Telecom Discrepancy Identification and Reconciliation
Summarize
Summary of Telecom Discrepancy Identification and Reconciliation
The Telecom Discrepancy Identification and Reconciliation capability, included with the TSOM Visibility plugin, helps ServiceNow customers maintain accurate and synchronized network inventory by continuously auditing and comparing live telecom network data with records in the CMDB or Telecommunications Network Inventory (TNI). This solution detects, classifies, and automatically remediates inconsistencies before they affect service quality, assurance, or fulfillment processes. Accurate inventory supports automation, reduces service errors, ensures regulatory compliance, and aligns with TM Forum’s Autonomous Network Operations (ANO) framework.
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Key Features
- Continuous audit checks: Uses CMDB Compliance Certification Audits to continuously compare discovered network data with inventory records.
- Discrepancy detection: Identifies missing, misconfigured, or misaligned Configuration Items (CIs) and relationship issues.
- Follow-On Task generation: Automatically creates tasks to document, track, and manage each detected discrepancy.
- Automated remediation: Utilizes Flow Designer subflows to correct or decommission CIs, update relationships, and resolve data mismatches.
How It Works
After network discovery, the CMDB Compliance framework runs scheduled or on-demand audits to detect anomalies between discovered data and CMDB/TNI records. Failed audits generate Follow-On Tasks that categorize discrepancies. Remediation subflows linked to these tasks update or realign CIs to resolve inconsistencies.
The system detects various discrepancy types such as:
- Missing or outdated discovery dates
- CI model not found or invalid
- Incorrect slot usage
- Undefined or incorrect model relationships
- Logical interface references missing or duplicated
These discrepancies are identified through specific audits like Telecom Discrepancy Audit, Telecom Logical Connections Discrepancy Audit, and Telecom Network Topology Discrepancy Audit.
Automation and User Interaction
Each failed audit automatically creates a Follow-On Task with options to initiate automated remediation workflows or manual corrections via a UI action button. Remediation activities are recorded for audit trails and visibility.
Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
- Maintains accurate and compliant network inventory, essential for reliable service delivery and regulatory requirements.
- Reduces manual effort and service errors through automation of discrepancy detection and remediation.
- Supports continuous operational alignment between live networks and inventory databases.
- Enables tracking and management of discrepancies for improved operational governance and reporting.
Use the Telecom Discrepancy Identification and Reconciliation capability to keep your CMDB or Telecommunications Network Inventory (TNI) in sync with your live telecom network. This solution continuously audits and compares discovered data with inventory records. It helps you detect, classify, and automatically remediate inconsistencies before they impact service quality, assurance, or fulfillment processes.
Telecom Discrepancy Identification and Reconciliation is a telecom-specific capability included with the TSOM Visibility plugin. It confirms the integrity of your network inventory by identifying mismatches between real-time network data and inventory records. The comparison includes data from Discovery or external systems against records stored in the CMDB or TNI.
This solution uses:
- CMDB Compliance Certification audits to detect anomalies.
- Follow-on tasks to log and track issues.
- Automated remediation subflows to resolve discrepancies.
Telecom Discrepancy Identification & Reconciliation architecture
Key features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Continuous audit checks | Compares discovered network data with inventory records using Certification Audits. |
| Discrepancy detection | Identifies CIs that are missing, misconfigured, or misaligned in terms of hierarchy or attribute values. |
| Follow-On task generation | Automatically creates tasks for each discrepancy to enable tracking and remediation. |
| Automated remediation | Uses Flow Designer subflows to resolve issues such as outdated CIs, invalid relationships, and missing discovery data. |
How Telecom Discrepancy Identification & Reconciliation works
Once the discovery process is complete, the CMDB Compliance framework identifies mismatches between discovered data and inventory records using scheduled or on-demand compliance audits.
- Compliance Audits: Compare discovered network data with CMDB inventory records to detect inconsistencies.
- Follow-On Tasks: Automatically generated for each failed audit. These tasks document and categorize the identified discrepancies.
- Remediation Subflows: Launched from Follow-On Tasks to resolve discrepancies by updating, decommissioning, or realigning Configuration Items (CIs).
CMDB Compliance and Telecom Discrepancy Identification & Reconciliation
CMDB Compliance is a toolset that enables administrators to certify CMDB data for accuracy and identify discrepancies detected during compliance audits. It can also automatically generate and assign Follow-on Tasks for failed audit records, which serve as tasks to trigger an appropriate remediation subflow to correct discrepancies. CMDB Compliance Audits form the foundation of the Telecom Discrepancy Identification & Reconciliation.
- CMDB Compliance runs audits as a post-processing rule, identifying anomalies (discrepancies) in the CMDB.
- CMDB Compliance creates a Follow-On Task for each Audit Record in a failed state. An audit record fails when an audit finds an anomaly or discrepancy in the CMDB. A remediation flow can be designed and triggered for each Follow-On Task to address and resolve the discrepancy.
The logic for Telecom Discrepancy Identification & Reconciliation, and the example remediation subflows, are automatically with the TSOM Visibility plugin. For more information on the general CMDB Compliance toolset, see CMDB Compliance.
Discrepancy Identification Scenarios (using Compliance Audits)
Discrepancy identification in TSOM Visibility relies on using CMDB Compliance (Certification Audits). It extends this capability by adding specific logic that uses model relationships and information to identify mismatches. To support remediation, the system generates specific reconciliation task types for each issue found, such as:
- Slots occupied discrepancy
- Most recent discovery date not set
- Most recent discovery date not within configured threshold
- Model relationships not defined
- CI model not found
- Incorrect number of relationships
- Reference to Logical Interface not found
You can use the following audits to identify the discrepancies in the discovered physical and logical entities:
- Telecom Discrepancy Audit
- Telecom Logical Connections Discrepancy Audit
- Telecom Network Topology Discrepancy Audit
Automation and UI Integration
- Every failed audit automatically creates a Follow-On Task.
- Tasks can trigger prebuilt or custom subflows using Flow Designer.
- Manual remediation can be initiated using a "Remediate" UI action button in the task form.
- Remediation steps are recorded in work notes for visibility and auditing.
Follow-On Task types created for failed Audit Result Records
The following discrepancy types (Audit Results) can be found for Parent CI and child CIs for each relationship record in the CI Relationship [cmdb_rel_ci] table that matches the conditions. Follow-On Tasks can be created for each of the failed Audit Results:
- The most recent discovery date not set - generated in case the Most recent discovery date field in CI is missing.
- The most recent discovery date not within configured threshold is generated when the Most recent discovery date field value difference between a Parent CI and child CI exceeds the configured threshold. The default threshold is 2.5 days. To change this value, use the sn_tsom_core.discovered_date.diff.threshold.in.days system property.
- CI model not found (the ‘Model ID’ field isn’t set or data is invalid) - generated in case a corresponding CI model isn’t found. If a CI model isn’t found, the next validations (4-6) are irrelevant because they rely on CI models. In case a CI model is found, the audit will continue to the next validations (4-6).
- Slots occupied discrepancy - generated in case a card occupies an incorrect number of Slots.
- Model relationships not defined - relevant only if TNI is installed. Generated if the audit is unable to find a relationship between Parent and child CI models in the Network Model Relationships table.
- Incorrect number of relationships - relevant only if TNI is installed. Generated if the number of discovered child CI records exceeds the maximum number defined in the model relationship Count field in the Network Model Relationship table.
- Incorrect number of relationships - generated during the Logical Connection Discrepancy Audit when a logical interface is associated with more than one logical connection, violating the expected one-to-one mapping.
- Incorrect number of relationships - generated during the Network Topology Discrepancy Audit when a network topology record does not meet the required relationship criteria. Specifically:
- The record must have at least one "Contains:Contained By" relationship with an equipment CI.
- The record must also have at least one "Members:Member Of" relationship with a logical connection CI.
- Reference to Logical Interface not found - generated during the Logical Connection Discrepancy Audit when a logical connection is missing one or both end points.
Telecom Reconciliation
Automate reconciliation of network inventory discrepancies and enhance operational efficiency. Telecom Reconciliation helps to:
- Identify and resolve discrepancies between live network inventory and CMDB inventory to ensure alignment and boost productivity
- Empower users with auto generated discrepancy reports detailing the type of discrepancy
- Provide users with recommended corrective actions and the flexibility and control to choose between manual or automated methods to resolve discrepancies
- Improve operations by automatically aligning the operational status of network resources with the same status in the inventory CMDB