What is a common issue encountered during the Port Scan phase?

During the Port Scan phase of ServiceNow Discovery, a frequent issue that arises is the presence of logical or physical firewalls that prevent connectivity. Firewalls are security systems that control the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules, and they can restrict access to certain ports or block specific IP addresses. This blockage can hinder the discovery process because the scanning tool may not be able to communicate with the devices it needs to identify and gather information from.

When a firewall obstructs the port scanning process, the discovery tool may receive incomplete or no data at all from the device being scanned. As a result, the visibility into the network environment is compromised, which can lead to gaps in the configuration management database (CMDB) and affect overall IT asset management. Detecting and addressing firewall configurations during this phase is crucial for ensuring accurate network mapping and successful discovery operations.

In contrast, while incorrect credentials, device misconfiguration, and duplicate records in the CMDB may pose challenges during other phases of the discovery process, they do not specifically pertain to the connectivity issues encountered during the Port Scan phase.