Applying service mapping to CIs and promoting changes to higher instances

[Passion_of_SNOW]

I have completed the deduplication of CI data, merged duplicate records, and created new CIs. As a result, we now have well-mapped Business Services, Service Offerings, and Application Services in our DEV instance.

I would like to promote these changes to UAT for validation by the relevant Service Owners, and then push them to PROD. My preference is to capture these changes in Update Sets and implement them in PROD via a Change Request.

I have a few questions regarding the approach:

1. Is it possible to capture CI updates and mappings in an Update Set (i.e., can we force an Update Set to capture CMDB data changes)?

2. If yes, can we reverse those CI changes by rolling back the Change in PROD, or would they be permanent once applied?

3. What is the safest way to transfer CI changes and mappings from DEV → UAT → PROD?

Please note that we’ve recently started our ITOM Discovery project and are building our configuration model from scratch. We’ll be performing a large number of service mappings for critical applications, so we’re looking for the safest and most controlled way to handle service mapping, deduplication, and CI merge activities across environments.

[NavinAgarwal]

Hi @Passion_of_SNOW ,

To handle service mapping, deduplication, and CI merge activities across environments in ServiceNow, establish robust CI identifier rules, utilize the CMDB Query Builder and Service Mapping to define and visualize relationships, and implement a controlled CI deduplication and merge process using the built-in deduplication features and domain separation. Regularly validate and update these rules and mappings to maintain accuracy and prevent duplicates across development, testing, and production environments. 

1. Standardize CI Identification and Prevent Duplicates

• Define CI Identifier Rules: 

  Configure CI identifier rules within the CMDB to ensure that CIs are uniquely identified by specific attribute combinations. 
• Use Discovery: 

  Leverage ServiceNow Discovery to automatically populate and identify CIs, with a focus on using unique values for identification to prevent initial duplicates. 
• Normalize CIs: 

  Before merging, ensure that CIs are normalized, meaning their data has been standardized and consistently formatted across the environment. 

2. Manage Service Mapping Across Environments 

• Utilize Service Mapping: 

  Use the Service Mapping application to create a logical and accurate view of your IT services, showing how different CIs interact to deliver a business service.
• Map Across Environments: 

  Create a unified service map that includes CIs from all relevant environments, ensuring that the relationships and dependencies are clear and consistently understood.
• CMDB Query Builder: 

  Use the CMDB Query Builder to create complex infrastructure and service queries that span multiple CMDB classes and environments, providing deeper insights into service architecture.

3. Implement a Controlled Deduplication and Merge Process

• Use Built-in Tools: 

  Employ ServiceNow's dedicated deduplication and remediation tools to find and resolve duplicate CIs. 
• Define Merge Precedence: 

  When merging CIs, define precedence values for each data source to control which data attributes are kept, ensuring data integrity. 
• Domain Separation: 

  Use domain separation to isolate CIs and mappings specific to different environments (e.g., development, testing, production), preventing accidental cross-environment merges or conflicts. 
• Review and Remediate: 

  Regularly review the suggested duplicates and implement a controlled remediation process, potentially using a custom workflow for complex scenarios. 

4. Maintain and Validate Regularly

• Periodic Reviews: 

  Schedule regular reviews of CI relationships and duplicate CIs to ensure the CMDB remains accurate and up-to-date. 
• Update Rules: 

  As your IT infrastructure evolves, update CI identifier rules and service mappings to reflect changes and prevent future duplication. 

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