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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:

Explore Curriculum

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 - Development

 ServiceNow provides a lot of inbuilt features and applications, which we can easily use to implement ITSM in any organisation. At the same time, there are business requirements to set up different processes and features. ServiceNow is highly customisable and developers can easily create applications and modules based on customer’s requirements using principles of Javascript.

Javascript is mandatory for ServiceNow scripting. In this section, we will give you an overview of ServiceNow development,more info go through Servicenow Developer Training

Application Creation Overview

ServiceNow provides an application called “Studio”, where you can create your new applications, give the source codes, create new tables for your applications, etc. The Studio provides guided and easy to use interface for creating new applications. Let’s create a new application for the following case of BookWorm ltd.

The Frontend IT team needs an application in ServiceNow wherein the Manager can publish the shift ROTA (shift rotation). There would be a 6 hrs shift for each employee and the team has to support 24 X 7.

From the navigator goto Studio, a new window will open. Click on Create application. You will be prompted to enter the application name and description. Finally, click Create.

You will find the application page below. Now, it is time to create a table for our application. Go to “Create application file”.

Click on Table under Data model and click create. You will be prompted to enter the details for the new table. Give the name of the table and keep remaining details as default.

Now scroll down and start defining the columns for these tables. We have below column definition, the important point to note here is that, we have selected reference of sys_user in Member column.

Now, click on the Shift column and select “Create choice list” as here, we will create choices of shift like 6am-12pm, 12pm-6pm, 6pm-12am and 12am-6am.

So, now that we have created the table our application in the studio looks like this.

The studio has automatically created Form, list, module, application menu for us. We can create additional modules, tables, UI etc. from the create application file option, as we did for creating the ROTA table.

Now let’s see how our application looks in service now. Search Frontend_IT_ROTA in the navigation bar and go to our new module.

Let’s go ahead and add some new ROTA records in our application. Click on the New button.

UI Policy and Actions

ServiceNow defines UI policies as a tool through which, we can dynamically change the behaviour of information on a form and control custom process flows for tasks. UI action on the other hand is used to make the UI more interactive, customised, and specific to user activities. Let’s understand this with the help of an example.

Suppose, we have to configure the Incident form in such a way that, if any incident is assigned to the Frontend IT team assignment group then, the Services field should become invisible and Configuration items should get disabled. The UI policy here is, “if assignment group is selected as frontend IT team” and UI actions here, is “Services field should become invisible and Configuration item field should get disabled”.

The UI action can be implemented through, an easy way to use interface and also through the client script. Writing client script will help us, to do advanced operations in the fields. We will also demonstrate the client scripting later in this section.

The important point to note over here is that, UI actions are faster and executed first, followed by client scripts. Let's create an UI policy and action for our use case. From the navigation bar, open “UI policy” module under “System UI” application and click on New button.

Give the name of the table, it is Incident in our case. Keep application as Global. If you can't find the option of global, navigate to the cog wheel in the top right corner and from developer tab select application as global.

Now, start giving the conditions in the next section. It would be “Assignment group is Frontend IT team” in our case. Next, there are some checkboxes, which are as follows −

• Global − tick if you want, your UI policies to be implemented globally.

• On load − tick if you want, to run your UI policy every time the page is refreshed.

• Reverse if false − tick if you want, to reverse all the actions which we created if the conditions are changed.

• Inherit − tick if you want, the table (in which UI policy is created) that extend the specified table inherit this UI Policy.

Fill all the required details and press submit.

Now, open the UI policy again and you will find the option to enter the UI actions. Let’s give the UI actions as per our use case. Click on the New button in the UI action section.

We will select the following actions for Services and Configuration items fields.

Click submit to confirm your UI actions and finally, click ‘Update’ to save the changes in UI policy. You can now go, to incident forms and verify your UI policy and actions.

ServiceNow Scripting

There are two types of scripting in ServiceNow, which are Client side and Server side. The server side scripting means that, processing takes place at the web server, while client scripting means, processing takes place at the user's machine. There are specific tasks, which could be accomplished by each type of script. Let's discuss, examples of both the scripts −

Client side scripting

The client side scripting can be used in various scenarios like populating some default values in the field of form, displaying some alert message, setting value in one field based on the response by the user in another field in a form, altering the choice list, etc. There are three main types of client scripts.

• Onload() - This gets executed, when the form is loaded.

• Onchange() - This gets executed, when particular field in the form is changed.

• Onsubmit() - This gets executed, when form is submitted.

Let’s create a client script for two use cases. In our new application, “Frontend IT team ROTA”, we will implement an alert “Please use this application once a week, to set shift rotation”, once the application is loaded. Then, we will display an alert “The Member is entitled for shift allowance”, if the shift timing is selected as 12am-6am.

Navigate to Studio module, open the application and click ‘Create application’ file. Then, select client script under client development option and give the required details as below −

Scroll down and give the script. We will give an alert as below.

Function onLoad() {
alert (“Please use this application once a week to set the shift rotation”);
}

Click submit and load your new application to see the result.

Now, let us implement the next use case. Here, we will use onChange. The onChange Function is automatically passed with 5 arguments by ServiceNow.

• Control − It is the field for which the Client Script is configured

• OldValue − It is the value of the field, when the form is loaded (prior to the change).

• newValue − It is the value of the field after the change.

• isLoading − It is the boolean value indicating whether, the change is occurring as part of a form load. Value is true if, change is due to a form load. When form loads, all the field values on the form changes.

• isTemplate − It is the boolean value indicating whether, the change that occurred, is due to the population of the field by a template. Value is true if, change is due to population by a template.

function onChange(control, oldValue, newValue, isLoading, isTemplate) {
   if (isLoading || newValue === '12am-6pm') {
      alert("The member is entitled for shift allowance");
      return;
   }
}

Glideform (g_form) class

The glideform is the class which is used to control the forms and the fields of the forms. We can perform tasks such as Hide a value of field, set the value of field based on the response on the other fields, add fields to choice list, etc.

The glide form class comes with many methods. A few important methods are addOption(), clearOptions(), showFieldMsg(), clearMessages(), clearValue(), setValue(), etc.

Let’s create a client script in incident form to populate some message in the description field, if the assignment group is selected as the Frontend IT team. Go to UI policies and create a new policy. Give the condition in the “Where to apply” section as “Assignment group is Frontend IT team”.

Submit the UI policy, open it again and then, click on the advanced view. Later, you will find the option to give the script.

The script is automatically populated with function onCondition(). The onCondition function will be executed automatically once, the condition we have given in UI policy is met. Another point to note is that there are two scripts, “Execute if true” and “Execute if false”.

The ‘execute if true’ script will execute once the condition is matched and if, we change the values in the fields such that, condition we have mentioned is no longer met, then the script in ‘execute if false’ will execute.

Let's write a script for both. Here, we will use setValue and clearValue methods. To get the field name, which needs to be mentioned in the script, open the incident form and right click on the desired field, you can find the field name in format “Show - <fieldname>”

On true script

function onCondition() {
   g_form.clearValue('description');
   g_form.setValue(‘description’,'**Please mention server name, instance name and error code**');
}

On false script

function onCondition() {
   g_form.clearValue('description');
}

Now, open the incident form and check the result.

Server Side Scripting

Server-side scripts execute on the ServiceNow server or database. Server side scripting has two categories −

• Business rules

• Script include

Let us take a look into each category one by one.

Business rules

The business rules module can be found in System definition application. To create a business rule, click on new. We can create a simple business rule using business rule actions, which have a simple dropdown interface.

You can use business rule action to set the values of the field or to add a message in the form. We can choose, when to run the business rule as below −

• Before − The logic in business rule executes before the database operation

• After − The logic in the business rule executes after the database operation

• Async − Async Business Rules executes their logic after a database operation occurs but the scheduler queues the task to be run as soon as possible but not necessarily immediately after the database operation.

• Display − Display Business Rules executes their logic, when a form loads and a record is loaded from the database.

We can also choose the database operation, at which the business rule should execute. Let us create a business rule action, in the Frontend IT team ROTA application, we created in the last section.

We have to set the value in the Remark field as “Monitor XO887 batch jobs” if the shift timing is 12am to 6am. Give the name and table frontend_it_rota. Inside, when to run tab give the condition, as shift is 12am to 6am and check ‘insert’ and ‘update’ box.

Inside Action tab give your condition for the remark field.

We can also give our custom script in this business rule. To start writing the custom script, check the Advanced checkbox and you will see, the new Advanced tab to write the script.

Let us write a script, to abort the insert transaction when the member, time or date field is not given. We will use ‘current’ and ‘previous’ objects for this purpose.

(function executeRule(current, previous /*null when async*/)) {
   if((current.member = ' ') || (current.date = ' ') || (current.shift = ' '){
      current.setAbortAction(true);
   }
}

Script Include

Using script includes, we can write custom functions or classes and then, use them in other scripts as many times we need. They are sort of reusable scripts; we can use in other client-side or server side scripts. However, they get executed only, when called by the other scripts explicitly. To create a new script include, we have a module “Script include” under the “System definition” application. Click on new to create a new script include.

In the script include form, give the name of the script include. The API name field is the internal name of the script include and it is used, when this script include is called from other applications. Check the client callable checkbox, if you want to use this script include in client-side scripts. In the application, give the application for which this script is used. In the ‘accessible from’ field, give the application scope.

Let us write a script for the following case in Frontend IT team ROTA application. First, we will write a script include, which will check an invalid character in any field. We will define a function, which will take the argument as a string and return true or false, based on the characters in the string.

We will use this function in our business rule scripting to validate, if the value given in the Member (Name) field (in frontend IT team ROTA app), does not have any invalid character while submitting the form.

Open the script include module, below is the script which we will use.

function validatefieldcharacters(fieldinput) {
   var validcharacters = /^[a-zA-Z]+$/;
   if(fieldinput.value.match(validcharacters)) {
      return true;
   } else {
      return false;
   }
}

Now, let us write down the Business rule script to validate the Member field. Open business rule module and create a new business rule for our application Frontend IT team ROTA.

var memberfieldstatus = validatefieldcharacters(current.member)
   if(memberfieldstatus == false) {
   gs.addErrorMessage(" Special characters not allowed in member field");
   current.setAbortAction(true);
}

Debugging

We can use various debugging techniques, if our script is not performing as per the expectations, or if we are getting some error. Let’s discuss various ways in which, we can debug client side and server side script.

Debugging client scripts

The best way to debug the client script is referring to logs. The Javascript provides jslog() method to write messages in Javascript logs. The jslog() method accepts messages, which we want in the logs in the argument. Below is an example on, how we can implement the jslog(). You can use the below script in the business rule script.

function onLoad(){
   jslog("This log is displayed from jslog().");
   jslog("The value of Member field is = " + g_form.getValue('Member'));
}

This will give the value given in the member field in the logs. In this case, we have used the getvalue method, to retrieve the value of the member field. Now, the next step is to turn the logs on. Go to setting option on the top right corner and click on developer tab. Turn on the “Javascript log and Field watcher” option.

The JavaScript Logs will open in a new section at the bottom of the main ServiceNow browser window.

Apart from jslog() we can also use try/catch statements which we generally use in Javascript to debug the scripts.

Debugging server side script

The most common way of debugging server side script is using “Script debugger” module. The script debugger can be used to place breakpoints, traverse the code step by step, view value of variables, etc. To access script debugger, find “script debugger” in the navigation bar. It is present inside “System Diagnostics” application.

Apart from this, we can also refer to “Application logs” module, which is present inside “System log application”.

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Explanation: ServiceNow AWS integration

 ServiceNow started as a ticketing platform to efficiently handle IT requests. Something special was born during its expansion. The application has grown, acquiring the ability to communicate through various functional areas. Then supplying all of them with one window of exposure.

ServiceNow's evolution has made it one of the fastest-growing tech firms. Thus, taking the lead over prominent conglomerates such as Facebook. Their comprehensive framework extends to include security, customer service, HR. Then business apps beyond the IT infrastructure landscape. Salesforce, Workaday, SAP, and Oracle apps can now connect. Thus, it is already in the framework and serves as a channel-to-channel communication interface,More info go through ServiceNow Certification Course.

ServiceNow integration with cloud

Through enacting anomaly detection, predictive modeling, peer benchmarking. Thus, success forecasting, the intelligent automation engine of the framework works. On the cloud, it is always open, completely scalable. Then secure to scale with even the largest global businesses.

For several companies, Service Now forms the trunk of the IT Service Management tree. The platform uses to weave value streams together, linking business processes. Then incorporate business management technology. Cloud computing, led by Amazon web services (AWS), is one of the broad branches in the company tree these days. Cloud is now filling the IT Service Management windscreen. Thus, are usually key owners, but not cloud, in several businesses.

How are companies combining ITSM with the Cloud?

It is a business imperative to merge IT Service Management and Cloud Computing. But it is a non-trivial challenge and it is also a collision between two separate worlds. IT Service Managers are not' cloud techies' and it is not usual for ITSM experts to be cloud engineers. This leads to several "dropped balls" in the company as the differences between ITSM and cloud. This led to financial, organizational, and security issues and most importantly, lost opportunities. Then you can use it to enhance the company.

Today companies around the UK are running programming to merge Service Now and AWS. They strive to add speed to their value chain, increase customer service efficiency. There are three general ways to approach integration with Service Now and AWS.

• Custom integrations between ServiceNow and AWS are hand-craft. This is through APIs to provide business users with the cloud.

• To combine ServiceNow with AWS cloud resources. This is by using the ServiceNow Cloud Management product.

• Using the ServiceNow and Service Catalogue AWS Connector.

To support customers, use the AWS Connector. Thus, has collaborated with Unifi, a creative and leading ServiceNow partner.

Businesses today need to move quicker and faster. Thus, meaning they need to use the cloud with less friction. It can mean less pressure, less governance, but it doesn't always have to. There is a way through to consume AWS so that the company. Then has the right guard rails in place, but experiences less pressure in accessing the cloud.

Without requiring those users to cloud experts, businesses use the AWS Service Catalogue. This is to give their users access to new cloud technologies.

Guard rails

The guard rails for the Operation Catalogue are as follows.

• An easy, administrator-configured user interface.

• Embedded rules of governance (hidden), set by the admin.

• Cost controls-the option of services the admin makes.

• Restricted user options, already-approved, set by the admin.

The interface of the Service Catalogue eliminates confusion by hiding ambiguity. This is from the perspective of the users and speeds up their work. Furthermore, AWS Service Catalogue automates the deployment of apps to the cloud. Then removes the need for users to be technical experts. However, it also guarantees that the deployment is correct. Then you can eliminate the human factor friction removes and guard rails embed.

The Service-Now Connector creates AWS. Then it is freely available at the app centre. The Connector's advantages are as follows.

• Using existing portfolios and unchanged goods of the AWS Service Catalogue. Then collaborating with existing customers, groups, and workflows.

• By delivering AWS Service Catalogue items through standard ServiceNow catalogs. But on the core platform and in the Service Portal, the Connector. This provides the customer with a well-governed and friction-free experience. The cloud is now secret, but all the guard rails and friction-free benefits are still there.

The familiar ServiceNow workflows accept and fulfill requests for goods. Then handle all subsequent changes with the change management framework.

The combination of Service Now and AWS service Catalogue is the best of both worlds. Then the alliance between and Unifi lets companies perform. Thus, they take advantage of this ITSM and cloud development. The Connector comes with many simple workflows. Besides,  can adjust to meet the needs of your clients. Then such as setting parameter values automatically, assigning tags or generating alerts, etc.

Challenge

Cloud computing provides companies the chance to improve their productivity and competitiveness.

Enhancing agility 

• Therefore, businesses in all verticals of the industry are turning to the public

• To accelerate innovation, broaden consumer penetration, and bring down IT costs, cloud technologies.

• Embracing the public cloud, however, poses obstacles. Businesses are interested in taking

• Profit from the advantages of the public cloud, but still maintain the same degree of

• With their on-site and private security, governance, and control, they have

• Infrastructure for clouds. To expand securely to the public cloud, companies need the best

• Practices to put in place the necessary guardrails, while also motivating users including.

• With the creativity and agility that the cloud offers, DevOps.

A Solution
ServiceNow® and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have worked to meet this challenge.

To build a fully integrated cloud management solution for the AWS together

Uh, Cloud. This integration lets IT take full advantage of the agility and agility of Amazon Cloud

Advanced capabilities while retaining total visibility of their public cloud and control

Capabilities

• It offers systematic, reliable processes for construction and management.

• Services across the regions and accounts of Amazon, along with the exposure need.

• Ensure compliance with their policy on corporate protection. It also provides AWS clients.

• Cloud expense and use visibility at the level of application and operation, providing

• Increased accountability for programs to show back and chargeback.

• With Service Now Cloud Management, customers of Service Now use their current

• Investment to operate the AWS Cloud more efficiently and effectively, and new investments

• Visibility and control enhance AWS customers using ServiceNow's tested and trusted

Single Record System.

Service Now Cloud Management offers an agile, rock-solid management framework

Public and private cloud operating system, if you're just having cloud.

Advanced hybrid cloud solutions have begun or are now rolling out.

How This Functions

• Combining ServiceNow with the AWS Cloud offers a robust service

• Lifecycle stewardship. Using Cloud Management from Service Now, companies can:

• Establish a clear single record system for all their public clouds and public clouds.

• Tools for private clouds.

• Provide a rich, self-service platform for users where they can request and track

• All their tools for the cloud.

• Control over which AWS resources can access by each user using role-based resources

• Permissions, eliminating the need for many accounts with AWS.

• Provisioning and configuring cloud resources automatically, like absolute

• Templates for Cloud Formation and completely optimized VPCs.

• Apply change management to cloud workloads for development.

• Bring existing cloud infra, using service-aware discovery, under control.

• Over the entire lifecycle, detect, diagnose, and treat cloud incidents.

• Gain insight into cloud prices, based on customer, provider, company line.

Conclusion

I hope you conclude integration with AWS. This combination of both can bring great changes to the IT sector and businesses. You can learn more insights from the ServiceNow space through ServiceNow Training.