Discovery status

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated June 16, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Discovery status

    The Discovery status in ServiceNow offers a comprehensive summary of each Discovery execution initiated from a schedule. It provides detailed insights into each Discovery run, including the ability to monitor progress, troubleshoot issues, and cancel ongoing Discoveries. This status is accessible via Discovery > Status, where each record corresponds to a Discovery execution.

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    Key Features

    • Status Records: Display high-level details such as Discovery date, mode, number of probe messages sent, and sensor records processed.
    • Troubleshooting Tools: Use data within status records to diagnose failures by examining individual probes and sensors, and run them independently if needed.
    • Control Functions: Enter probe/sensor threads at any stage of a specific Discovery and navigate through the process to analyze behavior.
    • Classification Probe Visibility: Identify which classification probe discovered each device via the device list.
    • Refresh Button: Updates related tabs including Discovery Log and ECC Queue for ongoing Discoveries.
    • Discovery Timeline: Provides a graphical timeline showing all probes and sensors involved in a Discovery.
    • Discovery Log Entries: Records each action during Discovery such as classification failures, CMDB updates, and authentication errors.
    • ECC Queue Entries: Displays a detailed flow of probe and sensor activity including XML payloads exchanged between the instance and MID Server.
    • Device History: Summarizes all devices scanned and the sensor actions taken on the CMDB.
    • Cancellation Capability: Allows manual cancellation of an ongoing Discovery directly from the Discovery Status record.

    Important Details

    • By default, only the most recent 30 days of Discovery records are shown in the status list.
    • Fields in the status record provide information such as auto-generated record number, description (e.g., Scheduled or Discover Now), schedule name, Discovery state (e.g., Starting, Active, Completed, Canceled), number of probes started/completed, Discovery source (e.g., Schedule Discovery, DiscoveryAPI), Discovery type (Configuration items, IP addresses, Networks, Processes/Connections), and max run time.
    • State changes during Discovery are logged and can be viewed in the Discovery Devices list.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    ServiceNow customers can leverage the Discovery status to effectively monitor and manage Discovery executions, swiftly identify and troubleshoot failures, and gain visibility into device discovery details and CMDB updates. The graphical timeline and detailed logs enhance understanding of the Discovery process, while the ability to cancel Discoveries provides operational control. Access to ECC queue data supports integration troubleshooting with MID Servers. Overall, this functionality ensures reliable and transparent Discovery operations critical for maintaining accurate CMDB data.

    The Discovery status provides a summary of a Discovery launched from a schedule. You can also cancel a Discovery that is in progress from the status form.

    To access the Discovery Status form, navigate to Discovery > Status and open the status record for a Discovery.

    Each record in the Status list represents the execution of a Discovery by a schedule and displays such high-level information as the date of the Discovery, the mode, the number of probe messages sent to devices, and the number of sensor records that were processed. A status record contains data that can help you troubleshoot a failed discovery. Use this data to troubleshoot the behavior of individual probes and sensors or even run those elements separately. Use the status controls to enter probe/sensor threads at any point for a specific Discovery, and then follow the process in either direction. You can also clearly see which classification probe ran and discovered a particular device by viewing the classification probe column in the device list.

    • Refresh: Refreshes the related tabs, including the Discovery Log and ECC Queue for discoveries still in progress.
    • Discovery timeline: The Discovery timeline is a graphical display of a discovery, including information about each probe and sensor that was used.
    • Discovery log entries: The Discovery Log shows information such as classification failures, CMDB updates, and authentication failures. A Discovery Log record is created for each action associated with a discovery status.
    • ECC queue entries: Entries in the ECC queue provide you with a connected flow of probe and sensor activity, as well as the actual XML payload that is sent to or from an instance.
    • Device history: The device history provides a summary of all the devices scanned during discovery, and what action sensors took on the CMDB.
    Note:
    By default, only 30 days of Discovery records are displayed in the status list at a time.
    The following Discovery status record shows the discovery of a load balancer using a pattern.
    Figure 1. Example Discovery status record
    Example Discovery status record
    Field Description
    Number An auto-generated number for the record.
    Description How this discovery was run. Typically, the description is Scheduled, but if you ran discovery manually from a Schedule, the record would show Discover Now in the Description field.
    Schedule The name of the Discovery schedule.
    State The state of the discovery:
    • Starting
    • Active
    • Completed
    • Canceled
    Started and Completed The number of probes started and completed during discovery.
    Source Optional read-only field that shows the source of the discovery, such as Schedule Discovery, or Quick Discovery. If the source of the Discovery was from an API call, the source is DiscoveryAPI.
    From Schedule (Read-only schedule data)
    Discover Shows the Discovery type. The possible types are: Configuration items, IP addresses, Networks, or Processes/Connections (ADM).
    Max Run Time Displays the maximum amount of time Discovery was permitted to run on this schedule.
    Log state changes Indicates that state changes were logged during this Discovery. These states can be seen in the Last and Current fields in theDiscovery Devices list in this form.