snow_run_discovery
Queue a CMDB discovery scan against a discovery schedule, optionally narrowed to a target IP/range and a specific MID Server. Creates a discovery_schedule_item; the scan runs asynchronously.
This record as markdown: /tools/serac/snow-run-discovery.md
What snow_run_discovery does on Serac
AI agents invoke snow_run_discovery to trigger actions in Serac. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why snow_run_discovery is rated High
This is Execute rather than Write because it triggers an asynchronous external system operation (discovery scan) whose outcome is not simply a reversible data creation but rather an active probe and enumeration of infrastructure. An agent with misuse capability could target sensitive network ranges, internal servers, or critical infrastructure segments, initiating unauthorized reconnaissance.
From the tool's definition The tool "Queue[s] a CMDB discovery scan" and "scan runs asynchronously". This triggers an external operation (ServiceNow discovery engine) whose effects depend on arguments (target IP/range, MID Server selection).
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs snow_run_discovery safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Serac, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For snow_run_discovery, this is the rule to start with:
snow_run_discovery stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Serac, apply this rule, and every snow_run_discovery call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about snow_run_discovery
Queue a CMDB discovery scan against a discovery schedule, optionally narrowed to a target IP/range and a specific MID Server. Creates a discovery_schedule_item; the scan runs asynchronously. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Serac MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Serac MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for snow_run_discovery: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Serac. Nothing to install.
snow_run_discovery is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the snow_run_discovery rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for snow_run_discovery. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
snow_run_discovery is provided by the Serac MCP server (serac-labs/serac). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on Serac, and thousands of servers like it.
Across the catalogue