Common transform map for multiple data sources

 

Overview

Service-Now has a CMDB module which has almost all types of assets init. cmdb_ci is the base table for all assets. Same applies to Service-Now tickers, task is the base table. Mostly these base tables has all the common fields. Data created / added in CMDB has some what similar fields. If we want to import data into system using excel file or any other file or data source (SQL, Oracle etc.) one needs to create Data Source and transform map and mapping source fields with target fields. Creating and maintaining transform map for all assets becomes painful process when removing common columns from all asset transform map.

To over come this issue a common transform map is created. Create a data source called "LinuxServer Data Source". In Import Set table label add name "Common Import Set Table". For now we consider, each server data is fetched from different table. So to add queries appropriately we create multiple data sources like "Win Data Source", "IBM Data Source" etc. but the Import used for these data sources are common that is "Common Import Set Table". If the data is pulled from any database make sure column "devide_type" with default value is added. We need this column later to re-set transform map target table dynamically.

SELECT name, vendor, CPU, 'cmdb_ci_linux_server' AS device_type
FROM [ table_name ]

Pull data into "Common Import Set Table" by clicking on "test load 20 records". It will create source table in Service-Now instance with all columns and 20 records. Create Transform Map "Common Transform Map" as shown below.

Select source table "Common Import Set Table". Click "Run Script" checkbox to write script which will be executed before processing a row. So this script will run on before transformation of each row.

var sysClass = source.u_device_type.toString();
if (JSUtil.notNil(sysClass))
{
 target.sys_class_name = sysClass;
}

Above code will change the target table of transform map at run time. Once field mapping is done the records will be updated in the Linux Server of Service-Now CMBD table.

So far records are populated in Linux Server with common fields. Now we need to populate Linux Server specific columns as well. e.g. "u_service_level" is a Linux Server specific column which is created on "cmdb_ci_linux_server" table. This field is not available in field mapping as the target table is re-set dynamically. Hence we need to write a script onAfter event of transform map

var deviceType = source.u_device_type.toString();
if (deviceType == 'cmdb_ci_linux_server')
{
 // Fech class name from target
 var v_ClassName = target.sys_class_name.toString();  
 
 // Create a glide record  
 var grServer = new GlideRecord(v_ClassName);           
 grServer.addQuery("sys_id", target.sys_id.toString());
 grServer.query();
 if (grServer.next())
 {
  grServer.u_service_level = source.u_service_level.toString();
  grServer.update();
   }
} 

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 What is ServiceNow?

ServiceNow is a platform that helps companies in designing, planning, delivering, operating and controlling the services of information technology, or in simple words that supports ITSM. This is an amazing tool that helps in automating IT business management.

Why use ServiceNow?

There a lot of reasons that this technology has started winning the hearts of people around the world. Off-course! There is a complete bunch of reasons stating that this technology is astounding and unparalleled. Reports say that approximately 12,615 companies make use of this technology for smoothing the functions of their business’s other departments. Let’s look at some of the reason:-

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• It provides a single platform for everyone to make edits, alterations, or changes into a program, reducing the time for downloading, processing and uploading the file. Therefore, it elevates the efficiency of the workers, and hence, of the overall company.
• It assists your employees to perform even better. Thus, the performance of the services of the company improves.
• The most important reason that it has collected the gazes and attention of all the businesses is its quality and reducing the ITSM cost. Now, how much cost does it reduce? It reduces capital investment on ITSM by up to 80%.
• It assists in organizing the unplanned and unorganized work of the business. Hence, by using ServiceNow, employees can work more efficiently.
• By integrating its tools, one can handle Email services automatically, making them more efficient. Better email and web services can lead to a satisfactory client base.
• It helps in breaking and dividing the work into small fragments and therefore, assists in making the work easier. Moreover, other features and tools of the ServiceNow can help in making the process smarter.

ServiceNow Plugin

The software components which let the users make use of some specific functionalities and features within the ServiceNow instance are known as Plugins. As it provides quite a huge number of services, the list of plugins available is also huge and seems never-ending.

Most of the plugins are usually active by default on the Now platform, however, if there are some which can’t be activated then don’t worry, there are still a lot of options which you can choose in order to use them. Moreover, if you are not able to find some plugins then the plugins might need to be activated from the ServiceNow personnel.

ServiceNow Versions

There is a huge history of the versions of the ServiceNow, which were used by the people. However, currently, there are 10 versions that are in trend and are used by the people, and Kingston is its latest version. Here are the names of the versions which are currently used:-

• Aspen
• Calgary
• Berlin
• Dublin
• Fuji
• Eureka
• Geneva
• Istanbul
• Helsinki
• Jakarta

ServiceNow workflow

You can use a drag-and-drop interface to make the multi-step processes automatic within a platform. Within every workflow, there are a number of activities. Moreover, to ease the understanding of workflow, there is also a graphical Workflow editor present which provides visual aids in the form of a flowchart. From this workflow chart, the understanding of various transitions from one activity to another becomes clear as crystal, through the lines connecting boxes.

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Key Features of ServiceNow

As discussed, it provides very efficient support to the customers, and therefore, nurtures them. A study claims that a satisfactory, the probability for a company to sell a new product to a satisfied customer is 60–70%, whereas, the probability lies near 20% for selling the same product to a new client or customer. Therefore, the service of ServiceNow indirectly helps in increasing the revenue generation of the company.

Another feature of the ServiceNow is its low price which charges for its maintenance. Most of the businesses is attracted to this cloud-based software due to tot he very same reason. This feature can help businesses in their cost-cutting. There is another feature of ServiceNow. It secures the confidentiality of data without sacrificing the integrity of the workspace, and vice versa.

Who uses ServiceNow?

Now, as we have understood what is ServiceNow, its features, and what are its benefits, one must also know who can use it?

Within a company everyone can make use of this system, as this allows integration of all the departments, and lets the employees, IT support teamwork on the same platform. Moreover, the administrator can also make use of this software in order to manage the requests made by services, and also to manage the work progress.

ServiceNow Products

• IT Service Automation Application:

This tool of ServiceNow provides great transparency for the developers, in delivering the complex programs after developing them. The developers are benefitted by its services as the tool reduces the time consumption for detecting the loss. The tool helps in finding disruptions of the system.

• Business Management Applications:

IT business management is an amazing tool that helps in the execution of complex programs. Moreover, it helps the managers in knowing which area to focus to accelerate the work speed.

• Custom Service Management:

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One of the most important services that the ServiceNow provides is integration of the various departments through Customer support. Therefore, if a customer files complaints then it becomes easy for every employee working in the industry that the complaint is relevant to which department and therefore, the corresponding department can make the required alterations or modifications. Therefore, helps a company in keeping its customers satisfied and furthermore, helps it to nurture them.

• HR management:

This tool helps in improving the management of the HRs, and therefore, improves the satisfaction of the employees of the company by HR to understand the power and responsibility that an employee deserve, and hence, granting them the same. It also improves HR efficiency by streamlining the transaction of the employees and increasing their salaries to give what they deserve.

• Enterprise Security Response Engine:

One can integrate this tool with the existing security services of the company and therefore, the data can be made confidential, and therefore, the security of the company can be ensured. Thus, the security system can instantly respond to any attack on any incident and therefore any vulnerabilities can be strengthened against any potential attack that can harm or have an effect on business growth.

How to get access to ServiceNow

To access any software completely, it is important to set up a complete environment. Therefore, one must download it from its official website. Thereafter, one needs to register an account by entering the personal details. Thereafter click on the submit button flashing on the bottom of the dialogue box.

Thereafter you will get a message asking permission to activate the account, you need to give the permission (Off-course!) after that, as your account has been created you can just login into your account using the credential you have used to create an account. Now, you can access ServiceNow

Best Practices of using Service Now

We have to replace the emails and spreadsheets with collaborative workspaces.

Automating all the business processes should be the objective of the company.

Through ServiceNow, we must develop a contemporary work environment.

We should focus on structure, automate and enhance the workflow to simplify the service delivery.

Conclusion

ServiceNow is a Software Platform that automates IT Business Management. It decreases the ITSM expenses upto 60%. It allows Reporting and Real Time Analysis. Service Now product collection includes Business Management, Custom Service Management. It helps every scale of industry in automating their business processes.

ServiceNow System Properties

 To customize and update ServiceNow System Properties search by typing ‘sys_properties.list’ in filter text box. Then Search by the respective property name and select the record to customize and update the details of that property.

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glide.db.soft_join_cap

Smaller values cause the system to issue a larger number of less complex queries. Larger values reduce the number of queries at the cost of additional complexity per query. In the absence of known database issues stemming from large join counts, this property should remain unchanged.

This property is used to limit database join complexity and size in a particular query. Though ServiceNow uses relational database model, however it is better to use fewer joins in order to prevent any database performance issue. By default, this parameter is set to 10 which should remain unchanged so that database queries work efficiently without any performance issue.

glide.dashboard.refresh_intervals

This property can be used to set dashboard refresh intervals in seconds (for e.g. 900,1800,3600). Accordingly refresh intervals will be available for dashboard for users.

glide.escalation.notes

This property can be used to set the Boolean flag (True/False) in order to turn on/off the feature of logging the information/comment in task Work Notes field.

glide.escalation.sticky

This property can be used to set the Boolean flag (True/False) to turn on/off the feature of re-computation of escalations on every Save/Update action for any ticket.

glide.escalation.verbose

This property can be used to set the Boolean flag (True/False) to turn on/off the feature of logging verbose escalation messages.

glide.history.initial_updates_when_truncated

Maximum numerical limit value can be set in relation to historical updates availability for any record. These number of updates shows up from the point when record was actually created initially until some records are omitted, when the maximum field entry value exceed. (For e.g. the default value is set to 10).

glide.history.max_entries

Activity formatter will use the maximum number set for this property and display up to those number of field entries in record history. Please note that most recent field entries are shown at the starting entries list in Activity formatter. The maximum number can be set as 250. By the way, the default maximum value is 250 for this property.

glide.history.role

History access can be provided to specific users by setting list of roles (comma-separated) in this property. Users having those roles will be able to access the history.

glide.itil.assign.number.on.insert

This Boolean property can be set to turn on/off the feature to generate task number only upon insert action. This way it helps to prevent the generation of unused task numbers.

glide.product.apple_icon

This property can be used to set the icon used for iPhone home page bookmarks. It can be overridden in the company record with a custom user image.

glide.product.description

This property can be used to set the window title at the rightmost portion of the page header and browser title.

glide.product.description.style

This property can be used to set the style for product description next to banner. (For e.g. padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 4px;)

glide.product.help_icon

This property can be used to set the icon for the 'Help' link in the welcome banner. Please note that it must be uploaded first before the property setting.

glide.product.help_url

This property value act as global setting for the URL the help icon directs to. Value for this property must be empty for context-sensitive help to work. Users simply click the help icon to open the help page provided by ServiceNow. For any page that does not have context-sensitive help defined, a search for relevant content on the ServiceNow Wiki opens (starting with the Eureka release). In versions prior to Eureka, the main ServiceNow Wiki page opens.

glide.product.icon

This property can be set for the icon image to be displayed in bookmarks and browser address bar.

glide.product.image

This property can be set for banner image displayed at the top of the page. This property value can be overridden by banner text and banner image defined for the company that a user is assigned to.

glide.product.name

This property can be set for window title part appearing at the leftmost portion of the page header and browser title

glide.product.name.style

This property can be set CSS properties to display product name next to banner. Often, this style is set to “display: none” so that the product name is not displayed, but still used as part of the Window Title.

glide.short.labels

This property can be used to specify the type of labels that are displayed for all reference fields on any form. This global property can be overridden for any field by setting the short_label=true or long_label=true attribute for the field in the Dictionary.

Set this property to use short labels for all fields. For example, if a form contains the caller's email address, use the "Email" label rather than the full label of "Caller Email".

glide.sys.date_format

This property can be used to set the date format used for date representation.

(For e.g. yyyy-MM-dd)

Note that MM is months, where mm indicates minutes. The format string consists of the following abbreviations:

Field

Full Form

Short Form

Year

yyyy (4 digits)

 yy (2 digits), y (2 or 4 digits)

Month

MMM (name or abbr.)

MM (2 digits), M (1 or 2 digits)

Day of Month

dd (2 digits) 

d (1 or 2 digits)

glide.sys.time_format

This property can be used to set the time format for time representation.

(For e.g. HH:mm:ss).

The format string consists of the following abbreviations:

Field

Full Form

Short Form

Hour (1-12)

hh (2 digits)

h (1 or 2 digits)

Hour (0-23)

HH (2 digits)

H (1 or 2 digits)

Minute

 mm (2 digits)

m (1 or 2 digits)

Second

ss (2 digits)

s (1 or 2 digits)

AM/PM

a

glide.sys.default.tz

This property can be used to set the System timezone, used as default for calendars and users. Mostly Olson/zoneinfo timezone values are accepted.

glide.sys.logout_prompt

This property can be set to prompt user for logout request confirmation.

glide.sys.servlet_path

This property can be used to set the prefix path that is used while accessing user’s ServiceNow instance.

glide.sys.sparse.update

This property can be set to allow physical update of the database only when fields have changed in value.

glide.sys.upgrade_script

This property can be set for upgrade script used in particular instance.

glide.ui.autoclose.time

This property can be used to set the number of days (integer) after which Resolved incidents are automatically closed.

If set as Zero (0), it will disable this feature.

glide.ui.per_page

This property can be used to set 'Items per page' drop-down options (comma separated, no spaces). (For e.g. 10,15,20,50,100)

glide.ui.record.level.history

This property can be used to turn on/off the feature to maintain a history of records visited by each user.

glide.xmlhttp.ac_wait_time

This property can be used to set the default wait time between keystrokes for a dynamic drop-down choice list (milliseconds). (For e.g. 250)

glide.xmlhttp.max_choices

This property can be set for maximum number of items to show for a dynamic drop-down choice list.

glide.use_tiny_urls

This Boolean property allow to turn on/off the feature to use tiny URLs when a redirect URL becomes too large. This ensures that URLs that are too large for Internet Explorer (greater than 2083) are not used. Instead, they are converted to a tiny URL as a workaround for the Internet Explorer issue.

glide.tiny_url_min_length

This property is set for minimum length of a redirect URL that is turned into a tiny URL. The default value is to 1024.

glide.ui.activity.email.use_display

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, will turn on the ServiceNow feature to show user IDs instead of email addresses in Activity header for emails. Basically the instance searches for a user record based on matching email address in User table. If any matching user record is found, it displays user IDs in email header. If no matching user record is found, the email address is displayed. Default value is “false”.

glide.ui.activity.email_roles

This property allows to customize the list of roles that can view mail in the Activity formatter when including "Sent/Received Emails". The list of roles need to be specified in the format of comma-separated string values. Default value is “itil”.

glide.ui.activity.image.assigned_to

This property, if set with appropriate image filename path, enables to use "Assigned To" image in Activity formatter. For e.g. “images/icons/user.gifx”

glide.ui.activity.image.assignment_group

This property, if set with appropriate image filename path, enables to use Assignment group image in Activity formatter.

glide.ui.activity.image.comments

This property, if set with appropriate image filename path, enables to use Additional comments image used in Activity formatter.

glide.ui.activity.image.work_notes

This property, if set with appropriate image filename path, enables to use Work notes image used in Activity formatter.

glide.ui.activity.style.comments

This property allows to change the style of additional comments and provide customized background color in Activity formatter. For e.g. “background-color: WhiteSmoke”

glide.ui.activity.style.work_notes

This property allows to change the style of Work Notes in Activity formatter. Other fields can also be customized by creating new UI Properties.

glide.ui.advanced

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, enable the advanced UI and allows to show "Save", "Insert" and "Insert and Stay" buttons on forms.

glide.ui.app_menu_context

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, enable the right click to edit context menu on applications in the navigator.

glide.ui.attachment_drag_and_drop

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, allow attachment drag and drop in supported HTML5 browsers.

glide.ui.audit_deleted_tables

This property can be set with list of system tables (beginning with "sys_", comma separated) for which the audit history tracks deletions. Please note that by default, system tables do not have the delete audited. So for any system table to audited for deletions need to be included in the comma separated string value for this property. Default value for this property is “sys_user,sys_user_group,sys_user_role,sys_user_has_role,sys_user_grmember,sys_group_has_role,sys_security_acl_role”

glide.ui.autoclose.time

This property enables a feature wherein integer value set decides the number of days for automatic closure of Resolved incidents. If Zero (0) is set, it disables this feature.

glide.ui.buttons_bottom

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, enables a feature wherein buttons like Submit, Update, etc. are shown at end of form.

glide.ui.buttons_top

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, enables a feature wherein buttons like Submit, Update, etc. are shown in form header.

glide.ui.can_search

This property help to manage the use of Global Text Search feature in ServiceNow by allowing the access to specific roles. The list of roles is set as string in comma-separated format in this property. The default value for this property is “itil,text_search_admin,admin”

glide.ui.choicelist.defaultwidth

This property can be customized to set the width (in terms of pixels) for all choice list on the instance. Default value for this property is set to 160 that means by default all choice lists use a width of 160 pixels.

glide.ui.choices.show_missing

This property enables the appearance of missing choice list entries. It is advisable to set this Boolean property to “true” to avoid any issue related to dynamically created choice list entries.

glide.ui.clickthrough.popup

This property, if set to “true”, turn on the feature of opening a new window when the related object icon is clicked on any form in a ServiceNow instance. An additional icon is shown beside the field for referenced object. To avoid the creation of new window, keep this property as “false”.

glide.ui.clickthrough.replace

This property, if set to “true”, allow replacing the current screen for a related object. It works along with glide.ui.clickthrough.popup property. If both property are “true”, two different icons are shown for referenced object. Icon for glide.ui.clickthrough.popup property (when clicked) opens new window for referenced details. Icon for glide.ui.clickthrough.replace property (when clicked) loads referenced object details on same screen. If glide.ui.clickthrough.replace property is “false”, it can’t replace referenced details on same screen as its icon is not displayed.

glide.ui.client.integer.check

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, enable client side validation of integer fields.

glide.ui.client.mandatory.check

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, turn on a feature wherein client validates mandatory field population.

glide.ui.client.numeric.check

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, enable client side validation of numeric fields.

glide.ui.dirty_form_support

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, show a popup to user while navigating away from a modified form. The pop up shows two options. One to proceed further without saving the modifications. Second option to cancel the navigation and stay on same form.

glide.ui.email_client.autocomplete.count

This property help to control the email client autocomplete search result behaviors. The integer value set decides the maximum number of autocomplete matches to return to the email client. If glide.ui.email_client.autocomplete.group property is turned on, in that case, email client autocomplete search result feature applies to users and groups both. However the count applies separately for users and groups.

glide.ui.email_client.autocomplete.group

This Boolean property, if set to “true”, allows to include groups in email client autocomplete results. The count set for glide.ui.email_client.autocomplete.count property applies separately for users and groups.

glide.ui.email_client.from

This property allows to override the email 'From:' address in the email client. Normally “From” field is not displayed in the email client and it uses default email property values of Outgoing email display name (glide.email.username) and User email (glide.email.user). This property, if set to “true”, activate the feature wherein an editable “From” field is displayed in the email client.

glide.ui.email_client.reply_to

This property allows to override the email 'Reply to:' address in the email client. This property , if set to “true”, activate the feature wherein 'Reply to:' address line is displayed in the email client.

glide.ui.enforce.mandatory.on.update

This property, if set to “true”, validates mandatory field value and produce a 'mandatory' error during an update when a mandatory field begins with a null value.

glide.ui.filters

This Boolean property enable User Interface filters on ServiceNow instance.

glide.ui.focus_first_element

Setting this property to “false” disable the form focus on form load. If “true”, on form load, focus is on first writable element on the form.

glide.ui.forgetme

If this property set to “true”, it remove "Remember me" checkbox from login page.

glide.ui.form_multiple_splits

This property allow multiple splits within a single form section. If this property is set to true, three options "|- begin_split -|","|- split -|" and "|- end_split -|" appear in the Available column of the configure form slushbucket. Each of these split options creates a form group. Such form group contain two columns. It enables to create elements that span the form at the top of the form and also multiple two-column split element groups within the form,More info go through ServiceNow Developer Training Online Blog