Duplicate work notes seen by all ITIL users except One

[display]

Occasionally, we see duplicate work notes or comments displayed in the activity log of a case. However, there is one  user account that never sees duplicate. Can anyone think of a reason why a particular ITIL user account would not see duplicate entries but others see duplicates? 

This is so bizarre. It's unclear why we are seeing duplicates and not all cases exhibit this behavior. But how is it just 1 account, cannot see these duplicates.  This is just a regular ITIL user account.

Any ideas?

[Brad Bowman · Accepted solution]

The former issue I was thinking of dealt with extra blank lines inserted in work notes, and was resolved by upgrading to WDC patch 7A.

KB1706740 Duplicate comments and work notes are observed in the Activity stream

may be relevant.  The fix for this is in WDC patch 9 and X patch 4.

[display · Accepted solution]

Thanks Brad.

I ended up opening a case with ServiceNow and this is the response back for the benefit of anyone else that comes across this issue:

Most Probable Cause:
I found that your issue is related to an existing Problem PRB1806563 at our side.

Solution Proposed:
● PRB1806563 has been fixed and the fix will be provided in "Washington DC Patch 9" and "Xanadu Patch 4".

● Both patches are expected to be released in the first week of December. Please note that that date can be changed.

● Alternatively, you can apply the following workaround to resolve the duplication issue:

1. The customer can create the property

"glide.history_set.pull_journal_entries_from_journal_table"

and set it to true.
2. Delete the corresponding history set from sys_history_set table for the affected record.
3. Reload the record form and the duplication should be resolved.

● Please note that the duplication can happen intermittently even if the property is enabled (this is the issue we are trying to address with PRB1806563 ). Still, it will also be resolved by following steps 2 and 3 from the process as mentioned earlier.

You can find more details in the below KE Article:

https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB1706740

[Jeffrey Siegel]

I had this occur as well, on a conference call with SN Support, they never figured out what caused it, but it eventually stopped....  Let me know if you figure this out please.

[sportzf]

Duplicate Work Notes Seen by All ITIL Users Except One

If duplicate work notes are visible to all ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) users except for one, it could indicate an issue with the configuration, permissions, or system behavior within your IT service management tool (such as ServiceNow, BMC Helix, etc.). Below are some common reasons and potential solutions to address this problem.

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. Permission or Role-Based Access Issues

• Issue: The user who is not seeing the duplicate work notes may have different roles or permissions compared to the other users. If the permissions are incorrectly configured, it could restrict the user’s ability to view specific work notes or updates.
• Solution:
  • Check the user role configuration in the ITSM tool (e.g., ServiceNow, BMC).
  • Ensure the user has the necessary roles that allow them to view work notes. You may need to update their permissions or add them to the correct group.
  • Verify that the user’s permissions match those of the others who can view the work notes.

2. Duplicate Work Notes Created by Automation or Integration

• Issue: Some automated processes or integrations could create duplicate work notes in tickets or incidents. These duplicates may appear for some users based on their access to particular system views or data.
• Solution:
  • Review the automation rules (e.g., business rules, workflows, or integrations) that may be generating duplicate work notes. Common scenarios could involve automatic ticket updates, incident escalations, or integrations with external systems.
  • Check if the work notes are being entered multiple times due to automated processes and refine the rule or integration logic to avoid creating duplicates.

3. UI or Display Issue

• Issue: The issue could be related to the UI rendering or a cache problem on the user's device. In some cases, the user might see different results due to browser settings, cache, or rendering discrepancies.
• Solution:
  • Clear the cache or refresh the browser for the affected user.
  • Test the behavior on a different device or browser to rule out display-related issues.
  • Check if the issue persists for that user when they log in from a different session or workstation.

4. Data Synchronization Problems

• Issue: If your ITSM tool is integrated with multiple systems or databases, there could be a data synchronization issue, which might cause work notes to be duplicated or updated inconsistently across different users.
• Solution:
  • Investigate if there are any synchronization delays or failures between systems, such as integration issues with other service management tools or external systems.
  • Ensure that the data syncing process is functioning properly and that any integrations are updated to prevent duplications.

5. Notification or Activity Log Errors

• Issue: There could be errors or misconfigurations in the activity logs or notification settings that lead to duplicate work notes being shown in the activity stream.
• Solution:
  • Review the activity log configuration to ensure that notifications or work notes are being logged appropriately.
  • Verify that any custom notifications or activity streams are not causing duplication due to misconfigurations.

6. Custom Scripts or Business Rules

• Issue: Custom scripts or business rules could be causing unintended behavior, such as duplicating work notes for certain conditions or users.
• Solution:
  • Review any custom business rules or scripts that might affect how work notes are handled or displayed. Specifically, check for scripts that run when certain criteria are met (e.g., changes in ticket status or updates from specific users).
  • Test by disabling or modifying problematic rules and scripts to see if the duplication issue is resolved.

7. Cache or Session Handling on the Server Side

• Issue: Sometimes, server-side caching or session handling can cause discrepancies in data presentation, where one user might not see the latest data (including work notes) while others do.
• Solution:
  • Check server-side session management and caching configurations. Ensure that there are no caching issues that could lead to outdated or incorrect data being shown to the user.
  • Consider clearing server-side caches and testing the issue again.

Steps for Troubleshooting:

1. Verify Roles and Permissions:

   • Compare the affected user's roles with those of other users who can see the duplicate work notes.
   • Adjust the permissions if needed to ensure equal access to all work notes.

2. Check Automation/Integration Settings:

   • Review any automation or integration rules that may be causing the duplication. Look for specific triggers that could lead to duplicate work note creation.

3. Test UI and Cache:

   • Have the affected user log in from a different browser or device to rule out client-side issues.
   • Clear browser caches or use an incognito/private browsing window to check for discrepancies.

4. Review Data Syncing:

   • If your system integrates with other databases or tools, ensure that data syncing is functioning correctly and that there are no conflicts causing duplicate data.

5. Check for Custom Scripts/Business Rules:

   • Review any custom scripts or business rules that may be incorrectly handling work note updates, leading to duplication.

6. Monitor Activity Logs:

   • Investigate activity logs for signs of errors or duplication in work note creation and updates.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to pinpoint the cause of the duplicate work notes and resolve the issue, ensuring all users, including the one affected, can view the correct data.

[jcmings]

If duplicates are truly posting, then I'm guessing you have a business rule that uses current.update() somewhere.