Telecom Discovery using Service Graph Connectors (SGC)

Release version: Yokohama

Updated January 30, 2025

2 minutes to read

Summarize

Summarized using AI

Summary of Telecom Discovery using Service Graph Connectors (SGC)

Telecom Discovery using Service Graph Connectors (SGC) enables ServiceNow customers to ingest and integrate telecom network data into the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) from third-party network management systems (EMS/NMS/Controllers). This provides a structured, telecom-model-aligned representation of network resources and services, enhancing visibility and management across diverse network domains. SGCs can be used in conjunction with other Service Graph Connectors for security, cloud, IoT, and more, supporting a comprehensive infrastructure view.

Show full answer Show less

Key Components

IntegrationHub ETL: A store app that simplifies creation and management of ETL transform maps to import third-party data into the CMDB or non-CMDB tables while preserving data integrity. It includes a guided interface and test runs.
Robust Transform Engine (RTE): Transforms raw source data in staging tables into the mapped data for CMDB integration using predefined ETL maps.
MID Server: A Java application running within the customer’s local network that facilitates secure communication and data transfer between ServiceNow and external systems.
Identification & Reconciliation Engine (IRE): Ensures data integrity by centrally identifying and reconciling CI records from multiple data sources, maintaining CMDB accuracy.
CMDB Compliance Certification Audits: Toolset to certify CMDB data accuracy, identify discrepancies, generate follow-on tasks, and support remediation workflows specific to telecom data.
TNI Entity Creation Logic: Automatically creates TNI entity records for discovered network data when Telecom Network Inventory (TNI) is installed, linking CIs to both the cmdbci and tnientity tables.

Supported Connectors and Versions

The Service Graph Connector for Nokia Altiplano is a primary example, enabling data integration from the Nokia Altiplano Access Network SDN Controller via REST APIs into the ServiceNow CMDB. This connector supports ServiceNow Yokohama release and later versions.

Practical Application

Customers can configure the Nokia Altiplano connector using Guided Setup to streamline authentication, scheduling, and integration of network resource data. This setup ensures accurate and timely ingestion of network data, enabling better network visibility, management, and compliance within ServiceNow.

Service Graph Connectors are predefined integrations that ingest data into the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) from third-party sources (for example, northbound APIs of EMS/NMS/Controllers, which manage various xNFs) across different network domains, while enabling a structured, telecom-model-aligned view of network resources and services.

They can be used alongside any existing Service Graph Connectors, such as those for security, servers, software, monitoring, internet of Things (IoT), and cloud.

Architecture using Telecom Service Graph Connectors

This is an example of the implementation for the Nokia Altiplano Service Graph Connector. The architecture of other connectors may vary.

discovery and reconciliation architecture.

IntegrationHub ETL (3.2)

This store app to create and manage ETL transform maps, which integrate third-party data into the CMDB or into non-CMDB tables without compromising the integrity of data. IntegrationHub ETL provides a simplified user interface that guides you through the integration process end-to-end, including a test integration run of sample data.

For more information, see IntegrationHub ETL.

Robust Transform Engine (RTE)

This plugin is used to transform raw source data that is stored in staging tables, into the data that is mapped and integrated into the CMDB. RTE uses ETL transform maps that were created for integration during data transformation.

For more information, see Create a robust import set transformer.

MID Server

MID Server is a Java application that runs as a Windows service or UNIX daemon on a server within your local network. The ServiceNow® MID Server facilitates communication and data transfer between a ServiceNow instance and external applications, data sources, and services.

For more information, see MID Server.

Identification & Reconciliation Engine (IRE)

IRE offers a centralized framework for identifying and reconciling data from multiple sources. It confirms the integrity of the CMDB and some non-CMDB tables when various data sources are used to create or update CI records.

For more information, see the CMDB Identification and Reconciliation (IRE).

CMDB Compliance Certification Audits for Telecom Discrepancy Identification & Reconciliation

CMDB Compliance is a toolset that enables administrators to certify CMDB data for accuracy and resolve any discrepancies found. In Telecom Discrepancy Identification & Reconciliation, we use the Certification audits feature to discover and analyze discrepancies in the CMDB, generate Certification follow-on tasks, and enable remediation workflows.

For more information on how it’s used for Discrepancy Identification & Reconciliation, see Telecom Discrepancy Identification and Reconciliation.

TNI Entity Creation Logic

Whenever the system identifies that the customer has TNI installed, it will automatically create a TNI entity record for all network data discovered.

If TNI is installed, a payload like the following one will be added to the IRE payload for each item (with inventory_category populated based on the className):

related = [{
            "className": "tni_entity",
            "values": {
                "inventory_category": ""
            }
        }];

As a result, the discovered CI is in both the cmdb_ci and tni_entity tables.

Telecom Service Graph Connectors supported

Service Graph Connector for Nokia Altiplano.

See other available Service Graph Connectors.

Supported versions

Supported ServiceNow® versions: Yokohama and beyond.