Now Platform Tokyo release early availability!
When Tokyo release is around the corner, it’s that time of year again for us to learn about the new features, enhancements, and APIs that may be applicable to someone developing an application to list on the store or OEM. I'm very excited and want to share with you about the followings.
New Features and Major Enhancements
Document Intelligence
Document Intelligence is a new application in the Tokyo release. Document Intelligence application is a machine learning (ML) solution that provides assistance to quickly and accurately extract information from documents to the Now Platform
Platform Analytics Workspace
Platform Analytics Workspace provides an Analytics Center for managing all Next Experience analytics. Platform Analytics Workspace is introduced in the Tokyo release.
Environmental, Social, and Governance Management
ESG Management is a new application in the Tokyo release. Environmental, Social, and Governance Management application helps you to manage all your environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments. The ESG Management application also enables you to report on the progress that you make on your ESG initiatives.
Enterprise Asset Management
Enterprise Asset Management application manages the entire life cycle of your enterprise's connected and non-connected assets. This end-to-end solution enables you to maintain and maximize the life of your assets and at the same time, minimize any costly downtimes. Enterprise Asset Management is a new application in the Tokyo release.
Flow Designer / Integration Hub
Flow Designer continues to grow in capability and Tokyo sees many new capabilities including:
- Add flows from Table Builder in App Engine Studio
- Convert items to subflow
- Perform archive operations with Zip steps
- Limit Flow Designer access with read only roles
- Use the ScriptableFlowRunner API to run a flow with roles
- Use the ScriptableFlowRunner API to run a flow as a user
IntegrationHub too has added capabilities/enhancements with the addition of:
- Run a flow with a personal OAuth token
- Test a credential for the PowerShell step
- Use a MID Cluster in Integration Hub steps and connections
- Pre-populate custom fields in a configuration template
- Integration Hub - Import enhancements
- REST step enhancements
- Configure logging for the PowerShell step
ServiceNow Mobile
Too many to name them all, but Connect to IP-restricted environments without needing to install a VPN application, Indoor wayfinding and reservations support, and Automatic app refresh are a few of the new features in addition to enhancements like Offline mode, Map screen, and Input form screen enhancements. If you have an existing mobile capability or think your app will benefit from one then you should look at how ServiceNow Mobile could accelerate your rollout.
Automated Testing Framework
Use the new Cloud Runner browser option to run a test in the ATF Test Generator and Cloud Runner store app. The option is visible even if you don't have the application installed.
Workspace
Added support for the Ability to access form configuration options and direct navigation through right-clicking in the header bar of a tab to display a context menu, Auto assignment in AWA, Enable internal and external applications to handle incoming and ongoing work items by API.
Virtual Agent
Added support for enabling dynamic language detection and machine translation in Virtual Agent conversations, using services such as Google Translate or Microsoft Translator, Create topics in the Virtual Agent Designer simplified interface, including improved yes/no handling and support for variations in bot response, Specify Google Dialogflow Essentials (ES) as the NLU provider for Virtual Agent, in addition to existing providers, such as IBM Watson or Microsoft LUIS, Reuse Virtual Agent topics as a conversational-IVR to enable deflection in Phone channels to provide a consistent end-user experience and Configure branding for your Slack application and accelerate the conversational experience with Virtual Agent.
Natural Language Understanding
Added support for Virtual Agent and Natural Language Understanding authoring, Multi-select utterances, Expanded language support, Usability improvements for model management and Optional view for the NLU Expert Feedback Loop.
Service Catalog
New in the Tokyo release for Service Catalog includes Transfer catalog items published through Catalog Builder from one instance to another easily by using update sets that are automatically and exclusively created for the catalog item, Default value configuration in Catalog Builder, Service Catalog Overview dashboard, Catalog item request experience from Virtual Agent in Service Portal and Default value configuration in Catalog Builder.
Authentication
With respect to authentication, Adaptive Authentication for Trusted Mobile Apps, SCIM Client to provision and update the identity resources through CRUD operations exposed by the SCIM endpoint on an external system, SCIM custom attributes to support custom fields on the sys_user and sys_user_group tables through dynamic extension schema generation and override default SCIM mappings has been added in the Tokyo release.
Scripting and App Dev Enhancements
New Scoped APIs - ChangeSuccess, RFETransformer, SCIM2Client are a few of the new scoped APIs and methods included in the platform.
UI Builder - Some of highlights for the Tokyo release includes, Set component configuration properties that are defined in JSON with a user-friendly UI. Users can view all available properties without referencing the ServiceNow Developer Site, Repeat a component or multiple components using repeaters in your experiences, Use a wide array of functions and logical operands to configure components and Create an experience from the UI Builder home page without needing to go to the platform.
Platform Security - Enforce role-based access control to be auto created when new client-callable script includes (CCSI) are included. See access controls as a related list directly from the CCSI form, Use protected tables to lock down and log any attempts to update or delete records in the system log tables as a system administrator. Specify separate controls for each system log table to identity update actions versus delete actions, Use the support for HTTPS communication protocol for enhanced security and protection and Existing administrators can control access to older versions of AngularJS and JQuery usages and libraries. zBoot configurations do not have access, by default.
Data filtration- Use data filtration as a separate form of access control designed to work along with the existing access control list (ACL) rules on your instance. Data filtration denies access to tables and records that don't match subject attributes defined by a security administrator. Make auditing, reporting, and denying access to data easier with data filtration than using an ACL. ACLs are evaluated after data filtration runs. ACLs work on the remaining rows that were not filtered out by data filtration.
Core Now Platform - Provide support for migrating IP addresses that are stored as string fields to the new IP Address(Validated IPV4,IPV6) type. The new IP address type accepts only a valid IP address, pertaining to the new accepted type, Fallback language for system localization, Bulk delete or update data safely without using scripts, Limiting ability to edit system log tables and Use scoped caches to store custom data in memory for faster access, and define when it becomes invalidated.
Other
Release Notes by Product
I've covered Platform and Application Development release notes in this article, but if your app has a dependency or adjacency to a ServiceNow product, you should read through that product's Tokyo release notes. I've listed those here by product:
- Strategic Portfolio Management release notes(Note: formerly IT Business Management)
- Customer Service Management release notes
- HR Service Delivery release notes
- IT Operations Management release notes
- IT Service Management release notes
- Performance Analytics and Reporting release notes
- Software Asset Management release notes
- Industry Products release notes
Feel free to bookmark this post or mark it helpful, and if you think I've missed something, please let me know so I can get it added.
Good luck and happy developing!
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