ColdFusion discovery

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of ColdFusion discovery

    The ServiceNow Discovery application identifies Adobe ColdFusion servers and the ColdFusion application instances running on them. It specifically supports only Adobe ColdFusion 2016. Discovery involves both horizontal and top-down approaches using ColdFusion Application Server and ColdFusion Application patterns. To access the latest capabilities, customers may need to update Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns from the ServiceNow Store.

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    Prerequisites

    To successfully discover ColdFusion resources, configure appropriate credentials based on the host operating system:

    • Windows credentials for Windows hosts
    • SSH credentials for Linux hosts

    Additionally, the discovery patterns require access to key ColdFusion configuration files:

    • neo-runtime.xml: Maps URLs to application working directories.
    • application.cfc and application.cfm: Provide application names.
    • neo-datasource.xml: Specifies datasource names used by applications (used in top-down discovery).

    For top-down discovery, use the full URL or IP address of the ColdFusion web application as the HTTP(S) endpoint.

    Data Collected During Discovery

    Horizontal discovery collects details about ColdFusion servers and applications:

    • ColdFusion Server (cmdbcicoldfusionserver): Name, version, and installation directory.
    • ColdFusion Application (cmdbcicfapplication): Application name and installation directory. Note that custom ColdFusion applications are not automatically discovered by this pattern.

    Relationships tracked include:

    • ColdFusion applications contained by their ColdFusion server.
    • ColdFusion servers running on Linux, Windows, or OSX servers.

    Service Mapping and Top-Down Discovery

    Service Mapping performs top-down discovery of ColdFusion applications within the context of application services. It discovers outbound datasource connections from ColdFusion servers to database instances, enhancing visibility into application dependencies.

    For example, a ColdFusion web application service map can show the ColdFusion application server, the specific ColdFusion application, and the connected database instance, illustrating the end-to-end service composition.

    The ServiceNow Discovery application finds Adobe ColdFusion servers and the instances of ColdFusion applications running on them. Only the 2016 version of ColdFusion is supported. Discovering some of these resources may require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

    Components

    Discovery and Service Mapping use the ColdFusion Application and ColdFusion Application Server patterns to run horizontal and top-down discovery. The ColdFusion Application Server pattern is triggered from the ColdFusion Application Server process classifier for horizontal discovery.

    Request apps on the Store

    Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Prerequisites

    Credentials
    Configure the following credentials, depending on what type of host machine the ColdFusion server is installed on:
    • Windows credentials
    • SSH credentials (for Linux machines)
    File access
    The pattern must be able to access these ColdFusion files:
    File Description
    neo-runtime.xml This file provides the mapping between the URL and the working directory path of the application.
    application.cfc and application.cfm These files provide application names.
    neo-datasource.xml This file provides the name of the datasource that is used in the configuration of the ColdFusion application. The datasource reference is configured in the application.cfc and application.cfm files.
    Note:
    The datasource is used for top-down discovery only.
    Entry point

    For top-down discovery, use the full URL or IP address of the web application as the HTTP(S) endpoint. For example: https://my-website-on-coldfusion/path or https:10.120.255.2555:8500/path

    Data collected during horizontal discovery

    Table and Field Description
    Cold Fusion Server [cmdb_ci_coldfusion_server]

    Installation directory [installation_directory]

    		 The name and version of the ColdFusion server, and the directory where it is installed.

    Name [name]

    Version [version]

    Installation directory [installation_directory]

    		 The name of the application and the directory where it is installed.

    Name [name]
    Note:
    Cold Fusion applications [cmdb_ci_cf_application] are custom applications that this pattern does not discover.

    CI relationships

    CI Relationship CI
    cmdb_ci_cf_application Contains::Contained by cmdb_ci_coldfusion_server
    cmdb_ci_coldfusion_server Runs on::Runs

    cmdb_ci_linux_server

    cmdb_ci_win_server

    cmdb_ci_osx_server

    Connections discovered by Service Mapping during the top-down discovery

    Service Mapping performs the top-down discovery of the Adobe ColdFusion in the context of application services. Service Mapping discovers the outgoing datasource connections from ColdFusion servers to instances of database.

    Example

    In this example, the application service map shows the results of a top-down discovery of the ColdFusion Web application service. The application service is comprised of three CIs:
    • The ColdFusion application server is named cfusion.
    • The ColdFusion application hdStreetOracle.
    • A database named XE, which the ColdFusion application connects to.
    Figure 1. ColdFusion service map
    ColdFusion service map