Reports, should they be created in production?

carlh · ‎04-01-2016

Hi All,

We're new to Enterprise and have implemented some processes and procedures for how we want to handle "writing to production". I have the admin role on our Dev/Test environment (1 instance) and no role on Production so I can't even see a report. Does it make sense that I should create reports in dev/test and then move them in to production via update set? If so, does anyone have a good step by step to get everything moved together? I moved a dashboard, then realized the reports and gauges hadn't been moved so I loaded those via XML. Still not working. My argument is that they should be created in production so I am hoping to get support/ammo or advice from the communit.

Thank you all!

Carl

richelle_pivec · ‎04-05-2016

I was actually hired to be the Admin for the database. Shortly after I started I took my ServiceNow System Administrator exam. If you are a certified ServiceNow System Administrator, I'd say you have a strong case right there.

When we hired my second teammate, we didn't give him the Admin role for the first few months until he had a feel for what he would and wouldn't be doing in there.

Generally speaking, we have a process for what things can be done directly in Prod and what things need to go through a Change request (with update sets and manager approval). I adhere to those standards because it is part of my job to adhere to them. I also helped make some of those standards by knowledge I gained here and in the wiki about SN Best Practices. For example, things that can be done in an update set usually should be done in one. Updating a record (user record or task or on-call calendar) are things that can be done directly in Prod. We do reports in Prod because they don't actually effect the records or the infrastructure...just pulling data together in a view. I limit who can save Global reports so they don't clutter things up for everyone, but allow itil users to make their own reports and save them as they want. They can't make gauges, but after I make a gauge and migrate it to prod, they can use it for their custom dashboards...

My answer as to who should be the Admin would be the person (or persons) who knows the most about how SN is built and how to build for it. I would say if there is a process in place for what things will be done directly in Prod and what won't and if you are the most qualified person to do (and validate) those thing, you should be the Admin...

Hope that's helpful,

Richelle

View solution in original post

ghsrikanth · ‎04-01-2016

You can try to manually add any record to the update set - like force addition of update set

Create an UI Action on sys_report table

and try to force add the report to the update set -

Manually Add a Record to an Update Set - ServiceNow Guru

Hopefully it helps

richelle_pivec · ‎04-01-2016

We create reports in Production all the time and all of our licensed users can create them and save them for their own use or for their Assignment Group. They cannot create Global reports in Prod...only I (the admin) can do that.

Also, we do not create dashboards or gauges in Production and I (the admin) am the only one who can create those. I create them in an update set in Dev and then migrate that update set to Test and then to Prod. I sometimes create gauges that our licensed users can add to their custom dashboard, but they cannot modify the dashboards I have created for everyone.

I do usually use "Unload Portal Page" to add the dashboard to the update set. That usually brings all of the gauges and corresponding reports into the update set.

Hope that helps,

Richelle

carlh · ‎04-01-2016

Thank you. That is helpful. I'm still curious though. Do you have the ADMIN role in production? My entire argument is that ServiceNow was designed to have an Admin make quick changes in production which makes the tool nimble and useful. With how we have our set up, it takes me over 30 minutes to create an update set to add a field to a list or create a report, deployment form, and get approvals. Then I have to go sit with our Systems Admins (the only people with admin role in production) and I have to show them how to do the changes. As long as there is no error, they pass the deployment as a success

I feel we are doing it wrong but need help proving it.

richelle_pivec · ‎04-05-2016

Yes, I have the Admin role in Production (and in Test and Dev as well). Two others here have it as well. My back-up and our director. It is my responsibility to do the development, migrate update sets and validate that changes go according to my Change requests. My teammate/back-up does several admin tasks for users, groups, scheduled jobs, reports, etc... and our director doesn't even log into her admin account if she can help it.