Is sys_id unique across all the instances globally?

[Suggy]

I have few questions regarding sys_id.

1. Is sys_id unique per table or unique per instance or unique GLOBALLY across ALL the instances spinned up until now for all the customers world wide?

2. Suppose I create a user record, say its sys_id is "123". Later I will delete the record. Then can ServiceNow generate and use "123" again for new record?

[Giles Lewis]

A sys_id is a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier), also known as a UUID (Universally Unique Identifier). The same GUID is never generated twice.

[Maddysunil · Accepted solution]

@Suggy 

In ServiceNow:

1. Uniqueness of sys_id:

   • The sys_id is globally unique across all tables and instances of ServiceNow.
   • Each record in a ServiceNow table is identified by a unique sys_id.
   • This uniqueness is maintained globally across all instances of ServiceNow, regardless of the customer.

2. Recycling sys_id:

   • Once a record with a specific sys_id, like "123", is deleted, ServiceNow will not reuse that sys_id for a new record.
   • ServiceNow does not recycle sys_id values. Even if a record is deleted, its sys_id is not reused for new records.
   • This ensures that historical references and relationships within the platform remain intact and consistent.

Please Mark ✅Correct if this solves your query and also mark 👍Helpful if you find my response worthy based on the impact.

Thanks

[Suggy]

Thanks a lot everyone for your responses !!!