How Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content works

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content

    Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content (ACC-VC) enhances ServiceNow’s Discovery process by collecting detailed host data through an installed Agent Client Collector (ACC) on target hosts. ACC is based on Sensu-Go, an open-source monitoring tool. ACC-VC enables scheduled and event-driven data collection to keep your Configuration Management Database (CMDB) updated with accurate host and process information.

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    How It Works

    • Triggering Events: ACC-VC initiates data collection on scheduled intervals (default every 24 hours), or when specific events occur such as deletion of a CI, MID Server or host restarts, and network disruptions.
    • Check and Policy Framework: The core component is the Enhanced Discovery Check and Policy, which are applied via ACC-VC policies synced to all agents. These policies define what data to collect and when.
    • Data Processing: Once ACC collects data, it sends payloads through the MID Server to the ServiceNow instance. The EnhancedDiscoveryHandler script processes this data, transforming it into a format compatible with the Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE) and handling non-CI reconciliation such as running processes and TCP connections.
    • Communication: Checks are initiated by the ServiceNow instance, placed on the ECC Queue, and executed by the MID Server, which communicates securely with ACC via WebSocket over TLS. The MID Server also provides necessary plugins based on the host’s OS and architecture.
    • Customization: Customers can modify ACC-VC components—including check types, policies, and definitions—to tailor data collection to their environment.

    Virtual Machines and Cloud Instances

    ACC-VC integrates discovered hosts with existing virtual machine and cloud server Configuration Items (CIs) in the CMDB, maintaining accurate relationships. Supported platforms include VMware vCenter, Amazon AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure, ensuring visibility across hybrid environments.

    Key Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Improved Discovery Accuracy: Periodic and event-based data collection keeps CMDB records current and comprehensive.
    • Automated Reconciliation: Data is automatically transformed and reconciled, reducing manual effort and errors.
    • Customizable Data Collection: Flexibility to adjust checks and policies to meet specific organizational requirements.
    • Hybrid Environment Support: Seamless integration of physical hosts, virtual machines, and cloud instances for unified asset visibility.
    • Secure and Efficient Communication: Data transfer is secured via TLS and optimized for target OS environments.

    Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content (ACC-VC) requires installation of ServiceNow Agent Client Collector (ACC) on the target host. ACC is a derivative of Sensu-Go, an open-source software.

    ACC-VC use cases

    ACC-VC applies Checks and Policies to schedule and collect host data. ACC-VC is triggered in the following cases:
    • Periodic scheduling: A policy-based approach where Discovery is triggered on a periodic basis.
    • On CI delete: When the computer or server CI record is deleted.
    • MID Server cycle: When the MID Server goes down and comes back up.
    • Target host cycle: When the target host goes down and comes back up.
    • Network break: When there is a break in the network link to the target.
    Note:
    Discovery is triggered for those agents whose hosts are already present. Agents whose hosts are not present are discovered through ACC-F.

    ACC-VC checks and policies

    The ACC-VC assets are stored as Agent plugins with the main entry point [acc_visibility_main] and other modules for OS families. There is one main system Discovery Check definition, called Enhanced Discovery, which is used by the Enhanced Discovery Policy. This ACC-VC policy runs off a schedule, which is defaulted to 24 hours (86,400 seconds). This policy configuration is synced to all agents as defined in the ACC-VC policy.

    When the payload is returned from the MID Server to the instance, the ACC-VC Check Type, EnhancedDiscovery, delegates tasks to the EnhancedDiscoveryHandler script include provided by ACC-VC. The script contains logic to process the data from the check and handles tasks such as:
    • Data transformation into an identification and reconciliation engine (IRE) compatible payload
    • Non-CI data reconciliation (cmdb_running_processes, cmdb_tcp_connections, and so on)

    The ACC-VC Check Definition, Enhanced Discovery, is initiated by the ServiceNow Instance. Then, an ECC Queue record with topic, MonitoringProbe, is created on the output queue with relevant Check information. The MID Server then processes the check by sending a message to the ACC via WebSocket over TLS.

    During this time, the MID Server also serves any relevant Assets or Plugins that the ACC requests, making sure it is relevant to the particular Operating System, platform, OS version, and architecture on which the ACC is running.

    You can edit and modify all parts of the ACC-VC application including check type, policy, and check definition. See Checks and policies for more information.

    Virtual machines and cloud instances

    ACC-VC associates a target, discovered via Discovery, with a pre-existing virtual machine (VM) Instance CIs. ACC-VC associates the discovered CI record with any pre-existing VM Instance record or Cloud Server Instance record with appropriate CMDB relationships.

    The following variants of virtualization and cloud server vendors are supported for ACC-VC:
    • vCenter
    • Amazon AWS Cloud
    • Google (GCP)
    • Microsoft Azure