Sample payload for VMware software install records

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Sample payload for VMware software install records

    This documentation describes how to use the VMware publisher pack to populate theVMware Discovered License key consumption [sampvmwarelicensekeyusage]table in ServiceNow. It explains how to send software install record payloads from third-party discovery sources to the ServiceNow instance via the Identify and Reconcile (IRE) REST API.

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    This process enables ServiceNow customers to track VMware software license usage accurately by integrating external discovered software installation data into the ServiceNow SAM (Software Asset Management) environment.

    Key Steps and Practical Use

    • Enable the Datasource Integration Framework: In the Properties page, activate the property com.snc.samp.ire.datasource.integration to allow scheduled jobs for third-party datasource integration.
    • Create a License Key Record: Send a payload to create a license key in the sampvmwarelicensekey table. Extract the returned license key sysid for further use.
    • Query CIs Using the License Key: Use the Enhanced IRE API to query Configuration Item (CI) sysids that consume the license key. Save these sysids.
    • Report Usage: Submit a payload associating the license key sysid with the CI sysids to create usage records.
    • Run Scheduled Job: Execute the scheduled job named SAM- Update Software Usage to populate the sampvmwarelicensekeyusage table with software install data.

    Sample Payload Structure

    The payload consists of:

    • Items Array: Lists discovered CIs such as VMware vCenter servers (table cmdbcivcenter) and Windows servers (table cmdbciwinserver), including license key details like cost unit, edition, features, license key string, product name, version, and rights owned/used.
    • Relations Array: Defines relationships between CIs, for example, "Runs on" relationships to link software installs to their host servers.

    Response and Usage Record Creation

    The response provides confirmation of inserted or updated records, including the sysid of the created license key and CIs. These IDs are essential for linking usage data.

    To create usage records, post to the sampvmwarelicensekeyusage table with the license key sysid, the number of rights used, and the CI sysid representing the user of the license.

    Practical Outcomes for ServiceNow Customers

    • Automates the population of VMware license usage data from third-party discovery sources into ServiceNow SAM tables.
    • Enables accurate tracking and management of VMware license consumption tied to discovered infrastructure.
    • Supports integration using standard REST API calls to maintain license and CI data synchronized with external discovery information.
    • Facilitates ongoing updates through scheduled jobs to keep license consumption data current.

    A sample payload for VMware publisher pack that populates the VMware Discovered License key consumption [samp_vmware_license_key_usage] table with software install records from third-party discovery sources.

    After you discover software installs via your discovery source, send a payload via the IRE REST API endpoint to the ServiceNow instance to populate the VMware Discovered License key consumption [samp_vmware_license_key_usage] table with software install records.
    Note:
    In the Properties page, make sure to select the Enable scheduled jobs when using third party Datasource Integration Framework [com.snc.samp.ire.datasource.integration] property.
    1. Send a payload to create a license key in the VMware Discovered License key [samp_vmware_license_key] table.
    2. From the response body of the payload, copy the sys ID of the new license key and paste it in a text editor for later use.
    3. Use the Enhanced IRE API to query the sys IDs of the CIs that use the new license key.
    4. From the response body, copy the sys IDs of the CIs and paste them in a text editor for later use.
    5. Send a payload with the sys ID of the license key and the sys ID of the CIs.
    6. Run the schedule job, SAM- Update Software Usage to populate the VMware Discovered License key consumption [samp_vmware_license_key_usage] table with the software install records.
    Request Body
{ 'items': [
                {'className':'cmdb_ci_vcenter',
              'related': [
                          {
                          className:'samp_vmware_license_key',
                            values:{
                             'cost_unit':'cpuPackage',
                                      'edition':'esxEnterprisePlus.vram',
                                      'features':'autodeploy,das,dpvmotion',
                                      'license_key':'SYDOJ-28J5Q-78X48-0NC24-REKAR',
                                      'product_name':'VMware vSphere 5 Enterprise Plus',
                                      'product_version':'5.0',
                                      'rights_owned':'8',
                                      'rights_used':'6'
                              }
                          }
                        
                        ],
              'values': {
                 'name':'VCenter Ref 1A'
                  }
              },
              {
                'className':'cmdb_ci_win_server',
                 'values': {'name':'VirtualMachine-WS2'
                           }
                      }
              ],
              'relations':[{
                   'type':'Runs on::Runs',
                   'parent':0,
                   'child':1
                 }]
            }

Response Body
{
  "result": {
    "items": [
      {
        "className": "cmdb_ci_vcenter",
        "operation": "INSERT",
        "sysId": "8fb47793e7cc10107aea07d8d2f6a93a",
        "relatedSysIds": [
          "cbb47793e7cc10107aea07d8d2f6a93f"
        ],
        "relatedItems": [
          {
            "className": "samp_vmware_license_key",
            "sysId": "cbb47793e7cc10107aea07d8d2f6a93f",
            "markers": [],
            "inputIndices": [
              {
                "mainIndex": 0,
                "subIndex": 0
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "additionalRelatedItems": [],
        "identifierEntrySysId": "Unknown",
        "identificationAttempts": [
          {
            "attributes": [
              "name"
            ],
            "identifierName": "VMWare VCenter Ref CI",
            "attemptResult": "NO_MATCH",
            "searchOnTable": "cmdb_ci_vcenter",
            "hybridEntryCiAttributes": []
          }
        ],
        "errorCount": 0,
        "markers": [],
        "inputIndices": [
          0
        ]
      },
      {
        "className": "cmdb_ci_win_server",
        "operation": "UPDATE",
        "sysId": "30ccb31ddbe7720087b9fd441d961992",
        "identifierEntrySysId": "556eb250c3400200d8d4bea192d3ae92",
        "identificationAttempts": [
          {
            "attributes": [
              "serial_number",
              "serial_number_type"
            ],
            "identifierName": "Hardware Rule",
            "attemptResult": "SKIPPED",
            "searchOnTable": "cmdb_serial_number",
            "hybridEntryCiAttributes": []
          },
          {
            "attributes": [
              "serial_number"
            ],
            "identifierName": "Hardware Rule",
            "attemptResult": "SKIPPED",
            "searchOnTable": "cmdb_ci_hardware",
            "hybridEntryCiAttributes": []
          },
          {
            "attributes": [
              "name"
            ],
            "identifierName": "Hardware Rule",
            "attemptResult": "MATCHED",
            "searchOnTable": "cmdb_ci_hardware",
            "hybridEntryCiAttributes": []
          }
        ],
        "errorCount": 0,
        "markers": [],
        "inputIndices": [
          1
        ]
      }
    ],
    "additionalCommittedItems": [],
    "relations": [
      {
        "className": "cmdb_rel_ci",
        "operation": "INSERT",
        "sysId": "43b47793e7cc10107aea07d8d2f6a940",
        "identifierEntrySysId": "Unknown",
        "errorCount": 0,
        "markers": [],
        "inputIndices": [
          0
        ]
      }
    ],
    "additionalCommittedRelations": []
  }
}

From this we get the samp_vmware_license_key sys id
"relatedSysIds": [
          "cbb47793e7cc10107aea07d8d2f6a93f"
        ]

-- Obtaining the CI sys id (POST)
role: sam_admin


https://k8s0057813-node1.thunder.lab3.service-now.com/api/now/identifyreconcile/queryEnhanced?sysparm_data_source=ServiceNow

Request Body
{ 'items': [ {'className':'cmdb_ci_win_server', 'values': {'name':'Server-WS11'} }]}

Response Body
{
  "result": {
    "items": [
      {
        "className": "cmdb_ci_win_server",
        "operation": "UPDATE",
        "sysId": "99ccb31ddbe7720087b9fd441d9619da",
        "identifierEntrySysId": "556eb250c3400200d8d4bea192d3ae92",
        "identificationAttempts": [
          {
            "identifierName": "Hardware Rule",
            "attemptResult": "SKIPPED",
            "attributes": [
              "serial_number",
              "serial_number_type"
            ],
            "searchOnTable": "cmdb_serial_number",
            "hybridEntryCiAttributes": []
          },
          {
            "identifierName": "Hardware Rule",
            "attemptResult": "SKIPPED",
            "attributes": [
              "serial_number"
            ],
            "searchOnTable": "cmdb_ci_hardware",
            "hybridEntryCiAttributes": []
          },
          {
            "identifierName": "Hardware Rule",
            "attemptResult": "MATCHED",
            "attributes": [
              "name"
            ],
            "searchOnTable": "cmdb_ci_hardware",
            "hybridEntryCiAttributes": []
          }
        ],
        "markers": [],
        "inputIndices": [
          0
        ],
        "mergedPayloadIds": [],
        "errorCount": 0
      }
    ],
    "additionalCommittedItems": [],
    "relations": [],
    "additionalCommittedRelations": []
  }
}

where  "sysId": "99ccb31ddbe7720087b9fd441d9619da" is the sys id of the ci/used_by


// create usage table
POST 
https://k8s0057813-node1.thunder.lab3.service-now.com/api/now/table/samp_vmware_license_key_usage?sysparm_fields=sys_id

{"license_key":"cbb47793e7cc10107aea07d8d2f6a93f","rights_used":"1","used_by":"99ccb31ddbe7720087b9fd441d9619da"}
    Element Value Description
    className cmdb_ci_vcenter Name of the table related [samp_vmware_license_key] table
    className samp_vmware_license_key Name of the table where the license key is created.
    className cmdb_ci_win_server The name of the Windows server table
    name VirtualMachine-WS2 Name of the Windows server virtual machine.