CIs attestation

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of CIs attestation

    CIs attestation in ServiceNow allows you to systematically verify and maintain the accuracy of your Configuration Management Database (CMDB) by confirming the existence of IT infrastructure and applications you own. This process helps ensure data integrity by identifying and removing stale Configuration Items (CIs) that no longer represent active assets.

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    You create attestation policies in the CMDB Data Manager available within CMDB Workspace and Service Graph Workspace, specifying which CIs require attestation and how often. Attestation tasks are assigned to knowledgeable users who can confirm or reject the validity of these CIs. Rejected CIs can then be retired, archived, or deleted, keeping the CMDB accurate and relevant.

    Key Features

    • Attestation Policies: Define scope and frequency for CI verification.
    • Task Assignment: Assign attestation tasks to users familiar with specific CIs for review and validation.
    • My Work and Tasks Views: Users can track and process their assigned attestation tasks efficiently in CMDB Workspace or Service Graph Workspace.
    • Smart Detection and Auto-Attestation: Automatically attest CIs detected by discovery tools based on recent discovery results, streamlining the attestation process.

    Smart Detection Details

    Smart detection simplifies attestation by auto-attesting CIs discovered within a configurable time frame, provided discovery is enabled or Service Graph Connectors are implemented. Key system properties govern this feature:

    • sncmdbws.attestation.smartdetection.disabled: Enables or disables smart detection (default is enabled).
    • sncmdbws.attestation.smartdetection.discoverywindow: Defines the timeframe (in days, default 30) within which discovered CIs qualify for auto-attestation.
    • sncmdbws.attestation.smartdetection.discoverysource.exclusion: Lists discovery sources excluded from smart detection to avoid unreliable data sources.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Maintain a clean and accurate CMDB by regularly verifying and removing obsolete CIs.
    • Reduce manual effort with smart detection and auto-attestation features, leveraging recent discovery data.
    • Improve governance and compliance by ensuring assigned users validate infrastructure and application data.
    • Use configurable policies and system properties to tailor attestation processes to your organizational needs.

    Verify the existence of actual IT infrastructure and applications that you own, systematically and in bulk. As CIs are continuously ingested into the CMDB from various data sources, ensure the integrity of the CMDB. Remove any stale CIs that are associated with IT infrastructure or applications that no longer exists.

    Use the CMDB Data Manager in CMDB Workspace and in Service Graph Workspace to create an Attestation policy, specifying CIs that need to be attested and the attestation frequency. Assign Attestation tasks to users that are familiar with or that manage the CIs, and who can attest or reject the IT infrastructure or applications that those CIs represent. Rejected CIs that are no longer needed can then be retired, archived, or deleted from the CMDB.

    Users can go to the My Work view in CMDB Workspace or to the Tasks view in Service Graph Workspace to see their assigned attestation tasks, and then review and process the tasks.

    Smart detection and auto-attestation

    Smart detection streamlines and simplifies CI attestation. With smart detection you can auto-attest CIs that are automatically detected by discovery programs, based only on recent discovery results.

    The following conditions must be met to enable smart detection:
    In addition, smart detection uses the following system properties as filters when creating a list of CIs that are candidates for auto-attestation. To be included as candidates for auto-attestation, CIs must be discovered:
    • Within the discovery time window specified by the sn_cmdb_ws.attestation.smart_detection.discovery_window system property (for example, within the last 30 days)
    • By any discovery source that isn't excluded by the sn_cmdb_ws.attestation.smart_detection.discovery_source.exclusion system property
    Then, when you review those candidate CIs, you can choose to auto-attest them.

    Properties associated with Attestation

    Property Description

    sn_cmdb_ws.attestation.smart_detection.disabled

    Disables smart detection.
    sn_cmdb_ws.attestation.smart_detection.discovery_source.exclusion

    Comma-separated list of discovery sources that are excluded in smart detection processing. For example, a data source that is unreliable in detecting CIs.

    CIs discovered by discovery sources in the list, can't be candidates for auto-attestation.
    sn_cmdb_ws.attestation.smart_detection.discovery_window

    Number of days (discovery window) that smart detection uses to determine whether a CI is a candidate for auto-attestation. Only CIs that were discovered within this discovery window can be candidates for auto-attestation.