---
sourceDocument: Australia Enterprise Architecture
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/application-portfolio-management

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Enterprise Architecture

ft:clusterId :

    - appportman

bundleId :

    - appportman

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Technical debt calculation

# Technical debt calculation {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated March 12, 2026  
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## Summary of Technical debt calculation

Technical debt records help ServiceNow customers identify business application products that are either not approved in the Technology Risk Management (TRM) framework or use unapproved versions.
These records reveal conformance gaps, enabling customers to plan remediation strategies effectively.
To access and work with technical debt records, the Technology Lifecycle Management application and the SAM Foundation plugin must be installed.
Show full answer Show less  

## Configurable Conditions

Customers can configure which conditions the system uses when generating technical debt records through scheduled jobs. At least one condition must be selected to ensure the system correctly identifies nonconformant products.

## Technical Debt Levels

The system creates technical debt records at two levels based on specific conditions:

* **Level 1:** Triggered when a product linked to a business application is either not listed in the TRM product list or is listed but its Production phase is not approved.
* **Level 2:** Requires the system property `snapmtrm.isproductlifecycletechdebtenabled` to be true. Level 2 debt records occur when a product is in the TRM list with an approved Production phase but lacks associated TRM product lifecycles, or when version and edition criteria are not met according to discovery data.

## Version and Edition Criteria for Level 2 Debt

* **Case 1 (Full version populated):** A debt record is created if no approved TRM product lifecycle matches the full version or wildcard pattern within the discovery model, considering valid production phases and current dates.
* **Case 2 (Full version empty):** A debt record is created if no approved TRM lifecycle matches the version and edition exactly or via wildcard patterns, also respecting valid production phases and current dates.
* **Edition-Specific Debt:** Level 2 debt records differentiate products by both version and edition, capturing edition details as part of the record identity. Separate debts are maintained for different editions even if the version is the same.

## Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

By leveraging technical debt calculations, customers can systematically detect unapproved or outdated software products within their business applications. This enables prioritization of remediation efforts aligned with approved TRM lifecycles, improving compliance and reducing risk associated with unsupported software versions or editions.

Configuring technical debt settings appropriately ensures the system reflects the customer's compliance policies and facilitates ongoing governance of product approval statuses.  
Technical debt records identify products used in business applications that aren't approved in the TRM or that use unapproved versions. View technical debt records to understand conformance gaps and plan remediation.

## Prerequisites {#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__section_vhr_2hh_jkc}

To view technical debt records, you need the Technology Lifecycle Management (sn_apm_tpm) Store application and the SAM Foundation (com.snc.sams) plugin.{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-prereq-1}

## Configurable conditions {#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__section_whr_2hh_jkc}

You can select which conditions the scheduled job uses to create technical debt records. At least one condition must remain selected. For configuration steps, see [Configure technical debt settings](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/FOW8_gcf_7VaWqqgJTBYKg "Configure whether the server is part of a technical debt record's identity and select which reasons the scheduled job uses to create technical debt.").{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-config-1}

## Technical debt levels {#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__section_xhr_2hh_jkc}

The system creates technical debt records at two levels when specific conditions are met. Level 2 checks occur only when the
sn_apm_trm.is_product_life_cycle_tech_debt_enabled property is set to <kbd class="ph userinput">true</kbd>.{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-levels-1}

**Level 1 conditions**{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-levels-2}

The system creates a Level 1 technical debt record when either of the following conditions is true:{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-levels-3}

* A product is associated with a business application but is not part of the TRM product list.
* A product is associated with a business application and is part of the TRM product list, but the Production phase is not approved.

{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__ul_level1}

**Level 2 conditions**{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-levels-4}

The system creates a Level 2 technical debt record when either of the following conditions is true:{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-levels-5}

* A product is associated with a business application, is part of the TRM product list, has an approved Production phase, but has no associated TRM product lifecycles.
* A product meets the criteria in the following cases.

{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__ul_level2}

**Case 1: Full version is not empty**{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-case1}

When the full version field in the Software Discovery Model \[cmdb_sam_sw_discovery_model\] table is not empty, the system creates a technical debt record. This occurs if no TRM product lifecycle meets all of the following criteria:{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-case1-desc}

* The TRM phase is approved for production.
* The TRM product phase is approved for production.
* The version matches the full version or wildcard pattern in the Software Discovery Model \[cmdb_sam_sw_discovery_model\] table.
* The current date falls between the phase start date and phase end date.

{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__ul_case1}

**Case 2: Full version is empty**{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-case2}

When the full version field in the Software Discovery Model \[cmdb_sam_sw_discovery_model\] table is empty, the system creates a technical debt record. This occurs if no TRM product lifecycle meets all of the following criteria:{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-case2-desc}

* The TRM phase is approved for production.
* The TRM product phase is approved for production.
* The version matches (exact or wildcard) the version in the Software Discovery Model \[cmdb_sam_sw_discovery_model\] table.
* The edition matches the edition in the Software Discovery Model \[cmdb_sam_sw_discovery_model\] table.
* The current date falls between the phase start date and phase end date.
{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__ul_case2}

## Edition-specific technical debt {#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__section_yhr_2hh_jkc}

A Level 2 technical debt record can be created from a TRM product lifecycle that is defined by both version and edition. The technical debt record captures the edition along with the version. The edition is part of the record identity.
A debt for version X, edition A is a separate record from a debt for version X, edition B.{#eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc__eaw-trm-technical-debt-calc-edition-1}
**Related concepts**   

* [Technical debt settings](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/PulwqBpRzyJl2k9xwQZejQ "Control which server and reason criteria the scheduled job uses to create TRM technical debt records.")  
**Related reference**   

* [TRM technical debt states and transitions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/8DAgcqx6EgFMJXAGk_mH2A "A TRM technical debt record persists across scheduled job runs and moves between Active, Resolved, and Archived states instead of being deleted and re-created.")
* [Governing TRM product fields](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/NUfg4dobcARAGL0istGFKg "The TLM Technology Lifecycle [sn_apm_tpm_technology_lifecycle] table includes fields that link a discovered technology to the TRM product and product lifecycle that govern its obsolescence status.")