Alternatives to domain separation
You can use a separate instance as an alternative to domain separation for your customers. A separate instance allows you the flexibility to meet the requirements for data separation within the groups and departments in an organization with little to no impact on others.
Separate instances
| Separate instance | Single instance - without domain |
|---|---|
| Pros | Pros |
| Built to suit each customer/organization | May address simple scenarios |
| Minimize impact of customization on others | Cost |
| Release schedule coordination | Cons |
| Clean separation | Extensive modifications to baseline code |
| Choose DATACENTER region | Modified base system code skipped during upgrades |
| Cons | Must address all secondary and supporting tables as well |
| Cost | Extensive testing required |
| Alignment of instances | No ServiceNow product team to evolve your custom code |
| Testing effort for upgrades | |
| Duplication of effort | |
| Integrations required |
You can time upgrades and releases separately for each instance. However, if you choose to use separate instances, you need to do a lot of coordination with other people who are administering instances. By configuring an instance with contextual security, form views, reference qualifiers, filters, and robust conditions, you don't have to use domain separation in your company.
With a separate instance, you may address data and process separation but your instance owners must maintain and keep up with the extensive customizations that is required for separate instances.