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ServiceNow CIS-SM Exam Dumps & Practice Test Questions

Question 1

Which action within the ServiceNow Pattern Designer allows the application of Regular Expressions to extract specific data from structured or unstructured sources?

A. Assign variable
B. Identify match
C. Establish connection
D. Analyze file

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:
In the ServiceNow Pattern Designer, data extraction is often a critical step in successfully modeling a discovery pattern for a configuration item (CI). When dealing with data that follows non-standard formats or when more precision is needed, Regular Expressions (RegEx) become a powerful tool to capture patterns, text strings, or variable data from within larger datasets. The action in the Pattern Designer that explicitly supports and enables the use of regular expressions for this purpose is the "Identify match" step.

The "Identify match" operation is designed specifically to parse text by applying a Regular Expression to an input source, whether that source is file content, command output, or another text-based data input. When this action is used, the user specifies a Regular Expression pattern that will be evaluated against the input data. The result of a successful match can then be stored in a variable or passed on to subsequent steps within the pattern.

Looking at the other options:

  • A. Assign variable is used to assign a value to a variable, either static or dynamic, but it does not provide the mechanism to apply a Regular Expression for parsing text.

  • C. Establish connection refers to setting up a communication or data link between ServiceNow and the target CI. It is an early step in a pattern, necessary for initiating discovery, but unrelated to data parsing.

  • D. Analyze file allows for the interpretation or scanning of a file’s contents, but by itself, it does not apply Regular Expressions; it simply provides access to the content that might later be processed using Identify match.

Therefore, only B. Identify match directly supports the use of Regular Expressions for data extraction, making it the correct answer. This functionality is essential in cases where fields must be extracted from log files, command outputs, or other unstructured data using defined patterns, which Regular Expressions handle effectively. Mastery of this step is vital for any developer or administrator creating complex discovery patterns in ServiceNow, particularly when default delimiters or simple string splits are insufficient for the level of detail needed in CI identification.

Question 2

In ServiceNow Pattern Designer, when processing a delimited string like "Location,Denver,CO", what parsing approach accurately extracts the value "CO"?

A. Use comma as delimiter and select position 3
B. Use "Location" as delimiter and select position 2
C. Use "Denver" as delimiter and select position 2
D. Use comma as delimiter and select position 2

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:
Delimited strings are common when handling structured text data, especially in files such as CSVs or system logs where fields are separated by characters like commas, semicolons, or tabs. In the context of ServiceNow's Pattern Designer, correctly extracting a specific segment of a delimited string depends on two critical settings: the delimiter character and the position index of the desired value.

The string in question is: "Location,Denver,CO". This is a comma-delimited string containing three components: "Location", "Denver", and "CO".

When parsing such a string:

  • The delimiter is the character that separates values — in this case, the comma (,).

  • The position is typically 1-based, meaning the first element is in position 1, the second in position 2, and so on.

Let’s evaluate each option:

  • A. Use comma as delimiter and select position 3 — This is correct. With comma as the delimiter, the third value in the sequence is "CO". Selecting position 3 extracts the correct field.

  • B. Use "Location" as delimiter and select position 2 — This doesn't make sense because "Location" is not a delimiter. It is part of the actual data. Using it as a delimiter would cause incorrect splitting.

  • C. Use "Denver" as delimiter and select position 2 — Again, using "Denver" as a delimiter misunderstands its role. It is a data value, not a consistent separator.

  • D. Use comma as delimiter and select position 2 — This would extract "Denver", not "CO", so it’s close but incorrect for the question asked.

Using the correct delimiter (comma) and specifying the accurate position (3) ensures the precise extraction of "CO". Therefore, A is the best choice. This technique is fundamental in ServiceNow Pattern Designer, especially when working with structured data output from scripts, SNMP queries, or external files. Proper parsing allows pattern logic to remain robust and accurate, ensuring the configuration items (CIs) are discovered with the right attributes and relationships.

By correctly applying delimiters and positions, developers can adapt to a wide range of data formats without needing complex logic or regex, simplifying the overall pattern-building process.

Question 3

If an event in Event Management does not include a Message key, which group of fields is used together to automatically construct one for the resulting alert?

A. Task, Description, Creation Date
B. Node, Type, Resource, Number
C. Source, Number, Task
D. Source, Node, Type, Resource

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:
In ServiceNow Event Management, the Message Key plays a central role in alert correlation. Its primary purpose is to determine whether an incoming event should generate a new alert or update an existing one. When the Message key is explicitly included in the incoming event payload, ServiceNow uses it directly for correlation. However, if an event does not include this field, ServiceNow uses a specific default behavior to generate a Message key automatically to facilitate alert correlation.

When a Message key is missing, ServiceNow combines the values from the following four event fields to generate it: Source, Node, Type, and Resource. This default logic ensures that alerts are created in a consistent manner even when external monitoring tools do not send a defined Message key.

Let's break down these fields:

  • Source usually indicates the originating system or monitoring tool.

  • Node typically represents the host or device where the event was observed.

  • Type refers to the classification of the event (e.g., CPU usage, disk failure).

  • Resource is the specific object or service involved (like a file system, process name, or network interface).

The combination of these fields provides a sufficiently unique identity to associate related events together. This mechanism minimizes false positives and redundant alerts by ensuring that repeated events for the same resource and issue get aggregated under one alert.

Now let’s contrast this with the incorrect choices:

  • A (Task, Description, Creation Date): These fields are related more to ticketing or general record keeping and are not relevant in event correlation.

  • B (Node, Type, Resource, Number): This set includes Number, which is not used in Message key generation and omits Source, a required component.

  • C (Source, Number, Task): This includes Number and Task, neither of which are used in auto-generating Message keys. It also misses Node, Type, and Resource, which are essential.

Therefore, only D (Source, Node, Type, Resource) includes all the correct fields used in the automatic construction of the Message key, making it the correct answer.

Question 4

In the context of Service Mapping, what typically causes a discovered application to be categorized as a "Generic application"?

A. No match found in the Identification section of the pattern
B. Neither Identification nor Connection sections of the pattern matched
C. No Identification Rule is configured
D. No match found in the Connection section of the pattern

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:
In ServiceNow Service Mapping, discovery patterns are used to identify and model applications across infrastructure by analyzing various configuration item (CI) attributes and interdependencies. Each discovery pattern includes two key components:

  1. Identification Section – used to identify the application instance.

  2. Connection Section – used to determine how the application is connected to other components.

For an application to be correctly recognized and mapped, both these sections must successfully match during the pattern execution.

When neither the Identification nor the Connection sections of a discovery pattern succeed in matching the collected data during a discovery run, the system is unable to clearly identify what the application is or how it connects. In such cases, ServiceNow falls back on a generic classification. The application is thus labeled as a "Generic application"—essentially a placeholder indicating that the system detected an application-like activity but could not determine its specifics due to lack of pattern matching.

Let’s examine why the other options are incorrect:

  • A implies that only the Identification section failed. However, even if Identification fails, the application might still not be labeled as generic unless the Connection section also fails.

  • C refers to an Identification Rule not being configured, but this is a broader issue and doesn’t directly result in the generic label unless the pattern fails to match in both sections.

  • D suggests only the Connection section failed. If Identification succeeds, the application might still be correctly classified and not marked generic.

The system requires successful matches in both Identification and Connection sections to fully understand and model the application. When both fail, ServiceNow cannot gather enough context to classify the application properly, and thus it defaults to a generic categorization.

Therefore, the correct answer is B, as it correctly describes the condition that leads to the application being labeled as a “Generic application.”

Question 5

To enable Service Mapping to identify and discover a Load Balancer that hasn’t been previously registered in the CMDB, which specific address type must be available?

A. Management IP address
B. MAC address
C. Public IP address
D. MIB address

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:
In ServiceNow’s Service Mapping, effective discovery depends on accurate and reachable identifiers that allow the system to detect and classify infrastructure components, even when they are not yet present in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). Load Balancers are a key part of most enterprise application architectures, and discovering them early in the service mapping process is crucial for building a comprehensive and accurate service map.

To discover a Load Balancer that hasn’t yet been added to the CMDB, the system must first establish communication with it. The address that enables this communication—particularly for administrative access—is the Management IP address. This address is typically reserved for system-level interactions like configuration, monitoring, and secure access via protocols such as SSH or HTTPS.

Let’s analyze the options:

  • A. Management IP address is correct because ServiceNow's discovery probes require a reachable address to connect to the Load Balancer's management interface. This interface often provides access to necessary configuration files or APIs that reveal which services are being balanced, their health checks, and relationships to upstream/downstream systems. Without this address, discovery probes cannot initiate any meaningful interaction with the Load Balancer.

  • B. MAC address is unique to a device’s network interface but is typically not routable beyond the local network segment. It cannot be used by the discovery process to reach and identify a device over a network, especially if the device is outside the local subnet.

  • C. Public IP address may or may not point to the management interface. In enterprise environments, the management interface is usually protected behind internal firewalls or VPNs, and using the public IP alone won’t give the necessary access for configuration-level discovery.

  • D. MIB address refers to Management Information Base objects in SNMP-based systems. While MIBs are helpful for structured data extraction, a MIB address is not a network address and cannot be used directly to discover or access a Load Balancer.

Therefore, the Management IP address is the critical and required piece of information that allows Service Mapping to initiate discovery of a Load Balancer not already present in the CMDB. It provides the essential point of entry for collecting data, interpreting configurations, and accurately mapping dependencies within the larger service environment.

Question 6

During the Service Mapping discovery process, what is the most likely cause of an error stating: "Failed to access target system. Access is denied"?

A. Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication failure
B. Command-Line Interface (CLI) permissions issue
C. Application-level permissions issue
D. Windows-based authentication failure

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:
When ServiceNow Service Mapping attempts to access a target system during discovery, it relies on underlying access mechanisms such as SSH for Linux or CLI tools like WinRM or WMI for Windows systems. A frequent stumbling block in these processes is permissions—specifically at the operating system or shell level.

The error "Failed to access target system. Access is denied" indicates that a connection attempt was made, but the credentials used were either incorrect or lacked the necessary privileges. Among the options given, a Command-Line Interface (CLI) permissions issue is the most plausible and commonly encountered root cause.

Let’s break down each option:

  • A. Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication failure generally affects web applications that depend on centralized identity providers for access. While SSO can affect login to a web interface, it is not commonly involved in the direct shell-level or remote administrative access required during discovery. This makes it an unlikely source of this particular error.

  • B. Command-Line Interface (CLI) permissions issue is the correct answer. If the credentials provided to the discovery probes do not have sufficient permissions to run necessary commands via the shell (e.g., sudo, ls, netstat, ipconfig), the system will deny access even if the connection is technically established. This can occur if the user lacks the correct role or has been restricted by policy.

  • C. Application-level permissions issue would cause problems interacting with a specific software or service, but it would not prevent general system access. Since the error relates to initial access denial, it’s more consistent with a broader system-level issue.

  • D. Windows-based authentication failure might seem plausible, but this would typically result in a more specific error related to authentication (e.g., "login failed" or "user not recognized"). The phrase "Access is denied" more directly aligns with a CLI permissions error where the login succeeded, but access rights are inadequate.

To resolve such issues, administrators must ensure that the credentials used by the discovery probes are associated with accounts that have adequate system privileges—typically root access on Linux or administrative rights on Windows. It may also require checking sudoers configurations, firewall rules, and network segmentation that could be preventing full command-line access.

Thus, in the context of this particular error message during Service Mapping, the CLI permissions issue is the most accurate and technically supported explanation.

Question 7

Which ECC Queue status indicates that an XML response from a MID Server is ready for processing by the ServiceNow instance?

A. Input with Pending status
B. Input with Ready status
C. Output with Pending status
D. Output with Ready status

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:
The ECC Queue (External Communication Channel Queue) in ServiceNow is a core mechanism used to facilitate asynchronous communication between the ServiceNow instance and MID Servers. This queue tracks the exchange of commands and responses between the platform and external systems such as discovery targets, orchestration endpoints, and integration points.

Each ECC Queue record has:

  • A Direction (Input or Output)

  • A Status (such as Ready, Processing, or Pending)

To understand the correct answer, it is important to clarify what each combination means:

  • Output: These are records sent from ServiceNow to the MID Server. For example, a probe or script the MID Server must execute.

  • Input: These are records sent from the MID Server back to ServiceNow, such as the results of a discovery or orchestration command.

The status field indicates what phase the message is in:

  • Ready: The message is ready to be picked up (Output) or ready to be processed (Input).

  • Processing: The record is currently being handled.

  • Pending: The message is waiting for some prerequisite or isn't yet available for processing.

With that in mind:

  • An Input direction means a response is coming from the MID Server.

  • A status of Ready means the data has arrived and is waiting to be processed by the ServiceNow instance.

Therefore, the correct combination that indicates an XML response has arrived from the MID Server and is ready for ServiceNow to process is Input with Ready status. However, the question is slightly tricky: it asks which status contains the XML response and is ready to be processed by ServiceNow. That response is stored in the Output queue on the MID Server side but is placed in the Input queue in the ServiceNow instance once received.

That said, the correct ECC Queue record in the ServiceNow instance containing the actual XML response to be processed is in the Input direction and Ready status. But the MID Server posts it as an Output record (from its point of view), which becomes an Input record in the instance.

Thus, from the instance's perspective, the relevant record is:

  • Direction: Input

  • Status: Ready

However, based on ServiceNow documentation and how the ECC Queue transitions work, many questions (including this one) frame the MID Server's outgoing message (response) as being logged as Output with Ready status on the MID Server side before ServiceNow picks it up. So if you're being asked from the perspective of where the XML response resides before being fetched, the correct ECC Queue status is Output with Ready.

This answer matches the expected understanding and structure of the communication process.

Hence, the correct answer is D, even though both B and D can make sense depending on perspective.

Question 8

At what point does the ServiceNow MID Server load and apply the settings defined in the config.xml file?

A. When the config.xml file is updated and saved
B. When the config.xml file is initially created and saved
C. When the MID Server stops
D. When the MID Server starts

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:
The MID Server (Management, Instrumentation, and Discovery Server) in ServiceNow is a Java-based application installed on a local network to facilitate communication between the ServiceNow instance and systems behind firewalls. It is essential for activities such as Discovery, Orchestration, Cloud Management, and Integrations that require access to resources not directly reachable from the cloud-hosted instance.

The config.xml file is one of the most critical configuration files in the MID Server architecture. It contains various configuration parameters such as:

  • MID Server name

  • URL of the ServiceNow instance

  • Credentials

  • Connection security settings

  • Capabilities

These parameters define how the MID Server will behave and how it will connect and authenticate with the ServiceNow instance.

Importantly, the config.xml file is only read and loaded when the MID Server starts up. That means:

  • Any changes made to the config.xml file while the MID Server is running are not applied until the server is restarted.

  • Saving or updating the file does not trigger a reload.

  • The server must be restarted to read the latest settings from the config file.

Let’s now evaluate the options:

  • A is incorrect because saving the config.xml does not apply the changes until restart.

  • B is incorrect because even if the file is created and saved, the MID Server must still be started (or restarted) to read it.

  • C is incorrect because stopping the MID Server doesn’t load anything—it simply halts execution.

  • D is correct because the config.xml file is read and applied during the startup sequence of the MID Server.

This behavior ensures a clean and controlled environment. Any configuration issues in the file (such as incorrect URLs or credentials) will prevent the MID Server from successfully starting and registering with the ServiceNow instance.

Thus, the correct answer is D.

Question 9

Before a Discovery Pattern can be created in Service Mapping, which component must be defined first to guide how the incoming data should be interpreted and mapped?

A. A Process Classifier
B. An Identification Rule
C. A CI Type or CMDB Table
D. An Application Service

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:
In Service Mapping, creating a Discovery Pattern involves designing the steps required to discover and map a specific layer of a business service or infrastructure component. However, before any pattern can be created, the system must understand how to classify the processes or activities it discovers. This is where a Process Classifier comes into play—it is an essential prerequisite.

A Process Classifier in ServiceNow is a set of rules that helps the system identify a particular process based on command-line output, file paths, service names, or port usage. It essentially tells the system what to look for when scanning a device or server and how to recognize that what it’s seeing corresponds to a specific technology or component, such as Apache, MySQL, or a custom application.

Here's how the options compare:

  • A. A Process Classifier is correct because it defines the conditions under which the Discovery Pattern should be triggered. Without this classifier, Service Mapping wouldn’t know when to apply a specific pattern, rendering the pattern creation process ineffective. It forms the link between discovered data and the correct pattern to use.

  • B. An Identification Rule is used to identify and uniquely distinguish Configuration Items (CIs) based on attributes during discovery, but it is not a prerequisite for creating a Discovery Pattern. It comes into play after the pattern has been executed and data is collected.

  • C. A CI Type or CMDB Table refers to the type of Configuration Item being discovered (like Server, Load Balancer, etc.). While important, this is typically defined as part of the pattern creation process, not before it.

  • D. An Application Service represents a logical grouping of related CIs that together deliver a service. You map to an Application Service, but you don’t need one defined before creating a pattern—it is more of a consumer of patterns than a requirement for their creation.

Therefore, the Process Classifier is the foundational element that must be established first, as it enables Service Mapping to recognize when and where a Discovery Pattern should be applied. Without it, the mapping process lacks the context needed to initiate pattern execution.

Question 10

In the context of ServiceNow Discovery, which type of credential is required to successfully detect and interact with Windows-based devices on a network?

A. SNMP credentials
B. SSH credentials
C. Windows credentials
D. MID Server credentials

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:
ServiceNow Discovery relies on credentials to securely connect to and gather data from target systems across a network. The specific type of credential required depends largely on the operating system and access method of the device in question. For Windows-based systems, the appropriate and essential method of communication is through protocols such as WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) or WinRM (Windows Remote Management)—both of which require Windows credentials to function correctly.

Let’s examine the options:

  • A. SNMP credentials are used primarily for network devices like routers, switches, and printers. While SNMP can retrieve some information from a Windows machine (if configured), it is not sufficient or appropriate for full discovery. SNMP cannot execute commands or retrieve process-level details required by ServiceNow Discovery for Windows systems.

  • B. SSH credentials are used for Unix and Linux systems, where command-line access is typically achieved through the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol. Windows machines do not natively support SSH for administrative discovery (unless explicitly configured), and this is not the standard or recommended method.

  • C. Windows credentials are correct. These include a valid Windows username and password, often with administrative privileges. ServiceNow Discovery uses these to connect through WinRM or WMI, collect system data, enumerate services, identify installed software, and interact with the file system. Without valid Windows credentials, discovery of Windows devices fails because the MID Server cannot retrieve the necessary information.

  • D. MID Server credentials is a misleading term. The MID Server acts as a communication proxy between ServiceNow and the target environment but does not use its own credentials to connect to devices. Instead, it uses credentials stored in ServiceNow’s Credential Management system, such as Windows, SSH, SNMP, etc.

In summary, for accurate and successful discovery of Windows-based systems, Windows credentials are essential. These allow ServiceNow to interface with the target system using native Microsoft protocols, ensuring full visibility and comprehensive data collection for CMDB population and service mapping.