How a sensor discovers configuration items

These steps outline how a sensor discovers configuration items (CIs) in your environment.

  1. To identify the active IP devices in the specified scope, the sensor tries a TCP connection on several ports (such as 22, 23 and 135) to detect a response. Any response is enough to inform the sensor that the device exists.
  2. The sensor tries to connect to the IP device on several ports (such as 22 and 135) to determine the technology to use to discover the host.
  3. If a port using the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol is open, the sensor tries to establish an SSH connection using credentials from the access list. In sequence, the sensor tries access list entries of type computer system or windows computer system until either an entry works, or the sensor reaches the end of the access list with no success.
  4. If a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) port is open, an SSH connection is established with a gateway computer system (if one can be found for the target system). In sequence, the sensor tries access list entries of type windows computer system until either an entry works, or the sensor reaches the end of the access list with no success.
  5. If a session cannot be established, an SNMP sensor is run. If a session is established, a computer system sensor is run.
  6. A computer system sensor tries to determine the type of operating system that is installed.
  7. TADDM runs a sensor that is specific to the operating system to discover the operating system in more depth.
  8. During the in-depth discovery of the operating system, which is based on specific criteria (such as port number and process name), TADDM runs software-specific sensors to discover application details.