Agent Client Collector File-Based Discovery properties

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated May 4, 2026
  • 2 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 Agent Client Collector File-Based Discovery properties

    Agent Client Collector (ACC) File-Based Discovery allows ServiceNow customers to configure discovery of files on Windows, Linux, and macOS endpoints by setting system properties. These properties control which directories to scan or exclude, how to manage performance during scanning, and filtering options for files and archives. Proper configuration ensures efficient and accurate software discovery aligned with your environment and operational needs.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Directory Scanning Paths: Specify directories to scan using system properties for Windows (pipe-separated) and Linux/macOS (colon-separated). Supports environment variables and wildcards for flexible path definitions.
    • Exclude Paths: Configure directories to exclude from scanning to optimize performance and reduce unnecessary data collection.
    • Performance Throttling: Control scanning load by setting how many files are processed before pausing (throttle size) and the duration of pauses (sleep time), with separate settings for Windows and Linux/macOS.
    • File and Folder Filtering: Enable skipping of hidden files and folders during scans, specific to platform conventions (hidden attributes on Windows and dot-prefixed names on Unix-like systems).
    • SWID Tag Scanning: Optionally scan for Software Identification (SWID) tags (.swid, .swidtag, .cmptag files) within configured directories to enhance software identification on all supported platforms.
    • File Matching Rules: Define rules that specify file name patterns and extensions to be discovered. Rules support conditions like exact match, starts with, ends with, or contains.
    • File Extensions: Define platform-specific file extensions eligible for discovery, such as .exe, .dll on Windows, or .pkg on macOS.
    • Full vs. Strict Scan Modes: Choose between strict mode (scan only files matching defined rules) or full scan mode (scan all files with matching extensions if no specific rule exists).
    • Delta and Full Scan Frequency: Configure the number of delta scans before a forced full scan to maintain data accuracy over time.
    • Linux MIME Type Scanning: On Linux, use MIME types instead of file extensions to identify files during discovery.
    • Running Process Discovery: Enable discovery of software by detecting running processes that might not reside in standard scan directories.
    • Archive File Scanning: Enable scanning inside compressed ZIP and JAR archives without extracting them, to discover embedded software artifacts.

    Key Outcomes

    • Tailored discovery scope by controlling scanned and excluded directories improves efficiency and reduces noise in discovered data.
    • Performance throttling settings help maintain endpoint responsiveness and minimize impact during discovery operations.
    • File filtering and matching rules ensure precise identification of relevant software files, supporting accurate software asset management.
    • Enabling running process discovery and archive scanning broadens discovery coverage to detect software not identifiable by directory scans alone.
    • Flexible configuration using environment variables and wildcards supports diverse endpoint environments and simplifies property management.

    Configure File-Based Discovery behavior using system properties that control scanning paths, performance throttling, and file filtering options.

    Discovery settings properties

    All File-Based Discovery configuration properties are configurable from the System Properties page (All > System Properties > All Properties).

    Table 1. File-Based Discovery configuration properties
    Property Description Platforms
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.path.windows Directories to scan on Windows endpoints (pipe-separated). Supports environment variables (%PROGRAMFILES%) and wildcards. Windows
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.path.linux Directories to scan on Linux/macOS endpoints (colon-separated). Supports environment variables ($HOME) and wildcards. Linux, macOS
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.ignore_path.windows Directories to exclude from scanning on Windows (pipe-separated). Windows
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.ignore_path.unix Directories to exclude from scanning on Linux/macOS (colon-separated). Linux, macOS
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.throttle_size.windows Number of files to process before pausing (Windows). Windows
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.throttle_size.unix Number of files to process before pausing (Linux/macOS). Linux, macOS
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.sleeptime.windows Pause duration in milliseconds after each throttle batch (Windows). Windows
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.sleeptime.unix Pause duration in milliseconds after each throttle batch (Linux/macOS). Linux, macOS
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.skip_hidden_folders.windows When enabled, skips hidden files and folders during scanning (Windows). Windows
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.skip_hidden_folders.unix When enabled, skips dot-prefixed (hidden) files and folders during scanning (Linux/macOS). Linux, macOS
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.scan_swid.windows Enables or disables SWID tag scanning on Windows platforms. When enabled, the scanner looks for .swid, .swidtag, and .cmptag files in the configured scan directories. Windows
    glide.discovery.file_discovery.scan_swid.unix Enables or disables SWID tag scanning on Linux and macOS platforms. When enabled, the scanner looks for .swid, .swidtag, and .cmptag files in the configured scan directories. Linux, macOS
    Table 2. File based discovery system properties
    Property Description
    File matching rules (sn_acc_vis_content_file_config) Defines the filename matching rules. Each rule specifies:
    • File name: The pattern to match.
    • Condition: exact_match, starts_with, ends_with, or contains.
    • Extension: Reference to the sn_acc_vis_content_file_extension property.
    File extensions (sn_acc_vis_content_file_extension) Defines which file extensions to scan for File Management (such as .exe, .dll, .msi, .pkg, and so forth). Each record specifies an extension and the platform it applies to (Windows, Mac, or All).
    Full Scan Mode (sn_acc_vis_content.file_disovery.enable_fbd_fullscan) When false (strict mode), only files that match a rule in the File Config table are discovered.

    When true, all files with a matching extension are discovered only if no specific rule exists for them.

    Default: false
    Delta Scan Frequency (sn_acc_vis_content.file_discovery.fresh_scan_frequency_by_delta_count) The number of delta scans to perform before forcing a full scan. This ensures data accuracy over time.

    For details on delta scanning, see Agent Client Collector File-Based Discovery.

    Default: 5
    MME Types (Linux only) (sn_acc_vis_content.file_discovery.mime_type.unix) Colon-separated list of MIME types to scan on Linux (such as application/x-pie-executable:text/x-shellscript). On Linux, File Management uses MIME type detection instead of extension-based matching.
    Running process-based discovery (sn_acc_vis_content.file_discovery.fbd_process_scan_enabled)

    Running process-based discovery enables the ACC-VC agent to detect software running outside of standard scan directories, including applications that a directory-only scan can't detect.

    Default: false
    Archive file scanning (sn_acc_vis_content.file_discovery.archive_scan_enabled)

    Archive file scanning extends file-based discovery to look inside ZIP and JAR archive files and report the files contained within them. This enables discovery of software artifacts that are distributed in compressed packages without requiring the archive to be extracted on the endpoint.

    Default: false

    Performance throttling

    The throttling properties control how File-Based Discovery manages system resources during scanning operations. The throttle size determines how many files are processed in each batch, while the sleep time controls the pause duration between batches to prevent excessive system load.

    Path configuration

    Path properties support environment variables and wildcards for flexible directory specification. Use pipe separators (|) for Windows paths and colon separators (:) for Linux and macOS paths. The ignore path properties allow you to exclude specific directories from scanning to improve performance and avoid unnecessary data collection.