What is the ultimate result of a successful discovery?

The ultimate result of a successful discovery is to achieve an inserted or updated configuration item (CI). The discovery process is designed to identify and collect information from various IT assets within an organization's environment, such as servers, applications, and network devices. During this process, data is gathered and recorded, leading to the establishment or updating of CIs in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).

The focus of discovery is on maintaining an accurate and up-to-date inventory of devices and their relationships to ensure efficient IT service management. When a CI is inserted or updated, it reflects the most current state of the IT environment, which is critical for effective decision-making, troubleshooting, and overall IT governance.

In contrast, while detailed documentation of processes, assessments of system vulnerabilities, and reports on network performance are important aspects of IT management, they do not encapsulate the primary aim of discovery, which is specifically about creating and maintaining the accuracy of CIs. Thus, the successful outcome of this process is best defined as the effective insertion or updating of these items within the system.