Managing upgrade risk

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    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 Managing upgrade risk

    Managing upgrade risk in ServiceNow involves identifying and handling conflicts that arise during platform upgrades when customized metadata files overlap with ServiceNow’s updates. Conflicts primarily occur with skipped metadata files—files provided by ServiceNow that have been customized by users and may have subsequent updates in new releases. This feature notifies you of potential upgrade conflicts via UI messages on metadata file form pages, enabling proactive management of customizations to reduce upgrade complications.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • UI Notifications: You receive warnings on metadata file forms indicating the risk level of customized files, helping you understand potential upgrade conflicts.
    • Risk-Based Messaging: Files are classified as high risk, medium risk, or non-risk based on their likelihood of change in future releases. The messages vary accordingly to guide your actions.
    • Customization Recommendations:
      • For high and medium risk customized files, it’s recommended to revert changes to the Base System to avoid conflicts during upgrades.
      • For non-customized high/medium risk files, avoid modifications unless absolutely necessary.
      • Non-risky files (customized or not) do not trigger warnings.
    • High Risk Customizations Menu: Provides a consolidated view of overlaps between ServiceNow’s high/medium risk files and your customizations. This table refreshes automatically or on demand.
    • Storage of Risk Files: High and medium risk files are tracked in the sysmetadatavolatility table, which is automatically updated per upgrade and should not be manually modified.
    • Risk Determination: Risk levels are predicted based on recent trends of metadata file updates in ServiceNow releases, including files not yet installed but possibly added in future app/plugin installations.

    Practical Guidance for ServiceNow Customers

    • Before upgrading, review UI warnings on metadata files to identify risky customizations that may cause conflicts.
    • Minimize modifications to high and medium risk files to reduce upgrade issues; revert customizations where feasible.
    • Use the High Risk Customizations menu to monitor and manage your customized files against ServiceNow’s risk classifications.
    • Understand that some skipped records and metadata files may require special handling during upgrades, and related tasks such as creating or executing skipped record rules can assist in this process.

    By following these practices, you can proactively manage upgrade risk, maintain system stability, and ensure smoother upgrade experiences.

    You will be notified of the possible conflicts that might result due to several customizations in a skipped metadata file, with a new UI message on the form pages of the metadata files.

    One of the major conflict areas during an upgrade is resolving conflicts for skipped metadata files that are released by ServiceNow® but have been customized. These conflicts result from multiple users updating the same files. ServiceNow might update the code in the files which you have customized over time. Whenever you install an application or a plugin, you often customize them as per your requirements. During the next upgrade, you might have several skipped records depending on the previous customizations.
    Important:
    Avoid modifying the high risk and medium risk (if possible) skipped metadata files that can potentially cause conflicted skipped metadata files in your next upgrade. You can edit the files if the modifications are absolutely required.

    The purpose of the UI message is to inform you about potential complications that might arise during the upgrade process, especially if any high-priority files have been modified. The notification is of the form of UI messages on the form pages of the metadata files.

    The UI message varies based on the severity of the files.
    • Medium risk and non-customized: The medium risk files that are not customized might be updated in future releases. It is recommended not to modify these files unless necessary.

      Image showing medium risk warning

    • High risk and non-customized: The high risk files that are non-customized might be updated in future releases. It is recommended not to modify these files unless necessary.
      Image showing high risk warning
      Note:
      You can proceed to modify these files if the changes are absolutely required. The following modal shows up.

      Image showing File Customizations modal

    • High risk and customized: The high risk files that are customized might be updated in future releases. It is recommended to revert them to the Base System to avoid conflicts.

      Image showing high risk warning

    • Medium risk and customized: The medium risk files that are customized might be updated in future releases. It is recommended to revert it to the Base System to avoid conflicts.

      Image showing medium risk warning

    • Non-risky and non-customized: You don’t see any warning for this condition.
    • Non-risky and customized: You don’t see any warning for this condition.

    High Risk Customizations menu

    The High Risk Customizations menu item presents the overlap between ServiceNow's high and medium risk files and your customizations.

    Image showing High Risk Customizations menu item

    They are stored in a virtual table called v_metadata_customization_risk, and is refreshed after a set period of time or when you select the Refresh on the list view.

    Image showing the list of risk files

    Risk files storage

    The high risk and medium risk files are stored in the new sys_metadata_volatility table.
    Note:
    It is recommended not to modify the sys_metadata_volatility table and is automatically updated for every family upgrade. The sys_metadata_volatility table is not a part of the menu item in the navbar.

    Image showing the volatility level

    Note:
    Risk is determined by the likelihood of a given metadata file being modified, which is predicted based on trends in updates from recent releases. Some files that may not currently exist in the system will be present in the table to account for future installation of apps/plugins.