MID Server and MID Server distributed cluster for Metric Intelligence

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated May 28, 2026
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of MID Server and MID Server distributed cluster for Metric Intelligence

    Using Metric Intelligence in ServiceNow requires at least one MID Server configured specifically for Metric Intelligence within a MID Server distributed cluster. This cluster supports the throughput and processing needs of Metric Intelligence by managing data collection, anomaly detection, and communication with the ServiceNow instance. A single MID Server for Metric Intelligence must be part of a distributed cluster, and it can coexist with other applications such as Discovery or Agent Client Collector (ACC).

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    Key Features

    • MID Server distributed cluster: Automatically activated with Metric Intelligence, this cluster type supports Metric Intelligence exclusively. Manual configuration is possible if automatic setup fails.
    • Metric Intelligence MID Server role: Processes metric data, detects anomalies, and transmits both processed data batches and immediate anomaly information to the instance.
    • Application support: Metric Intelligence MID Servers support the Metrics capability and run the Metric Intelligence Metrics extension. They can be configured to support additional applications and domain-specific metrics processing if Domain Support is enabled.
    • Throttling mechanism: Protects the instance from data bursts by controlling data flow from the MID Server, enabled by default but can be disabled for troubleshooting.
    • Configuration overrides: Java parameters and memory settings can be customized using wrapper-override.conf and wrapper.conf files to optimize performance, including garbage collector settings and IPv4 preference.

    Key Outcomes

    • Scalability: MID Servers can support up to 1.7 million metrics depending on hardware (RAM and CPU cores), enabling robust metric data processing for large environments.
    • Reliability: Validated and running MID Servers meeting software, hardware, and configuration requirements ensure stable operation and accurate anomaly detection.
    • Integration flexibility: The same MID Server can support Metric Intelligence alongside other ServiceNow applications, optimizing resource utilization.
    • Data integrity: The throttling mechanism avoids overload without data loss, ensuring consistent and reliable metric and anomaly reporting.

    Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Ensure your MID Server for Metric Intelligence is part of a distributed cluster and meets the minimum hardware and software requirements, with proper user permissions for data access.
    • Monitor and configure the throttling parameters based on your environment’s data load to balance performance and instance protection.
    • Leverage configuration files to fine-tune Java and memory settings for optimal MID Server performance, especially on virtual machines.
    • If using Domain Support, configure MID Servers accordingly to process metrics within the correct domain context.
    • Contact ServiceNow Customer Support if automated cluster activation fails or for assistance with manual cluster setup.

    Using Metric Intelligence requires at least one MID Server distributed cluster which contains a single MID Server that is configured for Metric Intelligence.

    When using a single Metric Intelligence MID Server, that server must be added to a MID Server distributed cluster.

    To support the specified throughput, create a distributed cluster with a single MID Server that meets the Metric Intelligence MID Server requirements. When using a virtual machine (VM), only a single MID Server can run that supports Metric Intelligence. When working with Agent Client Collector, a MID Server can also be connected to multiple agents (ACC-M and ACC-L).

    A MID Server supporting Discovery can also be used with other applications.

    For details on setting up Metric Intelligence, see Get started with Metric Intelligence.

    MID Server distributed clusters

    Activating Metric Intelligence (com.snc.sa.metric), automatically activates MID Server distributed cluster (com.snc.agent.distributed.cluster). A MID Server distributed cluster supports the Distributed MID Server cluster type which is used exclusively with Metric Intelligence.

    If automatic creation of a MID Server distributed cluster fails, you can configure the cluster manually. For details, contact Customer Support.

    Metric Intelligence MID Server

    The Metric Intelligence MID Server supports the Metric Intelligence feature by processing data and detecting anomalies. The MID Server transmits batches of processed data to the instance. If an anomaly is detected, then information about the anomaly along with the raw data is sent immediately to the instance.

    Each Metric Intelligence MID Server must be configured with the following settings:
    • Metric Intelligence as a supported application
    • The Metrics capability
    • Running the Metric Intelligence Metrics extension

    The Metric Intelligence application that the Metric Intelligence MID Server is configured with enables you to add additional supported applications to the same MID Server. By default, Metric Intelligence is included in the definition of the MID Server ALL option. For information about modifying the behavior of the ALL option when selecting supported applications, see Configure applications included in ALL Applications.

    If Domain Support - Domain Extensions Installer is activated, then you can configure a MID Server with the Metrics capability, per domain. In this case, metrics for a business service are processed on the MID Server that is in the same domain as the business service. Otherwise, a MID Server from the global domain is used.

    Ensure that the MID Server that you want to configure for Metric Intelligence:
    • Is validated. For more information, see Validate a MID Server
    • Is in running state
    • Meets all software, hardware, and configuration requirements
    Table 1. Hardware requirements for the virtual machine/host on which the MID Server runs (scaled for 5000 CIs with 100 metrics per CI)
    Requirement
    One MID Server with:
    • Memory: 12 GB
    • Processor: 4 cores
    		 Supports approximately up to a total of 1.2 million metrics (12,000 CIs with 100 metrics per CI).
    One MID Server with:
    • Memory: 24 GB
    • Processor: 8 cores
    		 Supports approximately up to a total of 1.7 million metrics (17,000 CIs with 100 metrics per CI).
    Table 2. Software requirements
    Software Supported versions Additional requirements
    Windows 32-bit and 64-bit versions:
    • Windows 2008 R2
    • Windows Server 2012 R2
    • Windows Server 2019
    		 32-bit or 64-bit version of the MID Server
    Linux
    • Red Hat Enterprise Edition Linux 6.6 or later
    • CentOS Linux 6.6 or later
    		 32-bit or 64-bit version of the MID Server
    Table 3. Configuration requirements
    Configuration Requirement
    MID Server service logon user (required only for pulling) Must be set to a user with read access to the SCOM database (OperationsManagerDW).
    1. On the MID Server, open the MID Server Properties dialog box.
    2. Click the Log On tab.
    3. Select This account, and enter credentials for a user with the required access.
    4. Click Apply.

    MID Server throttling mechanism

    The MID Server throttling mechanism protects against data bursts to the instance. Data burst protection prevents overloading the instance, while ensuring that you do not lose any data.

    The MID Server throttling mechanism is enabled by default. You may want to disable this mechanism when troubleshooting, to ensure that the mechanism is not causing system malfunction.

    The throttling parameters are MID Server configuration parameters. Configure these parameters on the MID Server record, on the Configuration Parameters tab. When you add a configuration parameter, select the matching mid.oi parameter from the Parameter name list.

    • To disable this feature for metrics, set the mid.oi.metric_token_bucket_enabled parameter to false.
    • To disable this feature for anomalies, set the mid.oi.anomaly_token_bucket_enabled parameter to false.

    Configuration Override

    Use the ../agent/conf/wrapper-override.conf file to configure Java override parameters, such as the garbage collector and IPv4.

    To configure the garbage collector, override the existing garbage collector parameter. For example, replace -XX:+UseParallelGC with -XX:+UseG1GC.

    To force IPv4, add the following parameter, using the next available wrapper.java.additional number:

    wrapper.java.additional.<number>=-Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true
    Note:
    Do not renumber existing wrapper.java.additional lines. Parameters 101 through 200 are reserved for ServiceNow out-of-the-box parameters. Only override those parameters by uncommenting the existing lines and changing the values.

    Use the ../agent/conf/wrapper.conf file to configure memory for Metric Intelligence. Update the following parameters:

    • wrapper.java.initmemory=1024 or higher
    • wrapper.java.maxmemory=4096 or higher

    Optionally, if a server has additional RAM available, for example 16 GB RAM, you can replace 4096 with 8192 in wrapper.java.maxmemory=4096.