CIS-Discovery Practice Exam Questions with Answers Certified Implementation Specialist - Discovery Certification

For ServiceNow Discovery to detect a Windows device, the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service needs to be running on the host. WMI is a Windows feature that provides a standardized way to access management information about operating system components and services. Discovery uses WMI to query Windows hosts for information about their hardware, software, and system configuration. SSH is used for Unix-like systems, WinRM is an alternative Windows management protocol, and CIM (Common Information Model) is a cross-platform standard; however, WMI is the primary service used for Windows device discovery.

A horizontal pattern is a type of Discovery pattern that discovers configuration items (CIs) and their relationships by moving across the network from one device to another. A horizontal pattern can use the Change user operation to switch from the default credentials to any other appropriate credentials for a specific device or application. This operation allows the pattern to access different types of CIs with different authentication methods.

References:

• Discovery patterns
• Change user operation

In configuring the MID Server Service Settings in ServiceNow, the MID Server name must adhere to certain naming conventions. Among the options provided, "mid server1" (D) is not a valid MID Server name because it contains a space. MID Server names should not include spaces or special characters that are not typically used in naming conventions. Names like "mymidserver1," "mid.server1," and "midserver1" are more in line with the standard naming practices. References = ServiceNow MID Server documentation, specifically the sections detailing MID Server configuration and naming conventions.

A MID Server needs to have access to the install.service-now.com domain to automatically stay up-to-date with instance versions. This domain hosts the MID Server upgrade files that are downloaded and installed by the MID Server when a new version is available. The MID Server checks for updates every 24 hours by default, or when the mid.upgrade.check_interval property is set12.

References:

• 1: ServiceNow Discovery Documentation, MID Server Upgrade section
• 2: ServiceNow Support Article, Connections to allow list for the MID Server

Quick Discovery is a wizard that helps you get up and running with Discovery quickly. It discovers both physical and logical components, including virtual machines, servers, storage, databases, applications, and more. To use Quick Discovery, you need to have a MID Server installed and configured, and provide a target IP range or subnet to scan. You do not need to create a Discovery Schedule or a PID for Quick Discovery.

References: ServiceNow Discovery Data Sheet, Discovery Quick Start

The deletion strategy ‘Mark as absent’ means that when a related CI that was previously discovered by a pattern is no longer found, the install_status attribute of that CI is set to Absent. This indicates that the CI is missing or removed from the network. The main CI (in this case, the Linux Server CI) is not affected by the deletion strategy of the related CI (in this case, the Disk CI)12.

References1: Set a deletion strategy - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow2: Network adapter status setting to “Absent” in EMC … - ServiceNow …

 Reconciliation rules are used to determine which data sources can update CI attributes in ServiceNow. Reconciliation rules can be static or dynamic, and they can be applied to specific CI classes, attributes, or discovery sources. Reconciliation rules can also specify the actions to take when there are unmatched values, such as removing, ignoring, or updating them1.

References:

• 1: Reconciliation rules - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal

The Discovery pattern log is a log that records the execution of a pattern during Discovery or Service Mapping1. It shows the success or failure of the individual pattern steps, as well as the input and output variables, the CI attributes and relationships, and the errors or warnings2. The ECC Queue is a table that displays the input and output messages from and to MID Servers3. It shows the payload of CI attributes and relationships, the Shazzam probe payload, and the relationships created, but not the success or failure of the individual pattern steps4. The success or failure of the individual pattern steps is specific to the Discovery pattern log and can be used to debug or troubleshoot the pattern execution2.

References: 1: Discovery pattern log 2: View the Discovery pattern log 3: ECC Queue 4: ECC Queue Processing and Debugging, with “Discovery - Sensors” used as an example

Global variables are variables that are automatically available for all steps in horizontal discovery patterns. They store information about the target CI, such as its IP address, host name, operating system, and credentials. There are two global variables that may be used for steps in horizontal discovery patterns: system and computer_system. The system variable contains the information about the target CI’s IP address, host name, and credentials. The computer_system variable contains the information about the target CI’s operating system, such as its name, version, and architecture12.

References:

• Patterns and horizontal discovery - Product Documentation: Tokyo - Now Support Portal
• Horizontal Pattern probe - Product Documentation: San Diego - Now Support Portal

The correct variable syntax to populate a custom column in a horizontal discovery pattern is $cmdb_ci_linux_server.u_custom_column.INSERT. This syntax indicates that the value of the custom column will be inserted into the cmdb_ci_linux_server table for the current CI. The other options are either invalid or incorrect syntaxes for this operation12.

References:

• Set Parameter Value operation
• Pattern variables

ServiceNow Discovery can be extended in three main ways: Classifiers, Probes & Sensors, and Discovery Patterns. Classifiers are used to identify the type of device or application that is being discovered, based on the information returned by a probe. Probes are commands or scripts that are executed on the target device or application to collect data. Sensors are scripts that process the data collected by probes and create or update configuration items (CIs) in the CMDB. Discovery Patterns are graphical representations of the discovery process that can be customized or created to discover specific types of devices or applications, using classifiers, probes, and sensors as building blocks.

References:

• Discovery overview - Product Documentation: Vancouver - Now Support Portal
• Create a Discovery CI classification - Product Documentation: Vancouver - Now Support Portal
• Discovery probes and sensors - Product Documentation: Vancouver - Now Support Portal
• Discovery patterns - Product Documentation: Vancouver - Now Support Portal

From the Discovery Status record, a Device record in ServiceNow Discovery contains a link to the discovered Configuration Item (CI). This link provides direct access to the CI record that was discovered and processed during the discovery cycle. The Device record does not contain the contents of the CI, a link to the discovered Asset, or a link to the CMDB Health Dashboard. References = ServiceNow Discovery documentation, focusing on the details of Discovery Status records and the information contained within Device records.

The Automation Error Messages list displays the errors that occurred during the execution of Discovery automation scripts. From this list, you can view the details of each error, such as the script name, the error message, the device, and the time. You can also perform actions on the errors, such as retrying the script, ignoring the error, or creating an incident. To do so, you can use the options on the right navigation pane, which are categorized as follows1:

• SELECT ALL: This option allows you to select all the errors in the list.
• SELECT ONE: This option allows you to select one error in the list by clicking on the checkbox next to it.
• ACTION ON SELECTED: This option allows you to perform an action on the selected errors, such as Retry, Ignore, or Create Incident. You can also choose to perform the action on all the errors in the list by selecting the All option from the drop-down menu.
• ACTION ON ALL: This option allows you to perform an action on all the errors in the list, regardless of the selection. You can choose from the same actions as the ACTION ON SELECTED option.

References:

• Discovery error messages: This article explains the different types of error messages and warnings in Discovery, and how to access and manage them.

 The Service Account for the MID Server must have the Log on as service right on the Windows platform. This right allows the MID Server to run as a Windows service and communicate with the ServiceNow instance. The Service Account does not need to have local or domain admin rights, as these are not required for the MID Server functionality. The MID Server User Role is a role on the ServiceNow instance, not on the Windows platform, and it is used to control the access and permissions of the MID Server on the instance.

References:

• Correcting MID Server Windows service account user and permissions
• What is a ServiceNow MID Server and how does it work?
• Configure Windows MID Server service credentials

During the Port Scan phase in ServiceNow Discovery, the warning level error "No results returned from probe" typically indicates a connectivity issue. This error often arises when a logical or physical firewall is blocking the connectivity between the MID Server and the target device. This prevents the probe from successfully scanning the ports and returning results. The other options, such as incorrect process classifier configuration, wrong credentials, or incorrect datasource precedence, would generally lead to different types of errors or issues in the discovery process. References = ServiceNow Discovery documentation, particularly the sections that deal with troubleshooting Port Scan issues and understanding common errors during Discovery phases.

Debug mode is a feature of the Pattern Designer that allows you to test and troubleshoot your patterns in real time. To activate Debug mode, you need to have the admin role or a role that includes the pattern_designer_debug permission. Debug mode is not available for users who only have the pattern_designer_read permission1.

References: 1: Activate pattern Debug mode - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow

A horizontal discovery pattern is a series of operations that tell Discovery how to find and identify an application on a host1. To extract the build and version numbers from the config file, the pattern can use either of the following methods:

• Parse File operation with Delimited Text parsing strategy: This operation reads the content of a file and splits it into fields based on a delimiter character. The pattern can specify the delimiter as a space and the fields to extract as the second and fourth ones from the first line of the file2.
• Parse File operation with Regular Expression parsing strategy: This operation reads the content of a file and matches it against a regular expression. The pattern can specify the regular expression as app build (\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+) version (\d+\.\d+) and the groups to extract as the first and second ones from the first line of the file2.

References:

• 1: Patterns and horizontal discovery - Product Documentation: Tokyo - ServiceNow
• 2: Parse File operation - Product Documentation: San Diego - ServiceNow

The $process.executableDir expression correctly calls the value of the executableDir variable from the tabular process variable. The process variable is a tabular variable that contains the output of the ps command, which lists the processes running on a CI. The executableDir variable is a column name that holds the directory path of the executable file for each process. To access the value of a column name from a tabular variable, you need to use the dot notation, such as $variable.columnName12.

References1: Pattern variables - Product Documentation: Tokyo - Now Support Portal2: Examples of EVAL scripts used in Discovery patterns - ServiceNow

File-based Discovery is a process that helps identify what software is running on your Windows and UNIX servers and devices, even if there is no registration information available. File-based Discovery is triggered in the exploration phase of normal Discovery, after the target device has been classified and identified. File-based Discovery probes execute a scan searching for specific file extensions or file names in paths that you configure. The resulting file information is returned in the probe payload. The sensor attempts to match the discovered files with installed software, using the file name, size, and version returned by the probe.

References: File-based Discovery, File Based Discovery - Support and Troubleshooting

In a Merge Table pattern operation within ServiceNow Discovery, the editable fields typically include the Target Table, Second Table, and First Table. These fields are configurable and allow users to specify the tables involved in the merge operation. The Target Table is where the merged data will be stored, while the First and Second Tables are the source tables whose data is being merged. The Primary Table is not typically an editable field in this context. References = ServiceNow Discovery documentation, particularly the sections discussing pattern design and operations, including Merge Table operations within Discovery Patterns.

When designing steps with operations requiring variables, it is best practice to query targets for variables1. This allows you to dynamically obtain the values of the variables from the target devices, rather than hard coding them or using scalar variables that may not reflect the current state of the target. Querying targets for variables also enables you to design for a dynamic environment, where the target configuration may change over time.

References:

• 1: Define discovery steps

CI identifiers can be viewed under the CI record1. A CI identifier is a set of attributes that uniquely identify a CI of a specific class2. CI identifiers are used by the identification and reconciliation engine (IRE) to match incoming data with existing CIs in the CMDB3. CI identifiers can be viewed and edited in the CI record by clicking the Identification Information related link1.

References:

• 1: View and edit CI identifiers
• 2: Create or edit a CI identification rule
• 3: Identification rules

The Shazzam Batch Size property determines how many IP addresses are scanned by a single Shazzam probe1. If this value is set to 1000 and a discovery must scan 10,000 IP addresses using a single MID Server, it creates 10 Shazzam probes with each probe scanning 1000 IP addresses. This property can be configured in the Discovery Properties module under Discovery Definition2.

References: 1: Shazzam probe, port probes, and protocols - Now Support 2: [Discovery properties - ServiceNow]

Discovery finds and maps dependencies for the following types of storage devices: Direct-attached storage (DAS), network-attached storage (NAS), or storage area network (SAN)1. NAS or SAN storage that is discovered via a Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) and Common Information Model (CIM) is also supported2. Discovery collects information about storage area networks from specialized devices, such as storage arrays and Fibre Channel (FC) switches, and creates specific references between the tables in the SAN3. Discovery does not support Multiple area network (MAN) or Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) as types of storage devices.

References:

• 1: Storage device discovery
• 2: Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM
• 3: Discovery of storage area networks (SAN)

The image provided shows a ServiceNow expression used to concatenate two pieces of information. The $name_details[1] suggests that 'name_details' is an array or a list variable, and we're accessing the second element (considering indexing starts at 0). This indicates that 'name_details' is not a tabular variable but rather a list or an array, and there is a scalar value labeled '1' which is being used to index this array. The 'exec_info' and 'executableDir' are likely attributes or properties of the objects within the 'name_details' array and '$process' object, respectively. There is no indication that this is from a WMI query operation step, nor is there any inherent reason why this value could not be used in a pattern step. ServiceNow Discovery patterns can use such expressions to extract and concatenate data during the discovery process.

A horizontal discovery pattern is a sequence of operations that collects information about a specific type of configuration item (CI), such as an operating system, a database, or a web server1. A horizontal discovery pattern does not use the connectivity section, which is only used for the application pattern type2. The connectivity section defines how to connect to a CI and run commands on it3. A horizontal discovery pattern uses the following sections1:

• Variables: Defines the variables that store the data collected by the pattern and map them to the target table fields.
• Identification: Defines the criteria to identify a CI and update or create a record in the CMDB.
• Operations: Defines the actions to perform on the target CI, such as running commands, querying databases, or parsing files.

References: 1: ServiceNow Docs - Horizontal discovery patterns 2: ServiceNow Docs - Application pattern types 3: ServiceNow Docs - Connectivity section

In the context of ServiceNow Discovery patterns, the types of temporary variables include Scalar/List and Tabular/Table. Scalar/List variables are used to store single values or lists of values, while Tabular/Table variables are used to store structured data in a table format. Command and SQL statement are not types of temporary variables; rather, they are types of operations or steps that can be used within a pattern to execute commands or SQL queries. References = ServiceNow Discovery documentation, especially sections related to Discovery Patterns and the use of temporary variables within patterns.

The Parse File operation is used to extract information from a file and create variables to contain the extracted information1. The two main options within a Parse File operation are Select File and Define Parsing2. Select File allows you to specify the file path or browse to the file. Define Parsing allows you to select the relevant parsing strategy and define parsing criteria2.

References:

• 1: Parse a file
• 2: Define discovery steps