Probes used by Orchestration

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Probes used by Orchestration

    Orchestration probes, managed by MID Servers, enable ServiceNow customers to automate tasks on remote computers, such as restarting servers or creating virtual machines. When a Workflow executes an Orchestration activity, it triggers a probe that performs specific operations on target machines and communicates results back to the Workflow via the ECC Queue and sensors. This process ensures automated and seamless execution of remote tasks within ServiceNow Orchestration.

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    How Orchestration Probes Work

    • An Orchestration activity launches a probe that creates an output record in the ECC Queue.
    • The MID Server picks up the assignment from the ECC Queue and runs the appropriate probe on the target machine.
    • The probe returns information (e.g., server restarted, files copied) to the ECC Queue as an input record.
    • The Workflow receives this data through built-in sensors, updates itself, and proceeds to the next activity.
    • Probe parameters are controlled by the initiating activities, ensuring tailored execution per task.

    Key Probes Included

    The base ServiceNow system provides multiple Orchestration probes designed for different remote tasks. These probes are accessible under Orchestration > Definition > Probes and include:

    • Command: Runs local commands on the MID Server.
    • DNS Name Resolver: Resolves fully qualified domain names (FQDN) into IP addresses, leveraging the MID Server’s OS DNS cache and hosts file.
    • SCPCommand: Securely copies files between machines using the MID Server as a tunnel.
    • Shazzam: Identifies active network devices.
    • SNMPProbe: Performs generic SNMP queries.
    • SOAPProbe: Sends SOAP requests to target machines.
    • SSHCommand: Executes shell scripts via SSH on target machines.
    • SSHCommandLong: Runs long-duration shell scripts over SSH.
    • VMWare: Executes VMware-specific scripts via the MID Server, allowing integration with VMware environments.
    • Windows - PowerShell: Runs PowerShell scripts on the MID Server with provided parameters and credentials, supporting automation on Windows targets.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Automate complex and repetitive remote system tasks efficiently through pre-built and customizable probes.
    • Leverage MID Servers to securely execute commands and scripts on target machines without manual intervention.
    • Integrate task results back into ServiceNow Workflows to enable real-time updates and next-step triggers.
    • Use specific probes tailored to different protocols and systems such as SSH, SCP, SNMP, SOAP, VMware, and PowerShell.

    Certain probes, controlled by MID Servers, perform Orchestration tasks on remote computers, such as restarting a server or creating virtual machines from templates.

    How Orchestration probes work

    When a Workflow executes an Orchestration activity, that activity launches a probe, which writes an output record to the ECC Queue. The MID Server selected for the activity checks the ECC Queue for assignments, and then executes the appropriate probe to do the work on the target machine. The information about the activity (machine restarted, files copied, etc.) that is returned from the target machine by the probe is written to the ECC Queue as an input record. This information is then sent from the ECC Queue to a sensor that is built into the Workflow activity. The Workflow is updated, and the next activity is executed.
    Note:
    The probe parameters are set by the activities that launch the probe.
    Figure 1. How Orchestration uses probes
    How Orchestration uses probes

    Probe List

    The base system includes the following Orchestration probes (Orchestration > Definition > Probes).
    Table 1. Probe List
    Probe Name ECC Queue Topic ECC Queue Name Description
    Command Command A probe that runs a local command on the MID server.
    DNS Name Resolver DNSNameResolver A probe that resolves a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) into an IP address. The probe executes MID Server queries in parallel. It utilizes DNS lookup by the MID Server host OS to make use of the OS maintained DNS cache. It also leverages the hosts file on the OS.
    SCPCommand SCPCommand A probe that copies files securely from one machine to another. The copy function is performed using the MID Server as a tunnel.
    Shazzam Shazzam A probe that identifies active devices.
    SNMPProbe SNMP SNMP Query This is a generic SNMP probe.
    SOAPProbe SOAPProbe A probe that sends a SOAP request to target machine.
    SSHCommand SSHCommand A probe that executes shell scripts from a command line after logging in to a target machine via SSH.
    SSHCommandLong SSHCommandLong A probe that executes long running shell scripts from a command line after logging in to a target machine via SSH.
    VMWare VMWareProbe A generic VMware probe that executes the MID Server script include in the ECC queue name that is set by a VMware Orchestration activity. This probe can run any MID Server script include.
    Windows - PowerShell PowerShell Windows - PowerShell A probe that runs a Windows PowerShell script on the MID Server. The PowerShell script is provided as the value of a parameter with name ending in .ps1. Two variables are available to the script:
    • $computer: The computer pointed to as the source for this probe
    • $cred: A PowerShell credential, using a user name and password from the Credentials table, that logs into $computer successfully.