Auto-upgrade

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 1, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Auto-upgrade

    The auto-upgrade mechanism in ServiceNow automates the regular upgrading of ServiceNow-managed applications across your instances without manual intervention. It applies only to ServiceNow-managed applications, excluding customer-customized or third-party apps. This feature facilitates continuous delivery by scheduling and installing upgrades automatically at optimal times, ensuring your applications stay current with minimal effort.

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    Key Features

    • Continuous Delivery: Eliminates the need for manual upgrade initiation, streamlining application updates.
    • Load Distribution: Upgrade schedules are randomized within a 24-hour window to balance installation load across the platform.
    • Blackout Window Enforcement: Respects configured high-usage periods (e.g., business hours) during which upgrades are not performed, avoiding disruption.
    • Batch Orchestration: Multiple application upgrades are grouped into batches, reducing installation operations and including retry logic for failed upgrades.
    • Environment Targeting: Business units can specify whether upgrades target non-production, production, or both environments, with options to customize target dates beyond the default window.
    • Read-only Enforcement: All ServiceNow-managed application metadata is enforced as read-only during installation to prevent overwriting your customizations.

    How It Works

    • Automated Polling: Instances poll the upgrade API every 2 hours to detect new upgrade availability and schedule installations within 24 hours of release.
    • Blackout Windows and System Properties: Automatic upgrades pause during configured blackout times and instance upgrade schedules to avoid conflicts. Properties allow you to enable/disable auto-upgrade, configure polling frequency, and set platform upgrade detection windows.
    • Batch Install Orchestration: New upgrades join existing batches if the window is open; otherwise, new batches are created. The system retries failed installations automatically where possible.

    Managing and Troubleshooting Auto-upgrade

    • Task Status Monitoring: Track upgrade progress via task statuses—Assigned, In Progress, Success, or Failed—to understand upgrade outcomes.
    • Failure Handling: The system retries failed upgrades automatically, but manual checks may be needed if retries fail, including verifying blackout windows and upgrade schedules.
    • Withdrawn Application Errors: If an application version is withdrawn from the store before installation, upgrades fail and display error details to guide next steps.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    This automated upgrade process ensures your ServiceNow-managed applications remain up-to-date with minimal administrative overhead while respecting your business-critical usage times. It reduces manual upgrade bottlenecks, balances infrastructure load, and provides built-in retry and error handling mechanisms to maintain application health and availability.

    The auto-upgrade mechanism automatically upgrades ServiceNow-managed applications across your instances on a regular schedule without requiring manual intervention. Auto-upgrade applies exclusively to ServiceNow-managed applications; customer-customized or third-party applications aren't included in automatic upgrades.

    Auto-upgrade enables continuous delivery of ServiceNow-managed applications by automating the upgrade process, eliminating the need for your manual intervention. Instead of waiting for you to manually upgrade each application, the system automatically schedules and installs upgrades at optimal times, keeping your applications current with minimal effort.

    Key benefits

    The auto-upgrade feature provides the following benefits:

    • Enables continuous delivery of ServiceNow-managed applications by removing the bottleneck of your initiated action.
    • Distributes installation load across the platform infrastructure by randomizing upgrade schedules within a 24-hour window.
    • Respects your high-usage periods by enforcing blackout windows during configured times.
    • Orchestrates multiple application upgrades in batches, reducing the number of installation operations across instances.

    How it works

    The auto-upgrade mechanism operates through a combination of polling, scheduling, and batch orchestration to upgrade applications automatically:

    • Automated polling: Your instances poll the API every 2 hours to check for pending SN-managed application upgrades. When new upgrades are available, the system automatically schedules installations within a 24-hour window of publication.
    • Blackout window enforcement: Control automated polling with blackout windows and system properties. The system honors your configured high-usage periods (for example, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM) during which no automated installations occur. Instance upgrade schedules are treated as implicit blackout periods to prevent conflicts. You can manage polling frequency and auto-upgrade controls using three system properties in System Properties:
      • sn_app_auto_upgr.enabled (master on/off switch)
      • sn_appclient.scheduled_jobs_config (polling frequency and operational settings)
      • sn_app_auto_upgr.platform_upgrade_lookahead_hours (platform upgrade detection window)
    • Batch install orchestration: New application upgrade requests are added to existing active batch install plans if the target installation window is still open. If the window has closed, a new batch is created. The system handles multiple applications in a single batch and includes retry logic for failed installations.
    • Environment targeting: Application business units specify whether a release targets non-production environments, production environments, or both. Custom target dates can be configured beyond the default 24-hour window.
    • Read-only enforcement: All ServiceNow-managed application metadata is enforced as read-only at installation time, overriding any application-level settings to prevent your customizations.

    Auto upgrade failure resolutions

    If an auto-upgrade installation fails, the system includes retry logic within the batch orchestration process. Depending on the failure, the system may automatically schedule a retry operation. If automatic retry does not resolve the issue, check the following areas:

    • Verify that the instance is not in a blackout window or explicit instance upgrade schedule during the scheduled installation time.
    • Check the status of auto-upgrade tasks to understand the progress and outcome of installations. Task status values indicate the stage of the upgrade operation:
      • Assigned: The batch install plan has been created and the task is queued for execution
      • In Progress: The batch install plan is currently executing the application upgrade
      • Success: The application upgrade completed successfully
      • Failed: The application upgrade failed; review the failure details and configure retry settings if needed
    • Resolve withdrawn application errors. If an application version is withdrawn from the store before auto-upgrade installation, the system treats it as a failed installation and displays an error message indicating the application is unavailable. Check the error details to determine next steps.