CSDM shapes support in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization

ServiceNow CSDM data model defines standardized relationships between service-related objects in the CMDB. It ensures consistency across ITSM, ITOM, and EA practices. In Enterprise Architecture Workspace, CSDM shapes represent these objects visually in diagrams, enabling architects to model business capabilities, applications, services, and technical components in alignment with the Now Platform.

CSDM domains and shapes

CSDM 5 introduces seven domains, each grouping related entities. Shapes in Enterprise Architecture Workspace diagrams correspond to these domains:

• Foundation- Shapes in this domain represent core referential data like Company, Location, Groups, Products, and Contracts.
• Ideation & Strategy- Shapes in this domain capture early-stage planning and strategic objectives.
• Design & Planning- Shapes in this domain define an architecture blueprint and logical application portfolio.
• Build & Integration- Shapes in this domain represent development artifacts and integration points.
• Service Delivery- Shapes in this domain represent an operational view of technology services and offerings.
• Service Consumption- Shapes in this domain represent services consumed by end users.

Table 1. Enterprise Architecture Shapes mapping to CSDM Domain, Purpose, and Example

Shape	Domain	Purpose	Example
Value Stream	Foundation	Represents a sequence of activities delivering business value	Customer Onboarding Value Stream
Value Stream Stage	Foundation	Defines phases within a value stream for process improvement	Payment Processing Stage
Business Process	Design & Planning	Models operational workflows supporting business capabilities	Order-to-Cash Process
Contract Model	Foundation	Standardizes contractual agreements and compliance tracking	Software Licensing Agreement Template
Application Model	Foundation	Catalog entry for an application, including lifecycle and components	SAP ERP Application Model
Business Capability	Design & Planning	High-level ability enabling business outcomes	Customer Relationship Management Capability
Business Application	Design & Planning	Logical representation of an application supporting capabilities	Salesforce CRM
Information Object	Design & Planning	Conceptual representation of data artifacts	Customer Profile
Portfolio	Build & Integration	Groups services or products for investment and lifecycle management	IT Service Portfolio
Service Offering	Build & Integration	Defines variations or tiers of a service	Gold Tier Support Offering
Service Instance	Build & Integration	Represents deployed instance of a service	Payroll Application Service – Production
Technology Management Service	Build & Integration	Technical service provided by IT for managing technology components	Database Management Service
Technology Management Service Offering	Build & Integration	Specific variation of a technical service	24x7 Network Monitoring Offering
Business Service	Service Delivery	Customer-facing service delivering measurable business value	Employee Onboarding Service
Customer-Facing Service	Service Delivery	Service consumed directly by external customers	Online Banking Service

Table 2. AI & Digital Asset Shapes

Shape	Domain	Purpose	Example
AI Dataset Digital Asset	Build & Integration	Represents datasets used for AI training and inference	Customer Interaction Dataset
AI Model Digital Asset	Build & Integration	Represents AI models with metadata and lifecycle details	Large Language Model for HR Chatbot
AI Prompt Digital Asset	Build & Integration	Represents reusable prompts for generative AI	Incident Resolution Prompt
AI System Digital Asset	Build & Integration	Represents deployable AI systems integrating models and datasets	AI Recommendation Engine

Table 3. Product Models

Shape	Domain	Purpose	Example
AI System Product Model	Foundation	Catalog entry for AI systems at product level	Conversational AI Platform
AI Model Product Model	Foundation	Defines AI model product specifications	Image Classification Model
AI Prompt Product Model	Foundation	Captures reusable prompt templates for governance	Customer Query Summarization Prompt
AI Dataset Product Model	Foundation	Defines dataset product specifications	Product Image Dataset
Software Component Model	Foundation	Represents modular software components	Authentication Module
Software Model	Foundation	Represents software product models for licensing and compliance	Windows 11 Enterprise Model
Software Product	Foundation	Represents actual software product offered or used	Microsoft Office Suite
Product Feature	Foundation	Represents specific capability or function of a product	Multi-factor Authentication feature

Related reference

• Common Service Data Model (CSDM) shapes