--- title: IBM WebSphere server discovery using probes description: The IBM WebSphere application server is a software framework with middleware that hosts Java-based web applications. Discovery creates or updates a CMDB record when it detects an instance of a WebSphere application server running on a Windows or Linux system. locale: en-US canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/it-operations-management/itom-visibility/c\_DataCollDiscoWebSphereServers.html release: australia product: ITOM Visibility classification: itom-visibility topic_type: concept last_updated: "2026-03-12" reading_time_minutes: 4 breadcrumb: [Software discovery, Data collected by ITOM Visibility, ITOM Visibility reference, ITOM Visibility, IT Operations Management] --- # IBM WebSphere server discovery using probes The IBM WebSphere application server is a software framework with middleware that hosts Java-based web applications. Discovery creates or updates a CMDB record when it detects an instance of a WebSphere application server running on a Windows or Linux system. **Note:** Starting with Visibility Content version 6.1.0, pattern-based discovery is the default method for discovering IBM WebSphere Application Servers. The WebSphere probes are disabled by default. For more information, see [IBM WebSphere Application Server discovery using patterns](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-operations-management/discovery-and-service-mapping-patterns/ibm-websphere-server-pattern.md). ## Websphere discovery on Windows Requirements for discovery: For WebSphere application servers running on Windows systems, enable [PowerShell](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-operations-management/discovery/t_SetUpAMIDServerToUsePowerShell.md) on the MID Server. ## Websphere discovery on Linux Requirements for discovery: - Enable SSH on the WebSphere Application Server. - Set execute privileges to enable the following probes to run commands: - WebSphere - Get serverindex.xml: cat/read permissions on the `serverindex.xml` file - WebSphere - Get cell.xml: cat/read permissions on the `cell.xml` file - WebSphere - Get server.xml: cat/read permissions on the `server.xml` file For a list of privileged commands that you need for Discovery and Service Mapping, see [Service Mapping commands requiring a privileged user](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-operations-management/service-mapping/r_CommandsnCredentials.md). This list includes commands that require elevated rights to discover and map Unix-based hosts in your organization. ## Probes and sensors Discovery uses this process to identify Linux WebSphere application servers: 1. The Unix - Active Processes probe detects a running process that matches the **com.ibm.ws.runtime.WsServer**. For example, the **...com.ibm.ws.bootstrap.WSLauncher com.ibm.ws.runtime.WsServer** process output has a parameter of **/opt/IBM/WPS/profiles/ccmdb/config localhostNode01Cell ccmdb01 server1**. The values are: - last parameter = server\_name = server1 - last parameter - 1 = node\_name = ccmdb01 - last parameter - 2 = cell\_name = localhostNode01Cell - last parameter - 3 = config\_path = ‘/opt/IBM/WPS/profiles/ccmdb/config’ 2. If there is a match, a record is created in the IBM Websphere \[cmdb\_ci\_app\_server\_websphere\] table. The following probes are triggered: - WebSphere - Cell - WebSphere - Web Applications - WebSphere –Web Services 3. The WebSphere - Cell probe searches for the `cell.xml` file for the instance by using the parameters in the running process, and then searching in the related `\cells\\` directory. 4. If the probe successfully finds the `cell.xml` file, the sensor reads its contents and populates additional Websphere Cell \[cmdb\_ci\_websphere\_cell\] table records as necessary. 5. If the probe successfully finds the `serverindex.xml` file, the sensor reads its contents and populates additional Web Application \[cmdb\_ci\_web\_application\] table records as necessary. 6. If the probe successfully finds the `server.xml` file, the sensor reads its contents and populates additional Web Service \[cmdb\_ci\_web\_service\] table records as necessary. Discovery uses this process to identify Windows WebSphere application servers: 1. The Windows - Active Processes probe detects a running process that matches the **com.ibm.ws.runtime.WsServer**. For example, the **...com.ibm.ws.bootstrap.WSLauncher com.ibm.ws.runtime.WsServer** process output has a parameter of **/opt/IBM/WPS/profiles/ccmdb/config localhostNode01Cell ccmdb01 server1**. The values are: - last parameter = server\_name = server1 - last parameter - 1 = node\_name = ccmdb01 - last parameter - 2 = cell\_name = localhostNode01Cell - last parameter - 3 = config\_path = ‘/opt/IBM/WPS/profiles/ccmdb/config’ 2. If there is a match, a record is created in the IBM Websphere \[cmdb\_ci\_app\_server\_websphere\] table. The following probes are triggered: - Windows - WebSphere - Cell - Windows - WebSphere - Web Applications - Windows - WebSphere –Web Services 3. The Windows - WebSphere - Cell probe searches for the `cell.xml` file for the instance by using the parameters in the running process, and then searching in the related `\cells\\` directory. 4. If the probe successfully finds the `cell.xml` file, the sensor reads its contents and populates additional Websphere Cell \[cmdb\_ci\_websphere\_cell\] table records as necessary. 5. The Windows - WebSphere - Web Applications probe searches the `serverindex.xml` file for the instance by using the parameters in the running process, and then searching in the related `\cells\\nodes\` directory. 6. If the probe successfully finds the `serverindex.xml` file, the sensor reads its contents and populates additional Web Application \[cmdb\_ci\_web\_application\] table records as necessary. 7. The Windows WebSphere - Web Services probe searches for the `server.xml` file for the instance by using the parameters in the running process, and then searching in the related`\cells\\nodes\\servers\` directory. 8. If the probe successfully finds the `server.xml` file, the sensor reads its contents and populates additional Web Service \[cmdb\_ci\_web\_service\] table records as necessary. ## Data collected |Table|Field|Source| |-----|-----|------| |cmdb\_ci\_app\_server\_websphere|Name \(name\)|Running process| |cmdb\_ci\_websphere\_cell|Name \(name\)|cell.xml| |cmdb\_ci\_websphere\_cell|Cell ID \(cell\_id\)|cell.xml| |cmdb\_ci\_websphere\_cell|Cell type \(cell\_type\)|cell.xml| |cmdb\_ci\_websphere\_cell|Cell discovery protocol \(cell\_discovery\_protocol\)|cell.xml| |cmdb\_ci\_web\_service|Name \(name\)|server.xml| |cmdb\_ci\_web\_service|Service ID \(service\_id\)|server.xml| |cmdb\_ci\_web\_application|Name \(name\)|serverindex.xml| |Label|Table Name|Field Name|Source| |-----|----------|----------|------| |Name|cmdb\_ci\_websphere\_cell|name|server.xml| |App server|cmdb\_ci\_web\_service|app\_server|Internal reference| |Name|cmdb\_ci\_web\_service|name|server.xml| |Name|cmdb\_ci\_web\_application|name|serverindex.xml| |App server|cmdb\_ci\_web\_application|app\_server|serverindex.xml| ## Relationships These relationships are created in the CI Relationship \[cmdb\_rel\_ci\] table. |Parent class|Relationship type|Child class| |------------|-----------------|-----------| |cmdb\_ci\_app\_server\_websphere|Runs on::Runs|cmdb\_ci\_linux\_server| |cmdb\_ci\_win\_server|Runs on::Runs|cmdb\_ci\_win\_server| |cmdb\_ci\_app\_server\_websphere|Contains::Contained by|cmdb\_ci\_web\_application| |cmdb\_ci\_web\_service|Runs on::Runs|cmdb\_ci\_app\_server\_websphere| |cmdb\_ci\_websphere\_cell|Contains::Contained by|cmdb\_ci\_app\_server\_websphere| **Parent Topic:**[Software discovery](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-operations-management/itom-visibility/c_Software.md)