IRE error messages

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 8 minutes to read
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    Summary of IRE error messages

    The Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE) in ServiceNow generates various error messages during CI identification and reconciliation processes. These messages help diagnose issues related to payload processing, identification rules, duplicate records, relationships, and data source constraints. Error messages may appear in the Identification Logging pane and system logs, assisting administrators in troubleshooting and resolving data integrity challenges within the CMDB.

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    Key Errors and Their Resolutions

    • IDENTIFICATIONRULEMISSING: Occurs when an identification rule for a specified class/table is missing or inactive. Resolution: Ensure an active identification rule exists for the affected class.
    • MISSINGMATCHINGATTRIBUTES: Payload is missing required criterion attributes needed for identification. Resolution: Add the minimum required matching attributes to the payload for the CI class.
    • NOCLASSNAMEFORINDEPENDENTCI: The class attribute is incorrectly used as a key field in an Independent Identity Rule. Resolution: Remove the class attribute from the CI identifier.
    • IDENTIFICATIONRULEFORLOOKUPMISSING / IDENTIFICATIONRULEFORRELATEDITEMMISSING: Lookup or related rules are missing for referenced classes. Resolution: Add corresponding lookup or related rules in the CI Identifier configuration.
    • NOLOOKUPRULESFORDEPENDENTCI: Lookup rules are not allowed on dependent identity rules. Resolution: Remove lookup entries from dependent CI identifiers.
    • INVALIDINPUTDATA: Payload references invalid or non-existent sysids, invalid data sources, or undefined relationships. Resolution: Correct or remove invalid sysids, provide valid discoverysource values, and verify relationships exist in the cmdbreltype table.
    • DUPLICATERELATIONSHIPTYPES / DUPLICATEPAYLOADRECORDS / MULTIPLEDUPLICATERECORDS: Duplicate records or relationships detected in payload or CMDB tables. Resolution: Remove duplicates to maintain data integrity.
    • LOCKTIMEOUT: Failure to acquire a system lock during processing. Resolution: Increase the mutex expiration time via system properties.
    • REQUIREDATTRIBUTEEMPTY: Mandatory fields missing in the payload. Resolution: Add required attribute values to the payload.
    • MISSINGDEPENDENCY / METADATARULEMISSING: Missing containment/hosting rules or relations for dependent classes. Resolution: Add appropriate relations or metadata rules to the dependent classes.
    • MULTIPLEDEPENDENCIES / QUALIFICATIONLOOP / TYPECONFLICTINQUALIFICATION: Issues with multiple or looping qualification chains and dependencies. Resolution: Remove duplicate or looping qualification chains to ensure clear identification paths.
    • ABANDONED: Processing aborted due to errors in dependent payload items. Resolution: Resolve errors in the referenced dependent payload items first.
    • JSON Parsing and API Errors: Errors during JSON payload parsing or recursive API calls. Resolution: Ensure payload JSON format is correct and avoid recursive Identification engine API calls.
    • DUPLICATERELATEDPAYLOAD / DUPLICATELOOKUPPAYLOAD: Duplicate related or lookup items found in payload. Resolution: Remove duplicates from the payload.
    • INSERTNOTALLOWEDFORSOURCE: CI insertions blocked for a data source by IRE data source rules. Resolution: Modify or delete the data source rule or wait for an authorized data source to insert the CI.

    Practical Guidance for ServiceNow Customers

    • Regularly verify that identification rules, lookup rules, and related rules are correctly configured and active for your CI classes.
    • Ensure payloads conform to required attributes, valid sysids, and proper relationships to avoid processing errors.
    • Monitor and resolve duplicate records and relationships promptly to maintain CMDB accuracy.
    • Adjust system properties such as mutex expiration time if lock timeouts occur during identification processing.
    • Address containment and hosting metadata rules to support dependent CI relationships effectively.
    • Validate JSON payload syntax and avoid recursive API calls to prevent processing failures.
    • Review IRE data source rules to control which data sources can insert or update specific CI classes.

    By understanding and addressing these common IRE errors, ServiceNow customers can improve CMDB data quality, streamline identification processes, and maintain a reliable configuration management database.

    The Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE) generates the following errors and messages. Depending on settings, these messages appear in the Identification Logging pane and in the system logs.

    For information about lookup-based CI identification and qualifier chains, see Create a CI identification rule.
    Note:
    IRE performs an initial verification of a payload before processing identification rules. If IRE detects any duplicate CIs based on any class identifiers, the payload is rejected and processing stops.

    For information about CMDB Identification Payload error: "FAILED TRYING TO EXECUTE ON CONNECTION", see CMDB Identification Payload error - "Insertion failed with error Error during insert of cmdb_ci...", where node logs show "FAILED TRYING TO EXECUTE ON CONNECTION" "Duplicate entry 'XXX' for key 'XXX'" knowledge base article.

    Error- IDENTIFICATION_RULE_MISSING

    Message Description and Resolution
    Identity Rule Missing for table [xyz]
    Description:
    Identification rule is missing for a class.
    Resolution:
    Ensure that there is an identification rule for table [xyz], and that the rule is active.

    MISSING_MATCHING_ATTRIBUTES

    Message Description and Resolution
    In payload missing minimum set of input values for criterion (matching) attributes from identify rule for table [xyz]. Add these input values in payload item 'abc'
    Description:
    Missing minimum set of values for criterion attributes for an identification rule.
    Resolution:
    In the payload, add minimum set of values for criterion attributes for CI Identifier for table [xyz]. Open the CI Class Manager, click Hierarchy and select the [xyz class. Check the identification rule and the identifier entries for table [xyz.

    Error- NO_CLASS_NAME_FOR_INDEPENDENT_CI

    Message Description and Resolution
    Cannot have 'sys_class_name' as a key field in an Independent Identity Rule on 'xyz'
    Description:
    The class attribute was added to the CI identifier which is not supported.
    Resolution:
    Remove the class attribute from CI Identifier for table [xyz].

    Error- IDENTIFICATION_RULE_FOR_LOOKUP_MISSING

    Message Description and Resolution
    Identity Rule for table [xyz] missing Lookup Rule for class [abc]
    Description:
    The payload has a lookup class name, but the corresponding lookup rule is missing.
    Resolution:
    Add lookup identifier entry with [Search on table] as [abc] for CI Identifier for table [xyz].

    For more information about this error message, see Identification error "Identity Rule for table [cmdb_ci_table_name] missing Lookup Rule for class [table_name]" [KB0786444].

    Error- IDENTIFICATION_RULE_FOR_RELATED_ITEM_MISSING

    Message Description and Resolution
    Identity Rule for table [xyz] missing Related Rule for class [abc]
    Description:
    The payload has a related class name, but the corresponding related rule is missing.
    Resolution:
    Add related entry with [Related table] as [abc] within CI Identifier for table [xyz].

    Error- NO_LOOKUP_RULES_FOR_DEPENDENT_CI

    Message Description and Resolution
    Cannot have Lookup Rule for a Dependent Identity Rule on 'xyz'
    Description:
    Cannot have Lookup Rule for a Dependent Identity Rule.
    Resolution:
    Remove lookup identifier entry from dependent CI Identifier for table [xyz].

    Error- INVALID_INPUT_DATA

    Message Description and Resolution
    Found invalid sys_id in payload. No record with sys_id [xyz] exist in table [abc] or is a duplicate record with [duplicate_of] field set to a main CI
    Description:
    The payload has a reference to an invalid sys_id.
    Resolution:
    Remove the referenced sys_id, or provide a valid sys_id.
    In payload no data source exist. You need to provide choice value from choice field [discovery_source] in table [cmdb_ci]
    Description:

    In payload no data source exists.

    Resolution:
    In the payload, provide a valid choice value from choice field [discovery_source] from table [cmdb_ci].
    In payload invalid data source [xyz] exist. You need to provide a valid choice value from field [discovery_source] in table [cmdb_ci]
    Description:
    The payload contains an invalid data source.
    Resolution:
    In the payload, provide a valid choice value from choice field [discovery_source] from table [cmdb_ci].
    No such relationship with name [xyz] exist in table [cmdb_rel_type]. If out-of-box relationship for [xyz] has been removed or renamed, it should be restored
    Description:
    The payload is referencing a relationship that does not exist in the [cmdb_rel_type] table.
    Resolution:
    Verify that the reference to the relationship is accurate. Or, if it is a new relationship, add it to the [cmdb_rel_type] table. Or, If out-of-box relationship for [xyz] has been removed or renamed, restore it.
    Payload relations 'xyz' has invalid parent record index: [0]
    Description:
    Payload references invalid parent indexes.
    Resolution:
    Check payload indexes and ensure that they are all valid.
    Payload relations 'xyz' has invalid child record index: [0]
    Description:
    Payload references invalid child indexes.
    Resolution:
    Check payload indexes and ensure that they are all valid.

    Error- DUPLICATE_RELATIONSHIP_TYPES

    Message Description and Resolution
    Duplicate relationship type records exists with name [xyz] in table [cmdb_rel_type] having sys_ids: [abc]
    Description:
    There are duplicate records in the [rel_ci_type] table for the relationship.
    Resolution:
    Remove the duplicate records.

    Error- DUPLICATE_PAYLOAD_RECORDS

    Message Description and Resolution
    Found duplicate items in the payload (index 0 and 1), using className [xyz] and fields [abc]. Remove duplicate items from payload
    Description:
    The payload contains two items whose criterion attributes have identical values.
    Resolution:
    Remove one of the duplicate items.

    Error- LOCK_TIMEOUT

    Message Description and Resolution
    Failed to acquire synchronization lock for xyz
    Description:
    Failed to acquire the system mutex lock.
    Resolution:
    Increase the mutex expiration time by adding the system property glide.identification_engine.mutex_expiration_time and setting to an integer value that is greater than the default value (15 min).

    Error- MULTIPLE_DUPLICATE_RECORDS

    Message Description and Resolution
    Found duplicate records in table [xyz] using fields [abc]
    Description:
    Found duplicate records in the specified table.
    Resolution:
    Fix the duplicate records found by the identification engine. Check de-duplication tasks for information about all duplicates.

    Error- REQUIRED_ATTRIBUTE_EMPTY

    Message Description and Resolution
    Missing mandatory field [xyz] in table [abc]. Add input value for mandatory field in payload
    Description:
    A required attribute is missing in the payload.
    Resolution:
    In the payload, add input value for mandatory field [xyz] in table [abc].

    Error- MISSING_DEPENDENCY

    Message Description and Resolution
    In payload no relations defined for dependent class [xyz] that matches any containment/hosting rules: [abc]. Add appropriate relations in payload for 'def'
    Description:
    No relations defined for the dependent class that matches any of its metadata rules.
    Resolution:
    In payload add appropriate relations for dependent class [xyz] that matches any containment/hosting rules: [abc].

    Error- METADATA_RULE_MISSING

    Message Description and Resolution
    No containment or hosting rules defined for dependent class [xyz]. Add containment/hosting rules for ‘abc'
    Description:
    There are no containment or hosting rules defined for dependent class.
    Resolution:
    Add containment or hosting rules for dependent class [xyz].

    Error- MULTIPLE_DEPENDENCIES

    Message Description and Resolution
    Found multiple dependent relation items [xyz] and [abc] in payload
    Description:
    Multiple dependent relation items exist.
    Resolution:
    Remove one of the multiple dependent relation items [xyz] or [abc].
    Multiple paths leading to the same destination: xyz -> abc
    Description:
    Multiple paths leading to the same destination.
    Resolution:
    Remove duplicate relationship/qualifier chains that might exists between xyz -> abc.

    Error- ABANDONED

    Message Description and Resolution
    Abandoning processing payload item 'xyz', since its depends on payload item 'abc' has errors
    Description:
    Dependent payload item has errors, so abandoning processing.
    Resolution:
    Resolve the error on the dependent payload item ‘abc'.
    Can't find matched record with sys_id [xyz] in table [abc]
    Description:
    Matched sys_id does not exist in the corresponding table.
    Resolution:
    Check in table [abc] whether matched record is a valid record based on input payload.
    Identification engine API got called recursively, aborting...
    Description:
    The Identification engine API was called recursively.
    Resolution:
    Avoid calling the Identification engine API recursively.
    Detected error while processing payload from xyz
    Description:
    Error occurred during processing payload.
    Resolution:
    Resolve all errors mentioned in the output payload from xyz.
    While processing relations encountered errors in payload item: xyz
    Description:
    Payload item has errors.
    Resolution:
    Resolve errors in payload item ‘xyz'.
    Error occurred during parsing input json payload: xyz
    Description:
    Error occurred during parsing JSON payload.
    Resolution:
    Ensure that input JSON payload has correct JSON format.

    Error- MULTI_MATCH

    Message Description and Resolution
    Duplicate dependent records found having relationship [xyz] with same CI (className:[abc], sysId:[def])
    Description:
    Found duplicate dependent CIs.
    Resolution:
    Check de-duplication tasks for information about all duplicates, and then delete duplicate records.
    Found multiple relations between payload items: 'xyz' and 'abc'
    Description:
    Found multiple relations between payload items.
    Resolution:
    Check for duplicate relationship chains and qualifier chains that might exist.
    Found duplicate records in lookup table [xyz] using fields [abc] and reference field [def]
    Description:
    Found duplicate records in lookup table.
    Resolution:
    Check de-duplication tasks for information about all duplicates, and then delete duplicate records.

    Error- QUALIFICATION_LOOP

    Message Description and Resolution
    Qualification chain has loop that contains relation 'xyz'
    Description:
    Qualification chain has a loop.
    Resolution:
    Remove the loop from the qualification chain with relation ‘xyz'.

    Error- TYPE_CONFLICT_IN_QUALIFICATION

    Message Description and Resolution
    Invalid payload, qualification chain has multiple possible paths for payload items: 'xyz' and 'abc'
    Description:
    Multiple qualification paths found.
    Resolution:
    Remove multiple possible qualification paths between items ‘xyz’ and ‘abc'.

    Error- RECLASSIFICATION_NOT_ALLOWED

    Message Description and Resolution
    CI Reclassification not allowed from class: [xyz] to [abc]
    Description:
    CI reclassification not allowed.
    Resolution:
    Check reclassification tasks for information about reclassification, and check if reclassification from class: [xyz] to [abc] is valid.

    Error- DUPLICATE_RELATED_PAYLOAD

    Message Description and Resolution
    Found duplicate Related items (0 and 1) in the payload index 1 using fields xyz
    Description:
    Duplicate Related items present.
    Resolution:
    Remove one of the duplicate related items present in the payload.

    Error- DUPLICATE_LOOKUP_PAYLOAD

    Message Description and Resolution
    Found duplicate Lookup items (0 and 1) in the payload index 1 using fields xyz
    Description:
    Duplicate lookup items present.
    Resolution:
    Remove one of the duplicate lookup items present in the payload.

    INSERT_NOT_ALLOWED_FOR_SOURCE

    Message Description and Resolution
    Insert into [xyz] is blocked for data source [abc] by IRE data source rule
    Description:
    An IRE data source rule is configured to prevent data source [abc] from inserting CIs of the [xyz] class.
    Resolution:

    Delete or update the appropriate IRE data source rule to let data source [abc] insert CIs of the [xyz] class.

    Or, wait for another permitted data source to create the same CI.