--- sourceDocument: Yokohama Data and Automation sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/yokohama/integrate-applications Release : - yokohama ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Yokohama Data and Automation ft:clusterId : - crint bundleId : - crint workflow : - Creator --- # Exploring Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub # Exploring Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub {#ariaid-title1} * Release version: Yokohama * * Updated January 30, 2025 * * ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 5 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Exploring Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub ServiceNow's Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub offers a centralized platform to orchestrate, deploy, monitor, manage, and ensure compliance for enterprise-wide robotic automation. It includes various components such as RPA Hub, Unattended Robot, Attended Robot, Unattended Robot Login Agent, and RPA Desktop Design Studio. These applications work together to automate repetitive and complex tasks efficiently across enterprise environments. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **RPA Hub:** Centralized orchestration for managing all robots and automations. * **Unattended Robot:** A Windows-installed agent that executes automations without human intervention, ideal for repetitive tasks like report generation. * **Unattended Robot Login Agent:** Supports unlocking or self-login on robot machines during unattended automation. * **Attended Robot:** A Windows-installed agent designed for attended automations requiring human interaction, such as customer service assistance. * **RPA Desktop Design Studio:** A native Windows application for developers to design, configure, build, test, and publish automation workflows. * **Types of Automations:** Supports unattended automations for fully automated tasks and attended automations that augment human activities with robot assistance. * **Integration with Workflow Studio:** Enables blending RPA with ServiceNow workflows through prebuilt components, enhancing automation orchestration. * **Key Management Framework:** Ensures secure storage of sensitive data within RPA Hub. ## Roles and Workflow The RPA Hub ecosystem involves three main user roles: * **Release Manager:** Creates and publishes bot processes, manages developer access. * **Developer:** Configures bot processes, builds and tests automation packages, handles exceptions, and publishes automations. * **Robot/Assisted User:** Executes automations on designated Windows machines with installed robots. The workflow starts with the release manager creating bot processes and assigning developers. Developers configure and publish automations, which are then executed by robot users on either virtual or physical machines. ## Benefits for ServiceNow Customers * Enhances operational efficiency and productivity by automating repetitive and complex tasks. * Improves accuracy by reducing processing errors. * Supports dynamic customer service requirements through attended automation. * Provides centralized management and monitoring, improving governance and compliance. ## Upgrade Considerations When upgrading RPA Hub to the Yokohama release, ensure all Microsoft Software Installers (MSIs) for RPA components are updated accordingly. Specific system properties must be configured to avoid upgrade delays and ensure proper migration of bot process configurations. These steps are critical when upgrading from San Diego or Tokyo versions. Proper upgrade preparation prevents data and structure inconsistencies, ensuring smooth transition and continued automation operation. ## Next Steps for Customers To maximize the value of RPA Hub, explore detailed configuration guides and component-specific information including: * RPA Hub setup and management * Unattended Robot and Login Agent configuration * Attended Robot deployment * Using ServiceNow Otto for RPA Hub * Developing automations with RPA Desktop Design Studio This knowledge will empower you to deploy, manage, and optimize robotic automations effectively across your enterprise. Learn about the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub applications, types of automations, benefits, high-level architecture, and workflow. ## Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub overview {#rpa-explore__section_v2x_dny_5pb} The following Robotic Process Automation (RPA) applications operate and interact with each other in an enterprise environment to automate tasks efficiently. [RPA Hub](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/epUJG627k29U5InBsWWf_Q "ServiceNow Robotic Process Automation Hub (RPA Hub) is a powerful platform for orchestrating and managing your robotic workforce to execute various business processes efficiently.") : The ServiceNow® RPA Hub application provides a centralized orchestration to deploy, monitor, manage, measure, and verify compliance of all robots at an enterprise level. [Unattended Robot](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/sbq9HvkpSE3RyULSh_RFmg "Use the ServiceNow Unattended Robot application to execute unattended automations. Unattended Robot, which is a software agent that you install on a Windows machine, doesn't require human intervention to execute automations.") : The ServiceNow® Unattended Robot is a software agent that you install on a Windows machine. Unattended Robot can execute unattended automations without requiring any human intervention. : The ServiceNow® Unattended Robot Login Agent is a software agent that you install on a Windows machine with Unattended Robot. You can use this application to unlock or to perform a self-login to the robot machine when an unattended bot process is triggered. [Attended Robot](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/DyvIFcgk26YDdtEYuHuFaw "Use the ServiceNow Attended Robot application to execute attended automations. Attended Robot, which is a software agent that you install on a Windows machine, requires human intervention to execute automations.") : The ServiceNow® Attended Robot is a software agent that you install on a Windows machine. Attended Robot can execute attended automations that require human intervention. [RPA Desktop Design Studio](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/DxE4bC73ua2YKCPqwBgbtQ "Use the ServiceNow Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Desktop Design Studio, which is a low-code Integrated Development Environment (IDE) where you can design or configure automation workflows by dragging and dropping components to the Design surface. RPA Desktop Design Studio is a Windows native application.") : The ServiceNow® RPA Desktop Design Studio is a Windows native application that is used by RPA developers to design or configure automation workflows. ## Types of automations {#rpa-explore__section_qkc_y24_drb} You can create two types of automations with RPA Desktop Design Studio and run them with Unattended Robot or Attended Robot: Unattended automation : In this automation, tasks, processes, or workflows are carried out by the robots without the need for direct human intervention or supervision. You can use this type of automation to automate highly repetitive tasks. For example, Report generation. In this use case, the reports are automatically generated and distributed to relevant stakeholders. Unattended automation offer significant efficiency gains, reduced operational costs, and improved accuracy in organizations. Attended automation : Also known as human-assisted automation. In this automation, the robots work alongside human users to augment their tasks and activities. You can use this type of automation with human supervision. For example, Customer service. In this use case, robots can assist customer service representatives by providing relevant information, suggesting responses, and automating data entry. The robots are installed on operator's workstations and are triggered by human operators on demand. Attended automation is often suited for scenarios where a combination of automation and human judgment is required to handle complex, dynamic, or non-standard tasks. ## Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub users {#rpa-explore__cf-exploring-parent-users} {#rpa-explore__table_cf1_b5v_mdc__entry__2} | User | Description | |-|-| | Release manager | Creates bot processes and robots in RPA Hub. Add developers to the Managed by group of the bot process so that they can customize the bot process. Configures and publishes the bot process. | | Developer | Configures bot processes to assign business applications, robots, credentials, process parameters, schedules, and so on. Builds automation packages, tests the automation projects, and handles exceptions in RPA Desktop Design Studio. Publishes packages to RPA Hub. Creates and deploys automations in a low-code environment. | | Robot user/Assisted user | Executes automations in the specified robot machine. | [Table 1. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub users] {#rpa-explore__table_cf1_b5v_mdc} ## Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub workflow {#rpa-explore__section_lwf_x24_drb} The three main parts of a process workflow are RPA Hub, RPA Desktop Design Studio, and robot machines (virtual machine or user desktop). The following diagram shows the process workflow of the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub applications. Figure 1. Workflow of creating and executing automations using Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub applications 1. As a release manager, create a bot process, define robots, and assign a developer who would continue to configure the bot process. 2. As a developer, configure the bot process to associate a package, business applications, robots, parameters, and credentials so that robots can use them to run automations. 3. As a developer, build automation packages, tests the automation projects, and handles exceptions in RPA Desktop Design Studio. 4. As a developer, publish the configured bot process to execute, manage, and monitor automations. 5. As a robot user or assisted user, execute automations in the specified Windows machine where Attended Robot or Unattended Robot is installed. {#rpa-explore__cf-exploring-parent-workflow-ol} ## RPA Hub Benefits {#rpa-explore__section_adg_q24_drb} * Increases productivity and delivers higher operational efficiencies. * Enhances accuracy by eliminating processing errors. * Enhances customer service and meets highly varied customer demands. {#rpa-explore__ul_myx_2kv_drb} ## Integration with Workflow Studio {#rpa-explore__section_xkx_w4j_4rb} Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub provides an integration with the Workflow Studio application. This integration enables you to integrate ServiceNow workflows with Robotic Process Automation by using ServiceNow components for Workflow Studio. For more information about RPA Hub actions and subflow, see [RPA Hub actions and subflow](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/7w_MXXMfclHAAurIqZ2Axw "Two-way integration of actions and subflows in Workflow Studio and RPA Hub for a seamless robot execution."). ## Key Management Framework {#rpa-explore__section_qfm_jy1_5rb} RPA Hub uses the ServiceNow® Key Management Framework for all the sensitive data that is stored on the application. For more information, see [Understanding the Key Management Framework](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=understanding-kmf&version=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-platform-security&ft:locale=en-US). ## Important information for upgrading RPA Hub to Yokohama {#rpa-explore__section_zww_ssk_cvb} Ensure that you upgrade the current installed Microsoft Software Installers (MSIs) (RPA Desktop Design Studio, Attended Robot, Unattended Robot, and Unattended Robot Login Agent), by downloading the RPA applications. For more information, see [Download the RPA applications from RPA Hub](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/IcA1JJcxKkI80nYKgYQCQA "Download the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) applications in your Windows machine from RPA Hub as a prerequisite for installing the applications or upgrading them."). Important: The following upgrade steps are applicable only when you're upgrading from San Diego or Tokyo to Yokohama. Based on the number of records in the application file table, you could experience a potential delay while upgrading the RPA Hub applications from Tokyo or before to Yokohama. Before upgrading RPA Hub to Yokohama, you must set the value of the glide.rollback.blacklist.TableParentChange.change system property to false. If this property doesn't exist in the System Property \[sys_properties\] table, [add the property](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_AddAPropertyUsingSysPropsList&version=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US) and set its value to false. After you upgrade to the Yokohama, the bot process definitions change to the new structure, that is, the bot process configuration. Although the bot process configuration doesn't replace the bot process completely. Most fields are moved from bot process to bot process configuration. If you upgrade to the Utah version without updating the system property value, the tables don't extend the Application File table. Manually to update the table changes, see the [Restructuring RPA Hub tables to sys_metadata in Utah](https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB1223629) article in the Now Support Knowledge Base. ## What to explore next {#rpa-explore__section_fs2_fcc_3cc} To learn more about configuring Robotic Process Automation, see: * [RPA Hub](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/epUJG627k29U5InBsWWf_Q "ServiceNow Robotic Process Automation Hub (RPA Hub) is a powerful platform for orchestrating and managing your robotic workforce to execute various business processes efficiently.") * [Unattended Robot](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/sbq9HvkpSE3RyULSh_RFmg "Use the ServiceNow Unattended Robot application to execute unattended automations. Unattended Robot, which is a software agent that you install on a Windows machine, doesn't require human intervention to execute automations.") * [Unattended Login Agent](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Gkya2vLCx6Fmjum_5H8Giw "You can install the Unattended Robot Login Agent application in your Windows machine if you have the admin role.") * [Attended Robot](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/DyvIFcgk26YDdtEYuHuFaw "Use the ServiceNow Attended Robot application to execute attended automations. Attended Robot, which is a software agent that you install on a Windows machine, requires human intervention to execute automations.") * [ServiceNow Otto for RPA Hub](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/_y1P1Ktsmc2vqPp1AVibkA "Use the ServiceNow Otto for RPA Hub application to transform your automation development process. You can create automations, activities, and automation logic additions from text instructions and preview options.") * [RPA Desktop Design Studio](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/DxE4bC73ua2YKCPqwBgbtQ "Use the ServiceNow Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Desktop Design Studio, which is a low-code Integrated Development Environment (IDE) where you can design or configure automation workflows by dragging and dropping components to the Design surface. RPA Desktop Design Studio is a Windows native application.") * [Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub reference](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/04dG6xOMXpECNw3VEOO74Q "Reference topics provide additional information about the lists and forms that you use to configure and administer Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub.") {#rpa-explore__ul_b41_gcc_3cc}