How Discovery Works

• The NGINX Process Classifier detects running processes where the name starts with "nginx" and contains "master".
• Upon detection, records are created in the NGINX Web Server [cmdbcinginxwebserver] or Web Server [cmdbciwebserver] tables, depending on the discovery context.
• A "Runs on" relationship is established between the Linux server ([cmdbcilinuxserver]) and the NGINX web server records.
• Two probes are triggered:
  • NGINX – Version: Executes a Bourne shell script to determine and populate the NGINX version.
  • NGINX – Get Configuration: Uses a Bourne shell script with an argument for the configuration file path (default /etc/nginx/nginx.conf). It reads configuration parameters and returns them as a payload, which the ServiceNow sensor parses to update the CMDB.

Requirements

• NGINX must be installed and actively running on the target server.
• The MID Server must have access to the NGINX configuration file, typically located at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.
• SSH command execution permissions are required for the probes to run necessary commands such as nginx, echo, sed, grep, and others.
• Prerequisites for top-down discovery using Service Mapping apply for both Windows and Linux environments.

Data Collected and CMDB Population

Discovery collects detailed data about NGINX servers, load balancer applications, pool members, and services. Key data fields include:

• Name, IP address, version, and last discovery timestamp for load balancer applications.
• Pool member details such as name, IP address, FQDN, port, and associated load balancer.
• Load balancer service information including IP address, name, load balancer reference, and input URL.

This data populates multiple CMDB tables, including cmdbcilbappl, cmdbcilbpoolmember, and cmdbcilbservice.

Relationships Created

The discovery process automatically establishes key relationships within the CMDB to represent the architecture of the NGINX deployment:

• Load balancer applications (cmdbcilbappl) run on NGINX web servers (cmdbciwebserver).
• Load balancer services (cmdbcilbservice) utilize load balancer pools (cmdbcilbpool).
• Load balancer pools (cmdbcilbpool) are members of related pool member records (cmdbcilbpoolmember) and vice versa.
• Services and pools are linked to accurately reflect their usage and membership in the environment.

Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

By enabling NGINX web server discovery, customers can automate the identification and detailed documentation of their NGINX infrastructure within the CMDB. This supports accurate service mapping, impact analysis, and change management by providing up-to-date configuration and relationship data. Ensuring MID Server access and proper permissions allows seamless discovery and ongoing CMDB data accuracy.