My ServiceNow PDI is Not Working – 500 Internal Server Error (snow_adc)

[vinayakp2020]

Issue:

1. When I try to open my PDI, it shows a 500 Internal Server Error.
2. The same error occurs even when navigating to different pages inside ServiceNow.
3. I am unable to use my PDI properly.
4. This issue is affecting my ServiceNow learning and hands-on practice.

My Questions:

1. Why am I getting this 500 Internal Server Error?
2. Is this a server-side issue or an instance-related issue?
3. How can I fix this problem?
4. Can the ServiceNow team help me restore my existing PDI without losing my data?

I am currently learning ServiceNow and need my PDI for hands-on practice.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[Shahjay]

Hi @vinayakp2020 

This isn’t something you caused. From what I’ve seen, snow_adc on these error pages means the response came from ServiceNow’s routing layer in front of your PDI rather than from the instance itself. That’s why every page you open gives the same 500. Several people have hit this in the last few days (including a couple in this thread), so it’s backend maintenance on the PDI hosting side.

Here’s what I’d do:

1. Check your instance on developer.servicenow.com under Manage instance. If the status just says Offline, click Refresh and give it a few minutes. If it says the instance is undergoing unscheduled maintenance, Refresh won’t help. Turn on the “get notified” email and wait.
2. Try logging in directly at https://<your-instance>.service-now.com/login.do with the admin credentials from the Manage instance page. Some people have got in this way while the portal still showed maintenance. It doesn’t always work, but if it does, back up your work straight away. Export your update sets, export XML for any data you want to keep, or link scoped apps to GitHub through Studio.
3. Only release the instance once you’ve backed up, or decided there’s nothing on it worth keeping.

On your last question: no, ServiceNow can’t restore it for you. PDIs have no support channel, so nobody can force it back online or recover the data. It either comes back by itself or you release it.

Expect days rather than hours. Atul’s came back after 2 days, and other threads have reported a week or more. New PDI requests have also gone onto a waitlist at busy times this year, sometimes for a week or longer, so releasing could leave you without an instance for a while. If there’s work on it you care about, waiting is usually the better call.

Once you’re back in, keep your work in named update sets and export them regularly. ServiceNow’s blog post on backing up your PDI also covers the GitHub option.