CSDM CI Lifecycle Management: LifeCycleUtil and Internal State Restoration

[Prathmeshda]

ServiceNow’s Common Service Data Model (CSDM) introduces a standardized way to manage the lifecycle of Configuration Items (CIs) and Assets. Instead of relying on legacy fields like Install Status and Operational Status, CSDM defines a two-tier lifecycle framework:

• Life Cycle Stage (high-level phase)

• Life Cycle Status (detailed state)

To enforce this model consistently across CMDB, Asset Management, and ITOM, ServiceNow provides the out-of-box utility LifeCycleUtil.

CSDM Lifecycle Model Overview

Life Cycle Stage (Broad Phase)

Life Cycle Stage represents the high-level phase of a CI or Asset:

• Draft / Development – Planning or design phase

• Pre-Operational – Testing, staging, or pilot

• Operational – Actively in use (production)

• End of Operation – Retired, decommissioned, or pending disposal

Life Cycle Status (Granular State)

Life Cycle Status adds detail within a stage, such as:

• Planned

• Installed

• Operational

• Pending Disposal

  • CIs
    are automatically synchronized with:

  • Related Assets

    Retired
    
    

    Core Responsibilities of LifeCycleUtil

    1. Legacy ↔ CSDM Lifecycle Mapping

    LifeCycleUtil maps legacy fields:

    • install_status

    • operational_status

    to CSDM fields:

    • life_cycle_stage

    • life_cycle_stage_status

    2. Lifecycle Validation

    Before insert or update, LifeCycleUtil ensures:

    • Both Stage and Status are provided

    • The combination is valid per life_cycle_control

    • Invalid combinations are blocked

    
    3. Synchronization Between CI and Asset

    When enabled via system property:

    csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated = true

    Lifecycle changes on:

• 4. Bulk Lifecycle Population

  During migration or cleanup, LifeCycleUtil can populate lifecycle values in bulk using existing mappings.

  Key method:

  LifeCycleUtil.bulkPopulate();

  5. Fallback to “To Be Determined”

  If no valid mapping exists:

  • Stage → To Be Determined

  • Status → To Be Determined

  This guarantees no CI is left blank, which is critical for CMDB health.

  Key Lifecycle Tables Used

  Table Purpose

  life_cycle_stage	Defines lifecycle stages
  life_cycle_stage_status	Defines statuses
  life_cycle_control	Valid stage/status combinations
  life_cycle_mapping	Legacy → CSDM mapping

  
  Important System Properties

  Property Name Description

  csdm.lifecycle.migration.activated	Enables lifecycle migration
  csdm.lifecycle.bulk_population.active	Prevents parallel bulk runs
  csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated	CI–Asset sync
  csdm.lifecycle.excluded.class.list	Excludes CI classe

  Scheduled Script Execution

  CI Lifecycle Management – Restore Internal State Management Tables

  Type: Scheduled Script Execution
  Application: Global

  Purpose:

  • Restore lifecycle stages and statuses

  • Reapply lifecycle mappings

  • Ensure CSDM compliance

  (function executeLifecycleRestore() {

  var lifeCycleUtil = new global.LifeCycleUtil();

  if (!lifeCycleUtil.isLifeCycleMigrationActivated()) {
  gs.warn('Lifecycle migration not activated. Job aborted.');
  return;
  }

  if (lifeCycleUtil.isBulkPopulationActive()) {
  gs.warn('Bulk lifecycle population already running. Job aborted.');
  return;
  }

  gs.info('Starting CI lifecycle internal state restoration');

  lifeCycleUtil.bulkPopulate();

  gs.info('CI lifecycle internal state restoration completed');

  })();
  
  

  LifeCycleUtil is the foundation of CSDM lifecycle management in ServiceNow. It enforces valid lifecycle data, synchronizes legacy and modern fields, and supports safe bulk restoration through scheduled jobs.

  Using the CI Lifecycle Management – Restore Internal State Management Tables scheduled script is the recommended approach for maintaining a clean, CSDM-compliant CMDB.
  
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