--- sourceDocument: Australia IT Operations Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/it-operations-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia IT Operations Management ft:clusterId : - itom bundleId : - itom workflow : - Technology --- # Domain separation and Service Mapping # Domain separation and Service Mapping {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Domain Separation and Service Mapping Domain separation in Service Mapping allows you to logically segment data, processes, and administrative tasks into distinct domains. This segmentation controls user access and visibility, ensuring that data is correctly assigned to the appropriate domain, which is essential for service provider use cases. The application supports domain separation at runtime, including user interface elements, caching, reporting, and aggregations. Show full answer Show less This functionality requires setup by the instance owner to enable multi-tenant operations, making it suitable for environments where service providers manage multiple tenants securely and independently. ## How Domain Separation Works in Service Mapping * Users operate within leaf domains (domains without child domains) to perform mapping actions. * When creating or managing service instances, the service instance and related configuration items (CIs) must belong to the user's domain. * Manual addition of CIs or connections requires users to be in the same domain as the application service. * Imported service instances and groups are automatically assigned to the user's domain. ## Domain Separation and Automated Service Suggestions Automated Service Suggestions supports domain separation starting from version 1.9.0 (not supported on-premise). Key points include: * Source and target processes must be within the same domain to create connections. * Users can only view data within their current domain. * Post-installation of Service Mapping Plus with domain separation requires verification that all content is assigned to the correct domain. ## Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers * Domain separation enables secure, multi-tenant management of service mapping data and processes. * It ensures proper data segregation, which is critical for service providers handling multiple customers. * Users must be aware of domain boundaries when performing service mapping tasks, including creating service instances and managing CIs. * Automated Service Suggestions respects domain separation rules, limiting visibility and connection creation to the current domain. ## Additional Resources Customers can refer to related documentation on enabling traffic-based discovery, creating and customizing patterns, and best practices for domain separation in service provider environments to optimize their use of Service Mapping with domain separation. Domain separation is supported in Service Mapping. Domain separation enables you to separate data, processes, and administrative tasks into logical groupings called domains. You can control several aspects of this separation, including which users can see and access data. ## Support level: Basic {#domain-separation-service-mapping__section_krn_nwq_xkb} {#domain-separation-service-mapping__domain-sep-supported} * Business logic: Ensure that data goes into the proper domain for the application's service provider use cases. * The application supports domain separation at run time. The domain separation includes separation from the user interface, cache keys, reporting, rollups, and aggregations. * The owner of the instance must set up the application to function across multiple tenants. {#domain-separation-service-mapping__ul_yhr_g2j_xkb} Sample use case: When a service provider (SP) uses chat to respond to a tenant-customer's message, the customer must be able to see the SP's response.{#domain-separation-service-mapping__p_lsc_nfg_h1c} For more information on support levels, see [Application support for domain separation](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=domain-separated-apps&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-security&ft:locale=en-US).{#domain-separation-service-mapping__p_msc_nfg_h1c} ## How domain separation works in Service Mapping {#domain-separation-service-mapping__section_ydt_kth_scb} In domain-separated environments, switch into relevant leaf domains to access actions related to mapping performed by Service Mapping. A leaf domain is a child domain of the lowest level, meaning it does not have any child domains itself. Domain separation is handled in a slightly different way than simply configuring separate domains. Notice that you must select or specify the relevant leaf domain to perform the following mapping actions in domain-separated environments: * When creating an service instance, the service instance is assigned to the user's domain. * When manually adding a CI to an service instance, you can choose only CIs that belong to the service domain. * When manually adding connections to CIs to an service instance, users must belong to the same domain as the application service. * When transferring service definitions between instances, imported service instances and service groups are assigned to the user's domain. {#domain-separation-service-mapping__ul_hkr_t3t_xdb} ## Domain separation and Automated Service Suggestions {#domain-separation-service-mapping__section_jxj_xw5_rxb} Automated Service Suggestions supports domain separation. This means that: * The source and target process must reside in the same domain to create a connection. * The user can view only the data in the current domain. {#domain-separation-service-mapping__ul_vkt_ry5_rxb} Note: After installing Service Mapping Plus with domain separation support, verify that all content is in the appropriate domain. For a detailed explanation of the required steps, see the [Service mapping plus for domain separated instance \[KB1303398\]](https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB1303398) article in the Now Support Knowledge Base. Automated Service Suggestions supports domain separation starting with version 1.9.0. No support is currently offered for on-premise instances. Reach out to product management for further information. For more context, refer to [Discovery patterns used by ITOM Visibility](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/3WWYGsEVrMRMuvWOTm2Q3w "Service Mapping and Discovery use patterns in their discovery process that cover most industry standard network devices and applications. You can customize these patterns and create new ones.") topic and [MID Server configuration for Service Mapping](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/wa5mxZ0mzsyvmE375lfiWA "Configure Service Mapping and MID Servers to work together."). The following topics provide operational information on how to use Service Mapping in deployments with domain separation: * [Enable traffic-based discovery for CI types or specific CIs](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bm573IeN70qi9SoupLgIJA "Service Mapping can discover and map CIs by detecting the inbound and outbound traffic that the CIs generate. Create a traffic-based discovery rule to determine which configuration items are available for traffic-based mapping.") * [Map application services using tags with classic Service Mapping](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/X_P8l2UBcAvJ~a3ljHP~Tw "Use tags that help categorize and organize configuration items (CIs) in your organization to map application services. Tag-based mapping doesn't require configuring credentials or providing users with elevated rights.") * [Create or customize patterns](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/eSCCHLrC3WnjorQlBixsGA "Create or modify a discovery pattern and define its basic attributes.") * [Create entry point types for Service Mapping](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zPrBGSiMWZVf06hJ_MQO~A "An entry point is a point where clients access a service instance. Service Mapping starts the mapping process for every application service from the entry point you define for it. Service Mapping includes a wide range of preconfigured entry point types that cover most commonly used applications. If your organization uses a less known or proprietary application that does not have a corresponding entry point type in Service Mapping, you must create it.") * [Enhance patterns without modifying identification sections](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/iZ4HV9FLcdt_eQp3a1uxGQ "Enable patterns to search for additional attributes and modify pattern discovery logic defined in identification sections by using extension sections. Each extension section contains a preconfigured set of discovery steps referred to as a shared library.") {#domain-separation-service-mapping__ul_gqh_prw_rdb} **Related topics** * [Domain separation](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=domain-sep-landing-page&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-security&ft:locale=en-US) * [Domain separation recommended practices for service providers](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=bp-domain-sep-recommended&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-security&ft:locale=en-US)