Data collected for Microsoft Azure Cloud Discovery

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 3 minutes to read
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    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.

    Table 1. Default patterns
    Pattern Description
    Azure DataBase (LP)
    Discovers database types of:
    • Microsoft.sql/servers
    • microsoft.sql/managedInstances
    • microsoft.dbformysql
    • microsoft.documentdb/databaseaccounts
    • microsoft.cache/redis
    • microsoft.dbforpostgresql/servers
    • microsoft.dbformysql/servers
    • microsoft.dbformysql/flexibleservers
    • microsoft.dbforpostgresql/flexibleservers

    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

    Table 2. Azure Datacenter [cmdb_ci_azure_datacenter]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Region region
    Object ID object_id
    Table 3. Availability Zone [cmdb_ci_availability_zone]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Table 4. Virtual Machine Instance [cmdb_ci_vm_instance]
    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
    Table 5. Compute Security Groups [cmdb_ci_compute_security_group]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Object ID object_id
    State state
    Table 6. Images [cmdb_ci_os_template]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Object ID object_id
    Guest OS guest_os
    Image source image_source
    Table 7. Storage Volume [cmdb_ci_storage_volume]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    State state
    Object ID object_id
    Storage type storage_type
    Size size
    Table 8. Cloud Networks [cmdb_ci_network] and VMware vCenter Network [cmdb_ci_vcenter_network]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    State* state
    CIDR* cidr
    *Not found on VMware vCenter networks.
    Table 9. Cloud Subnets [cmdb_ci_cloud_subnet]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Status status
    CIDR cidr
    Table 10. Cloud Provisioning and Governance Network Interfaces [cmdb_ci_nic]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Netmask netmask
    MAC Address mac_address
    MAC Manufacturer mac_manufacturer
    Status install_status
    Table 11. Cloud Load Balancers [cmdb_ci_cloud_load_balancer]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Object ID object_id
    State state
    Table 12. Azure Deployments [cmdb_ci_azure_deployment]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Provisioning state provisioning_state
    Note:
    This table is only available for Discovery when the Cloud Provisioning and Governance plugin is activated.
    Table 13. Resource Groups [cmdb_ci_resource_group]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Object ID object_id
    State state
    Operational Status operational_status
    Install Status install_status
    Note:
    • 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.
    Table 14. Public IP Addresses [cmdb_ci_cloud_public_ipaddress]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Object ID object_id
    Public IP address public_ip_address
    Public DNS public_dns
    Table 15. Storage Accounts [cmdb_ci_cloud_storage_account]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Object ID object_id
    Sku Name sku_name
    State state
    Table 16. Cloud Databases [cmdb_ci_cloud_database]
    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
    * Populated only by the Azure SQL Managed Instance license pattern extension. For more information, see the "Azure SQL Managed Instance license discovery" section in Microsoft Azure Cloud discovery using patterns.
    Table 17. Cloud WebServer [cmdb_ci_cloud_webserver]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Install status install_status
    Vendor vendor
    Fully qualified domain name fqdn
    Operational status operational_status
    State state
    Table 18. IP Address [cmdb_ci_ip_address]
    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
    Table 19. Database [cmdb_ci_database]
    Label Field Name
    Life-cycle Stage Status life_cycle_stage_status
    Name name
    Status status
    Serial Number serial_number
    Type type
    Table 20. Compute Template [cmdb_ci_compute_template]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Object ID object_id
    VCPUS vcpus
    Table 21. Hardware Type [cmdb_ci_hardware_type]
    Label Field Name
    Name name
    Object ID object_id
    Provider provider
    vCPUs vcpus