How change mid servers display name in servicenow instance.

[Hrishabh Kumar]

I've setup mid server for the dev environment correctly, and it is functioning as expected. I've been asked to change the name of the mid server that displays in ServiceNow. 

Note: There is no need to change the service name. I need to change the display name in the ServiceNow instance.

Let me know how to do that.

[mza-guille]

Hi Hrishabh,

If you only need to change how the MID Server appears inside the ServiceNow instance, you do not need to rename the Windows/Linux service.

You can update the MID Server record in ServiceNow:

1. Go to MID Server > Servers.
2. Open the MID Server record.
3. Change the Name field to the display name you want.
4. Save the record.

That changes the name shown in the instance for that MID Server record.

Do not change the Windows service name unless your requirement is specifically to change how it appears in the operating system's Services console. That is a different operation.

Also, avoid only changing the service display name at the OS level if your goal is the ServiceNow display name, because ServiceNow reads the MID Server record/name in the platform, not the Windows service label.

So for your note: service name does not need to change; update the MID Server record Name in the instance.

[Hrishabh Kumar]

Hi @mza-guille  Changing the name in the ServiceNow instance is enough? What about config.xml file? How will the display name sync there?

[mza-guille]

Hi Hrishabh,
Good follow-up. To answer the question directly: changing only the Name in the ServiceNow instance is not enough for the MID Server itself. The Name in the instance and the value of <name> in config.xml are the same logical identity for that MID Server, so they must be in sync. If you only change the instance record, the agent running on the host will not recognize the new name and may re-register under the old name, or show duplicate/Up-Down status.
The standard, safe procedure is:
1. Stop the MID Server service on the host.
2. On the MID Server host, open config.xml in the install directory.
3. Update the <name> element to the new display name exactly as you set it in the MID Server record.
4. Save the file.
5. Start the MID Server service.
6. In the instance, verify the MID Server record comes back to Up status with the new name.
A couple of points to keep in mind:
- The Windows/Linux service name itself does not need to change just to update the display name in the instance; that is only required if someone specifically asked to rename the service.
- If you change the MID Server URL (for example after an instance rename), the <url> element in config.xml must also be updated and the service restarted, otherwise the agent will not be able to reach the instance.
- If after the rename the MID Server shows Down, check the agent logs and the MID Server record Status/Last Heartbeat fields; a stale name mismatch is the most common cause in this scenario.
So the short answer to your question: yes, config.xml must be updated with the new name, and the MID Server service must be restarted for the change to fully apply.

[Tanushree Maiti · Accepted solution]

Hi @Hrishabh Kumar 

Refer KB: KB3008757 How to Rename a MID Server on the ServiceNow Instance 

Resolution

Steps:

1. Stop the MID Server service. On the MID Server host, open Windows Services (services.msc) or the equivalent service manager, locate the ServiceNow MID Server service, and stop it.
2. Update the MID Server record on the instance. Log into the ServiceNow instance and navigate to MID Server > Servers. Open the MID Server record that currently has the old name. Change the Name field to the desired new name and click Update. Note the Sys ID of this record (visible in the URL bar or by adding sys_id to the form).
3. Edit the config.xml on the MID Server host. Open the config.xml file in the MID Server agent directory and update the following parameters:
   Parameter Action Example

   name	Set to the new MID Server name (must match the Name field updated in Step 2)	<parameter name="name" value="NEW_NAME"/>
   mid_sys_id	Verify it matches the Sys ID from Step 2. Only change if it does not match.	<parameter name="mid_sys_id" value="[sys_id_from_step_2]"/>

   Important: Do not change the mid_sys_id unless it does not match the Sys ID on the instance record. If it already matches, leave it as-is.

4. Save the config.xml file and close the editor.
5. Start the MID Server service. Return to Windows Services (or the equivalent) and start the ServiceNow MID Server service.
6. Validate the MID Server. On the instance, open the MID Server record and click Invalidate. Once invalidated, a Validate button will appear — click it to complete re-validation.
7. Resolve any MID Server issues. If a "home directory changed" issue appears in the MID Server Issues list, manually set its State to Resolved. This alert is expected when the installation path reflects the new hostname and is safe to clear (see KB0743043).

Verification

After completing the steps above, confirm all of the following:

• The MID Server record on the instance displays the new name
• The MID Server status shows "Up" and "Validated"
• The config.xml name parameter retains the new value after a service restart (no revert)
• No active MID Server issues remain
• Existing scheduled jobs, discovery schedules, and integrations continue to execute on the renamed MID Server