AWS Transfer Family Server pattern-based discovery

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated May 13, 2026
  • 3 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of AWS Transfer Family Server pattern-based discovery

    The AWS Transfer Family Server pattern-based discovery enables ServiceNow customers to automatically identify and map AWS Transfer Family Servers within their cloud environments. This capability leverages the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application to populate detailed data into both CMDB and non-CMDB tables, enhancing visibility and management of these AWS resources.

    Show full answer Show less

    Prerequisites and Setup

    • AWS discovery prerequisites: Ensure all required AWS discovery prerequisites are met as outlined in the AWS discovery using patterns documentation.
    • Resource Inclusion List: Verify and remove any relevant AWS Transfer Family Server resources from the Resource Inclusion List table (sacloudinventoryresourcewhitelist) to avoid duplicate discoveries.
    • Enable the pattern: The AWS Transfer Family Server discovery pattern is disabled by default and must be activated. From Visibility Content version 6.28.0 onward, enabling or disabling patterns is no longer considered a customization and will continue receiving updates. Patterns reset to their latest predefined version after upgrades while retaining activation status.

    Data Collection and Storage

    The discovery process populates two types of tables:

    • Non-CMDB tables: Running the Amazon AWS - Transfer Family Server - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern collects extended inventory data stored in non-CMDB AWS-specific tables. These can be reviewed under All > Configuration > AWS or searched by pattern name.
    • CMDB tables: The same pattern also populates core configuration data into CMDB tables such as cmdbawstransferfamilyserver and cmdbcicmpresource to represent the Transfer Family Server as configuration items (CIs).

    Key Discovered Attributes

    • Server Details: Includes server ID, ARN, endpoint type (PUBLIC, VPC, VPCENDPOINT), identity provider type (e.g., SERVICEMANAGED, AWSLAMBDA), server state (ONLINE, OFFLINE, etc.), user count, and logging role ARN.
    • Resource Information: Resource type is set as AWS::TransferFamily::Server with install and operational statuses recorded.
    • Tags: AWS tags associated with each server are discovered and stored in the Key Value table, linked back to the corresponding cloud resource in the CMDB.

    Relationships and References

    The discovery pattern establishes important relationships to support comprehensive service mapping:

    • CI relationships: For example, the discovered Transfer Family Server resource is linked to the AWS Datacenter it is hosted on.
    • CI references: References connect the Transfer Family Server record to its CMDB resource record and associated tags, enabling integrated visibility across your CMDB.

    Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By using this pattern-based discovery, customers gain automated and consistent identification of AWS Transfer Family Servers, complete with detailed attributes and relationships. This improves cloud service visibility, aids compliance and governance, and supports informed decision-making for managing AWS file transfer infrastructure within the ServiceNow CMDB environment.

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns finds AWS Transfer Family Servers on your cloud environment. Discovering some of these resources may require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

    Pattern-based discovery and mapping requirements

    Verify the AWS discovery prerequisites
    For more information, see the prerequisites section in AWS discovery using patterns.
    Remove resources from the Resource Inclusion List table
    Verify that the relevant resource isn't listed in the Resource Inclusion List [sa_cloud_inventory_resource_whitelist] table to avoid duplicate discovery. For more information on removing resources from the Resource Inclusion List, see AWS Resource Inventory discovery with Patterns.
    Enable the relevant pattern
    The pattern for this service is disabled by default. Starting with Visibility Content version 6.28.0, activating or deactivating a pattern won't be considered a customization, and it will continue to receive updates. Patterns that were previously activated or deactivated will reset to the latest predefined version after upgrading while retaining the last active field value. For more information on enabling patterns, see Activate a disabled pattern.

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in both CMDB and non-CMDB tables.

    Data stored in non-CMDB tables

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in the non-CMDB table when running the Amazon AWS - Transfer Family Server - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern.

    You can review the non-CMDB AWS tables by navigating to All > Configuration > AWS. You can also search the navigation filter for the specific pattern name.

    Table 1. AWS Transfer Family Server [cmdb_aws_transfer_family_server]
    Field Description
    Name [name] The server ID, used as the display name.
    Object ID [object_id] The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) of the server.
    Server ID [server_id] The unique identifier of the Transfer Family server.
    Endpoint Type [endpoint_type] The type of endpoint for the server. The value is PUBLIC, VPC, or VPC_ENDPOINT.
    Identity Provider Type [identity_provider_type] The mode of authentication for the server.

    For example: SERVICE_MANAGED, API_GATEWAY, AWS_DIRECTORY_SERVICE, or AWS_LAMBDA.
    State [state] The current state of the server.

    For example: ONLINE, OFFLINE, STARTING, STOPPING, START_FAILED, or STOP_FAILED.
    User Count [user_count] The number of users assigned to the server.
    Logging Role [logging_role] The ARN of the IAM role used to write transfer activity to Amazon CloudWatch Logs.
    Configuration Item [configuration_item] References the Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource] table.

    Data stored in CMDB tables

    Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application populates data in the CMDB when running the Amazon AWS - Transfer Family Server - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern.

    Table 2. Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource]
    Field Description
    Name [name] The server ID, used as the display name.
    Object ID [object_id] The ARN of the server.
    Resource type [resource_type] Type of resource. The value is set to AWS::TransferFamily::Server.
    Install Status [install_status] Install status of the resource. Default value is Installed.
    Operational status [operational_status] Operational status of the resource. Default value is Operational.

    CI relationships

    The Amazon AWS - Transfer Family Server - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern creates the following relationships and references to support AWS Transfer Family Server discovery. References link to records in other tables and don't appear in the CI Relationship [cmdb_rel_ci] table.

    Table 3. CI relationships
    CI Relationship CI
    Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource] Hosted on::Hosts AWS Datacenter [cmdb_ci_aws_datacenter]
    Table 4. CI references
    CI Field Referenced CI
    AWS Transfer Family Server [cmdb_aws_transfer_family_server] Configuration Item [configuration_item] Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource]
    Key Value [cmdb_key_value] Configuration item [configuration_item] Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource]

    AWS Tag discovery

    The Amazon AWS - Transfer Family Server - Extended Inventory (LP) pattern collects tags and populates them in the Key Value [cmdb_key_value] table.

    Table 5. Key Value [cmdb_key_value]
    Field Description
    Key [key] Tag name.
    Value [value] Tag value.
    Configuration item [configuration_item] References the Cloud Resource [cmdb_ci_cmp_resource] table.