Probes used by Orchestration

Release version: Washingtondc

Updated February 1, 2024

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Summary of Probes used by Orchestration

Orchestration probes, managed by MID Servers, facilitate remote tasks such as server restarts and virtual machine creation. They operate by executing activities from workflows, writing output records to the ECC Queue, and returning results for further processing.

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Key Features

Workflow Execution: When a workflow activity is triggered, a corresponding probe is launched, which performs the designated task on the target machine.
ECC Queue Interaction: Probes write output to the ECC Queue, and the MID Server retrieves assignments from this queue to execute actions on remote systems.
Probe Parameters: Parameters for each probe are determined by the activities that initiate them.

Probe List

The base system includes several Orchestration probes, each serving specific functions:

Command: Runs local commands on the MID server.
DNS Name Resolver: Resolves FQDNs to IP addresses using the host OS's DNS cache.
SCPCommand: Securely copies files between machines using the MID Server as a tunnel.
Shazzam: Identifies active devices.
SNMPProbe: Executes generic SNMP queries.
SOAPProbe: Sends SOAP requests to target machines.
SSHCommand: Executes shell scripts via SSH on target machines.
SSHCommandLong: Handles long-running shell scripts via SSH.
VMWare: Executes VMware-related scripts as defined in the ECC queue.
Windows - PowerShell: Runs PowerShell scripts on the MID Server with provided credentials.

Key Outcomes

By utilizing these probes, ServiceNow customers can automate and streamline operations across remote systems, enhancing efficiency and reducing manual intervention. The integration capabilities provided by these probes are essential for effective orchestration and workflow management within the ServiceNow environment.

Certain probes, controlled by MID Servers, perform Orchestration tasks on remote computers, such as restarting a server or creating virtual machines from templates.

How Orchestration probes work

When a Workflow executes an Orchestration activity, that activity launches a probe, which writes an output record to the ECC Queue. The MID Server selected for the activity checks the ECC Queue for assignments, and then executes the appropriate probe to do the work on the target machine. The information about the activity (machine restarted, files copied, etc.) that is returned from the target machine by the probe is written to the ECC Queue as an input record. This information is then sent from the ECC Queue to a sensor that is built into the Workflow activity. The Workflow is updated, and the next activity is executed.

Note:

The probe parameters are set by the activities that launch the probe.

Probe List

The base system includes the following Orchestration probes (Orchestration > Definition > Probes).

Table 1. Probe List
Probe Name	ECC Queue Topic	ECC Queue Name	Description
Command	Command		A probe that runs a local command on the MID server.
DNS Name Resolver	DNSNameResolver		A probe that resolves a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) into an IP address. The probe executes MID Server queries in parallel. It utilizes DNS lookup by the MID Server host OS to make use of the OS maintained DNS cache. It also leverages the hosts file on the OS.
SCPCommand	SCPCommand		A probe that copies files securely from one machine to another. The copy function is performed using the MID Server as a tunnel.
Shazzam	Shazzam		A probe that identifies active devices.
SNMPProbe	SNMP	SNMP Query	This is a generic SNMP probe.
SOAPProbe	SOAPProbe		A probe that sends a SOAP request to target machine.
SSHCommand	SSHCommand		A probe that executes shell scripts from a command line after logging in to a target machine via SSH.
SSHCommandLong	SSHCommandLong		A probe that executes long running shell scripts from a command line after logging in to a target machine via SSH.
VMWare	VMWareProbe		A generic VMware probe that executes the MID Server script include in the ECC queue name that is set by a VMware Orchestration activity. This probe can run any MID Server script include.
Windows - PowerShell	PowerShell	Windows - PowerShell	A probe that runs a Windows PowerShell script on the MID Server. The PowerShell script is provided as the value of a parameter with name ending in .ps1. Two variables are available to the script: `$computer`: The computer pointed to as the source for this probe `$cred`: A PowerShell credential, using a user name and password from the Credentials table, that logs into `$computer` successfully.