Amazon EC2 Amazon EBS Snapshot pattern-based discovery

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated August 11, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Amazon EC2 Amazon EBS Snapshot pattern-based discovery

    The Amazon EC2 Amazon EBS Snapshot pattern-based discovery in ServiceNow enables customers to identify and map AWS Elastic Block Store (EBS) snapshots within their cloud environments. This discovery is part of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application, which finds AWS services by leveraging predefined patterns. It requires certain prerequisites and proper configuration to ensure accurate and up-to-date data is populated in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).

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    Key Features

    • Pattern Activation: The EBS Snapshot discovery pattern is disabled by default and must be enabled to function. Starting with Visibility Content version 6.28.0, enabling or disabling patterns does not count as customization, allowing patterns to receive updates seamlessly after upgrades.
    • Prerequisites and Setup: Customers must verify AWS discovery prerequisites, remove any duplicate resources from the Resource Inclusion List table ([sacloudinventoryresourcewhitelist]), and configure discovery schedules appropriately—especially when using AWS GovCloud (US) accounts, which require specifying a datacenter URL.
    • Data Collection and CMDB Integration: When the Amazon AWS - Elastic Compute Cloud EBS Snapshot - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern runs, it populates detailed snapshot data into the [cmdbcistoragevolsnapshot] table. Key fields include the unique Amazon Resource Name (ARN), snapshot state, encryption status, size, and associated volume information.
    • CI Relationships: The discovery pattern establishes relationships between the EBS Snapshot CIs and their hosted AWS datacenter, enabling clear mapping and traceability within the CMDB.
    • AWS Tag Discovery: Tags associated with snapshots are collected and stored in the [cmdbkeyvalue] table, capturing key-value pairs to enrich asset metadata.

    What Customers Can Expect

    • Accurate and automated discovery of Amazon EBS Snapshots in their AWS environments, integrated directly into their CMDB.
    • Clear visibility of snapshot details such as encryption, size, state, and associated volumes, facilitating effective asset and configuration management.
    • Maintenance of updated discovery patterns without losing customization due to upgrades, ensuring ongoing reliability and support.
    • Enhanced service mapping through established relationships between snapshots and AWS datacenters, aiding impact analysis and operational insights.
    • Comprehensive tagging information that supports governance, compliance, and cost management initiatives.

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns finds AWS services on your cloud environment. Discovering some of these resources may require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

    Pattern-based discovery and mapping requirements

    Verify the AWS discovery prerequisites
    For more information, see the prerequisites section in Amazon AWS Cloud components discovery using patterns.
    Remove resources from the Resource Inclusion List table
    Verify that the relevant resource isn't listed in the Resource Inclusion List [sa_cloud_inventory_resource_whitelist] table to avoid duplicate discovery. For more information on removing resources from the Resource Inclusion List, see Amazon Web Services (AWS) Resource Inventory.
    Enable the relevant pattern
    The pattern for this service is disabled by default. Starting with Visibility Content version 6.28.0, activating or deactivating a pattern won't be considered a customization, and it will continue to receive updates. Patterns that were previously activated or deactivated will reset to the latest predefined version after upgrading while retaining the last active field value. For more information on enabling patterns, see Activate a disabled pattern.
    Configure the Discovery schedule to support GovCloud
    Discovering AWS GovCloud (US) accounts requires using a datacenter URL when setting up an AWS service account. For more information, see Create AWS service accounts.

    Data stored in CMDB tables

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in the CMDB when running the Amazon AWS - Elastic Compute Cloud EBS Snapshot - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern.

    Table 1. Storage Volume Snapshot [cmdb_ci_storage_vol_snapshot]
    Field Description
    Object ID [object_id] The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) uniquely identifying the EBS Snapshot.

    The ARN consists of the AWS region, account ID, and snapshot ID in the following format: arn:aws:ec2:<region>:<accountId>:snapshot/<snapshot_id>.
    Name [name] The unique identifier for the EC2 snapshot.
    State [state] The current state of the snapshot. For example: pending or completed.
    Install Status [install_status] Install status of the resource. Default value is Installed.
    Encrypted [is_encrypted] Indicates whether the snapshot is encrypted.
    Operational status [operational_status] Operational status of the resource. Default value is Operational.
    Description [short_description] Type of resource. The value is set to AWS::Elastic Compute Cloud::EBS Snapshot.
    Size (GB) [size] The size of the resource expressed in gigabytes (GB).
    Size bytes [size_bytes] The size of the snapshot in bytes.
    Volume Name [volume_name] The identifier of the volume associated with the snapshot.

    CI relationships

    The Amazon AWS - Elastic Compute Cloud EBS Snapshot - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern creates these relationships to support Amazon EC2 Amazon EBS Snapshot discovery.

    CI Relationship CI
    Storage Volume Snapshot [cmdb_ci_storage_vol_snapshot] Hosted on::Hosts AWS Datacenter [cmdb_ci_aws_datacenter]

    AWS tag discovery

    The pattern collects tags and populates them in the Key Value [cmdb_key_value] table.
    Table 2. Key Value [cmdb_key_value]
    Field Description
    Key [key] Tag name.
    Value [value] Tag value.