Device location determination

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Device location determination

    Device location determination in ServiceNow DEX enables administrators to identify and quantify impacted devices based on their locations by configuring custom logic. This location data is essential for accurate reporting and alerting within the DEX environment.

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    Key Features

    • Location determination configurations: There are three predefined methods to set device location, controlled by the system property sndex.locationdetermination:
      • defaultgatewaydeterminedlocation: Determines device location by mapping the device's default gateway IP to a switch in the cmdbciipswitch table and using the switch’s assigned location. Devices without a matching switch location are marked as Remote.
      • deviceuserassignedlocation: Prioritizes the device’s assigned location from cmdbcicomputer. If unavailable, it uses the device owner’s location from sysuser. Devices without either location are marked as Remote.
      • geoIPdeterminedlocation (default): Uses GeoIP data based on network connectivity to determine device location. For Remote devices, GeoIP assigns Region/State and Country. Admins can configure the display format of Remote locations via sndex.remotelocationconfig.
    • Geolocation data consistency: For the Geomap functionality on the DEX dashboard to work correctly, location records must have standardized State and Country codes matching the sysreportmapsourcemapping table values and accurate latitude and longitude entries. This applies differently depending on the chosen location determination method.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    • By selecting the appropriate location determination method, you can ensure device locations are accurately reflected for impact analysis, reporting, and alerting purposes within DEX.
    • Ensuring location records contain standardized codes and geographic coordinates is critical for accurate Geomap visualizations on the DEX dashboard.
    • The default GeoIP method requires minimal manual configuration, while the gateway and user-assigned methods require verification of location data consistency in CMDB and user records.

    Identify and determine the number of impacted devices based on the location by defining a custom logic.

    Identify and determine the number of impacted devices based on the location by configuring a custom logic for location determination. Device location can be set using three predefined configurations. DEX administrators can select an option in the system properties and sn_dex.location_determination. The property controls how DEX identifies the positioning of the device used to establish the device's location (in the cmdb_ci_computer table) and throughout DEX for reporting and alerting purposes.

    default_gateway_determined_location

    Location determination logic: DEX uses the default gateway of the device to determine the location.

    • Identify the default gateway IP address of the device.
    • Match this gateway to the switches in cmdb_ci_ip_switch.

    The assigned location of the switch is identified as the device’s location. If not, the device is marked as Remote (see Remote location format logic).

    Note:

    When sn_dex.location_determination is set to default_gateway_determined_location to make the Geomap work on the DEX dashboard:

    • Verify that the State and Country fields in the location (cmn_location) records associated with the cmdb_ci_ip_switch table use standard codes that match the values in the sys_report_map_source_mapping table.
    • Verify that the latitude and longitude values are populated correctly in the associated location records.

    device_user_assigned_location

    Location determination logic: DEX prefers the device’s assigned location and falls back to the employee’s location if needed.

    • Use the device’s location from cmdb_ci_computer.
    • If unavailable, use the owner’s location from sys_user.

    If neither of the option is set, the device is marked as Remote (see Remote location format logic).

    Note:

    When sn_dex.location_determination is set to device_user_assigned_location to make the Geomap work on the DEX dashboard:

    • Verify that the state and country fields in the location records associated with the cmdb_ci_computer and sys_user tables use standard codes that match the values in the sys_report_map_source_mapping table.
    • Verify that the latitude and longitude values are populated correctly in the associated location records.

    geoIP_determined_location

    geoIP_determined_location is the default option.

    Location determination logic: DEX uses GeoIP based on network connectivity to determine the location using the GeoIP data.

    When a device is marked as Remote, DEX uses GeoIP to determine the Region or State and Country. With an admin role, you can set the format (Remote, State, Country, or Remote, Country) in sys_property sn_dex.remote_location_config.

    • The country format: Remote, Country (For example, Remote, USA), where the country is determined by GeoIP.
    • The include_state format: Remote, CA, USA, where state and country are determined by GeoIP.
    Note:

    When sn_dex.location_determination is set to geoIP_determined_location, to make the Geomap work on the DEX dashboard, no manual configuration is required. DEX automatically populates the state, country, latitude, and longitude values.