Most ServiceNow CMDBs are missing 20-40% of what's actually in the network. But in a world where any unmanaged device can pose a risk, it’s vital to have a complete and accurate view of your inventory and how it maps to business services.
IP Fabric’s ServiceNow extension handles just that by continuously validating your device inventory and dependencies against live network data, so you can rest easy knowing that your CMDB isn’t a liability.
IP Fabric’s ServiceNow integration maintains a complete and accurate inventory of devices for continuous audit readiness.
IP Fabric discovers every device from core to cloud to edge, continuously maintaining a list of hostnames, serial numbers, and end-of-life milestones so that you’re always ready when auditors come knocking.
In every snapshot, IP Fabric runs a series of security and compliance checks to surface missing devices and validate that security controls (e.g. segmentation) are in place. In the event of a breach, IP Fabric’s end-to-end path lookups provide valuable context for root cause troubleshooting and impact analysis, so you can regain control of your network in record time.
Leverage dynamic CMDB data to automate network operations (e.g. change management), right-size your network, and avoid paying for ghost gear.
If you can’t trust your CMDB, you might be missing hidden risks to your overall network compliance, security, and operations.
For starters, compliance standards like PCI DSS, NERC CIP, and HIPAA require organizations to maintain an accurate and complete inventory of devices, as well as documentation of certain security controls (e.g. segmentation). If your CMDB is missing any unpatched or End-of-Life (EoL) devices, they could be found by an auditor or a threat actor, resulting in costly fines or breaches. Outside of compliance and security concerns, those unmanaged devices might also be running up renewal and licensing costs.
For organizations looking to address these risks, and reduce operational costs, it’s vital to have a complete, up-to-date view of all inventory devices and their relationships to business services. IP Fabric does just that by automatically discovering, mapping, and documenting the network from end to end.
Based on findings from IP Fabric’s proof-of-concept sessions, there’s a 10-20% discrepancy between what organizations see in their CMDB versus what’s actually in their network. IP Fabric uses automated discovery techniques to identify 100% of network devices from core to edge to cloud, including unmanaged and End-of-Life (EoL) devices that CMDBs might miss.
Using read-only credentials, IP Fabric connects to infrastructure devices through CLI commands and APIs. After gathering data on device connections and configurations, it also identifies neighboring devices using protocols like LLDP, CDP, and ARP to build comprehensive Layer 2 and Layer 3 topologies.
This robust, automated discovery can be run every few hours, ensuring that you’re always working from a complete and accurate CMDB.
IP Fabric integrates seamlessly with your existing observability stack as the foundational data layer. It continuously validates your ServiceNow CMDB with live network data, so you can confidently maintain compliance documentation, remediate security risks, and implement network automation without the risk of unintended downstream consequences.
Manual CMDB maintenance is virtually impossible; networks change too quickly for human processes to keep up. IP Fabric solves this by creating a digital twin of your network, cloud, and security systems, which can be used to run comprehensive security and compliance checks, as well as to power reliable automation (e.g. automated change management).
Results from all security and compliance checks are normalized and presented in an intuitive GUI, giving every team—from engineering to executive leadership—reliable network insights on demand. When IP Fabric identifies an issue, the platform automatically creates a ServiceNow ticket and provides valuable context to accelerate troubleshooting and remediation efforts.
Curious to see IP Fabric’s automation in action? Read Red Hat’s customer story to learn how they used IP Fabric as their first step towards AIOps.
