SNOW-CSA Database Administration and CMDB Practice Question
This SNOW-CSA practice question tests your understanding of database administration and cmdb. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company has a custom application that automatically updates the CMDB via web services. After a recent update, several CI records were incorrectly modified, causing incorrect relationships. The administrator does not know exactly which web service calls caused the issue. What is the best way to identify the source of the incorrect updates and prevent future occurrences?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the cmdb_ci table audit history to see changes.
Option C is correct because the cmdb_ci table audit history captures detailed records of all changes made to CI records, including the source of the update (e.g., web service call, user, or script). By reviewing this audit trail, the administrator can identify which specific web service calls modified the CIs incorrectly, even without prior logging enabled. This approach leverages ServiceNow's built-in auditing for CMDB tables, which is enabled by default for critical CI tables.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable the 'Data Integrity' feature to log all web service updates.
Why it's wrong here
ServiceNow's Data Integrity module is for data quality, not for logging web service calls.
✗
Revert the CMDB to a previous state using a backup.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from backup does not reveal the root cause and may lose legitimate changes.
✓
Review the cmdb_ci table audit history to see changes.
Why this is correct
Audit logs capture who or what changed each field, enabling identification of the problematic web service calls.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Restrict web service access to only necessary roles and review logs.
Why it's wrong here
Restricting access is preventive but does not help identify the source of past incorrect updates.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the 'Data Integrity' feature with auditing or logging, assuming it captures change history, when in fact it only validates data quality rules and does not record transactional changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ServiceNow's CMDB auditing is implemented via the 'sys_audit' table, which logs field-level changes for tables with auditing enabled, such as 'cmdb_ci'. Each audit record includes the 'record_checkpoint' (timestamp), 'user' (which can be 'web_service' for API calls), and the 'oldvalue'/'newvalue' for each changed field. By querying the audit history for the affected CIs, the administrator can filter by 'user' = 'web_service' and correlate the changes with specific web service requests using the 'sys_created_by' or 'sys_updated_by' fields, which may contain the authenticated user or integration name.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the SNOW-CSA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Database Administration and CMDB — This question tests Database Administration and CMDB — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review the cmdb_ci table audit history to see changes. — Option C is correct because the cmdb_ci table audit history captures detailed records of all changes made to CI records, including the source of the update (e.g., web service call, user, or script). By reviewing this audit trail, the administrator can identify which specific web service calls modified the CIs incorrectly, even without prior logging enabled. This approach leverages ServiceNow's built-in auditing for CMDB tables, which is enabled by default for critical CI tables.
What should I do if I get this SNOW-CSA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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