Choose the right method for discovery and mapping application services

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Choose the right method for discovery and mapping application services

    Service Mapping in ServiceNow offers multiple methods to discover and map application services by collecting information about configuration items (CIs) and their relationships. The main methods include Automated Service Suggestions using Predictive Intelligence, pattern-based discovery, tag-based discovery, and traffic-based discovery. Selecting the appropriate method depends on your organization's environment, existing processes, and discovery goals.

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    Mapping Methods and Their Practical Use

    • Automated Service Suggestions (Predictive Intelligence): Utilizes machine learning to evaluate connections between application fingerprints, CIs, and processes to suggest and create CI connections automatically based on defined connection rules. This method is well-suited for large on-premise deployments and mapping multiple application services efficiently. However, it requires repeated discovery runs for model training and might sometimes incorrectly add or remove dynamic connections.
    • Pattern-based Discovery: Uses predefined patterns—sequences of commands—to accurately identify CIs and their outbound connections. This method produces precise and comprehensive application service maps representing your IT infrastructure reliably. It requires proper configuration of credentials and permissions to access internal applications, which may need additional setup effort.
    • Tag-based Discovery: Leverages existing tags assigned to CIs (from asset management or Cloud Provisioning and Governance) stored in the CMDB to map application services. This method is effective for mapping multiple services when tagging practices are consistent. Service Mapping Plus version 1.16.3 and later provide a dedicated workspace to streamline tag-based mapping. Be aware that missing or incorrect tags on CIs can result in incomplete service maps.
    • Traffic-based Discovery: Maps CIs based on their traffic connections, complementing pattern-based discovery by detecting additional CIs that patterns might miss. This method can lead to more inclusive maps but may also introduce redundant or irrelevant CIs, potentially cluttering the service map. It's recommended to use traffic-based discovery during initial mapping phases and disable it after fine-tuning the application service.

    Key Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Choose a discovery method aligned with your environment size, existing asset management practices, and accuracy requirements.
    • For complex or large environments, consider combining methods (e.g., pattern-based and traffic-based) to enhance completeness.
    • Ensure proper configuration of credentials, permissions, and tagging consistency to optimize discovery results.
    • Leverage Service Mapping workspaces, such as the Tag-based Service Mapping workspace, to improve efficiency in mapping processes.
    • Plan for iterative discovery runs, especially when using Predictive Intelligence, to train the model and refine service maps.

    Service Mapping deploys different methods for collecting information about configuration items (CIs) and organizing them into application services. The available mapping methods are: pattern-based, tag-based, traffic-based, and discovery based on Predictive Intelligence. Learn about the mapping methods to use the ones that best suit the needs of your organization.

    Mapping method Description Advantages Disadvantages
    Automated Service Suggestions Predictive Intelligence evaluates connections between application fingerprints, CIs, and processes, and ranks their relevancy. Service Mapping uses this information to create connections based on connection rules. It also generates connection suggestions for servers and load balancers for you to decide which connections to add or remove from the application services. Service Mapping automatically adds CI connections and CIs they lead to based on connection rules. You can modify the default connection rules or create your own to enhance this discovery method.

    Discovery based on Predictive Intelligence is effective for mapping multiple application services.

    When using discovery based on Predictive Intelligence to identify TCP connections and processes, deploy it in large on-premise deployments. Predictive Intelligence is a machine learning solution and needs training. To achieve best results using this discovery method, you must run discovery repeatedly.

    Service Mapping may erroneously add or remove dynamic connections.
    Pattern-based discovery

    Service Mapping uses patterns to discover and map CIs. A pattern is a sequence of commands whose purpose it is to detect attributes of a CI and its outbound connections. A typical Service Mapping pattern consists of separate algorithms for identifying CIs and finding CI connections.

    		 Pattern-based discovery creates precise and complete application services that reliably represent the service-aware view of your organization's IT infrastructure. Pattern-based mapping requires configuring credentials, users, and user permissions to let Service Mapping access applications inside your organization private network. This process may take time and effort.
    Tag-based discovery

    If your organization uses tags for asset management, you can use these tags to map application services. Discovery and Cloud Provisioning and Governance discover tags assigned to CIs, and populate the CMDB with this data. Service Mapping uses the tag-related data from the CMDB to map services.

    You can effectively use tags to map multiple application services.

    Starting with Service Mapping Plus version 1.16.3, take advantage of the Tag-based Service Mapping workspace to efficiently map you application services. For more information, see Tag-based mapping in the Service Mapping Workspace and Tag-based discovery for the Service Mapping Workspace.

    		 Application services mapped using tags might not include relevant CIs if those CIs do not have the correct tags.
    Traffic-based discovery

    Service Mapping can discover and map configuration items (CIs) following their traffic-based connections. This method is referred to as traffic-based mapping and complements pattern-based mapping.

    Depending on your configuration, the behavior of traffic-based discovery varies.

    		 Using traffic-based discovery is like casting a finer net, allowing Service Mapping to find even those CIs that it failed to discover using patterns. While using traffic-based discovery creates a more inclusive map, it may also result in mapping many redundant CIs that do not influence the application service operation. It may clutter an application service with irrelevant CIs. Use traffic-based discovery at the initial stages of discovering an application service and disable it once you completed discovery and fine-tuned the application service.