Preventing Duplicate Records in ServiceNow Due to Quick Updates from Azure DevOps (ADO)

[Anand Biswas]

Summary: This article addresses the issue of duplicate records in ServiceNow when records are created in Azure DevOps (ADO) and quickly updated. Configuring specific system properties can help control the delay between record creation and updates, thereby preventing duplicate entries.

Disclaimer: Duplicate records may also occur if duplicate webhooks are registered in ADO. Ensure each event has a unique webhook in ADO’s service hooks. If duplicate webhooks are the cause, this article can not resolve your issue. You need to delete the duplicate webhooks to resolve this issue.

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Problem Statement

When records are created in Azure DevOps, rapid updates made shortly after the initial record creation can lead to duplicate records in ServiceNow. This happens because the update operation might be processed before the creation completes, resulting in multiple records for the same item.

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Solution

To address this issue, create and configure two system properties within the Microsoft Azure DevOps Integrations Common scope in ServiceNow. These properties introduce a delay between record creation and the update operation, ensuring that creation processes are complete before updates occur.

System Properties to Create and Configure

1. sn_ado_int.minimum_time_gap_between_updates

   • Purpose: Defines the minimum time gap required between record creation and subsequent updates.
   • Value Type: Time in seconds
   • Default Value: 5 seconds

2. sn_ado_int.export_import_time_delay

   • Purpose: Specifies the delay applied to the update operation to ensure it processes only after the creation is complete.
   • Value Type: Time in seconds
   • Default Value: 5 seconds

Steps to Implement the Solution

1. Access the Microsoft Azure DevOps Integrations Common Scope

   • In your ServiceNow instance, change the scope to Microsoft Azure DevOps Integrations Common scope.

2. Create the Required System Properties

   • Go to System Properties and create the following properties:
     • sn_ado_int.minimum_time_gap_between_updates
     • sn_ado_int.export_import_time_delay

3. Configure Property Values

   • Set both properties to a default value of 5 seconds to maintain a suitable time gap between creation and update operations.
   • If duplicate records continue to appear, consider gradually increasing these values to introduce a longer delay.

4. Save and Test

   • After setting up the properties, save your configuration.
   • Test the setup by creating and quickly updating records in ADO to verify that duplicate records no longer appear in ServiceNow.

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Additional Notes

• Ensure that these properties are configured specifically within the Microsoft Azure DevOps Integrations Common scope.
• Monitor performance after these changes, excessive delays may slow down processing for updates.

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FAQs

Q: How can I determine if I need to increase the delay values?
Ans: If duplicates continue to occur, incrementally increase the delay values until the issue is resolved. A typical range of 5–15 seconds is usually effective.

Q: Do these properties affect other integrations in ServiceNow?
Ans: No, these properties apply exclusively to the Agile Development integration with Microsoft Azure DevOps.

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Did this solve your problem? If not, please comment below or contact support for further assistance.

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[mathansnow]

It is recommended that you create the properties listed below as Integer types and set Ignore Cache to False.

If Ignore Cache is enabled, make sure to run the cache.do from the home page before testing any changes. This will help ensure that the changes are applied to all underlying nodes.

• sn_ado_int.minimum_time_gap_between_updates
• sn_ado_int.export_import_time_delay