Application service maps in classic Service Mapping
Summarize
Summary of Application service maps in classic Service Mapping
Application service maps in classic Service Mapping provide a visual representation of configuration items (CIs) that make up application services, including the relationships and connections between these CIs. A new map is generated whenever you manually create or map an application service using Service Mapping. The map updates automatically when CIs are added or rediscovered by Service Mapping.
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Role-based access controls determine what information and actions you can perform on the maps:
- Service users and Service Mapping users: View maps in read-only View mode.
- Service and Service Mapping administrators: View maps and edit discovered or manually created services in Edit mode. They can also view discovery messages and errors, and reload maps to refresh information.
- Service owners: Review, provide feedback, and approve discovered and manually created services.
Note that tag-based and dynamic services cannot be fine-tuned or edited via the map, and discovery-related tabs do not appear for services or CIs that Service Mapping cannot discover.
Map Window and Navigation
The map window displays the service map, a Properties pane with detailed information, and tabs for additional data. You can switch between different application service maps from a service list within the window.
Navigation tools enable zooming, panning, and dragging to focus on different parts of the map. You can also view change history for the entire service instance or individual CIs by selecting a time range.
Map Elements and Indicators
Maps are composed of icons representing CIs and arrows that depict their connections:
- Application clusters display as stacked CIs with a count and expansion symbol.
- CIs with inclusions show a plus (+) symbol to allow expansion and viewing of contained elements.
- OS clusters also appear with a plus symbol and CI count.
When a CI or connection is selected, its details appear in the Properties pane, including links to more detailed property pages. If there are discovery messages or other related records (alerts, outages, incidents, problems), these are highlighted in tabs below the map and indicated visually on the map itself.
Customizing Map Views and Monitoring
You can customize map views to exclude irrelevant information, enhancing clarity and focus. From the map window, you can directly open the service instance in Event Management to monitor alerts affecting CIs within the service by clicking the "Monitor Service" button.
Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
- Quickly visualize and understand the composition and dependencies of application services.
- Efficiently identify and review CI details, discovery messages, and related incident or alert information.
- Use role-based capabilities to maintain and approve services, ensuring accurate and updated service maps.
- Customize map views and integrate with Event Management for proactive monitoring and impact analysis.
Maps offer you a visualization of data on configuration items (CIs) comprising application services, and relations and connections between these CIs.
A new map is created every time you manually create an application service or map an application service using Service Mapping. The system updates the map every time you add CIs to the application service or when Service Mapping runs discovery for CIs belonging to this application service.
- As a Service user [app_service_user] or Service Mapping user [service_mapping_user], you can view the map in the View mode.
- As a Service administrator [app_service_admin] or Service Mapping administrator [service_mapping_admin], you can view application services in View mode and modify discovered and manually created services in Edit mode.Important:You cannot fine-tune or edit tag-based and dynamic services from the map.
- As a Service Mapping administrator [service_mapping_admin], you can view discovery messages and errors generated by Service Mapping and modify services in the Edit mode. You can also reload the map to ensure the map reflects the latest information.
- As a Service owner [sm_app_owner] role, you can review, provide feedback, and approve services discovered using Service Mapping in the View mode. Note:The review and approval process is available only for discovered and manually created application services.
Also, actions and information related to automatic discovery using Service Mapping are not available for CIs that Service Mapping cannot discover. For example, you do not see the tab for Discovery Messages for a manually created service instance that Service Mapping does not discover.
Map window
You can view changes made to an service instance as a whole and to individual CIs belonging to a service by choosing a time range. For more information, see View the change history of application services in classic Service Mapping.
Map elements and their appearance
CI attributes and CI-related messages
When a map is loaded and no elements are selected, the Properties pane shows the details of this service instance.
Map indicators
You can show additional information for a CI or service instance itself by displaying its related records such as alerts, outages, incidents, and problems. If you enable this feature, record indicators appear next to relevant CIs and next to the service instance name. Records themselves are displayed on the tabs at the bottom of the map window.
Map views
Customize a map view to exclude irrelevant information and increase clarity, as described in Modify view for an application service map.