Change schedules view
Summarize
Summary of Change schedules view
The Change Schedules module in ServiceNow offers a Gantt or timeline view of change requests based on criteria set in a Change Schedule Definition. This view provides detailed insights into change timing, duration, related tasks, blackout periods, and maintenance windows across various timeframes such as days, weeks, or months. To use this feature, the Change Management - Change Schedule plugin (com.snc.changemanagement.soc) must be activated.
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Key Features
- Visual Representation: Change requests are displayed as spans whose lengths correspond to their start and end dates, providing a clear visual timeline.
- Condition Builder: Allows defining filter conditions to determine which change requests appear in the schedule and how they are sorted.
- Blackout and Maintenance Windows: These are visible only if the Configuration Item (CI) field is populated on the change request, displaying related windows for the primary CI.
- Context Menu Options: Users can create, edit, copy, view definitions, or delete change schedules. Ownership rules apply, with ITIL role users limited to creating, copying, or viewing schedules they do not own.
- Span Styles: Color-coded spans indicate risk levels by default (High=Red, Moderate=Orange, Low=Green), with options to add or modify span style rules and filters.
- Sharing: Schedules can be shared with users, groups, or roles, including an option to notify recipients via email. If unshared, visibility is limited to owners, owner groups, and administrators.
- Configuration Visibility: Components such as configuration items, durations, and related tasks can be shown or hidden to tailor the view.
- Navigation and Accessibility: Keyboard shortcuts aid quick navigation. Zoom controls adjust the timeline view from hours to yearly spans. Arrow keys allow moving forward or backward in time, and a "Today" button returns to the current date and time.
- Change Record Summary: Clicking a span displays a summary of the change request, with a link to open the full form view. Fields shown in the summary are configurable in the Change Schedule Definition record.
Practical Considerations
Change schedules load client-side in batches of 20, with a default maximum of 1000 records, adjustable by system administrators. Effective use requires proper configuration of change schedule definitions, span styles, and permissions to ensure relevant change requests are visible and actionable.
The Change Schedules module provides a Gantt or timeline view of change requests based on criteria defined within a Change Schedule Definition.
The change schedule provides detailed insight to change requests that are included based on the change schedule definition. The change requests can include change timing, duration, related change tasks, blackout periods, and maintenance windows for any given date, week or month.
To view the Change Schedules page, you must activate Change Management - Change Schedule plugin (com.snc.change_management.soc).
| SI # | UI Component | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Context Menu | Option to do the following:
Note:
|
| 2 | Span styles | Defined span color based on conditions you specify. You can add new span styles by
clicking Add Span Styles. You can also edit an existing style rule,
apply filters to a style rule, or remove a style rule. Note: By default, span styles are based
on the Risk value of a change.
|
| 3 | Share | Schedules to be shared to other users by user name, group, or role. The share pane also provides a check box to share a change schedule with everybody. If change schedules are not shared with anyone, then only the owner, owner group, and administrator can see them. If a change schedule is shared with other users, an option is available to send an email notification to inform them of their access. |
| 4 | Configuration | Components of the change schedule including the configuration item, duration, or any related tasks can be hidden or exposed. |
| 5 | Keyboard shortcuts | List of available keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate quickly and to provide
accessibility to users. The list of navigation shortcuts appears when you click |
| 6 | Zoom | Zoom levels to control change schedule zoom resolution. The range can vary from hours to a yearly view of change schedules. |
| 7 | Arrow keys | Option to navigate forward or back in time in the change schedule based on the current zoom level. Click Today to navigate back to the current day and time in a single click. |
| 8 | Change record | Summary of the change record when you click any span. Use Open
Record in the header of the summary to open the change request in the form view.
In the form, you can view the entire change request record. Note: You can specify the fields
that are displayed in this window. On the Change Schedule Definition form, under the
Record Summary tab, specify required fields on Left
column fields and Right column fields. |