Bubble chart view of application rationalization

Bubble charts are interactive graphs that position applications in different quadrants, based on their indicator scores. Based on the position of the business application in the quadrants, enterprise architects can take decisions to invest in, sustain, migrate, or retire the business applications.

Figure 1. Bubble chart view

Overview of the bubble chart

Select the application rationalization icon () and select the Bubble chart tab to view the bubble chart view of all business applications.

Use the bubble chart to view indicator scores of business applications in the X and Y axes and specify the bubble sizes. You can use these scores to measure how your applications are aligned to your business strategy and then create demands for the applications.

You can also create your own application indicators to analyze business applications in the bubble chart. For information on how to create custom application indicators, see Add or edit an application indicator.

Note:

• The created indicator must also be attached to the default application profile. For information on how to attach new profile indicators with a scoring profile, see Attach a profile indicator with an application scoring profile.
• If the created indicator isn’t displayed in the bubble size list, verify that the indicator is active. For information on how to activate an indicator, see Activate or turn off an application or capability indicator.

You can also generate insights into business applications using Now Assist. For information, see Generate insights into business applications.

Bubbles displayed on the chart

The bubble chart displays only the assessed business applications. Also, business applications marked as Retired or in End of Life lifecycle stage aren’t displayed on the Application Rationalization bubble chart page. However, you can view those business applications by updating the sn_apm_ws.business_application_default_filter system property. Contact your ServiceNow® account service manager to update the system property. Therefore, the number of bubbles displayed on the chart can be different from the number of business applications displayed on the list view page.

The total number of business applications displayed as bubbles on the bubble chart page is displayed at the top of the chart. You can also select the bubble count details icon () to view a detailed calculation of the number of bubbles displayed on the bubble chart page.

Understanding the bubble chart

The bubble chart page has the following components:

• X and Y axes: Each axis represents a metric category.
• Bubbles: Each labeled bubble represents a business application. Hover over a bubble to view an assessable record score summary.

On selecting a bubble, the business application data associated with that bubble is displayed in the info pane.

Business application bubbles whose X and Y-axis values are within the value range of +/-0.25 of each other, are grouped. A grouped bubble displays the total number of business application bubbles that it contains. One selecting a grouped bubble, the info pane appears, displaying the list of individual business applications that are part of the grouped bubble. On selecting a particular business application card, the associated business application data is displayed in the info pane.

The bubble color is dependent on the planned disposition value that was already set for the business application. You can refer to the legend displayed on the bubble chart to see the significance of each color.

The bubbles are of different sizes, based on the indicator score values that you select.

All the indicator scores are displayed according to the latest fiscal period, by default. The latest fiscal period is derived from the apm_app_indicator_score list. The duration of a fiscal period is derived from the system property com.glide.fiscal_calendar.fiscal_unit. You can also select a different fiscal period from the Scores for fiscal period list. Your fiscal period preferences are saved and applied the next time you visit the page.

The bubble chart displays up to 500 bubbles representing business applications, by default. If you want to see more than 500 bubbles, you can configure the sn_apm_ws.appRationalizationMaximumBubbles system property. For details, see Change the number of bubbles displayed on the bubble chart.

You can use the available filters to reduce the number of business application bubbles displayed on-screen. You can use the advanced filter to find business applications by applying specific criteria, such as application details, application indicators and scores, and associated business capabilities. Your filter preferences are saved and applied the next time you visit the page.

For more information, see Apply filters on the Application Rationalization page.

Actions available on the bubble chart page

You can perform the following by hovering over a bubble in the chart and then selecting the context menu:

• Create a demand for a business application. For more information, see Create a demand using the bubble chart.
• Set the planned disposition of a business application. For more information, see Set the planned disposition of a business application.
• Add business application lifecycle data. For more information, see Add business application lifecycle data using the bubble chart.

Zoom or pan on the bubble chart

You can zoom in, zoom out, or pan on the bubble chart page using either on-screen buttons or by using a mouse device or trackpad interactions.

Table 1. Bubble chart screen interactions

Interaction Method	Zoom in	Zoom out	Pan
On-screen button	Select the zoom in icon () Note: Select the zoom reset icon () to reset to the default zoom level.	Select the zoom out icon () Note: Select the zoom reset icon () to reset to the default zoom level.	Not applicable
Track pad	Place the cursor on a specific point on the bubble chart and double click on the trackpad Select an area on the bubble chart	Select the zoom out icon () Note: Select the zoom reset icon () to reset to the default zoom level.	Press and hold Shift key and then click and move the cursor Note: For the pan functionality to work, you must be zoomed in on a particular area on the bubble chart.
Mouse device	Double click on a particular section of the chart Select an area on the bubble chart	Select the zoom out icon () Note: Select the zoom reset icon () to reset to the default zoom level.	Press and hold Shift key and then click and move the cursor Note: For the pan functionality to work, you must be zoomed in on a particular area on the bubble chart.

Note:

You can zoom on this page to 200% or 400% through your browser settings without the loss of content or functionality. Page layouts are transformed into a vertical, stacked view automatically.

Related tasks

• Analyze applications using the bubble chart
• Generate insights into business applications