Discovering Discovery: Selecting It Discovery Tools Made Easy

Why the Confusion? (Part 1)

This is the first of two blogs covering the common challenges in selecting the right discovery tool(s), why there can be confusion, and where to start with your own evaluation or assessment. The subsequent blog will provide more prescriptive guidance around evaluating and selecting discovery tools along with a pragmatic approach for peaceful co-existence when multiple tools are involved.

Just like an opinion, everyone’s got one

Some organizations collect them like individuals who collect bobbleheads or PEZ dispensers. Often, they arrive with high expectations (picture an ‘easy’ button) spreading across your environment and sometimes they have a love-hate relationship with your network and security teams. I’m not talking about IT personnel. I’m talking about discovery tools. As a former ITSM consultant and current product manager, I frequently meet with organizations to assess their challenges and requirements to help them find ways to mature their service management and/or asset management programs to drive success. A common question I ask during the initial stages of an assessment is “Do you have a discovery tool (or tools)?”. Typically, the standard response is “yes”, but there is always much more to the story. Depending on the individual and their role and responsibilities, the discovery tool(s) may address that individual’s specific needs, but someone in another role or department may have another discovery tool or tools which deliver a much different set of capabilities. In other words, the view of a “discovery tool” can be much different from one individual to another depending on their perspective.