Instance Scan - Prod or Non prod?

[Bruce Hadley]

What is the best practice on setting these up to run? If it is in a sub prod wouldn't the data disappear after a clone? Would running these checks in Prod be best so that it could be connected to stories or incidents and you would also have a history?

If we run these in prod, is there any negative effects like performance?

[Anshu_Anand_]

instance scan does not create/ modify/ delete data in your instance.

In simple terms,

There are certain rules which are configured for instance scan.(rules which are also called best practices)

The rules check against all the parameters and depending on the rules, instance health score is generated.

Example:- the rule says there should be no hardcoded sys_id. 

so the instance scan script checks all the custom made scripts and list out the scripts which have sys_id.

https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/quebec-release-notes/page/release-notes/now-platform-capabilities...

About Servicenow  instance scan in depth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd5iGN3PWGw

We had our instance scan for test/dev first.

we cloned the prod to dev mostly 100%. full clone

Then we run the scans it was around 86%

we run same scan in prod it was 91%

Depends upon instance to instance.

If you are following best practices, instance score will always be up.

Hope this is helpful

[Mark Roethof]

"instance scan does not create/ modify/ delete data in your instance."

Instance Scan does create data.

Kind regards,
Mark

[Mark Roethof]

Hi there,

"What is the best practice on setting these up to run"

Depends on the checks. Though can be applied on all instances. See my articles, for example checks purely on scripting, etc: DEV, checks on events/scheduled jobs/data: PROD, etc

"If it is in a sub prod wouldn't the data disappear after a clone?"

That's correct. Up to you to decide if that's oke or not. If you do want to keep that data: create clone preservers etc..

"Would running these checks in Prod be best so that it could be connected to stories or incidents and you would also have a history"

Completely up to you. You could also create an integration, so you also get stories from DEV instance scan scans.
I would NOT use the scan task table. Really does not make any sense to have scan tasks on DEV, TEST, PROD, etc.. I would only go for tasks / stories / etc on 1 single environment.

"If we run these in prod, is there any negative effects like performance?"

Should be no issue. Though ofcourse, if you create bad Instance Scan checks, it could definitely have impact.

If my answer helped you in any way, please then mark it as helpful.

Kind regards,
Mark
2020-2022 ServiceNow Community MVP
2020-2022 ServiceNow Developer MVP

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[Mark Roethof]

Just to add, here a list of everything I published on Instance Scan:

Instance Scan

- 2022-03-07 Scheduled Instance Scan and applying a Schedule (San Diego)
- 2022-01-04 Creating Instance Scan Scan Checks based on implementation experience
- 2021-12-06 Validate Decision Table result values using Instance Scan
- 2021-11-22 Instance Scan "Core Configuration" Scan Check examples (Share ❒)
- 2021-11-02 Instance Scan "Data" Scan Check examples
- 2021-10-28 Instance Scan "Sanity Test" Scan Check examples (Share ❒)
- 2021-10-18 Instance Scan Linter Check examples
- 2021-10-11 Instance Scan data model (Rome)
- 2021-10-04 Reactive Scanning with Instance Scan (Rome) 
- 2021-08-16 Blacklisted tables within Instance Scan
- 2021-07-05 Muting legacy Instance Scan Scan Findings (Share ❒)
- 2021-06-17 Instance Scan IntegrationHub Spokes (“Execute Combo Scan”, “Execute Scoped Apps Scan”, “Execute Upda... (Share ❒)
- 2021-06-03 Creating New Instance Scan Spokes 
- 2021-05-27 Automating Instance Scan (API's, Spokes) 
- 2021-05-03 Shortcut to test Instance Scan Column Type Check / Linter Check within seconds
- 2021-04-26 Automating Update Set scan for Instance Scan
- 2021-04-22 [Dutch] De ServiceNow Instance Scan voor een gezonde, goed presterende en veilige ServiceNow omgevin...
- 2021-04-19 Getting Instance Scan Linter Check working
- 2021-04-05 Instance Scan scan scores/percentages
- 2021-03-31 Instance Scan data model (Quebec) 
- 2021-03-22 How to use the engine object in Instance Scan scripting
- 2021-03-19 ServiceNow Quebec: Instance Scan, Part Deux
- 2021-03-17 Ideas on embedding Instance Scan into your way of working
- 2021-03-15 Automating the different Instance Scan scan types
- 2021-03-12 Instance Scan in Quebec - Live Coding Happy Hour for 2021-03-12
- 2021-03-08 Unrevealing Instance Scan and sharing parts of the undocumented
- 2021-02-04 Creating your own Instance Scan, Scan Checks
- 2021-02-01 Using Instance Scan on Orlando/Paris instances

If my answer helped you in any way, please then mark it as helpful.

Kind regards,
Mark
2020-2022 ServiceNow Community MVP
2020-2022 ServiceNow Developer MVP

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