Why is question choice captured in update set?

[Akki1]

Why is question choice captured in update set and not any record? But if we see question choice is also a record kinda right?

I know there is a utiltity Add to Update set which we can use to capture records also now.

But oob why is question_choice added in update set and not any record ?

[Juhi Poddar]

Hello @Akki1 

Question Choice records are included in update sets because they are considered configuration data, not operational data. Update sets are designed to capture system configurations—like choices for catalog items—ensuring that catalog items work correctly after being moved between instances. Although Question Choices may resemble records, they define selectable options, making them part of the configuration metadata rather than regular data records.

The "Add to Update Set" utility can include specific records if needed, but by default, only configuration elements like Question Choices are captured in update sets.

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Thank You
Juhi Poddar

[Hitoshi Ozawa]

@Akki1 

In ServiceNow, update sets are used to capture configuration changes and customizations, so they can be migrated between instances. The reason why certain items like “question_choice” (which is indeed a record type in the question_choice table) are captured in update sets by default, and not other records, is largely due to the nature of these items as part of the application’s metadata rather than transactional data.

1. Metadata vs. Transactional Data:

   • Metadata: Configuration items like UI policies, client scripts, business rules, and things like question_choice are part of the application’s structural configuration. They dictate how the application behaves and interacts with users.
   • Transactional Data: Regular records are considered transactional data that represent everyday business transactions (like incidents, requests, etc.).

2. Configuration Impact:

   • Changes in metadata represent changes in the configuration and customization which need to be preserved and moved to other instances for consistency. These aren’t regular user-generated records but changes that could affect how the application functions.
   • Regular records typically aren’t captured in update sets because they represent day-to-day operational data that’s specific to a particular instance and would vary widely between instances.

3. OOB Utility:

   • ServiceNow differentiates between what changes should be propagated as part of an application’s structure versus regular data entered. Since question_choice impacts the structure of catalog items by defining choices for questions, it’s treated as part of these metadata changes.

4. Use of “Add to Update Set” Utility:

   • While the “Add to Update Set” utility can indeed be used to capture any arbitrary changes, including regular records, this is typically not recommended for transactional data. It’s more for making sure other configuration items not automatically included in update sets are added when needed.

In summary, question_choice is added to update sets by default because:

• It is regarded as configuration metadata, not transactional data.
• It influences how the Service Catalog items operate and present themselves, thus needing to be consistent across instances.
• Not capturing it by default would risk losing important structural configurations, leading to inconsistencies across environments.