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Linking Cloud VMs to Servers

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • Why a VM instance and a server are two CIs
  • How they get linked
  • What to check

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: Cloud Resources in the CMDB. You learned which cloud CIs Discovery created for SNWR’s AWS account.

1 The Problem: The EC2 Instance Doesn’t Show What Runs Inside

Cloud Discovery found snwr-web-01 as a VM instance. But it doesn’t show:

  • The OS version.
  • The software running on it.

🎯 The problem: The EC2 instance doesn’t show what runs inside it.

👉 The fix: Scan inside the VPC so each instance links to a server CI with its software.

Flow from VM instance to server to software.
Figure 1. Linking snwr-web-01.

2 Two CIs, one machine

The VM instance is the cloud’s view. The server CI is the OS view. Linking them gives both.

3 What to check

  • Every running instance has a linked server.
  • No duplicate servers.
  • Software appears on the server.

💡 Good to know: Stopped instances won’t have a fresh server scan. That’s expected.

4 Project Clear View: How We Implemented It

📍 Situation: snwr-web-01 had no OS or software details.

🧭 Decision: Run the VPC IP scan and check the links.

🛠️ Steps we took:

  1. Ran the VPC scan from snwr-mid-aws-01.
  2. Checked snwr-web-01’s instance linked to a Linux server.
  3. Checked all 8 instances.
  4. Found no duplicates.

✅ What we verified:

  • All running instances link to servers.
  • Software appears on each server.

📁 Evidence: Link check in the Quality Assurance evidence.

5 Quick recap

  • A VM instance is the cloud’s view. A server CI is the OS view.
  • The IP scan inside the VPC links them.
  • Check links, duplicates and software.
  • Stopped instances won’t refresh.

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 Why two CIs for one EC2 machine? Show answer

One is the cloud’s view (VM instance), one is the OS view (server).

2 Which scan creates the link? Show answer

The IP scan inside the VPC.

3 How many instances were checked? Show answer

Eight.

Nice work! SNWR’s cloud VMs show what runs inside. 🎉
Next up: Containers and Kubernetes: What Discovery Can See

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