Amazon CloudFront Distribution pattern-based discovery

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated May 6, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Amazon CloudFront Distribution pattern-based discovery

    The Amazon CloudFront Distribution pattern-based discovery in ServiceNow enables automated identification and inventory of CloudFront Distributions within your AWS cloud environment. This capability is part of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application, which requires the latest version for optimal results. It helps maintain accurate and updated configuration management database (CMDB) records and related cloud resource data.

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    Key Features

    • Pattern Activation: The CloudFront Distribution discovery pattern is disabled by default but can be enabled without customization conflicts starting with Visibility Content version 6.28.0. Enabled patterns receive continuous updates.
    • Pre-requisites: Ensure AWS discovery prerequisites are met and verify that CloudFront resources are not listed in the Resource Inclusion List table to prevent duplicate discoveries.
    • Data Storage: Discovery populates data in both CMDB and non-CMDB tables:
      • Non-CMDB tables: Data from the "Amazon AWS - CloudFront Distribution - Extended Inventory (LP)" pattern is stored in AWS-specific non-CMDB tables accessible via the Configuration > AWS module.
      • CMDB tables: Key CloudFront resource details are stored in the cmdbawscloudfrontdistribution and cmdbcicmpresource tables, including domain names, ARNs, status, resource types, and operational/install statuses.
    • CI Relationships and References: The discovery pattern creates relationships such as "Hosted on" linking Cloud Resources to Cloud Service Accounts and references between CloudFront Distributions and their related Cloud Resources.
    • AWS Tag Discovery: Tags associated with CloudFront Distributions are collected and stored in the cmdbkeyvalue table, linked back to the appropriate Cloud Resource.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Automates discovery and inventory of CloudFront Distributions, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy of your CMDB.
    • Ensures consistent and up-to-date data by leveraging pattern versioning and automatic updates without customization conflicts.
    • Facilitates comprehensive visibility into CloudFront deployments, operational status, and associated metadata such as tags.
    • Supports integration of CloudFront data with other cloud resources and accounts through well-defined CI relationships, enhancing service mapping and impact analysis.

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns finds Amazon CloudFront Distributions 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 AWS 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 AWS Resource Inventory discovery with Patterns.
    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.

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in both CMDB and non-CMDB tables.

    Data stored in non-CMDB tables

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in the non-CMDB table when running the Amazon AWS - CloudFront Distribution - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern.

    You can review the non-CMDB AWS tables by navigating to All > Configuration > AWS. You can also search the navigation filter for the specific pattern name.

    Table 1. AWS CloudFront Distribution [cmdb_aws_cloudfront_distribution]
    Field Description
    Name [name] Domain name of the CloudFront distribution.
    Object ID [object_id] Amazon Resource Name (ARN) that uniquely identifies the CloudFront distribution.
    Id [id] Unique identifier assigned to the CloudFront distribution.
    Status [status] Deployment status of the CloudFront distribution.
    Configuration Item [configuration_item] References the Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource] table.

    Data stored in CMDB tables

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in the CMDB when running the Amazon AWS - CloudFront Distribution - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern.

    Table 2. Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource]
    Field Description
    Object ID [object_id] ARN that uniquely identifies the CloudFront distribution.
    Name [name] Domain name of the CloudFront distribution.
    Resource type [resource_type] Type of resource. The value is set to AWS::CloudFront::Distribution.
    Operational status [operational_status] Operational status of the resource. Default value is Operational.
    Install Status [install_status] Install status of the resource. Default value is Installed.

    CI relationships

    The Amazon AWS - CloudFront Distribution - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern creates the following relationships and references to support Amazon CloudFront Distribution discovery. References link to records in other tables and don't appear in the CI Relationship [cmdb_rel_ci] table.

    Table 3. CI relationships
    CI Relationship CI
    Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource] Hosted on::Hosts Cloud Service Account [cmdb_ci_cloud_service_account]
    Table 4. CI references
    CI Field Referenced CI
    AWS CloudFront Distribution [cmdb_aws_cloudfront_distribution] Configuration Item [configuration_item] Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource]
    Key Value [cmdb_key_value] Configuration item [configuration_item] Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource]

    AWS Tag discovery

    The Amazon AWS - CloudFront Distribution - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern collects tags and populates them in the Key Value [cmdb_key_value] table.

    Table 5. Key Value [cmdb_key_value]
    Field Description
    Key [key] Tag name.
    Value [value] Tag value.
    Configuration item [configuration_item] References the Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource] table.