Configuration Item Discovery

Overview

Configuration Items (CIs) are the foundation of the CMDB. This skill covers:

• Understanding the CI class hierarchy
• Discovering and classifying CIs
• Creating CIs manually when automated discovery isn't available
• Maintaining CI data quality
• Establishing CI relationships

When to use: When populating or maintaining the CMDB, onboarding new infrastructure, or validating CI data.

Prerequisites

• Roles: cmdb_admin or itil with CMDB write access
• Access: CMDB tables (cmdb_ci and subclasses)
• Knowledge: CMDB class structure, CI attributes

Procedure

Step 1: Understand the CI Class Hierarchy

The CMDB uses inheritance. All CIs extend from cmdb_ci:

cmdb_ci (Base CI)
├── cmdb_ci_computer
│   ├── cmdb_ci_server
│   │   ├── cmdb_ci_win_server
│   │   ├── cmdb_ci_linux_server
│   │   └── cmdb_ci_unix_server
│   └── cmdb_ci_pc_hardware
│       ├── cmdb_ci_computer_win
│       └── cmdb_ci_computer_mac
├── cmdb_ci_service
│   ├── cmdb_ci_service_auto
│   └── cmdb_ci_service_manual
├── cmdb_ci_appl
│   ├── cmdb_ci_app_server
│   └── cmdb_ci_database_instance
├── cmdb_ci_network_gear
│   ├── cmdb_ci_netgear
│   └── cmdb_ci_ip_router
└── cmdb_ci_storage_device

Discover available CI classes:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_db_object
  query: nameLIKEcmdb_ci^super_class.name=cmdb_ci
  fields: name,label,super_class
  limit: 50

Step 2: Query Existing CIs

Before adding new CIs, check what exists:

Using MCP:

Tool: SN-List-CmdbCis
Parameters:
  ci_class: cmdb_ci_server
  query: operational_status=1
  fields: name,ip_address,os,sys_class_name
  limit: 100

Search by name:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_ci
  query: nameLIKEweb-server
  fields: sys_id,name,sys_class_name,operational_status

Step 3: Create New CIs

Manual CI Creation (when discovery isn't available):

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_ci_linux_server
  data:
    name: "prod-web-01"
    ip_address: "10.0.1.100"
    dns_domain: "corp.company.com"
    fqdn: "prod-web-01.corp.company.com"
    os: "Red Hat Enterprise Linux"
    os_version: "8.5"
    cpu_count: 8
    ram: 32768
    disk_space: 500
    serial_number: "SN12345678"
    asset_tag: "ASSET-001"
    operational_status: 1
    install_status: 1
    environment: Production
    location: [location_sys_id]
    department: [department_sys_id]
    support_group: [group_sys_id]
    managed_by: [user_sys_id]
    comments: "Production web server - Node 1"

CI Attribute Reference:

Attribute	Description	Example
name	CI display name	prod-web-01
ip_address	Primary IP	10.0.1.100
fqdn	Fully qualified domain name	prod-web-01.corp.com
operational_status	1=Operational, 2=Non-Op	1
install_status	1=Installed, 7=Retired	1
environment	Production/Test/Dev	Production
support_group	Supporting team	Linux Admins

Step 4: Classify CIs Properly

Choose the most specific class that fits:

Decision Tree:

Is it hardware?
├── Yes → Is it a computer?
│   ├── Yes → Server or Workstation?
│   │   ├── Server → What OS? → cmdb_ci_win_server / cmdb_ci_linux_server
│   │   └── Workstation → cmdb_ci_pc_hardware
│   └── No → Network gear? Storage? → cmdb_ci_netgear / cmdb_ci_storage
└── No → Is it software?
    ├── Application → cmdb_ci_appl
    ├── Database → cmdb_ci_database_instance
    └── Service → cmdb_ci_service

Get class schema to understand attributes:

Tool: SN-Discover-Table-Schema
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_ci_linux_server

Step 5: Establish CI Relationships

CIs don't exist in isolation. Define relationships:

Relationship Types:

Type	Description	Example
Runs on	Software on hardware	App runs on Server
Depends on	Service dependency	Web depends on DB
Contains	Physical containment	Rack contains Server
Owned by	Ownership	Server owned by Team

Create Relationship:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_rel_ci
  data:
    parent: [parent_ci_sys_id]
    child: [child_ci_sys_id]
    type: [relationship_type_sys_id]

Find relationship types:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_rel_type
  fields: sys_id,name,parent_descriptor,child_descriptor
  limit: 50

Step 6: Validate CI Data

Ensure data quality with validation queries:

Find CIs missing required data:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_ci_server
  query: ip_addressISEMPTY^operational_status=1
  fields: name,sys_class_name,support_group

Find duplicate CIs:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_ci
  query: nameLIKEserver-name
  fields: sys_id,name,ip_address,sys_created_on

Check orphan CIs (no relationships):

# Query CIs not in any relationship
# This requires a more complex query or script

Step 7: Maintain CI Lifecycle

Update CI status as things change:

Operational Status Values:

Value	Status	When to Use
1	Operational	CI is functioning normally
2	Non-Operational	CI is down/broken
3	Repair in Progress	Being fixed
4	DR Standby	Disaster recovery standby
6	Retired	No longer in use

Update CI Status:

Tool: SN-Update-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_ci_server
  sys_id: [ci_sys_id]
  data:
    operational_status: 6
    install_status: 7
    decommissioned: true
    comments: "Decommissioned per CHG0012345 on 2026-02-06"

CI Data Quality Checklist

• Name follows naming convention
• IP address is accurate and unique
• Serial number recorded (for hardware)
• Support group assigned
• Location specified
• Environment set (Prod/Test/Dev)
• Relationships defined
• Operational status current
• Discovery source documented

Tool Usage Summary

Operation	MCP Tool	REST Endpoint
Query CIs	SN-Query-Table, SN-List-CmdbCis	GET /cmdb_ci
Create CI	SN-Create-Record	POST /cmdb_ci_*
Update CI	SN-Update-Record	PATCH /cmdb_ci/{id}
Get Schema	SN-Discover-Table-Schema	GET /sys_dictionary
Relationships	SN-Create-Record	POST /cmdb_rel_ci

Best Practices

• Use Most Specific Class: cmdb_ci_linux_server, not cmdb_ci_server
• Standardize Naming: Follow consistent naming conventions
• Link to Assets: Connect CIs to asset records when applicable
• Document Sources: Note whether CI was discovered or manually created
• Regular Audits: Periodically validate CI data accuracy
• Relationship Completeness: CIs should have at least one relationship

Troubleshooting

CI Not Appearing in Reports

Cause: Wrong class or missing attributes Solution: Check sys_class_name and ensure required fields are populated

Duplicate CIs

Cause: Multiple discovery sources or manual duplicates Solution: Use identification rules; merge or retire duplicates

Relationships Not Showing

Cause: Relationship type not valid for CI classes Solution: Verify relationship type supports the parent/child classes

Related Skills

• cmdb/relationship-mapping - Deep dive into relationships
• cmdb/impact-analysis - Using CMDB for impact analysis
• cmdb/service-graph-diagnosis - Diagnose discovery and service graph gaps
• itsm/change-management - CI changes during changes

References

• ServiceNow CMDB
• ITIL Configuration Management
• CMDB Best Practices