Question 379 of 510

Database Administration and CMDB →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

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 large financial institution uses ServiceNow CMDB to manage their IT infrastructure. They have a complex environment with multiple data sources: Discovery, SCCM, and a custom integration from their cloud provider. The CMDB contains over 100,000 CIs. Recently, the CMDB team noticed that for a specific set of Windows servers, the 'os_version' attribute is being updated to an incorrect value every night. The value comes from the SCCM integration, which is supposed to be the authoritative source for software-related attributes. However, the 'os_version' attribute should be authoritative from Discovery. The IRE is configured with reconciliation rules, but the issue persists. The team also finds that the Discovery job for these servers runs at 2:00 AM, and the SCCM integration runs at 3:00 AM. The incorrect value appears after the SCCM run. The reconciliation rules are set so that Discovery is authoritative for 'os_version', but the SCCM integration still overwrites it. What is the most likely cause and recommended action?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Full question →

A
Enable the IRE 'Strict' mode to prevent any updates from non-authoritative sources.
Why wrong: Strict mode may block all updates, which is not desired; the issue is specific to the reconciliation rule.
B
Disable the SCCM integration for these servers and rely solely on Discovery.
Why wrong: This would lose other updates from SCCM that are needed.
C
Change the order of the integrations so that SCCM runs before Discovery.
Why wrong: Order does not matter if reconciliation rules are correctly set; the authoritative source for that attribute should take precedence.
D
Review and correct the reconciliation rule to ensure Discovery is the authoritative source for 'os_version' and that the rule is active.
If the rule is misconfigured or inactive, SCCM may overwrite the attribute.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

Review and correct the reconciliation rule to ensure Discovery is the authoritative source for 'os_version' and that the rule is active.

Option D is correct because the reconciliation rule is the mechanism that dictates which data source is authoritative for a specific attribute. If the rule is misconfigured, inactive, or not properly scoped, the IRE will allow the SCCM integration to overwrite the 'os_version' attribute even though Discovery is intended to be authoritative. Reviewing and correcting the rule ensures that the IRE enforces the correct source priority for that attribute.

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 IRE 'Strict' mode to prevent any updates from non-authoritative sources.
Why it's wrong here
Strict mode may block all updates, which is not desired; the issue is specific to the reconciliation rule.
✗
Disable the SCCM integration for these servers and rely solely on Discovery.
Why it's wrong here
This would lose other updates from SCCM that are needed.
✗
Change the order of the integrations so that SCCM runs before Discovery.
Why it's wrong here
Order does not matter if reconciliation rules are correctly set; the authoritative source for that attribute should take precedence.
✓
Review and correct the reconciliation rule to ensure Discovery is the authoritative source for 'os_version' and that the rule is active.
Why this is correct
If the rule is misconfigured or inactive, SCCM may overwrite the attribute.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates assume changing the order of integrations (Option C) will fix the issue, but the IRE's reconciliation rules, not the sequence of data ingestion, determine which source is authoritative for a given attribute.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

The IRE uses reconciliation rules to define source precedence for each CI attribute. When multiple data sources provide values for the same attribute, the IRE compares the source priority defined in the rule; if the rule is inactive or incorrectly configured (e.g., missing the 'os_version' field or having a lower priority for Discovery), the SCCM integration's value will be accepted. In real-world scenarios, a common subtlety is that reconciliation rules can be overridden by 'coalesce' settings or by the 'default' source priority if the rule is not explicitly set for the attribute.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SNOW-CSA question test?

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 and correct the reconciliation rule to ensure Discovery is the authoritative source for 'os_version' and that the rule is active. — Option D is correct because the reconciliation rule is the mechanism that dictates which data source is authoritative for a specific attribute. If the rule is misconfigured, inactive, or not properly scoped, the IRE will allow the SCCM integration to overwrite the 'os_version' attribute even though Discovery is intended to be authoritative. Reviewing and correcting the rule ensures that the IRE enforces the correct source priority for that attribute.

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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026

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