The ServiceNow Discovery application uses the Nutanix Components pattern to find components of the Nutanix Acropolis solution containing Nutanix Prism Central version 5.10 or Nutanix Prism Element 5.9. The Nutanix VM Event pattern finds events created for virtual machines (VMs) in the Nutanix deployment. Discovering some of these resources requires updating the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

You can use this pattern on the Now Platform using Madrid patch 9 and later.

The Nutanix Components pattern uses REST APIs to collect information about the Acropolis deployment components.

The Nutanix VM Event pattern runs every five minutes. If there are events that indicate the change of state in one of the Nutanix components, it triggers rediscovery of Nutanix components using the Nutanix Components Pattern.

Request apps on the Store

Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

Prerequisites

MID Server requirements
Deploy and connect a dedicated MID Server with network access to Prism Element and Prism Central.
To discover events related to VMs in the Nutanix deployment, set the MID Server capability to All or to Nutanix.
Establishing a secure connection
Install Nutanix end-point SSL certificates for the MID Server JRE.
Before installing the Nutanix end-point SSL certificates, configure the following:
  1. Collect the certificates by browsing the Nutanix Prism console on internet Explorer.
  2. Add SSL certificates for the MID Server, as described in Add SSL certificates for the MID Server.
  3. Use the following JRE keytool command to import the SSL certificates in the MID Server's keystore: <MID Installation>/jre/bin/keytool -import -v -keystore <MID Installation>jre/lib/security/cacerts.
  4. If you must enter a password, enter the custom password or the default password- "changeit".
Credentials
Configure the following credentials:
  1. Navigate to Discovery > Credentials.
  2. Click New.
  3. Click Basic Auth Credentials, fill in the form, and then select Submit.
    Table 1. Credentials form
    FieldDescription
    Name Credential name. An example is Acropolis
    Active Option for enabling this credential for discovery. Select this check box to enable discovery.
    Applies to Select All MID servers.
    Order Order in which the platform tries this credential as it attempts to log in to devices. A smaller number indicates that the credential appears higher in the list. Establish the credential order when using large numbers of credentials or when security locks out users after three failed login attempts. If all the credentials have the same order number, or none, the instance tries the credentials in a random order. The default value is 100.
    User name Name of the user for performing Acropolis discovery.
    Password Password for this user.
    Credential alias Credential alias for this credential to authorize actions.
Credentials for API elements
During the discovery, the pattern uses the following API elements. The user that was added to the credentials in the instance must have permissions to send these queries.
  • /PrismGateway/services/rest/v2.0/tasks/list
  • /api/nutanix/v3/clusters/list
  • /PrismGateway/services/rest/v2.0/hosts
  • /PrismGateway/services/rest/v2.0/clusters
  • /PrismGateway/services/rest/v1/vms
  • /PrismGateway/services/rest/v1/storage_pools
  • /PrismGateway/services/rest/v2.0/storage_containers
  • /api/nutanix/v3/categories/list
  • /api/nutanix/v3/categories/{category_keys}/list
  • /api/nutanix/v3/category/query
Create a serverless discovery schedule

Create a discovery schedule to perform targeted discovery of Nutanix components. For more information see Serverless Discovery.

(Optional) Enable the HTTP classification for using Quick Discovery
If you don't want to create a serverless discovery schedule, you can trigger discovery of the Nutanix components with the HTTP classification. This classification enables you to run the discovery using Quick Discovery. In this case, the discovery runs on a single IP address without requiring a schedule.
To enable HTTP classification, ensure that the application scope is Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns:
  1. Navigate to Settings > Developer.
  2. Select Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns from the Application list.
Since the HTTP classification triggers queries of all servers with the open HTTP ports, it may lead to overloading the network and slowing down the discovery process.
  1. Navigate to Discovery > Discovery Definition > CI Classification > HTTP.
  2. Modify the filter to display all classifications including classifications that are not active.
  3. Locate the Nutanix HTTP classification and set the Active attribute to true.
CMDB CI Class Models store app
Ensure that your instance supports the Nutanix CI class models by deploying the latest version of the CMDB CI Class Models store app from the ServiceNow Store.
(Optional) Discover VMware components
To enable viewing relations between Nutanix Acropolis and VMware, run VMware discovery before Nutanix Acropolis discovery. Run the horizontal discovery for the VMware Vcenter using the VMware - vCenter Datacenters probe.
(Optional) Disable CI tag discovery
The Nutanix Components pattern discovers tags for Nutanix hosts and virtual machines. If you have dozens of tags in your deployment, it may slow down the discovery causing performance issues. You can disable the CI tag discovery by performing the following steps:
  1. Navigate to Pattern Designer > Discovery Patterns.
  2. Select the Nutanix Components pattern.
  3. Under Extension Section, select the check box for Categories (Tags) and click Remove.
  4. Click Save.
Adjust the batch size for removing redundant relationship data
The sn_itom_pattern.nutanix_relations_deletion_batch_size property sets the batch size for deleting relations between Nutanix Virtual Machine Instance and Nutanix Host. The default value is 1000; you can adjust this batch size as needed.

Data collected by Discovery during horizontal discovery

Discovery populates the data in the CMDB when running the Nutanix Components pattern.

Table 2. Nutanix Controller VM [cmdb_ci_nutanix_controller_vm]
FieldDescription
Name [name] The name of the Nutanix Controller VM.
VM ID [vm_id] The universally unique identifier (UUID) of the Nutanix Controller VM.
Object ID [object_id] The ID of the Nutanix Controller VM.
Memory (MB) [memory] The memory size of the Nutanix Controller VM in Megabytes (MB).
State [state] The power state of the Nutanix Controller VM (on/off).
Hypervisor Type [hypervisor_type] The type of the hypervisor used for the Nutanix Controller VM.
Description [short_description] The description defined for the virtual machine in the Nutanix console: Prism Central or Prism Element.
Table 3. Nutanix Cluster [cmdb_ci_nutanix_cluster]
FieldDescription
Name [name] The name of the Nutanix Cluster.
IP Address [ip_address] The IP address of the Nutanix Cluster.
Cluster ID [cluster_id] The ID of the Nutanix Cluster.
Object ID [object_id] The object ID of the Nutanix Cluster.
Version [version] The Nutanix Cluster version.
Full Version [full_version] The full version of the Nutanix Cluster.
Internal Subnet [internal_subnet] The subnet of the internal IP address of the Nutanix Cluster.
External Subnet [external_subnet] The subnet of the external IP address of the Nutanix Cluster.
Timezone [timezone] The time zone of the Nutanix Cluster.
Hypervisor Types [hypervisor_types] The type of the hypervisor used for the Nutanix Cluster.
NTP Servers [ntp_servers] The Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers that are related to the Nutanix Cluster.
Number of Nodes [num_nodes] The number of nodes connected to the Nutanix Cluster.
NCC Version [ncc_version] The Nutanix Cluster Check (NCC) version.
Block Serial Numbers [block_serial_numbers] The serial numbers of blocks of data connected to the Nutanix Cluster.
Table 4. Nutanix Host [cmdb_ci_nutanix_host]
FieldDescription
Name [name] The name of the Nutanix host.
Object ID [object_id] The ID of the Nutanix host.
CPU core count [cpu_core_count] The number of Nutanix host cores.
CPU core thread [cpu_core_thread] The number of threads of the Nutanix host.
CPU speed (MHz) [cpu_speed] The CPU speed of the Nutanix host in MHz.
CPU count [cpu_count] The number of CPU sockets of the Nutanix host.
RAM (MB) [ram] The memory of the host in Megabites (MB).
Table 5. Nutanix Storage Pool [cmdb_ci_nutanix_storage_pool]
FieldDescription
Name [name] The name of the Nutanix storage pool.
Pool ID [pool_id] The UUID of the Nutanix storage pool.
Object ID [object_id] The ID of the Nutanix storage pool.
Size [size] The size of the Nutanix storage pool.
Table 6. Nutanix Storage Container [cmdb_ci_nutanix_storage_container]
FieldDescription
Object ID [object_id] The ID of the Nutanix container.
Container ID [container_id] The UUID of the Nutanix container.
Name [name] The name of the Nutanix container.
Replication Factor [replication_factor] The number of copies created for the data stored on this Nutanix storage container.
Deduplication [deduplication] The deduplication is enabled or disabled for the Nutanix container.
Compression [compression] The compression is enabled or disabled for the Nutanix container.
Erasure Code [erasure_code] The erasure of code is enabled or disabled for the Nutanix container.
Size [size] The Nutanix container size calculated dynamically during discovery.
Table 7. Nutanix Virtual Machine Instance [cmdb_ci_nutanix_vm_instance]
FieldDescription
Name [name] The name of the Nutanix Controller VM.
VM Instance ID [vm_inst_id] The universally unique identifier (UUID) of the Nutanix Controller VM.
Object ID [object_id] The ID of the Nutanix Controller VM.
CPUs [cpus] The number of CPUs that the VM has.
Memory (MB) [memory] The memory size of the Nutanix Controller VM in Megabytes (MB).
State [state] The power state of the Nutanix Controller VM (on/off).
Description [short_description] The description defined for the virtual machine in the Nutanix console: Prism Central or Prism Element.
Table 8. Nutanix Prism Central [cmdb_ci_nutanix_prism_central]
Field Description
Name [name] The name of the Nutanix Prism Central multi-cluster manager.
  • PrismCentral@<IP_ADDRESS>: When the IP address is associated with the Prism Central instance. This applies in the following scenarios:
    • During quick discovery using HTTP classification.
    • During serverless discovery if IP address was entered in PRISM_Address parameter value.
  • PrismCentral@<DNS_NAME>: When the DNS name is associated with the Prism Central instance. This applies if the DNS name was entered in PRISM_Address parameter value during serverless discovery.
Object ID [object_id] The ID of the Nutanix Prism Central. This field has the same value as the Name field.
  • PrismCentral@<IP_ADDRESS>: When the IP address is associated with the Prism Central instance. This applies in the following scenarios:
    • During quick discovery using HTTP classification.
    • During serverless discovery if IP address was entered in PRISM_Address parameter value.
  • PrismCentral@<DNS_NAME>: When the DNS name is associated with the Prism Central instance. This applies if the DNS name was entered in PRISM_Address parameter value during serverless discovery.
Table 9. Key Value [cmdb_key_value]
FieldDescription
Configuration item [configuration_item] The reference to the CI for which the tag is defined.
Key [key] The category key.
Value [value] The category value.
Object ID [object_id] The Object ID for the Nutanix host or Nutanix virtual machine.
The graphic illustrates CIs that are part of the Acropolis discovery in deployments that use Nutanix AHV for virtualization.
Figure 1. Nutanix components

Nutanix components
The graphic illustrates CIs that are part of the Acropolis discovery in deployments that use VMware software for virtualization.
Figure 2. Nutanix components in deployments using VM software

Nutanix components in deployments using VMware software
The graphic illustrates the Server and Nutanix VM Instance relationship.
Server and Nutanix VM Instance relationship

CI relationships

These relationships are created to support Nutanix discovery:
CI Relationship CI
Nutanix Cluster [cmdb_ci_nutanix_cluster] Defines resources for::Gets resources from Nutanix Storage Pool [cmdb_ci_nutanix_storage_pool]
Members::Member of Nutanix Host [cmdb_ci_nutanix_host]
Nutanix Virtual Machine Instance [cmdb_ci_nutanix_vm_instance] Registered::Has registered Nutanix Host [cmdb_ci_nutanix_host]
Hosted on::Hosts Nutanix Cluster [cmdb_ci_nutanix_cluster]
Nutanix Controller VM [cmdb_ci_nutanix_controller_vm] Runs on::Runs Nutanix Virtual Machine Instance [cmdb_ci_nutanix_vm_instance]
Runs on::Runs [cmdb_ci_vmware_instance]
Hosted on::Hosts Nutanix Prism Central [cmdb_ci_nutanix_prism_central]
Nutanix Storage Pool [cmdb_ci_nutanix_storage_pool] Contains::Contained by Nutanix Storage Container [cmdb_ci_nutanix_storage_container]
Hosted on::Hosts Nutanix Prism Central [cmdb_ci_nutanix_prism_central]
VMware Cluster [cmdb_ci_vmware_cluster] Defines resources for::Gets resources from Nutanix Storage Pool [cmdb_ci_nutanix_storage_pool]
Servers [cmdb_ci_server] Instantiates::Instantiated by Nutanix Virtual Machine Instance [cmdb_ci_nutanix_vm_instance]
Nutanix Cluster [cmdb_ci_nutanix_cluster] Managed by::Manages Nutanix Prism Central [cmdb_ci_nutanix_prism_central]

Dashboard

The dashboard contains reports that query the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) and display the results. The information is displayed only after the pattern has discovered the infrastructure.

To display the dashboard, navigate to Self-Service > Dashboards > All > Nutanix.

After upgrading to Discovery Admin Workspace version 1.3.1 (August 2024 Store), you can navigate to Workspaces > Discovery Admin Workspace > Insights and use the enhanced dashboard.

Figure 3. Discovery Reports Dashboard

Discovery reports dashboard

The reports on the dashboard provide the following information. They are listed in the table by the numbers shown in the graphic.

ReportDescription
1 Nutanix Clusters Number or Nutanix clusters found.
2 Nutanix Hosts Number of Nutanix hosts found.
3 Nutanix Storage Containers Number of Nutanix storage containers found.
4 Nutanix Storage Container Distro The distribution of Nutanix storage containers free space and capacity, in bytes.
5 Nutanix Storage Pool Capacity The capacity of the Nutanix storage pool, in bytes.
6 Nutanix VM Summary The Nutanix VMs grouped by state: On, off, terminated.
7 Nutanix Controller VMs The Nutanix Controller VMs grouped by hypervisor type.