Data collected for Microsoft Azure Cloud Discovery
Summarize
Summary of Data collected for Microsoft Azure Cloud Discovery
Microsoft Azure Cloud Discovery in ServiceNow collects detailed information about cloud resources within Microsoft Azure datacenters. This enables ServiceNow customers to maintain an accurate and comprehensive Configuration Management Database (CMDB) by discovering and tracking Azure cloud assets. To leverage this feature, customers must ensure that relevant applications, including the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns app, are up to date.
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Prerequisites
- Update Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.
- Create Azure cloud credentials with appropriate permissions to access the Microsoft Azure account.
- Configure a discovery schedule through the Cloud Discovery Workspace.
- Verify REST API permissions using the provided Cloud Discovery patterns spreadsheet, which also details pattern names, CI classes, and documentation links.
How Discovery Works
Discovery utilizes the Cloud Provisioning and Governance API along with Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns to identify Azure cloud resources. Patterns are regularly updated quarterly to ensure accuracy and new resource support.
Key Patterns and Discovered CI Classes
Discovery identifies various types of Azure resources and populates corresponding CMDB tables, including but not limited to:
- Azure Datacenter – Information such as name, region, and object ID.
- Availability Zone – Zone names.
- Virtual Machine Instances – Details like state, CPUs, memory, disks, and network adapters.
- Compute Security Groups – Security group names and states.
- Images – OS templates with guest OS and image sources.
- Storage Volumes – Storage type, size, and state.
- Cloud Networks & Subnets – Network names, CIDR blocks, and statuses.
- Network Interfaces – MAC addresses, netmask, and installation status.
- Load Balancers – Load balancer details, mainly for Service Mapping.
- Azure Deployments – Provisioning states (requires Cloud Provisioning and Governance plugin).
- Resource Groups – Names, states, operational and install statuses, with lifecycle tracking for creation and termination.
- Public IP Addresses – Public IP and DNS information.
- Storage Accounts – SKU and state.
- Cloud Databases – Operational states, types, vendor, and version information where available.
- Cloud Web Servers – Vendor, install status, and operational status.
- IP Addresses – IP details including vendor and operational status.
Practical Benefits
By implementing Microsoft Azure Cloud Discovery, ServiceNow customers can automate the aggregation of critical Azure infrastructure data into their CMDB. This supports improved cloud asset visibility, governance, and operational management by ensuring that the CMDB is accurate and up-to-date with real-time Azure environment changes.
Related Concepts and Resources
- Agent Client Collector Discovery mechanisms.
- Microsoft Azure Cloud discovery using patterns for detailed pattern usage.
- Service Graph Connector for Microsoft Azure for enhanced data integration.
Discovery collects information about cloud resources in Microsoft Azure datacenters. Discovering some of these resources may require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.
Request apps on the Store
Visit the ServiceNow Store 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
- Verify that the applications are up to date
-
- Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns
- CMDB CI Class Models
- Visibility Content
- Create Azure cloud credentials
- Create Microsoft Azure credentials that can access the Microsoft Azure account. For more information, see Create Azure cloud credentials.
- Configure a discovery schedule
- Create a discovery schedule in Cloud Discovery Workspace
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.
How Discovery finds Microsoft Azure resources
Discovery uses the Cloud Provisioning and Governance API and Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns to find cloud resources.
| Pattern | Description |
|---|---|
| Azure DataBase (LP) |
Discovers database types of:
Populates the [cmdb_ci_cloud_database] table. |
| Azure LoadBalancer TD | Retrieves Microsoft Azure load balancers and populates the cmdb_ci_lb_service table. This pattern is only used by Service Mapping for top-down discovery, not by the Discovery application for horizontal discovery. |
| Azure WebSite (LP) | Retrieves Microsoft Azure web servers and populates the Cloud WebServers [cmdb_ci_cloud_webserver] and IP address [cmdb_ci_ip_address] tables. |
Data collected by Discovery during horizontal discovery
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Region | region |
| Object ID | object_id |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| State | state |
| Object ID | object_id |
| CPUs | cpus |
| Disks | disks |
| Disks size (GB) | disks_size |
| Memory | memory |
| Network adapters | nics |
| VM Instance ID | vm_inst_id |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| State | state |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| Guest OS | guest_os |
| Image source | image_source |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| State | state |
| Object ID | object_id |
| Storage type | storage_type |
| Size | size |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| State* | state |
| CIDR* | cidr |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Status | status |
| CIDR | cidr |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Netmask | netmask |
| MAC Address | mac_address |
| MAC Manufacturer | mac_manufacturer |
| Status | install_status |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| State | state |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Provisioning state | provisioning_state |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| State | state |
| Operational Status | operational_status |
| Install Status | install_status |
- When a resource group is discovered for the first time, the State field is set to Available, operational_status=Operational, and Status=Installed; based on the response mapping.
- When a resource group is terminated on Microsoft Azure, the CMPReconciler scripts set the State field to Terminated, and operational_status=Non-Operational and Status=Absent.
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| Public IP address | public_ip_address |
| Public DNS | public_dns |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| Sku Name | sku_name |
| State | state |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Fully qualified domain name | fqdn |
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| Operational Status | operational_status |
| Type | type |
| State | state |
| Vendor | vendor |
| Version | version Note: For NoSQL and MSSQL Managed Instances, the API responses for these databases do not return version data. |
| Category* | category |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Install status | install_status |
| Vendor | vendor |
| Fully qualified domain name | fqdn |
| Operational status | operational_status |
| State | state |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Fully qualified domain name | fqdn |
| Install status | install_status |
| IP Address | ip_address |
| Name | name |
| Netmask | netmask |
| Operational status | operational_status |
| Vendor | vendor |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Life-cycle Stage Status | life_cycle_stage_status |
| Name | name |
| Status | status |
| Serial Number | serial_number |
| Type | type |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| VCPUS | vcpus |
| Label | Field Name |
|---|---|
| Name | name |
| Object ID | object_id |
| Provider | provider |
| vCPUs | vcpus |