Skip to main content

Troubleshoot ServiceNow CMDB

The connection test does not pass

Work down this table. The first two causes account for most failures.

CauseHow to tellFix
The instance URL is not acceptedThe form rejects it before any call is madeUse https://<your-instance>.service-now.com with no path, no query string and no credentials in the URL
The credential is wrong or expiredThe test reaches ServiceNow and is refusedRe-enter it. For OAuth, confirm the client is still active in ServiceNow
Credentials filled in for more than one methodMesh rejects the configurationClear every field except the method you selected
The account cannot read the tablesThe test fails, or passes while collection returns little or nothing. ServiceNow returns an empty result rather than an error for some access denialsGive the account read access to the tables listed in Step 6
ServiceNow is unreachable from MeshThe test times outCheck whether your instance restricts access by IP address
Check the OAuth client first

For either OAuth mode, the most common cause is a client that was deactivated or had its secret rotated in ServiceNow. Confirm the client is active before re-entering anything in Mesh.

No data arrives after setup

CheckWhat it means
Has the first collection finished?The first run reads your whole CMDB and can take hours
Is the entity set selected?Anything cleared in Entity sets is not read at all
Can the account read that table?Read access is per table in ServiceNow. Missing access on one table affects only that data

Open Settings → Data source syncs to see each run, what it collected and whether it failed. See Data source synchronizations.

Some records are missing detail

Records are read once and then only when they change. A record that has not changed since Mesh first read it keeps the detail it had at that time.

If a group of records is missing a field that newer records have, contact Axiad — a one-off refresh may be needed.

Software or machines look incomplete

SymptomLikely reason
A machine has no manufacturer or locationThose fields are empty in ServiceNow for that record
Software shows no publisher or versionThe software model in ServiceNow does not carry them
A certificate has no ownerNo owner is set on the ServiceNow record

Mesh reports what your CMDB holds. Where ServiceNow has no value, Mesh shows none rather than guessing.

Changing the instance URL

The instance URL identifies where everything came from. To point Mesh at a different instance, add a new connector rather than editing this one.

Contact Axiad

If a collection keeps failing after you have worked through this page, raise it with Axiad — through your account team or the support contact in your agreement. See Contacting Axiad.

Include:

IncludeWhere to find it
The connector nameSettings → Connectors
The time of a failed run, in UTCSettings → Data source syncs
The status and reason shownThe expanded row in Settings → Data source syncs
Which authentication method you usedYour connector configuration