Discovery for Google Cloud Platform

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Discovery for Google Cloud Platform

    Discovery for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) enables ServiceNow customers to automatically detect and map GCP resources and their components. This visibility supports multiple ServiceNow products, including Cloud Provisioning and Governance. Discovery leverages multiple patterns to identify both global and regional GCP resources, providing comprehensive cloud infrastructure insights within the ServiceNow CMDB.

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    Key Features

    • Discoverable GCP Resources: Includes global static external IPs, regional static external IPs, global and regional load balancers, images, subnets, snapshots, regional managed instance groups, instance templates, persistent disks, VPC networks, and firewalls.
    • Pattern and Application Requirements: Requires up-to-date versions of Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns (1.8.0+), CMDB CI Class Models (1.49.0+), and Visibility Content (6.13.0+).
    • MID Server Specifications: Use a dedicated MID Server for cloud discovery with at least 16 cores, 8 GB RAM (4 GB JVM memory), and internet access for connectivity.
    • Google Cloud BigQuery and Bigtable Discovery: Enable the property snitompattern.googledbservicetablecollection to True in MID Server properties.
    • User Roles and Permissions: The GCP service account used for discovery must have the Viewer role assigned in the GCP IAM console.
    • Google API Credentials and Service Account Setup: Proper configuration of Google API credentials and creation of GCP service accounts are required for authentication and access.
    • Cloud Logging Integration: Patterns can collect native Google Cloud logging events to keep the CMDB updated with cloud activity.
    • Cloud CI Relationships: Activate CI relationships from ServiceNow Store release 1.0.68 to incorporate discovered components into service instances via tag-based discovery.
    • Discovery Scheduling: Configure and run Discovery schedules in Discovery Admin Workspace to automate GCP resource detection.
    • Performance Enhancements: Optionally populate Service Account and Logical Datacenter fields directly in cloud CIs starting with Patterns version 1.30.2 to improve query efficiency.
    • Permission Management: Use the Cloud Discovery patterns spreadsheet to manage REST API permissions required for running discovery patterns effectively.

    Key Outcomes

    • Comprehensive visibility into GCP infrastructure and resources within the ServiceNow platform.
    • Enhanced service mapping capabilities through tag-based discovery and CI relationship activation, enabling accurate service instance maps including cloud components.
    • Improved operational efficiency by automating discovery with dedicated MID Server configurations and scheduled scans.
    • Up-to-date CMDB with cloud logging events integration, supporting ongoing governance and provisioning processes.
    • Optimized query performance and data accuracy by leveraging direct field population in CI tables.

    Discovery finds Google Cloud Platform and its components. Discovering some of these resources may require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

    Request new or enhanced Patterns on the ServiceNow® Store

    Visit the ServiceNow Store to view all the available updates and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Data discovered for the Google Cloud Platform components offers visibility for multiple ServiceNow products, including Cloud Provisioning and Governance.

    Discovery uses multiple patterns to find GCP components.

    You can discover global and regional resources.
    Table 1. Discoverable global and regional GCP resources
    Global Regional
    Global static external IP addresses Regional static external IP addresses
    Global Load Balancers (Global Http Load Balancers) Regional Load Balancers (Regional HTTP Load Balancers, TCP/UDP Load Balancers)
    Images Subnets
    Snapshots Regional managed instance groups
    Instance Templates Regional persistent disks
    VPC Network
    Firewalls

    Requirements for GCP discovery

    Verify that the applications are up to date.
    • Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns starting version 1.8.0 (September 2023)
    • CMDB CI Class Models starting version 1.49.0 (September 2023)
    • Visibility Content starting version 6.13.0 (September 2023)
    Verify the MID Server requirements
    • Use a dedicated MID Server for cloud discovery. The MID Server must have 16 Cores, 8 GB with 4 GB Java Virtual Machine (JVM) memory allocation. For information on verifying MID Server specifications, see KB article KB2156327.
    • Deploy and connect the dedicated MID Server with internet access.
    • For more information on the MID Server configurations, see Install and configure MID Servers to access cloud environments.
    Verify Google Cloud BigQuery and Google Cloud Bigtable requirements
    To discover Google Cloud BigQuery and Google Cloud Bigtable, navigate to All > Discovery > MID Server > Properties and ensure that the sn_itom_pattern.google_dbservice_table_collection property is set to True.
    Verify user role settings

    Set the user permission for the Google Cloud Platform member to Viewer:

    1. In the Google Cloud Platform console, navigate to IAM.
    2. Select the relevant member from the list and click the Edit icon.
    3. In the Edit permissions window, select Viewer from the Role list.
    4. Click Save.
    Configure Google API Credentials
    For more information, see Configure the Google API credentials for Cloud Discovery.
    Create a Google Cloud Platform service account
    For more information, see Create GCP service accounts.
    Enable collecting cloud logging events
    The Google Cloud Platform patterns can collect cloud logging events generated by the native Google Cloud APIs. Configure the Google Cloud Logging service to auto-update the CMDB.
    Activate the cloud-related CI relationships
    To include discovered components into service instances, enable CI relationships used in tag-based discovery by Service Mapping. These CI relationships are available from the 1.0.68 release on the ServiceNow Store. For operational steps, see Tag-based discovery configuration.
    Verify that a Discovery schedule is configured
    For more information, see Create a GCP Discovery schedule in Discovery Admin Workspace.
    (Optional) Populate Service Account and Logical Datacenter fields in cloud CIs
    Starting with Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns version 1.30.2, you can improve query performance by populating Service Account and Logical Datacenter fields directly in cloud CIs. For more information, see Improved query performance with direct field population in CI tables.

    Verify the REST API Permissions

    Download the Cloud Discovery patterns spreadsheet so you can grant user permissions required for running the Discovery patterns. In addition to permissions, the spreadsheet also includes useful information such as pattern names, types, CI Classes, and links to vendor documentation. New patterns are available quarterly, so check periodically to be sure you have the latest version of the spreadsheet.

    Data collected by Service Mapping during tag-based discovery

    Service Mapping uses tag-based discovery to create service instance maps including the Cloud components. The Service Mapping application comes with the following preconfigured CI relationships used for tag-based discovery. These CI relationships are available from the 1.0.68 release on the ServiceNow Store.
    CI Relationship CI
    Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] Hosted on::Hosts Logical Datacenter [cmdb_ci_logical_datacenter]
    Logical Datacenter [cmdb_ci_logical_datacenter] Hosted on::Hosts Cloud Service Account [cmdb_ci_cloud_service_account]