Clarifying end user roles, access and licenses

[mitzaka]

Hi, I have a general question about a specific scenario regarding effective usage of UI forms taking into consideration ACLs and roles. I know there is some articles out there for similar topics but still I am not sure there is a satisfactory answer, so here goes:

Imagine the case - let's say we are talking about an instance with a very large number of end users, with large portions of the work being handled round-the-globe as there is a requirement for multiple people to be able to see and comment on multiple tickets (here by tickets I am referring to incidents and requested items mainly). Pretty much the scenario of every large company out there:)

Out of the box, there are several ServiceNow's rules which we are taking into account when we talk about no-role users:

1. Only the person who opened the ticket is able to modify it

2. As far as visibility, apart from the creator and the the people who are on the watch list are able to see the ticket

3. Any modification of the ticket can be done only by a user who has a role (=license)

Following are my questions to this scenario:

A) Regarding visibility, placing a no-role read ACL on the ticket table would make the records searchable and read-only visible to users. Am I right to think this is a valid and legal approach?

B) If a requirement is for end users to be able only to add customer comments to tickets, would that still be a modification of the ticket? Purely from a logical point of view, this should not be a modification of the ticket as no attribute is being changed, it's only the comments added. Just like adding comments via reply to an email message but using the tool instead, which in the end is what it's all about.

So again, am I right to think that allowing no-role end users to enter ONLY customer comments in tickets is a valid and legal approach?

[vant]

It almost sounds as if you had a run in with ServiceNow license audit of sorts, and they are saying that your end users with no roles are counting as process users, and are attempting to justify them as licensed users?

I've had experience of this, and it is not related to roles or ACLs, but what a user can do. By some definition, as an example, if a user can execute functions beyond what a self service user is supposed to do, then they are a process user, and they require a license. The question might be, is this user a consumer of the service, or participating in delivery of the service in any manner.

But contracts can differ I suppose from organization to organization. Definitions may differ as well. In my case, a self service user is one who can only request, like a computer, or report an incident.   Adding comments to those to help resolve the end user request is part of that. But if comments or views are to tickets not opened by the end user, then this end user is participating in the process, and may be a licensed user.

I too have different opinions about this, but I suppose its whats in the contract. That probably doesn't address your concern, but I hope its helpful.

[Goran WitchDoc]

Sadly as well, ServiceNow have changed license model so many times it's hard to know what's in it for you. Like vtran says, it's pretty much what written in the contract...

[mitzaka]

How are you dealing with this type of situation? What's the 'law' in your contract land?

[mitzaka]

Thanks for the replies by the way!

I don't have issues with our licenses, but as you guys noted, it's so misleading and not clearly stated, that I want to figure out how exactly does that licensing works?

It's just completely odd that users can participate in other's ticket's comments by replying to email (which appends the communication to the COMMENTS field), while at the same time adding a note in the same COMMENTS field would be treated as a different participation. I would love if someone from SNOW could provide a clear, precise and codified answer and explanation to this.

By the way, I just submitted a question ticket to ServiceNow in order to hear the explanation directly from them, will share when I get some info back.

In the meantime, anyone who has some view or experience in relation, please feel invited to share.