Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) pattern-based discovery

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated June 16, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) pattern-based discovery

    The Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) pattern-based discovery in ServiceNow enables automated detection and mapping of Amazon EFS resources within your AWS cloud environment. This capability is part of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application, which requires adherence to AWS discovery prerequisites and may involve updating the application from the ServiceNow Store.

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    Key Features

    • Pattern Activation: The Amazon EFS discovery pattern is disabled by default. From Visibility Content version 6.28.0 onward, enabling or disabling patterns is streamlined without affecting future updates or upgrades.
    • Resource Inclusion List Management: To avoid duplicate discoveries, ensure Amazon EFS resources are not included in the Resource Inclusion List [sacloudinventoryresourcewhitelist] table.
    • GovCloud Support: Discovery of AWS GovCloud accounts requires specific configuration using a datacenter URL when creating AWS service accounts.
    • Data Population: The discovery pattern populates data into both CMDB and non-CMDB tables:
      • Non-CMDB Tables: Data is stored when running the "Amazon AWS - Elastic File System - Extended Inventory (LP)" pattern, accessible via the AWS section in the navigation.
      • CMDB Tables: The same pattern populates CMDB tables, specifically the Cloud Directory [cmdbciclouddirectory], capturing key attributes such as object ID, name, install status, operational status, and resource description.
    • CI Relationships: The discovery establishes relationships between Amazon EFS, Cloud Directory, and AWS Datacenter configuration items to support comprehensive mapping.
    • AWS Tag Discovery: Tags associated with Amazon EFS resources are collected and stored in the Key Value [cmdbkeyvalue] table, enabling tag-based filtering and management.

    Practical Considerations

    • Verify and meet all AWS discovery prerequisites before running the pattern.
    • Remove Amazon EFS resources from the Resource Inclusion List to prevent duplicate entries.
    • Activate the Amazon EFS pattern to enable discovery and receive ongoing updates without manual intervention post-upgrade.
    • Configure discovery schedules properly, especially when working with AWS GovCloud (US) environments.
    • Leverage the populated CMDB and non-CMDB data for accurate asset management, operational status tracking, and relationship mapping within ServiceNow.

    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 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.
    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.

    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 - Elastic File System - 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 Elastic File System [cmdb_aws_elastic_file_system_file_system]
    Field Description
    Object Id [object_id] The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) for the file system.
    Name [name] The assigned name of the Amazon EFS file system.
    Configuration Item [configuration_item] References the Cloud Directory [cmdb_ci_cloud_directory] table.
    File System ID [file_system_id] The unique identifier of the Amazon EFS file system.

    Data stored in CMDB tables

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

    Table 2. Cloud Directory [cmdb_ci_cloud_directory]
    Field Description
    Object ID [object_id] The ARN for the file system.
    Name [name] The assigned name of the Amazon EFS file system.
    Install Status [install_status] Install status of the resource. Default value is Installed.
    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 File System::File System.

    CI relationships

    The Amazon AWS - Elastic File System - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern creates these relationships to support Amazon EFS discovery.

    CI Relationship CI
    Cloud Directory [cmdb_ci_cloud_directory] Hosted on::Hosts AWS Datacenter [cmdb_ci_aws_datacenter]
    AWS Elastic File System [cmdb_aws_elastic_file_system_file_system] References Cloud Directory [cmdb_ci_cloud_directory]

    AWS tag discovery

    The pattern collects tags and populates them in the Key Value [cmdb_key_value] table.
    Table 3. Key Value [cmdb_key_value]
    Field Description
    Key [key] Tag name.
    Value [value] Tag value.