---
sourceDocument: Australia IT Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/it-service-management

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia IT Service Management

ft:clusterId :

    - itsm

bundleId :

    - itsm

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Software Asset Management Foundation plugin software discovery and normalization

# Software Asset Management Foundation plugin software discovery and normalization {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated March 12, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read  
ServiceNow
Discovery is used to automatically
populate the Software Installations table so the software can be manually normalized and
reconciled.

The discovery process consists of automatically discovering software used at your
organization, which can be done either using ServiceNow
Discovery, or using SCCM integration.  
For more information, see [Collect software data with either SCCM
or Discovery](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=c_DiscoveryAndSCCMTogether&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&section=collect-software-data-sccm-disco&ft:locale=en-US) and [Discovery with Software Asset
Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=c_DiscoSWAssetMgmtTableSchema&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&ft:locale=en-US).  
Note:  
To use Discovery, the [Request Discovery](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_ActivateTheDiscoveryPlugin&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&ft:locale=en-US) must be activated.

Discovery uses patterns in the
discovery process that can be created or customized. The base system contains a wide range of
patterns that cover most industry standard network devices and applications. Software Asset Management Foundation plugin
automatically leverages SQL Server, Exchange Server, and Oracle Database Server specifically,
but other patterns can be customized for use by Software Asset Management Foundation plugin, if
needed.

Discovered software is stored in the Software Installations \[cmdb_sam_sw_install\] table.  
Note:  
If you are already running Discovery but have not used a version of ITSM Software Asset Management previously, run the [Migrate Software Asset Management Foundation plugin software installations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/LORG_Qh9rBUe7TwNYXfyFg "If you are using Discovery, run this script after installing Software Asset Management Foundation plugin to copy previously discovered software installation records from the [cmdb_software_instance] table to the [cmdb_sam_sw_install] table, which is used by Software Asset Management Foundation plugin to store software installation records.") script to copy records from the \[cmdb_ci_spkg\] table to the \[cmdb_sam_sw_install\] table, so that any previously discovered software installs are utilized by Software Asset Management Foundation plugin.  
When software install records are written to the Software Installations table, a business rule verifies whether the unique combination of the discovered publisher, discovered product, and discovered version already exist in the Discovery Model table.

* If so, the reference to the discovery model is set in the Software Installations table.
* If not, a new record is created in the Discovery Model table, and that discovery model reference is set in the Software Installations table.
{#c_SAMDiscoverySAMF__ul_ss2_sxs_yz}  
After discovery, you can [manually
normalize](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/L~ApALI8AvEkr2kTHs0m7Q "You can edit a software discovery model to manually normalize discovered software on the Software Discovery Models form so that it can be reconciled.") the software discovery model for reconciliation. Normalization status can have two different results: {#c_SAMDiscoverySAMF__table_cdl_xdl_c1b__entry__2}

| Status | Description |
|-|-|
| Manually Normalized | A discovery model is manually normalized when key fields in the discovery model are filled in manually. |
| New | The software discovery model has not yet been manually normalized. |
[Table 1. Normalization status]

{#c_SAMDiscoverySAMF__table_cdl_xdl_c1b}