CSDM CI Lifecycle Management: LifeCycleUtil and Internal State Restoration

Prathmeshda
Giga Guru

3 weeks ago

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_stageDefines lifecycle stages
    life_cycle_stage_statusDefines statuses
    life_cycle_controlValid stage/status combinations
    life_cycle_mappingLegacy → CSDM mapping


    Important System Properties

    Property Name Description
    csdm.lifecycle.migration.activatedEnables lifecycle migration
    csdm.lifecycle.bulk_population.activePrevents parallel bulk runs
    csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activatedCI–Asset sync
    csdm.lifecycle.excluded.class.listExcludes 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.

    If you found this article useful, please mark it as Helpful. It helps others find the content more easily 👍🙂

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2 REPLIES 2

Vijaya_Mnpram
Tera Guru

2 weeks ago

@Prathmeshda  Thanks for all the info. But there is a button 'Enable Lifecycle Stages' in the mapping table and just clicking on it will transfer the existing legacy values to CSDM fields. 

Can you please explain why this scheduled job should be run exclusively ? 

Useful links: 

Useful URLs: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/csh?topicname=csdm-life-cyle-terms.html&version=latest

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/csh?topicname=csdm-life-cycle-standard-values.html&version=latest

 

 

Prathmeshda
Giga Guru
In response to Vijaya_Mnpram

2 weeks ago

Hello @Vijaya_Mnpram 
You are correct that the 'Enable Lifecycle Stages' button is a key part of the process, but it serves a different purpose than the scheduled job.

"Enable Lifecycle Stages" Button
Purpose: To perform the initial migration of legacy status values (e.g., install_status and operational_status) to the new CSDM lifecycle fields (life_cycle_stage and life_cycle_stage_status).
Functionality: Takes all existing CIs and populates the new CSDM lifecycle fields based on predefined mappings from legacy fields.
Usage: Intended for a one-time action when first adopting the CSDM lifecycle model to align existing CMDB data.
How it Works: When clicked, ServiceNow runs a background process that goes through existing CIs, checks legacy status, and fills in new CSDM fields based on mappings.

"CI Lifecycle Management – Restore Internal State Management Tables" Scheduled Job
Purpose: For ongoing maintenance and data integrity within the CMDB.
Functionality: Acts as a corrective and synchronizing tool, regularly scanning the CMDB to identify and fix CIs that are out of sync with defined lifecycle rules.
Usage: Ensures long-term compliance and data quality in a changing CMDB environment.
Reasons for Inconsistency (Data Drift):
Manual Data Changes: Users manually changing status, ignoring intended logic.
Integrations: External tools adding data that doesn't fit lifecycle rules.
Process Changes: Updates to lifecycle mappings (e.g., changing how a legacy status maps to a CSDM stage).
Correcting Data Drift and Inconsistencies: Regularly scans to find and fix CIs where legacy and CSDM fields are out of sync or contain invalid values.
Handling New or Updated Mappings: Reassesses all CIs against current mapping rules and updates them as needed, ensuring the entire CMDB reflects new logic. The "Enable Lifecycle Stages" button is not meant for repeated use in these cases.
Ensuring CMDB Health After Major Changes: Best way to reapply and check all lifecycle states after large data imports, restores from backup, or major structural changes to the CMDB. Ensures no CI is left in a non-compliant or uncertain state.
Safety Feature: The script specifically checks if a bulk population is already in progress to avoid conflicts.
If this response proves useful, please mark it as Accept as Solution and Helpful.👍🙂

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