What is update Source in servicenow?

[Abhishek Pal]

In ServiceNow, Update Source is a feature used in the Update Sets module to bring changes from one ServiceNow instance into another. Update Sources are typically linked to instances from which you want to retrieve or compare update sets.

Key Details About Update Source:

1. Purpose:

   • It allows you to track and import update sets from a remote instance of ServiceNow.
   • Commonly used during the deployment process in ServiceNow's development lifecycle (Dev → Test → Prod).

2. Configuration:

   • Update Source is configured by providing the URL of the remote instance and authentication details (user credentials).
   • Once configured, the target instance can fetch the list of update sets available on the source instance.

3. Process:

   • Navigate to System Update Sets → Update Sources.
   • Add a new update source by providing:
     • Name: Identifier for the source instance.
     • URL: The URL of the source ServiceNow instance.
     • Credential: Login credentials with appropriate permissions on the source instance.

4. Usage:

   • Once an Update Source is set up, you can Retrieve Update Sets to pull available update sets from the source instance.
   • The fetched update sets can then be previewed and committed to the target instance.

5. Typical Scenarios:

   • Moving changes from development to production.
   • Synchronizing changes across different environments.
   • Debugging or resolving conflicts in update sets.

6. Best Practices:

   • Always preview an update set before committing it to ensure no conflicts or errors exist.
   • Ensure proper naming conventions for update sets to avoid confusion during retrieval.
   • Test the changes in a non-production environment before deploying to production.
     
     
     

How to configure that :

Step 1: Capture All Configurations in the Update Set

• In the Dev instance, capture all the configurations (scripts, business rules, UI actions, etc.) in an Update Set.

Step 2: Ensure the Update Set is Complete

• Make sure that all relevant changes are included in the Update Set and that it is up-to-date.

Step 3: Go to the Update Source using Filter Navigation

• In the Test instance, navigate to Update Source using the filter navigation bar.

Step 4: Open a New Remote Update Set

• Create a New Remote Update Set in the Test instance.

Step 5: Provide Required Information

• Fill in the necessary details:
  • User ID and Password with roles (Admin, Code Reviewer) to authenticate.
  • Source URL of the Dev instance to establish the connection.

Step 6: Validate the Test Connection

• Click Test Connection. If the message "OK" appears, the connection is successfully established.

Step 7: Retrieve the Completed Update Set

• After the connection is validated, click on Retrieve Completed Update Set to pull the changes from the Dev instance to the Test instance.

Step 8: Check the Update Set Logs

• Review the Update Set Logs to ensure that the retrieval was successful and no errors occurred.

Step 9: Preview Each Update Set

• Open each retrieved update set and preview it to identify and avoid potential issues before committing it to the Test instance.

Step 10: Commit the Update Set

• Once you’ve reviewed and ensured everything is correct, click Commit to apply the update set to the Test instance.
  
  
  If you have any specific scenarios or questions regarding Update Source, feel free to ask!
  
  

[Sahil_kashyap]

What if we delete the update set sources record? Is there any way we can retrieve that Record (Update set sources record)