ITSM: Asset–CI Sync Behavior in CMDB

Q1: Can a CI be created from an Asset (reverse sync)?

Short Answer: Not automatically. CI creation is driven by discovery, not by Asset creation.
Details:

• When a CI is discovered and created in the CMDB, the corresponding Asset (if it does not exist) is automatically created in the Asset entity.
• The reverse is not true — creating an Asset does not automatically trigger CI creation.
• CI creation relies on the discovery process to ensure the CI accurately reflects an operational, discovered state.

Workaround: The upsertCIRelationship GraphQL API mutation can be used to create or associate a CI programmatically via automation. Reference: upsertCI Mutation – Agentforce IT Service Dev Guide

Q2: CnfgMgmtItemSyncLog Records Blocking Asset Deletion

Short Answer: This is a working as designed. The inability to delete CnfgMgmtItemSyncLog records is a logged work item (WI), currently planned for resolution in release 264.
Details:

• When a CI and Asset are synced, a junction object record is created in the CnfgMgmtItemSyncLog object to track the sync relationship.
• These child records create a master-detail or lookup dependency that prevents the parent Asset record from being deleted.
• CnfgMgmtItemSyncLog records cannot be deleted via the UI or via backend/API — this is the known limitation.

Design Intent: Salesforce does not expect customers to routinely delete Asset records, as doing so could tamper with audit trails and compliance records. Assets are meant to be retained for traceability.

Q3: What Happens When a Mapped Field (e.g., Serial Number) Changes After Sync?

Short Answer: The existing Asset ↔ CI relationship is intentionally retained and is not automatically re-evaluated or re-matched.
Details:

• The matching criteria (e.g., Serial Number) is used only during the initial sync to identify and establish the Asset–CI relationship.
• Once the link is created, the system does not continuously re-evaluate the matching criteria on subsequent updates to either the Asset or the CI.
• Changing the Serial Number on an Asset after sync will not remove the existing relationship or create a new one with a different CI.
• You may see an error like:

Sync Discrepancy: SerialNumber mismatch on 02xxxxxxxxx

This error surfaces the mismatch but does not automatically relink the records.
Why This Is By Design: Automatically re-matching on field changes would introduce serious risks:

• Typo Scenario: An admin accidentally mistypes a Serial Number, and the mistyped value matches a completely different CI. Automatic re-matching would sever the original link and hijack another CI's relationship — corrupting two records at once.
• Hardware Change Scenario: A motherboard replacement or BIOS reset may change a Serial Number, but the physical device and its audit history should remain associated with the same CI.