What is the typical outcome of most discovery pattern operations?

The typical outcome of most discovery pattern operations is the creation or updating of a temporary variable. This is aligned with the primary role of discovery patterns, which is to identify and capture information about the environment. During the execution of discovery patterns, temporary variables serve as a means to hold data dynamically as it is retrieved from various sources.

These variables are not meant to persist beyond the duration of the discovery operation. Instead, they allow for processing and organization of information in real-time, facilitating the correlation and analysis of configuration items and their relationships. Temporary variables are essential in helping the system compile data during the discovery phase before it is finally processed or stored in a more permanent structure, such as the configuration management database (CMDB).

The focus on temporary variables underscores how discovery operations are designed to be agile and responsive to the constantly changing IT environment, where the immediate need is often to analyze or report on current data rather than create lasting changes until the data is validated.