Agent Client Collector release notes
Release version: Yokohama
Updated January 30, 2025
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Summary of Agent Client Collector release notes
The ServiceNow® Agent Client Collector (ACC) application enables monitoring of service availability, performance, and infrastructure components within your system. The Yokohama release introduces significant enhancements, including improved Kubernetes support, MID Server resource optimization, expanded discovery capabilities, and enhanced management features.
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Key Features
- Renaming and Modularization: ACC for Visibility is renamed to Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content, with CNO for Visibility extracted as a separate application called Kubernetes Visibility Agent.
- Kubernetes Enhancements: Supports storing instance credentials securely in Google Cloud Secret Manager for GKE environments and enables communication with custom root Certificate Authorities by mounting a custom CA to the Kubernetes Visibility Agent Informer pod.
- MID-less Configuration: Starting with version 3.6.5, ACC can be installed without requiring a MID Server, conserving MID Server resources and simplifying architecture.
- File Attribute Scanning: Version 3.13.0 introduces checks to monitor file integrity, size, space, response time, and age within resource directories.
- Error Management: Version 4.3.0 enables creation of tasks to address ACC-related errors, allowing assignment and resolution tracking.
- Proxy Support: Proxy server usage is supported with MID-less installations beginning in version 4.3.0.
- Discovery Capabilities: MSSQL server components can be discovered using Discovery as a local system user (v1.3.0). Java file-based discovery identifies installed but non-running Java files for licensing and auditing.
- High-Volume Agent Upgrades: Version 4.3.0 supports efficient bulk upgrades of multiple ACC installations concurrently.
- Event Filtering: Prevents creation of events/alerts for non-existent processes or log files starting in version 3.13.0.
- Customizable Check Result Delivery: Configurable conditions determine when check results are sent (v3.6.5).
- Agent Key Expiration Notifications: Alerts notify administrators of impending agent registration key expirations (v3.6.5).
- Network Host Availability: A new monitoring check verifies network host availability (v4.1.0).
- Software Identification: File-based discovery identifies software running on Linux and Windows devices to support license management and security evaluation (v4.1.0).
- Independent Metric Exploration: Metric Explorer can display and monitor metric data independently of ACC Monitoring installation (v4.1.0).
Activation and Deployment
Agent Client Collector requires activation of the Agent Client Collector Framework (snagent) and Agent Client Collector Monitoring (snitmon) plugins on ServiceNow instances where Event Management is installed. ACC is available through the ServiceNow Store.
The ServiceNow® Agent Client Collector application enables you to monitor the service availability, performance, and infrastructure of your system. Agent Client Collector was enhanced and updated in the Yokohama release.
Agent Client Collector highlights for the Yokohama release
- Agent Client Collector for Visibility: Starting in version 1.1.0, ACC for Visibility has been renamed Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content. CNO for Visibility has been extracted from Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content and is now a separate application.
- Store instance credentials in the Google Cloud Secret Manager when the Kubernetes Visibility Agent Informer uses Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).
- Use a custom CA to enable Kubernetes Visibility Agent Informer to communicate with the instance when using a custom root Certificate Authority (CA).
- Configure Agent Client Collector without a MID Server by ßusing MID-less configuration.
See Agent Client Collector for more information.
Important:
Agent Client Collector is available in the ServiceNow Store. For details, see the "Activation information" section of these release notes.
New in the Yokohama release
- Scan your resource directories for file attributes
- Starting in version 3.13.0, run a check to receive information on the directory file's integrity, size, space, response time, and age.
- Conserve MID Server resources by using MID-less installation for Agent Client Collector
- Starting in version 3.6.5, conserve MID Server resources for more persistent features by using the MID-less installation when installing Agent Client Collector. With this installation, you don't need a MID Server in your system architecture.
- Create tasks to address Agent Client Collector errors
- Starting in version 4.3.0, create tasks to resolve errors relating to the Agent Client Collector. Tasks are assigned to personnel who investigate the underlying issues and work to resolve the errors.
- Use a proxy server with MID-less installation
- Starting in version 4.3.0, enable using a proxy server when installing Agent Client Collector without a MID Server.
- Discovery MSSQL server components
- Starting in version 1.3.0, enable discovery of MSSQL components by running Discovery as a local system user.
- Java certification Discovery through file-based discovery
- Starting in version 1.3.0, discover java file information using Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content (ACC-VC) file based discovery. File based discovery locates java files that are installed on the system but not running, enabling retrieval of data used for licensing and auditing.
- Enable high volume upgrade of agents
- Starting in version 4.3.0, enhance efficiency by performing high-volume upgrade of large numbers of Agent Client Collector installations at once.
- Block event creation for non-existent entities
- Starting in version 3.13.0, block the creation of events and alerts if the process monitoring and log files don't exist in their indicated location.
- Control how check results are sent
- Starting in version 3.6.5, configure the circumstances when check results are sent.
- Configure and receive notifications of agent key expiration
- Starting in version 3.6.5, receive notifications that indicate when an agent registration key is expiring.
- Monitor network host availability
- Starting in version 4.1.0, use a new check to verify network host availability.
- Identify software running on Linux and Windows devices
- Starting in version 4.1.0, identify the software that is running on your Linux and Windows servers and devices by using file-based Discovery. File-based Discovery enables you to maintain the records of your software licenses and helps you to evaluate any threats from unwanted files.
- Store ServiceNow instance credentials in the Google Cloud Secret Manager when the Informer uses Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
- If your organization uses Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) you can store the secret in Google Cloud Secret Manager. The Kubernetes Visibility Agent Informer can then pull the ServiceNow credentials for accessing your instance from the Google Cloud Secret Manager.
- Use a custom CA to enable the Informer to communicate with the ServiceNow instance when using a custom root CA
- Mount a custom certificate authority into the Kubernetes Visibility Agent Informer pod to enable the Informer to communicate with the instance when a custom root CA is used.
Changed in this release
- Explore metrics with Metric Explorer independent of Agent Client Collector Monitoring
- Starting in version 4.1.0, view and monitor metric data with Metric Explorer, even if you have not installed Agent Client Collector Monitoring.
- Starting in version 1.1.0, ACC for Visibility has been renamed as Kubernetes Visibility Agent and consists only of what is currently CNO for Visibility. The term CNO for Visibility has been deprecated and replaced with Kubernetes Visibility Agent. All other ACC for Visibility functions are now part of Agent Client Collector for Visibility Content.
Activation information
Agent Client Collector is available with activation of the Agent Client Collector Framework plugin (sn_agent) and the Agent Client Collector Monitoring plugin (sn_itmon) in an instance on which Event Management is installed.