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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

Last updated: November 16, 2017
Last updated: November 16, 2017

Discovery can explore storage devices that contain a Storage Management Initiative
Specification (SMI-S) provider that is a specialized Common Information Model (CIM) server.

To see the current list of vendors and products conforming to SMI-S as tested by SNIA, see
the SNIA website.

Other types of storage, such as storage that is attached via a host, VM storage that is
available on VMware ESX servers, and storage for Kernel VM (KVM), use a separate set of
probes and sensors.

Discovery collects information about storage area networks (SAN) and network-attached
storage (NAS) from specialized devices, such as storage arrays and Fibre Channel (FC)
switches. Discovery collects and creates CIs in the CMDB for the following information items:

• Array disks, pools, and volumes

• Fibre Channel HBAs, ports, and controllers
• FC exports
• Fabrics, including endpoints, zoning, and switches
• Dependencies between storage sub-components

Requirements
• A CIM server using SMI-S 1.5 or later.
• NAS and SAN systems from major vendors such as EMC, Hitachi, HP, and NetApp. SAN
storage devices must use FC.
• FC switches from major vendors such as Brocade and Cisco.
• The CIM credentials must be available for SMI-S configuration. The CIM credentials can be
different than the credentials for the system hosting the CIM server.
• The CIM user requires the administrator role.

Note: Because the SMI-S Provider caches storage device information, the Discovery
query to the provider does not affect storage device performance.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

SMI-S Discovery architecture

SMI-S Discovery

CIM Discovery architecture

CIM probes can explore any device based on the Common Information Model (CIM) by
querying a CIM server, also referred to as a CIMOM - Common Information Model Object
Manager. By default, Discovery uses CIM probes to explore storage systems as well as to get
the serial numbers of ESX servers.

Discovery queries SMI-S compliant storage devices using CIMIQL queries.

The following components are part of CIM:

• Common Information Model (CIM): CIM allows multiple parties to exchange information
about managed elements. CIM represents these managed elements and the management
information, while providing the mechanism to actively control and manage the elements.
• Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S): SMI-S is a standard of use that
describes methods for storage discovery on the vendor's side. ServiceNow uses SMI-S to
determine how to discover CIM. SMI-S is based on the Common Information Model (CIM)
and the Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) standards, which define
management functionality via HTTP. The main objective of SMI-S is to enable management
of dissimilar storage products. ServiceNowsupports SMI-S version 1.5 or higher.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

CIM SMI-S Standard Diagram

• Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM): WBEM defines a particular implementation

of CIM, including protocols for discovering and accessing each CIM implementation.
• Service Location Protocol (SLP): SLP is an ad hoc protocol for retrieving and associating
configuration information about CIM servers, such as default paths, capabilities, and the
exact interop namespace. Discovery retrieves the interop namespace of a CIM server via
SLP and passes that information to the CIM Classify probe. SLP, referred to here as the SLP
server, uses service agents (SA) to gather and disseminate information about a CIM server
on a subnet. A subnet can have multiple service agents.

Note: The mid.cim.interop.namespace system property defines four default

storage namespaces:
interop
root/interop
root/pg_interop
pg_interop
If you are using multiple storage vendors with custom namespaces not
specified as one of the defaults, add the new namespaces to the comma-
separated list in this property. If you intend to continue using any of the
default namespaces, make sure to include them in the property.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

CIM Agents Diagram

SLP and WBEM support

SLP is required for CIM Discovery as it is part of the Storage Management Initiative
Specification (SMI-S) stack. Some storage devices may support the WBEM protocol, but
may not support SLP.

You can manually register the WBEM services on SLP using a common Linux tool like
slptool. This tool has a command line interface that you can use to make SLPv2 User Agent
(UA) requests, which usually come with the SLP daemon package. To register a service,
provide a URL and list of attributes. An example can be extracted from a working SLP server
by using the same tool.

Storage Discovery table schema

This diagram displays the disk hierarchical schema for storage Discovery.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

Disk hierarchical schema

Tables and probes

Discovery uses the following tables and probes to gather information about storage devices
that are managed by a SMI-S provider.

Data Collected
Table Probe
Disk [cmdb_ci_disk] SMI - Storage Server
Fibre Channel Export [cmdb_ci_fc_export] SMI - Storage Server
Fibre Channel Port [cmdb_ci_fc_port] SMI - Storage Server
SAN Export [cmdb_ci_san_export] SMI - Storage Server
Storage Controller [cmdb_ci_storage_controller] SMI - Storage Server
Storage Export [cmdb_ci_storage_export] SMI - Storage Server
Storage File Share [cmdb_ci_storage_fileshare] SMI - Array - File Shares
Storage Pool [cmdb_ci_storage_pool] SMI - Storage Server
Storage Server [cmdb_ci_storage_server] CIM - Identity
Storage Switch [cmdb_ci_storage_switch] CIM - Identity
Storage Volume [cmdb_ci_storage_volume] SMI - Storage Server
Storage Device [cmdb_ci_storage_device] SMI - Storage Server
Storage Area Network [cmdb_ci_san] SMI - Fabric

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

Table Probe
SAN Connection [cmdb_ci_san_connection] SMI - Fabric
SAN Endpoint [cmdb_ci_san_endpoint] SMI - Fabric
SAN Fabric [cmdb_ci_san_fabric] SMI - Fabric
SAN Zone [cmdb_ci_san_zone] SMI - Fabric
SAN Zone Alias [cmdb_ci_san_zone_alias] SMI - Fabric
SAN Zone Alias Member SMI - Fabric
[cmdb_ci_san_zone_alias_member]
SAN Zone Member SMI - Fabric
[cmdb_ci_san_zone_member]
SAN Zone Set [cmdb_ci_san_zone_set] SMI - Fabric

• Discovery of storage area networks (SAN)

Discovery collects information about storage area networks from specialized devices,
such as storage arrays and Fibre Channel (FC) switches, and creates specific references
between the tables in the SAN schema.
• How CIM Discovery works

This is the processing flow for classifying Common Information Model (CIM) storage
systems.
• Configure Discovery for a standalone storage device

Use this procedure for configuring a standalone storage device with the required SMI-S
Provider for Discovery.
• Data collected by Discovery on storage devices

Discovery identifies and classifies information about storage devices.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

Discovery of storage area networks (SAN)

Last updated: January 22, 2018
Last updated: January 22, 2018

Discovery collects information about storage area networks from specialized devices, such
as storage arrays and Fibre Channel (FC) switches, and creates specific references between
the tables in the SAN schema.

ServiceNow SAN schema

This diagram shows the tables in the SAN schema and the default references defined
between them.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

Multipath SAN storage example

This diagram shows the relationship of SAN storage volumes to a host computer. Storage
accessible to the Linux host consists of two physical fibre channel (FC) disks, mpatha and
mpathb, connected to the host via a multipath FC SAN. The two HBAs on the host interface
are connected with two fibre cables each to separate FC switches for failover capability. The
FC fabric switches are connected to two FC storage processors on the storage server. In this
example, each storage processor is connected to the storage volume's, LUN 1 and LUN 2.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

How CIM Discovery works

Last updated: November 16, 2017
Last updated: November 16, 2017

This is the processing flow for classifying Common Information Model (CIM) storage
systems.

Processing flow
1. The Shazzam probe launches the wbem port probe as part of network discovery.
2. The wbem port probe detects activity on target ports SLP 427, CIM 5989 and 5988, and
then examines the Service Registry Queries related list, at Discovery Definition > Port
Probes, for the SLP query. The base system provides this query is provided to detect the
service:wbem service type, which indicates the presence of an SLP server.
3. The Shazzam probe launches a scanner for the WBEM service type. The scanner
retrieves:
• The attributes of the service from the SLP server.
• The interop namespaces of CIM servers in the network.
4. The scanner appends the namespace values it finds to the port probe results.
5. The wbem port probe appends the SLP data it carries to the CIM Classify probes.
6. The CIM Classify probe uses that information to explore the CIM servers.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

CIM Shazzam Processing Diagram

The wbem port Probe

The wbem probe stores the data it retrieves in the CIM Classification
[discovery_classy_cim] table. To view the wbem port probe, navigate to Discovery
Definition > Port Probes.

wbem port probe record

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

SLP query
The SLP query detects the wbem service (service:wbem) on an SLP server and gathers the
attributes of the service. To view the SLP Query record, open the wbem port probe record
and select SLP Query from the Service Registry Queries related list.

SLP Query record

CIM - Classify probe

The wbem port probe appends the SLP data it carries, including namespaces, to the CIM -
Classify probe before launching it. The CIM classification probe extracts VMware ESX serial
numbers and connector relationships between the SAN and NAS components from CIM
Servers in the network.

To access the CIM classification probe, navigate to Discovery Definition > Probes and select
CIM - Classify from the list of probes.

Note: The mid.cim.interop.namespace system property defines four default storage

namespaces:

• interop
• root/interop
• root/pg_interop
• pg_interop

If you are using multiple storage vendors with custom namespaces not
specified as one of the defaults, add the new namespaces to the comma-
separated list in this property. If you intend to continue using any of the
default namespaces, make sure to include them in the property.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

CIM - Classify probe record

SMI-S and CIM probes and sensors

SMI-S and CIM probes and sensors

Probe/Sensor Description
CIM - Identity Identifies a system via CIM per SMI-S.
SMI - Array - Controllers Retrieves controller information.
SMI - Array - Disks Retrieves storage disk information.
SMI - Array - File Shares Enumerates NAS file shares from a storage server.
SMI - Array - Pools Retrieves storage pools.
SMI - Array - Ports Retrieves storage ports.
SMI - Array - Volumes Retrieves storage volumes.
SMI - Fabric Retrieves SANs, fabrics, zone sets, zones, zone
aliases, endpoints, and connections.
SMI - Fibre Channel Switch Retrieves FC switches.
SMI - NAS Head - Component Systems Retrieves all virtual file servers in a NAS head
profile.
SMI - NAS Head - File Server IPs Retrieves IP addresses for each NAS file server.
SMI - NAS Head - File Servers Retrieves NAS file servers such as Common
Internet File System (CIFS) and Network File
System (NFS).
SMI - NAS Head - File Shares Retrieves file shares for each NAS file server.
SMI - Storage Server Retrieves SAN and NAS arrays and servers.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

Probe/Sensor Description
SMI - WBEM Service Retrieves WBEM Service information such as
profiles and SMI-S version.

Configure Discovery for a standalone storage device

Last updated: November 16, 2017
Last updated: November 16, 2017

Use this procedure for configuring a standalone storage device with the required SMI-S
Provider for Discovery.

Before you begin

Role required: admin

Procedure

1. On the storage device, if the SMI-S Provider is not present, install the SMI-S Provider
software.
The SMI-S Provider software is often part of the device management software. For more
information, download the SMI-S Provider instructions from the storage provider
manufacture. For example, if the SAN contains an EMC storage device, click here for
more information.
2. For NetApp storage devices, install the SMI-S agent on the storage device host.

Note: Discovery can also perform native discovery of NetApp servers without
accessing the SMI-S server. See NetApp server discovery for more
information.
3. Start the SMI-S Provider service.
4. In the SMI-S Provider or agent, configure the Discovery Interval with a synchronization
rate that allows the wbem probe to receives the most current information during
discovery.
For example, for EMC storage, set the Discovery Interval.

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

EMC provider example

5. On the ServiceNow instance, set up CIM credentialsCIM credentials.

6. Create a Discovery Schedule with the IP addresses of each SMI-S Provider.
7. Optionally, create a Discovery behavior that uses a functionality definition with a wbem
port probe to make the initial port-scanning phase (Shazzam) more efficient.
8. Run network discovery.

Data collected by Discovery on storage devices

Last updated: November 16, 2017
Last updated: November 16, 2017

Discovery identifies and classifies information about storage devices.

Data collected by Discovery on storage devices

Label Table name Field name Source
Sys ID Storage Disk sys_id N/A
[cmdb_ci_storage_disk]
File Share ID Storage File Share fileshare_id CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_fileshare]
Path Storage File Share path CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_fileshare]
Disk space (GB) Storage Pool disk_space CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_pool]
Pool ID Storage Pool pool_id CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_pool]
Speed (GFC) Storage Port speed CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_port]
WWPN Storage Port wwpn CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_port]
Device ID Storage HBA device_id CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_hba]

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 ServiceNow | Storage Discovery via SMI-S and CIM

Label Table name Field name Source

Firmware version Storage Server firmware_version CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_server]
Disk Space (GB) Storage Volume disk_space CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_volume]
LUN Storage Volume lun CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_volume]
Size (vdisk) Storage Volume size CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_volume]
Name (vdisk) Storage Volume name CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_volume]
Object ID (vdisk) Storage Volume object_id CIM probe
[cmdb_ci_storage_volume]

Storage relationships
Discovery establishes the correct relationships between Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
storage devices and remotely mounted client servers that consume the storage. Discovery
maps NAS file shares. It maps by taking the IP or hostname of a remote mounted disk on the
client computer. It then matches it to the IP or hostname of the storage server providing the
exported file system.

Discovery creates the following relationships for storage CIs running on Storage Area
Networks.

SAN CI relationships
Parent Component Relationship Child Component
Storage Volume Exports to::Imports from Fibre Channel Disk
[cmdb_ci_storage_volume] [cmdb_ci_fc_disk]
Storage Volume Exports to::Imports from iSCSI [cmdb_ci_iscsi_disk]
[cmdb_ci_storage_volume]

Discovery maps NAS file shares. It maps by resolving the hostname of a remote mounted
disk on the client computer to an IP address. It then matches it to the IP address of the
storage server that provides the exported file system. Discovery extracts the hostname or IP
address from the NAS path to determine the identity of the storage server. If the hostname
is an actual hostname, the system immediately resolves that value into an IP address. It also
stores it in the nas_ip_address field of the NAS File System [cmdb_ci_nas_file_system]
table.

Discovery creates the following relationships for storage CIs running on Network Attached
Storage (NAS). These relationships are the same between Linux and Windows operating
system hosts.

NAS CI relationships
Parent Component Relationship Child Component
NAS File System Allocated from::Allocated to Storage File Share
[cmdb_ci_nas_file_system] [cmdb_ci_storage_fileshare]

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