ServiceNow – Create Calendar View for Scheduled Patching Placeholders
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Requirement:
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Create a shared Calendar View in ServiceNow to display placeholder activities such as:
- FirstNet patching (1st weekend of every month)
- Insight patching (2nd weekend of every month)
- SBI patching (3rd weekend of every month)
These placeholders should appear as scheduled “events” on a calendar visible to all users, even before any related change tickets are created.
Example:
- 8 Nov 2025 - FirstNet Patching window
- 15 Nov 2025 - Insight Patching window
- 22 Nov 2025 - SBI Patching window
- 6 Dec 2025 - FirstNet Patching window
- 13 Dec 2025 - Insight Patching window
- 20 Dec 2025 - SBI Patching window
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Solution Steps:
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**Step 1: Create a Custom Table for Patching Placeholders**
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1. Navigate to: **System Definition → Tables → New**
2. Create a table, for example: `u_patching_schedule`
3. Add the following fields:
- `Name` (String)
- `Start Date` (Date/Time)
- `End Date` (Date/Time)
- `Description` (String / Journal Input)
- `Created by` (Reference → sys_user)
- `Team` (Reference → sys_user_group)
4. Grant **Create / Read access** to the user roles that can create placeholders (e.g. `itil`, `change_manager`, etc.).
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**Step 2: Create a Calendar View for the Table**
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1. Navigate to **System UI → Calendar Views → New**
2. Configure the view:
- **Name:** Patching Schedule Calendar
- **Table:** `u_patching_schedule`
- **Start date field:** Start Date
- **End date field:** End Date
- **Title field:** Name
- **Color field:** (optional) Team or static color
- **View name (URL):** `patching_schedule_calendar`
3. Save the Calendar view.
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**Step 3: Populate Initial Placeholders Automatically (optional)**
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You can generate patching placeholders using a background script or Scheduled Job:
Example Script (creates patching events for 6 months ahead):
```javascript
(function() {
var types = [
{name: "FirstNet Patching", weekend: 1},
{name: "Insight Patching", weekend: 2},
{name: "SBI Patching", weekend: 3}
];
var startDate = new GlideDateTime();
for (var m = 0; m < 6; m++) {
var month = gs.monthsAgoUTC(-m);
var gdt = new GlideDateTime();
gdt.addMonthsUTC(m);
for (var i = 0; i < types.length; i++) {
var placeholder = new GlideRecord('u_patching_schedule');
placeholder.initialize();
placeholder.name = types[i].name + " Window";
placeholder.start_date = getNthWeekend(types[i].weekend, gdt.getMonthUTC(), gdt.getYearUTC());
placeholder.end_date = placeholder.start_date;
placeholder.insert();
}
}
function getNthWeekend(n, month, year) {
var d = new Date(year, month, 1);
var count = 0;
while (d.getMonth() === month) {
if (d.getDay() === 6) { // Saturday
count++;
if (count === n) return new GlideDateTime(d.toISOString());
}
d.setDate(d.getDate() + 1);
}
}
})();
```
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**Step 4: Make the Calendar Visible to All Users**
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1. Navigate to **System UI → Calendar Views → Patching Schedule Calendar**.
2. Under the **Security** tab, add roles or set **Accessible to: Public** (if you want all users to see it).
3. Optionally, create a module under **Self-Service** or **Change Management**:
- Name: “Patching Calendar”
- Link Type: URL (direct link to `/calendar.do?sysparm_view=patching_schedule_calendar`)
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**Step 5: Enable Teams to Add/Modify Placeholders**
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1. Create a UI Action or Form Button on the `u_patching_schedule` table → “Add Patching Placeholder”.
2. Assign it to teams with the proper roles.
3. Configure ACLs to allow only certain groups to create or edit entries.
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**Step 6: (Optional) Display in CAB Workbench or Change Calendar**
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- If you want these placeholders visible in the Change Calendar, create “Maintenance Windows” or extend your table to feed into `change_request` data source.
- Map the schedule table to Change Calendar view using iCalendar feed or related list inclusion.
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Result:
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✅ A centralized, interactive calendar showing monthly patching placeholders accessible to all users.
✅ Teams with permissions can add or modify entries anytime.
✅ Acts as a visual planning board similar to CAB Workbench “Schedules.”
