when remediation is completed on de duplicate task, which records gets updated with main CI

[Abhiram8]

Hi All

I am checking on remediating a duplicate task, when remediation is completed, duplicate CI gets updated with the main CI. So, now i want to understand on what kind of tasks, ci gets updated when remediation is completed? (like incident, problem, change, VIT)
Do we have list of tables where main ci gets updated and replaces with duplicate ci?

Thanks

Abhiram

[Catherine Proco]

I also have a question on this process. We are performing our de-duplication remediations, but at the end, we are told that the main CI is not replacing the selected configuration item on a change ticket. The configuration item on the change ticket is just being blanked out - is there a setting we are not doing correctly in order for whichever main ci we choose is replaced on the change ticket?

[AJ-TechTrek]

Hi @Abhiram8 ,

In short ,when you complete de-duplication remediation, ServiceNow updates all task tables (Incident, Problem, Change, Request, VTB, etc.), CMDB relationships, and other records referencing the duplicate CI — replacing them with the main CI. The exact tables are defined in Remediation References under CMDB Data Manager, and you can extend this list if needed.

Where the CI reference gets updated as per my understanding -

ServiceNow uses the CI Remediation Framework for this. During de-duplication remediation:
* The Reference Fix engine looks for tables and fields that reference cmdb_ci and automatically updates them to point to the winning CI.

* Which tables/fields get updated depends on:

1. CI Class Manager definitions (reference fields that extend cmdb_ci).
2. Remediation definitions shipped OOTB with CMDB Data Manager.

Common Tables Updated During CI Remediation
Here are some standard ones ServiceNow updates automatically (list is not exhaustive, but most common):
* Task tables (extend from task):
* incident → field: cmdb_ci
* problem → field: cmdb_ci
* change_request → field: cmdb_ci
* sc_task (catalog task) → field: cmdb_ci
* vtb_task (Visual Task Board) → field: cmdb_ci
* task_ci (many-to-many between task and CI)
* Operations/Infra:
* em_alert (Event Management alerts) → cmdb_ci
* em_event (Events) → cmdb_ci
* cmdb_rel_ci (relationships) → parent/child sys_ids updated to winning CI
* ITSM/Other apps depending on CMDB:
* change_task, problem_task → cmdb_ci
* incident_task
* alm_asset (if linked)
* service_offering dependencies via relationships

How to Check in Your Instance
If you want the exact list of tables/fields in your environment that will be remediated:
1. Navigate to: CMDB > Data Manager > Deduplication definitions.
2. Open the remediation definition.
3. Look at the Related List → Remediation References.
* This shows which tables/fields ServiceNow will update.

Alternatively, run this query:
select name, label
from sys_dictionary
where reference='cmdb_ci';

This gives you all fields in your system referencing cmdb_ci — these are candidates for remediation updates.

Important Notes

* Custom tables: If you have custom apps referencing cmdb_ci, you may need to extend remediation rules so those fields also update.
* Archived/retired CI: The duplicate CI is usually retired (moved to archive table if archiving enabled).
* Relationships: cmdb_rel_ci always gets updated so dependencies remain intact.

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