Skip to tutorial content
Rate module Not yet rated

Relationships Discovery Creates

4 min read
On this page

In this lesson, you will learn:

  • The relationships Discovery creates
  • Why relationships matter
  • What Discovery doesn’t link

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: CI Classes Discovery Will Populate. You learned which CI classes Discovery fills and why the class matters.

In SNWR’s CMDB, snwr-mail-02 stands alone. So when Mei’s CAB looks at a change:

  • It can’t see which software runs on it.
  • It can’t see which host it runs on.

🎯 The problem: A CI without relationships can’t show the impact of a change.

👉 The fix: Know which relationships Discovery creates, and which need another tool.

Table of relationships Discovery creates with SNWR examples.
Figure 1. Relationships Discovery creates around snwr-mail-02.
  • Software to the server it runs on.
  • Virtual machines to their hosts.
  • Servers to switch ports.
  • Network connections between processes on different servers.

💡 Good to know: Need a refresher? See Fundamentals › CMDB Essentials › CI Classes & Relationships for relationship basics.

Discovery doesn’t know which business service a server supports. Linking SNWR Email to its servers is Service Mapping, or manual work.

📝 Note: SNWR Email’s service links were set by hand in ITSM Implementation. Discovery won’t remove them.

4 Project Clear View: How We Implemented It

📍 Situation: Mei wants to see change impact on snwr-mail-02.

🧭 Decision: Explain which links Discovery will add, and which stay manual.

🛠️ Steps we took:

  1. Listed the relationships Discovery will create for SNWR’s server types.
  2. Showed Mei an example of Runs on and Virtualized by.
  3. Confirmed that service links stay as set in ITSM.
  4. Added relationship checks to the acceptance criteria.

✅ What we verified:

  • Mei understands what she’ll see after go-live.
  • AC-04 now covers expected relationships.

📁 Evidence: The relationships section of the CMDB readiness report.

5 Quick recap

  • Discovery links software to servers, VMs to hosts and servers to network ports.
  • Relationships show the impact of changes.
  • Service links, like SNWR Email to its servers, need Service Mapping or manual work.
  • Check expected relationships during testing.

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 Which relationship links Postfix to snwr-mail-02? Show answer

Runs on.

2 Does Discovery link SNWR Email to its servers? Show answer

No. That’s Service Mapping or manual work.

3 Why do relationships matter for change? Show answer

They show what a change could affect.

Nice work! You know which links Discovery builds. 🎉
Next up: Assessing the Existing CMDB Before Discovery

Was this lesson helpful?

Have a question or doubt?

Ask here and get help from instructors and fellow learners.

0 / 300

Only logged-in learners can post.