SNOW-CSA Database Administration and CMDB Practice Question
During a CMDB audit, an administrator discovers duplicate CI records for the same network switch. The switch is identified by its serial number. The identification rule currently uses IP address and MAC address as identifiers. What is the most likely cause of the duplicate records?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume reconciliation rules (Option C) prevent duplicates, but duplicates are actually created during the identification phase, before reconciliation is ever applied.
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
✓
The serial number is not included in the identification rule.
The duplicate CI records exist because the identification rule does not include the serial number, which is the unique hardware identifier for the switch. Without it, the system cannot reliably match the discovered switch to an existing CI, so a new record is created each time the switch is discovered with a different IP or MAC address. Including the serial number in the identification rule ensures that the same physical device is always reconciled to the same CI record.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
There is a conflict in the class hierarchy.
Why it's wrong here
Class hierarchy affects inheritance, not duplicate prevention.
- ✗
The discovery source is set to ServiceNow Discovery only, but multiple sources exist.
Why it's wrong here
Multiple sources should be handled by identification rules.
- ✗
The reconciliation rule is set to manual mode.
Why it's wrong here
Manual reconciliation may create conflicts but not necessarily duplicates.
- ✓
The serial number is not included in the identification rule.
Why this is correct
Without a unique identifier like serial number, duplicates can occur.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SNOW-CSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ServiceNow certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SNOW-CSA exam.