This article will help you explore the ServiceNow Discovery process using an analogy from crime investigation, making it easier for learners to grasp the essential steps involved.

The Analogy: A Police Investigation

Let’s explore ServiceNow Discovery using a simple analogy from crime shows. Imagine what happens when the police catch a suspect. They begin by interrogating the suspect with a series of questions. This process is quite similar to how ServiceNow Discovery operates. Here’s the analogy:

1. Port Scan: Just like police question a suspect to find out if they were at a crime scene, a port scan checks if a device is active and responding on the network. It’s the first step in determining, “Are you there?” If the suspect answers, the police might follow up with, “What were you doing there?”
2. Classification: Based on the port scan results, the police confirm the suspect’s presence at the scene. They might ask, “What do you know about this incident?” Similarly, Discovery classifies the device based on these results. If the police determine the suspect was involved in a specific crime, they classify them accordingly, much like how Discovery categorizes devices based on their Operating systems / Functionalities.
3. Identification: After classification, the police check their records to see if the suspect has a criminal history. They ask, “Have we seen you before?” and “What crimes are you linked to?” In Discovery, the system looks in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) to see if the device is already listed. If a match is found, the device record is updated; if not, a new record is created.
4. Exploration: Finally, the police dig deeper to learn more about the suspect’s connections and activities. They might ask, “Who else were you with?” and “Do you have any accomplices?” In Discovery, this step involves gathering more detailed information about the device’s relationships and dependencies. Questions like “What applications are you running?” and “What services are you connected to?” ensure that the CMDB is accurate and up-to-date.

This analogy simplifies the ServiceNow Discovery process by relating it to a familiar investigative method, making it easier to understand how Discovery learns about devices on a network step by step.