ServiceNow Socials Episode 20 Recap: Key Takeaways and Insights
Host : Amit Gujarathi and Sujan Dutta
Welcome to the recap of ServiceNow Socials Episode 20! As a ServiceNow developer, it's crucial to stay updated with the latest strategies and discussions in the ServiceNow community. This episode covered a wide range of topics, from instance strategies to DevOps integration. Here's a detailed summary of the episode's discussions and recommendations.
Service Strategy Recommendations
Single vs. Multiple Instance vs. Domain Separation Strategies
The episode began with a deep dive into choosing between single instance, multiple instances, and domain separation strategies for a new organization. The panel discussed the criteria for each approach and how they fit different organizational needs.
The conversation continued, highlighting the scenarios where each strategy would be most applicable. This included considerations of scalability, data isolation, and administrative overhead.
Instance Data Replication with IDR
Data Replication Across Multiple Production Instances
A significant portion of the episode focused on using IDR (Instance Data Replication) to handle data replication across multiple production instances. The discussion covered the application of identification and reconciliation rules to non-CMDB tables, ensuring data consistency and reducing duplication.
Migrating Customisations to Git/GitHub
Challenges of Migrating 20K Update Sets
The challenges of migrating 20,000 update sets from a single instance to a domain-separated instance using Git/GitHub were discussed. The panel shared insights into the complexities of rebuilding customizations in a new environment and the best practices to manage this process.
SecOps Vulnerability Response Implementation
Implementing SecOps Vulnerability Response
The episode also delved into the implementation of SecOps vulnerability response. The discussion included the technologies used and practical steps for integrating vulnerability management into an organization's security practices.
Vulnerability Management Concepts
Understanding NVD, CVEs, and False Positives
Key concepts of vulnerability management, including the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), were explained. The panel also discussed the potential for false positives in vulnerability data and how to address them.
Difference Between Restricted Caller Access and Crosscope Application
External Access vs. Application Communication
A clear explanation was provided on the difference between Restricted Caller Access (RCA), which allows external entities to access instances, and Crosscope Application, which facilitates secure communication between applications.
ServiceNow DevOps Integration
Challenges of Integrating ServiceNow with DevOps
The integration of ServiceNow with DevOps practices, such as Git, was discussed, especially in the context of instances with heavy customizations in Change Management. The panel shared their experiences and the challenges they faced during integration.
Scope Applications vs. Global Updates
Pros and Cons of Scope Applications
A debate on the pros and cons of using scope applications versus pushing global updates to Git was featured. It was argued that Git is primarily relevant for scope applications and not as much for global or out-of-box artifacts supported by ServiceNow.
Migrating Customizations to Out-of-Box ServiceNow
Challenges and Benefits
The discussion highlighted the challenges of maintaining heavy customizations and the benefits of migrating to out-of-box ServiceNow solutions. Using Git to track changes in customized instances was also covered, along with the upgrade challenges faced.
A recommendation was made to start a new modernization project instead of continuing to customize the existing instance due to the effort involved. It was suggested to pause customizations and focus on modernization.
Conclusion
ServiceNow Socials Episode 20 provided valuable insights into various strategies and best practices for managing and customizing ServiceNow instances. The discussions ranged from instance strategies and data replication to vulnerability management and DevOps integration.
