1. Impersonating a User
Impersonating a user in the context of ServiceNow or any system typically means temporarily assuming the identity or privileges of another user, usually with administrative control. This allows an administrator or support personnel to see the system as that user would see it, often to diagnose issues, perform troubleshooting, or understand user-specific problems.
Usefulness:
- Testing and Troubleshooting: It helps administrators or support teams replicate reported issues that are specific to certain user roles or permissions.
- User Experience Verification: Ensures that the user interface and functionalities behave correctly for different user roles without needing multiple accounts.
- Training and Support: Useful for training new users or demonstrating features to support personnel without needing to create numerous accounts.
2. Client Script in ServiceNow
Client scripts in ServiceNow run on the user’s browser (client-side) and are used to extend the functionality of forms and fields. They execute based on specific events:
- OnLoad(): Executes when the form is loaded.
- OnChange(): Executes when a field value changes.
- OnSubmit(): Executes when the form is submitted.
- OnCellEdit(): Executes when a cell in a list field is edited.
These scripts allow customization of the user interface and can interact with form elements to validate data, perform calculations, or dynamically update fields based on user actions.
3. Record Producer
A record producer in ServiceNow is a specific type of catalog item in the Service Catalog. It allows users to create task-based records directly from the catalog interface. Users fill out a form-like interface to provide information necessary to create a new record in ServiceNow, such as an incident, change request, or any custom record type defined in the instance.
Record producers provide an alternative to the standard form-based creation process and can streamline the request and creation of records by guiding users through the necessary steps.
4. Zing (Searching Technique)
Zing is the search engine technology used in ServiceNow. It performs full-text searches across all indexed fields and tables within the ServiceNow instance. Zing indexes data from various tables and allows users to quickly retrieve relevant information through keyword searches.
5. HTML Sanitizer
An HTML Sanitizer in ServiceNow is a security feature that automatically cleans up HTML markup in HTML fields to prevent security vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. It removes potentially harmful HTML tags and attributes while preserving safe content. This helps maintain the integrity and security of data stored and displayed within ServiceNow instances.
6. BSM Map (Business Service Management Map)
A BSM Map in ServiceNow is a graphical representation that displays the configuration items (CIs) associated with a particular business service. It visually represents how these CIs are interconnected and their current status. BSM Maps are useful for understanding dependencies, identifying potential points of failure, and managing the overall health and performance of business services within an organization.
8. Performance Analytics
Performance Analytics in ServiceNow is an application that enables organizations to analyze and visualize key performance indicators (KPIs) over time. It allows users to create scorecards, dashboards, and reports to monitor performance against defined targets and goals. Key features include:
- Time Series Analysis: Tracking KPI trends over time.
- Data Aggregation: Summarizing and aggregating data at regular intervals.
- Snapshot Metrics: Capturing data snapshots for historical analysis.
- Visualization: Creating charts, graphs, and other visual representations of performance data.
9. Reference Qualifier
A reference qualifier in ServiceNow is a powerful tool used to restrict the data that users can select for a reference field. It uses a scripting logic (JavaScript) to filter out records based on specified conditions. Reference qualifiers are commonly used to:
- Limit choices in reference fields to relevant or related records.
- Enforce data integrity by ensuring only valid references are selected.
- Simplify user experience by narrowing down large datasets to manageable selections.
10. _next() vs next() Method
next(): This method in ServiceNow’s GlideRecord API moves the current record pointer to the next record in the result set.
_next(): Similarly, this method performs the same function as
next(). It is used when dealing with tables where there might be a column named “next” to avoid any potential naming conflicts.
11. Application in ServiceNow
An application in ServiceNow refers to a logical grouping of modules that provide related functionality or serve a specific purpose within the platform. Examples include Incident Management, Change Management, HR Service Delivery, etc. Applications typically consist of tables, forms, reports, business rules, workflows, and other components that collectively deliver specific business processes or services.
12. Business Rule
A business rule in ServiceNow is a server-side script that executes when a record is inserted, updated, deleted, or queried. It automates processes and enforces rules on data within the platform. Key aspects of business rules include:
- Trigger Conditions: Define when the business rule should execute (e.g., upon record creation, field update).
- Script Actions: Specify the actions or operations to perform when the rule conditions are met (e.g., field updates, notifications).
- Scope: Can be applied globally, to specific tables, or to specific conditions within tables.
13. ACL (Access Control List)
ACL stands for Access Control List in ServiceNow. ACLs define what data users can access and what operations they can perform on that data. These permissions can be set based on roles, conditions, and scripts to enforce security and data protection policies across the platform.
14. Domain Separation
Domain separation in ServiceNow is a feature that allows organizations to separate and isolate their data into logical domains or partitions. It ensures that records and configurations are restricted to specific domains, preventing unauthorized access and maintaining data integrity and security.
15. setWorkflow(e) Function
The setWorkflow(e) function in ServiceNow is used to enable or disable the execution of business rules triggered by subsequent actions like insert or update operations. When e is set to false, business rules are disabled, and actions like inserts or updates won’t trigger those rules. Setting e to true enables the execution of these business rules.
25. CMDB (Configuration Management Database)
CMDB is a centralized repository in ServiceNow that acts as a data warehouse for IT assets and configuration items (CIs). It stores information about hardware, software, and services, as well as the relationships between them. CMDB helps organizations manage their IT infrastructure, track changes, and improve service delivery by providing a comprehensive view of IT assets and their configurations.
