--- sourceDocument: Yokohama IT Operations Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/yokohama/it-operations-management Release : - yokohama ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Yokohama IT Operations Management ft:clusterId : - itom bundleId : - itom workflow : - Technology --- # How Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content works # How Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content works {#ariaid-title1} * Release version: Yokohama * * Updated January 30, 2025 * * ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content (ACC-VC) enhances ServiceNow's Discovery capabilities by collecting detailed host data through the installation of the ServiceNow Agent Client Collector (ACC) on target hosts. ACC is built on Sensu-Go, an open-source monitoring tool. ACC-VC enables continuous and policy-driven data collection, improving visibility into your infrastructure. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Triggering Events:** ACC-VC initiates data collection in multiple scenarios including periodic scheduling (default every 24 hours), when a Configuration Item (CI) is deleted, MID Server restarts, target host restarts, and network interruptions. This ensures up-to-date discovery data under various operational conditions. * **Checks and Policies:** Data collection is governed by policies and checks stored as Agent plugins. The primary check, *Enhanced Discovery*, runs on a scheduled basis, sending payloads to the MID Server and then to the ServiceNow instance for processing. * **Data Processing:** The EnhancedDiscoveryHandler script processes collected data, transforming it into formats compatible with the Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE), and performs reconciliation for non-CI data like running processes and TCP connections. * **Communication Flow:** The ServiceNow Instance initiates checks which create ECC Queue records. The MID Server communicates with ACC using secure WebSocket over TLS, supplying relevant assets and plugins tailored to the host's OS and architecture. * **Customization:** Customers can edit and modify ACC-VC components including check types, policies, and definitions to suit their specific environment and requirements. * **Virtual Machines and Cloud Support:** ACC-VC seamlessly associates discovered hosts with existing VM Instance and Cloud Server Instance CIs in the CMDB. Supported platforms include VMware vCenter, Amazon AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure. ## Key Outcomes * Automated, policy-driven discovery with frequent updates ensures your CMDB reflects current infrastructure state. * Improved reconciliation of host data, including non-CI elements, enhances accuracy and completeness in asset management. * Robust support for virtualized and cloud environments facilitates comprehensive visibility across hybrid infrastructures. * Secure, scalable data collection architecture integrates tightly with MID Server and ServiceNow platform components. * Flexibility for customization empowers organizations to adapt discovery parameters and processing logic to their operational needs. 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 {#how-acc-v-works__section_fj2_1lm_lbc} 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. {#how-acc-v-works__ul_rdl_11z_z4b} 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 {#how-acc-v-works__section_br2_clm_lbc} 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) {#how-acc-v-works__ul_ppk_gbz_z4b} 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](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ft6B1g3pkBxbL537XUnCNg "A check is a combination of a command and its configuration. The check is executed on the Agent Client Collector's devices to gather data from those devices.") for more information. ## Virtual machines and cloud instances {#how-acc-v-works__section_x4d_qjz_z4b} 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 {#how-acc-v-works__ul_t11_vjz_z4b}