If you already have a pattern for top-down discovery, can it be used for horizontal discovery?

Patterns for top-down discovery can often be adapted for horizontal discovery, but typically this requires some modifications. Top-down discovery design focuses on understanding the relationships between business services and the underlying infrastructure, while horizontal discovery emphasizes the detection of devices and services across a broader network range without necessarily prioritizing their relationships.

Modifications are generally required because the granularity of information collected and the relationships analyzed differ between the two approaches. When reusing a top-down pattern for horizontal discovery, adjustments may be necessary in the components of the pattern to ensure it effectively captures the type of discovery required. These adjustments could involve refining the criteria for detection or modifying the data transformations to align with the horizontal discovery objectives.

In this case, the correct answer indicates that while there is potential to utilize the existing pattern, anticipating and implementing some necessary changes will better align the pattern with the goals of horizontal discovery. This adaptability highlights the flexibility of the ServiceNow platform in supporting different discovery methodologies.