cloud metadata such as service accounts, datacenters, availability zones, hardware types, and OS images. The discovery uses pattern-based horizontal scanning to create configuration items (CIs) and map relationships between resources.

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    Key Features

    • Pattern-based Cloud Discovery: Uses Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns to find and map Alibaba Cloud resources and their relationships.
    • REST API Permissions: Requires appropriate user permissions to run discovery patterns. A downloadable spreadsheet details necessary permissions, pattern names, CI classes, and vendor documentation links, updated quarterly.
    • Configuration Requirements: Involves installing plugins, setting up credentials, and configuring both ServiceNow AI Platform roles and Alibaba Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles.
    • User Roles and Permissions:
      • Root Account: Full access to all Alibaba Cloud resources and services.
      • RAM User: Access based on assigned policies, typically read-only for discovery.
      • RAM Role (AssumedRoleUser): Temporary access useful for cross-account or ECS instance access.
    • ServiceNow Roles and Responsibilities:
      • ServiceNow Administrator/IT Specialist: Install and update store applications, configure MID Servers, validate installation, and assign roles.
      • Cloud or Discovery Administrator: Create Alibaba Cloud service accounts, configure API credentials, use discovery patterns, and schedule discovery runs.
    • Discovery Scheduling: Discovery Admin Workspace provides tools to create and manage Alibaba Cloud discovery schedules.

    Key Outcomes

    • Accurate and up-to-date discovery of Alibaba Cloud infrastructure and services within the CMDB.
    • Clear mapping of resource relationships enhances visibility and operational insight into cloud environments.
    • Secure and compliant discovery process through role-based access controls and API credential management.
    • Ongoing maintenance enabled by quarterly pattern updates and discovery schedule management.

    Alibaba Cloud discovery is one of the overall Cloud discovery offerings within the IT Operations Management (ITOM) Visibility framework. It’s an automated process used to scan and identify Alibaba Cloud resources within your organization's cloud infrastructure. This discovery process is critical for maintaining an accurate and trustworthy data foundation—the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).

    Pattern-based cloud discovery

    Using Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns to perform horizontal discovery enables you to find and map your organization's Alibaba Cloud resources. You can discover Alibaba Cloud metadata including:
    • Cloud service accounts.
    • Datacenters.
    • Availability zones.
    • Hardware types.
    Patterns also support OS level discovery, for example OS images.

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns create configuration items (CIs) for your Alibaba Cloud resources. Additionally, patterns discover the relationships between your organization's Alibaba Cloud resources, such as Hosted On :: Hosts.

    See Alibaba Cloud discovery using patterns to learn about all Alibaba Cloud resources you can discover using Patterns.

    Verify the REST API Permissions

    Download the Cloud Discovery patterns spreadsheet so you can grant user permissions required for running the Discovery patterns. In addition to permissions, the spreadsheet also includes useful information such as pattern names, types, CI Classes, and links to vendor documentation. New patterns are available quarterly, so check periodically to be sure you have the latest version of the spreadsheet.

    Alibaba Cloud discovery configuration

    The basic steps to configure pattern-based discovery for Alibaba Cloud involve preparation on the ServiceNow AI Platform side like installing necessary plugins and setting up credentials. The discovery_admin role in ServiceNow AI Platform is required for creating Alibaba Cloud API credentials and service accounts.

    The discovery process requires configuration within Alibaba Cloud, like setting up Identity and Access Management roles. The discovery permissions of Alibaba Cloud users are determined by their access levels within Alibaba Cloud.

    To promote proper discovery, the Alibaba Cloud user must have at least read-only access to the necessary Alibaba Cloud services.

    Table 1. Alibaba Cloud user discovery permissions
    Alibaba Cloud user Discovery permissions
    Root Account (Master Account) Full access to all Alibaba Cloud resources and services, including Elastic Compute Service (ECS), Object Storage Service (OSS), Relational Database Service (RDS), and Resource Access Management (RAM). Can create and manage RAM users, assign permissions, and perform billing operations.
    RAM user Access to specific Alibaba Cloud resources and services based on assigned policies. Can be granted read-only access for discovery purposes.
    RAM Role (AssumedRoleUser) Temporary access to Alibaba Cloud resources and services based on assumed role policies. Useful for cross-account access, temporary access, or access by ECS instances.
    Table 2. Alibaba Cloud discovery users and tasks
    Typical persona Roles and permissions Responsibility Link to detailed documentation
    ServiceNow administrator or IT Implementation Specialist admin Install the store applications and update them on every store release:
    • Discovery
    • Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns
    • Visibility content.
    • CMDB CI Class Models
    • Discovery Admin Workspace
    		 ITOM Store upgrades
    ServiceNow administrator admin
    • Create a MID Server user.
    • Assign the MID Server role to the user.
    ServiceNow administrator admin, mid_server Install a MID Server.
    ServiceNow administrator admin Validate that the MID Server is installed correctly.
    ServiceNow administrator admin Assigning users with discovery_admin roles and giving them permission for discovery. Managing roles
    Cloud administrator or Discovery administrator discovery_admin Creating Alibaba Cloud service accounts Set up Alibaba Cloud service accounts
    Cloud administrator or Discovery administrator The person configuring the API credentials must have the discovery_admin role in ServiceNow and must have access to the Alibaba Cloud Access Key ID and Access Key Secret. Configuring Alibaba Cloud API credentials Create Alibaba Cloud API Credentials
    Discovery administrator discovery_admin Use Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns Alibaba Cloud discovery using patterns
    Discovery administrator discovery_admin Set up a discovery schedule for Alibaba Cloud