WEBINAR

ServiceNow
CMDB,
Discovery.
Presenter Date
Sonia Shridhar 26 MAY 2021
Key Takeaways

Key IT Challenges Why CMDB?

Benefits Of CMDB How CMDB Works?

CMDB Relationships View CMDB

What’s new in Quebec CMDB Implementation

Release for CMDB vs London? Success Stories

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 QBrainX
Introduction

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About QBrainX
Found by veterans of Information Technology architects. A proud company to be called as “Enterprise
Architects” owned company. Established in 2018 as an Innovative Product company.

In the summer of 2019, the strategic partners of QBrainX has decided to spread wings into Digital
Transformation with clear focus into implementing Optimization, Innovation & Cost Effective solutions
to customers in USA. Successfully started the journey from Michigan, USA (metro Detroit area).

At present, running solid with trusted customer base in USA, Australia, Europe, Middle East & much
more to add. Our family is 50+ members and counting.

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 CMD
B

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Use Case of
CMDB

Configuration
Business Application
Management
Impact Analysis

Compliance

Asset Management,
Financial Optimization

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CMDB Table Hierarchy

Hardware Computer

Base
Configuration Configuration
Item Item

Application
Application
Server

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CMDB Architecture

Import Set

Discovery Incident Management

CI
Identification
Service Mapping
Problem Management

CI CMD
Integration using Reconciliation
REST or SOAP B
Change Management

Data Sources Data

Precedence Custom Applications,
Tables or Fields
Custom Application

Data Providers Identification and Reconcile Engine Data Consumers

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Asset & CI Relationship

Asset Lifecycle Assets

Asset becomes a CI if it needs to be Managed.

Retired /
Requested Procured Deploy
“Operational” Environment Disposed

CMDB Lifecycle CIs

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Who Leverages CMDB?
Problem Management Team Project Managers

Service Desk Information Security

Incident Response Staff Capacity Management Team

Change Manager Data Center Operation

Support Teams DevOps Teams Disaster Recovery Internal Audits

Finance Management Team Asset Management Team

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CMDB Data Model &
CI Class Manager

CMDB Model

CI CI CI
Classes Relationships Attributes

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Data Population in
CMDB
Import
Set

ServiceNow
Discovery CMD
B
Identification and
Reconciliation Engine (IRE)
API

ServiceNow
Service Mapping

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Discovery
Discovery is a mechanism to pull a
data/device in the network Accurate and Consistent CMDB
Drives
Infrastructure Discovery

Asset Management
Types of Discovery
Change Management
Horizontal Audit and Compliance

Top-Down Discovery Security Operations

Automation

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Why Do we need Discovery??
Many IT organization rely on CMDB to manage their
infrastructure changes and identify problems
Ways To Trigger
Many CMDB are not current and does not contain right Discovery

type of information (many attributes for a device) but

● Quick
which on are the right set of attributes Discovery

As a result, IT staff cannot determine the affected ● Discovery schedule to

business service by changes, failures. Discovery ensure accuracy of the CI
provides visibility into IT infrastructure and its changes data across the
enterprise

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Discovery Lifecycle

ServiceNow Discovery

Shazam Classify Identify Exploration

Probe Probe Probe Probe

Scan for Active Determine Determine Explore

Devices CI Type CI The CI

Scan Classification Identification Exploration

Phase Phase Phase Phase

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Discovery Architecture

CMDB

Firewall

MID Server

Storage Network End User Servers VMware

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Leveraging MID Server
What is a MID Server
Your Network
ECC Queue
MID Server Rules
Devices

Applications
Internet
Servers
443 443
Firewall Work Stations

Appliances

MID Server

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ECC Queue - Screenshot

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Dashboard - MID Server Home

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Dashboard - Discovery Home

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Credentials
Discovery requires credentials to be
able to access the enterprise ServiceNow CyberArk Vault

network they vary depending on

network and device.

ServiceNow credentials applications CyberArk

MID Server
store credentials in an encrypted AIM Agent

format on a specific table within the

credential table.

Corporate Devices Network Devices

Storage Devices

Servers

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Discovery Schedule

Quick Discovery
Discovery Schedule

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Probes, Sensors & Patterns

Probes Sensors

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Patterns

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Access Patterns
Discovery Patterns

Accessing through Discovery Status

CI classification Record

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 Success
Stories

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Our Success Stories of CMDB,
Discovery

1 Two Companies merging with different IT

CHALLENGE
2 CHALLENGE

Support Teams and tools

An untrustworthy CMDB which resulted in
unreliable business outcomes in the change and
SOLUTION
incident processes in ServiceNow

Implemented ServiceNow as a single, SOLUTION

standardized platform solution to scale with
the organization
Led a successful CMDB cleanup which
established governance by defining new
policies and procedures while re-architecting
the ServiceNow Application

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Our Success Stories of CMDB,
Discovery

3 CHALLENGE

Migrated from a Legacy solution to ServiceNow

SOLUTION

Delivered an objective driven approach leading pilot project teams to

start small and scale, removing unnecessary customizations and
meeting government compliance needs.

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Our Success Stories of CMDB,
Discovery
4
CHALLENGE
Saving Time and Money
●
RESULT

Saved a considerable amount of time and money which was

41% time savings on IT efforts to populate devices and
relationships by creating CMDB Discovery process
documents that contain policies, procedures, roles and
SOLUTION responsibilities

● P1 incidents reduced 57% over a two-year period

The well-configured, audited and
managed CMDB with Time and Cost
Savings and improved user experience.
● The time to close vulnerability tickets was reduced 70% by
correlating vulnerabilities with configuration items
● 91% of changes and configuration items have an automated
approval process

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Our Success Stories of CMDB,
Discovery

5 CHALLENGE

Accuracy of Data , III defined relationships

SOLUTION

● We automated discovery on all the infrastructure and on vertical services. We don’t have
to go out and invent data centers, what and where the apps and services are installed.

● One of our clients was using Discovery to make sure that they have a single record in
the CI, or a primary source of truth

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 CMDB Aligned with Business
Value Technology
(Big ROI on ITSM Effectiveness)
Business Service Impact Analysis
Applications

Data

Communications

IT Management

Security Systems

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IT Service Management with a
CMDB

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Infrastructure Monitoring
without a CMDB

There are incidents on servers?

How is it affecting the business?

Typical NOC Centers only Monitor

Technology

There is no Business Context from

Events

Proper Urgency or Business Impact

cannot be determined

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 Questions
&
Answers

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 Head Quarters

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Suite 200, Troy, MI 48084

+1 248-606-7880
Contact contact@qbrainx.com

Us www.qbrainx.com

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