SNOW-CSA Database Administration and CMDB Practice Question
During a CMDB health review, an administrator finds that many CI records have the same serial number but different names and IP addresses. What is the most likely root cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse ServiceNow identification rules with reconciliation rules, assuming that reconciliation settings control duplicate detection, when in fact identification rules define the uniqueness criteria that trigger reconciliation.
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 identification rule for the CI class does not include the serial number.
The identification rule determines which fields are used to uniquely identify a CI. If the serial number is not included in the identification rule, the CMDB cannot detect duplicates based on serial number, allowing multiple CIs with the same serial number but different names and IP addresses to be created. This is a common misconfiguration that leads to CI proliferation and data inconsistency.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The CMDB has a scheduled job that deletes old CIs.
Why it's wrong here
Deletion of old CIs would not create duplicates.
- ✗
The CI class has a unique constraint on the name field.
Why it's wrong here
Unique constraint on name would prevent duplicate names, not cause them.
- ✓
The identification rule for the CI class does not include the serial number.
Why this is correct
Without serial number as an identifier, the system creates new records instead of updating existing ones.
- ✗
The reconciliation rule is set to 'Create' instead of 'Update'.
Why it's wrong here
Reconciliation rules control how duplicates are handled, not the root cause of duplicates.
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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.