Catalog task report shows Item = blank, but item isn't blank on tasks

[AverageAdmin]

I have a report on the Catalog Tasks table , returning active tasks and grouping the results by "Item".  There are 26 tasks returning Item = blank, but if I click one of these tasks it shows that Item is populated. Why does it say Item is blank when it isn't? What am I missing?

[Swapna Abburi]

Hi, 

It could be either the catalog item is inactive or deleted. Please validate if item exists in sc_cat_item table.

[AverageAdmin]

It exists and is active.  Here are some screen shots to show the issue:

[AverageAdmin · Accepted solution]

This may have resolved it.  I changed the "group by" to the Item under Request Item fields.  Probably a dumb question but is the Item at the task level not the same as the item at the RITM level?

[HugoFirst]

Hello AverageAdmin,

I learned something new as the result of your question.  I had the mistaken idea that the task did not have a value for catalog_item, and always looked for the value in the requested_item's catalog item field.  

Turns out I am wrong on that.  But not always.  While most of my catalog tasks do have a value for catalog item, some do not.  So the answer to your question is "it depends".   The tasks that do not have a value seem to be related to security/governance.   You can tell if this is the case by viewing the XML of the record in question.   

Thanks for the lesson in catalog items and tasks!

FWIW: Here's a link to a list view showing the various values for catalog item, for the catalog tasks in the past 30 days. 
https://YOUR_INSTANCE_NAME.service-now.com/now/nav/ui/classic/params/target/sc_task_list.do%3Fsyspar...