Platform applications in CSDM

[Michael Culhan1]

In the diagram below (from here ), the entire ServiceNow instance is an Application Service.  The business applications (Incident, Change, etc) map directly to the ServiceNow Application Service.  Shouldn't there be an Application Service in between to represent the actual application (e.g. Incident - Production) that sits on top of the ServiceNow platform ? To put it another way, the ServiceNow platform perhaps shouldn't be an Application Service, but some other class that sits under platform Application Services.

I have a bunch of ServiceNow and Salesforce custom applications as business applications.  I would like to track changes to these applications in SN Change Management, but I hesitate to choose the business application as the CI in these change requests.  In reality, I am changing the prod instance of the application only, not the logical business application. 

[Barry Kant]

Hi Michael,

It depends on the granularity level that you need to model. What you can do is to have multilayer Business Application (no relation, but via parent reference) to reflect a business application and its components.

Business Applications are not intended to be used in ticketing so that wouldn't be a way to go. The Application Service level is confusing from the naming, as it is not by default an application, it can be more ore less any Digital Product (conceptually). It is reflecting the top part of a solution stack. 

If you model business applications in hierarchy, then it could be that the platform (parent business service) is related to Servicenow PROD application service, and the component (child business application) is related to custom app application service. 

the 2 application service will be related as well from an impact point of view towards the business service offering. 

I haven't seen this granularity in my engagements before, but it depends in my opinion on the detailed level required.

Cheers,

Barry

[Michael Culhan1]

Thanks Barry.  If we set it up this way:

Custom App Business App --> Platform Business App --> ServiceNow Prod Application Service

Do we then use the business application in the change request CI when changing a custom application?

Another route I am considering is making the SN prod instance an application server, such that

Custom App Business App --> Custom App Prod Application Service -->  SN instance prod Application Server. 

[Ed Laar1 · Accepted solution]

Hi Michael,

Fully agree with Barry. A system like ServiceNow contains multiple applications (INC, CHG etc.). Application Services can be used in ticketing. Application Services can be linked to each other.

I suggest to create an Application Service = ServiceNow_Prod. Related to this AS an other AS = ServiceNow_INC and and other AS = ServiceNow_CHG.

In ticketing one of the 3 can be used. Selecting ServiceNow_Prod routes the ticket to the ServiceNow Helpdesk. Selecting ServiceNow_INC routes the ticket direct to the group responsible to solve issues with ServiceNow INC management. It also related the ticket direct to the involved application instead of the whole system.

Hope this helps,

Ed

[Michael Culhan1]

Thanks, Ed, I ended up creating two applications services -- one for the platform prod and the other for the custom app -- and then relating the custom app AS to the platform prod AS.  I didn't realize that you can relate AS's to other AS's.