Virtual machine pre-built topics for ITSM Virtual Agent

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Virtual machine pre-built topics for ITSM Virtual Agent

    The ITSM Virtual Agent for ServiceNow provides pre-built conversation flows that enable users to manage virtual machines (VMs) across AWS and Azure cloud providers. These flows allow users to start, stop, terminate, describe, and provision VMs through intuitive interactions with the Virtual Agent. There are two main categories of topics: those using the Cloud Access Interface (CAI) and those integrating with the Cloud Provisioning and Governance plugin.

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    Key Features

    • Cloud Access Interface (CAI) Topics: Enable VM actions such as start, stop, terminate, and describe for AWS and Azure without requiring the Cloud Provisioning and Governance plugin. Users must have the snmanagevmva.caivmuser role to perform these actions.
    • Cloud Provisioning and Governance Topics: Support managing, provisioning, and describing VMs and require the com.snc.cloud.mgmt plugin. These topics allow users to request new VMs and interact with the Cloud User Portal directly from the Virtual Agent.
    • Customizable Parameters: Script variables such as maxrecords control the number of VM records fetched per API call, and carouselentriesthreshold manages how many records are displayed in carousel input or as a reference list.
    • Role and Permission Requirements: Users need the appropriate roles, particularly snmanagevmva.caivmuser, to perform CAI-based VM operations.
    • Error Handling: If AWS encounters errors during VM operations, the Virtual Agent guides users to create an incident for further investigation.
    • Notification and User Interaction: For start and stop operations, the Virtual Agent sends actionable notifications, allowing users to view VM details, request login instructions, or skip notifications.
    • Permanent Actions Confirmation: The terminate VM operation includes a confirmation step due to its irreversible nature.
    • Pre-built Topics and Topic Blocks: The conversation flows use modular topic blocks for operations on AWS and Azure, supporting an end-to-end fulfillment of VM management requests.
    • Activation and Duplication: The pre-built topics are read-only; customers must duplicate and activate them within the Virtual Machine Management for Virtual Agent scope to customize and use.

    Practical Use and Benefits

    ServiceNow customers can leverage these pre-built Virtual Agent topics to streamline cloud VM management directly within their ITSM environment, reducing manual effort and accelerating cloud operations. The integration with AWS and Azure ensures broad cloud compatibility, while role-based controls maintain security and compliance. The seamless flow from VM requests to operational commands enhances user productivity and operational transparency.

    ITSM Virtual Agent helps you manage a virtual machine (VM) using conversation flows. With this conversation flow, you can start, stop, terminate, describe, and provision a virtual machine.

    There are two categories of virtual machine management topics:
    Topics that support AWS and Azure providers
    Topics that are labeled CAI use the Cloud Access Interface to take action on virtual machines provisioned on AWS and Azure. The user must have the sn_managevm_va.cai_vm_user role to perform these actions. The Virtual Agent admin can set the script variable max_records (default value=100) to denote the number of records to be fetched from Azure in a single REST API call. The script variable carousel_entries_threshold denotes the number of records the carousel input shows. If the number of records are greater than the specified value, a reference choice list is shown to the user.
    Cloud Provisioning and Governance is not required to describe, start, stop, and terminate a VM for AWS and Azure. You can perform the following actions with the Cloud Access Interface (CAI) topics for Virtual Agent:
    • Start a Virtual Machine CAI
    • Stop a Virtual Machine CAI
    • Terminate a Virtual Machine CAI
    • Describe a Virtual Machine CAI
    Topics that use the Cloud Provisioning and Governance plugin (com.snc.cloud.mgmt)
    The following topics integrate with Cloud Provisioning and Governance (required):
    • Manage Virtual Machine
    • Provision Virtual Machine

    Describe Virtual Machine CAI

    Users can see details of any assigned VM instance associated with the credential set up by the system administrator.​ If AWS encounters an error, Virtual Agent asks the user to create an incident for further investigation.

    Returned details include Provider, Region, and Instance ID. The user can specify which VM to describe, or Virtual Agent can provide a list of available VM instances and the user can select the desired VM to describe.

    Requirement: User must have the sn_managevm_va.cai_vm_user role to perform these actions.

    This topic uses the following topic blocks:
    • Virtual Machine Operation AWS
    • Virtual Machine Operation Azure

    Describe Virtual Machine CAI topic.

    Manage Virtual Machine

    This topic calls the appropriate topic block (describe, start, stop, and terminate) to complete an end-to-end fulfillment of the request.

    This topic calls the appropriate topic block (describe, start, stop, and terminate) to complete an end-to-end fulfillment of the request. This pre-built topic is read-only. Duplicate the topic in the Virtual Machine Management for Virtual Agent scope and activate it to use the conversation flow.

    Requirement: Cloud Provisioning and Governance plugin (com.snc.cloud.mgmt)

    This topic uses the following topic blocks:
    • Describe Virtual Machine
    • Start Virtual Machine
    • Stop Virtual Machine
    • Terminate Virtual Machine

    Provision Virtual Machine

    Users can request a new VM in a Virtual Agent conversation. Virtual Agent sends a link to the Cloud User Portal to submit the catalog item.

    Requirement: Cloud Provisioning and Governance plugin (com.snc.cloud.mgmt)

    Basic flow:
    1. User requests a virtual machine.
    2. Virtual Agent does one of the following:
      • Provides a link to the Cloud User Portal, along with instructions for requesting a VM from the catalog.
      • Displays items in the VM catalog that are assigned to the user.

        If the user can't find the desired catalog item, the user can either go directly to the Cloud User Portal or end the conversation.

    Provision Virtual Machine topic.

    Start Virtual Machine CAI

    Users can start any assigned virtual machine instance associated with their credentials set up by the system administrator.​ If AWS encounters an error, Virtual Agent asks the user to create an incident for further investigation.

    Requirement: User must have the sn_managevm_va.cai_vm_user role to perform these actions.

    This topic uses the following topic blocks:
    • Virtual Machine Operation AWS
    • Virtual Machine Operation Azure
    Basic flow:
    1. User specifies which VM to start, or Virtual Agent provides a list of available VM instances for the user to choose from.
    2. Virtual Agent sends the user an actionable notification when the requested VM starts.
    3. User can choose to see details, request additional instructions to log in to the virtual machine, or skip the notification.

      Virtual Agent also notifies the user if the operation was unsuccessful.

    Start Virtual Machine CAI topic.

    Stop Virtual Machine CAI

    Users can stop any assigned VM instance associated with the credentials set up by the system administrator.​ If AWS encounters an error, Virtual Agent asks the user to create an incident for further investigation.

    Requirement: User must have the sn_managevm_va.cai_vm_user role to perform these actions.

    This topic uses the following topic blocks:
    • Virtual Machine Operation AWS
    • Virtual Machine Operation Azure
    Basic flow:
    1. User specifies which VM to stop, or Virtual Agent provides a list of available VM instances for the user to choose from.
    2. Virtual Agent sends the user an actionable notification when the requested VM stops.
    3. User can choose to see details, request additional instructions to log in to the virtual machine, or skip the notification.

      Virtual Agent also notifies the user if the operation was unsuccessful.

    Stop Virtual Machine CAI topic.

    Terminate Virtual Machine CAI

    Users can terminate any assigned virtual machine instance associated with the credential set up by the system administrator.​ Because termination is a permanent action, Virtual Agent displays the VM details and asks for confirmation.​ If AWS encounters an error, Virtual Agent asks the user to create an incident for further investigation.

    Requirement: User must have the sn_managevm_va.cai_vm_user role to perform these actions.

    This topic uses the following topic blocks:
    • Virtual Machine Operation AWS
    • Virtual Machine Operation Azure

    Terminate Virtual Machine CAI topic.