---
schema_version: "1"
id: 2525d38bbb36403fcbb1b9f7a6e03586067adf2fc1327ada9647072c2411d7b0
title: Key Steps to Implement Discovery
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/it_srvcs_discovery_setup_checklist.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_setup_checklist.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: f3df507f9f4a3079a9797dcb27dd18ac34329ef11c1ed4ddc2c0985e225afeb8
description: Understand the key steps to implement Discovery from start to finish. Learn how to configure credentials, define discovery applications and targets, schedule scans, and process discovered data into CMDB. Follow this structured approach to automate asset detection, maintain data accuracy, and ensure complete visibility across your IT environment.
products:
  - Service Cloud
  - Agentforce IT Service
release: "264"
---
# Key Steps to Implement Discovery

Understand the key steps to implement Discovery from start to finish. Learn how to configure credentials, define discovery applications and targets, schedule scans, and process discovered data into CMDB. Follow this structured approach to automate asset detection, maintain data accuracy, and ensure complete visibility across your IT environment.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, and <strong>Unlimited</strong> Editions with Agentforce IT Service that have Discovery enabled.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
      <colgroup>
        <col>
        <col>
        <col>
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      <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
        <tr class="">
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d94263e72">Step</th>
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d94263e75">Description</th>
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d94263e78">Result</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>

        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Step" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e72 ">Prepare for agentless discovery</td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e75 ">Before you install the Discovery Application, understand how agentless discovery
            works and complete the preparation required for the application host, network,
            access, and target systems. For more information about architecture and preparation,
            see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_agntlss_disc_overview.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Use agentless discovery to identify assets across on-premises, virtual, and cloud environments without installing software agents on each device. Do agentless discovery by using discovery applications, targets, probes, and scan jobs to collect system data through secure network protocols. After each scan, the collected information is processed and updated in CMDB to maintain accurate configuration data.">Agentless Discovery for Scanning IT Assets</a>.</td>

          <td data-label="Result" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e78 ">The Discovery Application host and target systems meet the requirements for
            reliable agentless scans.</td>

        </tr>

        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Step" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e72 ">Download discovery application</td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e75 ">Download and install the Discovery application on a Windows host inside your
            network to perform agentless scans using native protocols such as WMI, SSH, or SNMP.
            For more information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_agntlss_disc_overview.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Use agentless discovery to identify assets across on-premises, virtual, and cloud environments without installing software agents on each device. Do agentless discovery by using discovery applications, targets, probes, and scan jobs to collect system data through secure network protocols. After each scan, the collected information is processed and updated in CMDB to maintain accurate configuration data.">Agentless Discovery for Scanning IT Assets</a>.</td>

          <td data-label="Result" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e78 ">The host is ready to connect to network devices and collect asset data
            securely.</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Step" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e72 ">Add credentials</td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e75 ">Define credentials to authenticate connections for network, cloud, or
            infrastructure scans. Supported types include SSH, SNMP, WMI, SQL, and cloud account
            credentials. For more information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_create_cred.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Use discovery credentials to securely connect to systems and collect data during agentless scans. Credentials authenticate access to devices, applications, and cloud environments without manual sign-in. Create and manage credentials for supported types such as Windows, SSH, SNMP, or AWS to ensure accurate and authorized discovery results.">Create Discovery Credentials for Secure Scanning</a>.</td>

          <td data-label="Result" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e78 ">Discovery can access target systems and collect configuration data using stored
            credentials.</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Step" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e72 ">Create discovery targets</td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e75 ">Define where and how to scan by setting target category, probe type, and network
            scope (IP range or hostname). Associate the appropriate credentials. For more
            information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_create_target.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Create a discovery target to define where and how agentless discovery scans IT environments. Targets define the systems, IP ranges, and environments included in agentless discovery. Each target also specifies probe types that determine how those systems are scanned. When a target runs, it creates a scan job that collects discovery data and updates asset information in Configuration Management Database (CMDB).">Create a Discovery Target</a>.</td>

          <td data-label="Result" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e78 ">Discovery targets are ready to initiate scans across selected
            environments.</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Step" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e72 ">Monitor scan jobs</td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e75 ">Analyze scan jobs against defined targets to detect assets and gather
            configuration details. For more information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_monitor_scanjob.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Monitor discovery progress and review scan results with scan jobs. Each scan job tracks the execution of a discovery target and provides detailed visibility into discovered assets, scan duration, and completion status. Use the scan job details to verify discovery coverage and ensure that your CMDB data remains accurate and up to date.">Monitor and Review Scan Jobs</a>.</td>

          <td data-label="Result" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e78 ">New and updated assets are identified and logged for processing.</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Step" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e72 ">Install and configure agents (optional)</td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e75 ">Download and install discovery agents for Windows, macOS, or Linux endpoints.
            Configure scan frequency and communication with CMDB.For more information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_agents.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Use agent-based discovery to identify and track assets across environments that require installed monitoring. Discovery agents run on individual hosts to collect detailed hardware and software inventory, ensuring continuous and accurate updates to your Configuration Management Database (CMDB).">Agent-based Discovery for Extended Device Coverage</a>.</td>

          <td data-label="Result" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e78 ">Agents automatically collect inventory data and update CMDB on a defined
            schedule.</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Step" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e72 ">Use process manager (optional)</td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e75 ">
            <p>Use Process Manager to automate process analysis and keep service dependencies
              current. Includes process jobs for refining scan
              results.</p>
            <p>Process discovery data to build relationships and service dependencies
              using process
              jobs.</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">For
              more information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_process_manager.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Turn discovered configuration items into dependency-aware views with Process Manager. Process jobs connect applications, infrastructure, cloud resources, software, and virtualized environments in Configuration Management Database (CMDB).">Process Manager for Analyzing Discovery Data</a>.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Result" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e78 ">Asset relationships and dependencies are established in CMDB. Discovery results
            remain accurate and free from irrelevant or redundant data.</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Step" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e72 ">Monitor dashboards</td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e75 ">Track scan coverage, discovery success rate, and asset updates through prebuilt
            dashboard. For more information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.it_srvcs_discovery_dashboard.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Use the Discovery Dashboard to monitor scan performance, asset discovery trends, and data freshness across your organization. Gain visibility into scan coverage, active sources, and update frequency to improve discovery accuracy, identify gaps, and maintain a reliable CMDB.">Get Insights into Discovery Activity with the Discovery Dashboard</a>.</td>

          <td data-label="Result" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d94263e78 ">Administrators gain visibility into scan performance, coverage, and CMDB
            synchronization status.</td>

        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>