Bulk import of your enterprise models and assets

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Bulk import of your enterprise models and assets

    The Bulk Import feature in ServiceNow allows you to efficiently transfer multiple enterprise models and assets from external databases into your ServiceNow instance using the Enterprise Asset workspace. This process supports both the creation of new records and the updating of existing ones in bulk, streamlining large-scale data management.

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    To perform a bulk import, download the appropriate spreadsheet template based on your import mode, fill in all mandatory fields with valid data, and attach it to an import record. Initiating the import triggers the EAM Bulk Import subflow, which processes the data through scheduled jobs and validates it within staging tables before creating or updating records.

    Import Modes and Templates

    Bulk import supports various modes tailored to your specific needs:

    • Create or update only models
    • Create or update only assets
    • Create or update both models and assets simultaneously

    Each mode corresponds to a specific template (model, asset, or combined) that you must use to prepare your import data. Valid entries in mandatory fields are critical for successful imports. Notably, from the Yokohama release onward, the MAC address field is included in asset-related templates and is populated in the Asset table upon import.

    OT Asset Management Integration

    When the OT Asset Management application is activated, you can bulk import hardware assets and models in both the Enterprise Asset Workspace and the OT Asset Workspace, provided the OT entity column is marked TRUE in the import template. Additionally, the Parent asset attribute allows you to specify a parent asset by asset tag, serial number, or MAC address, enhancing hierarchical asset relationships.

    Template Customization

    You can customize import templates by adding new columns to better suit your data requirements. This involves updating the staging tables, modifying the database view list configuration, and adding appropriate field mappings in the transform maps for models or assets.

    Scheduled Jobs and Data Processing

    The import process includes several scheduled jobs that execute according to the selected import mode:

    • EAM Bulk Import - Upload File: Always runs to upload spreadsheet data into staging tables.
    • EAM Bulk Import - Transform Model: Runs for model-related modes to process model data.
    • EAM Bulk Import - Transform Asset: Runs for asset-related modes to process asset data.

    For combined modes, these jobs run sequentially to ensure complete transformation of both models and assets.

    Staging Tables

    Data from the import spreadsheet is staged in specific tables before final processing:

    • Model Import Staging [sneammodelimportrow]: For model data rows.
    • Model Component Import Staging [sneammcimportrow]: For model components.
    • Asset Import Staging [sneamassetimportrow]: For asset data rows.

    This staging approach ensures data validation and accurate mapping before records are created or updated in your ServiceNow instance.

    Use a subflow to import enterprise models and assets of multiple types to your ServiceNow instance at one go. You can also perform a bulk update on existing models and assets.

    Overview of Bulk import

    Use the Enterprise Asset workspace to do a bulk transfer of all your enterprise models and asset from a different database to the ServiceNow instance.

    Create an import record by downloading a template in the form of a spreadsheet (.xlsx). Ensure that you enter valid values in all the mandatory fields before uploading the template. Attach the template to the import record and select Import to begin the import process.

    After you select Import, the EAM Bulk Import subflow gets triggered. Scheduled jobs are initiated and data in the spreadsheet is copied to the appropriate staging tables. The staging tables are validated and records are created in the ServiceNow instance.

    Modes

    Modes refer to the type of import that you want to process. There are modes for only importing models, assets, and a combined mode for both models and assets. You can choose from the following available modes:
    • Create models
    • Update models
    • Create assets
    • Update assets
    • Create models and assets
    • Update models and assets

    Templates

    Based on the mode you select in the import record, you can download the corresponding template.
    Note:
    Ensure that you enter valid values in all the mandatory fields for the import process to run effectively. For a list of all the mandatory fields, see Mandatory fields in the bulk import spreadsheets.
    Table 1. Modes and templates
    Modes Corresponding template
    • Create models
    • Update models
    		 Model template
    • Create assets
    • Update assets
    		 Asset template
    • Create models and assets
    • Update models and assets
    		 Model and asset template
    Note:
    From the Yokohama release onward, the MAC address field is available in the Download template of the following Bulk import modes:
    • Create assets
    • Update assets
    • Create models and assets

    After a successful import, the MAC address that you provided in the template is added to the MAC address [mac_addr] field in the Asset [alm_asset] table.

    When the OT Asset Management application is activated, you can bulk import hardware assets and models in both the Enterprise Asset Workspace and the OT Asset Workspace only if the OT entity column is marked as TRUE.

    Starting with the Zurich release, the bulk import templates include OT entity and Parent asset attribute columns. When the OT Asset Management application is activated, you can bulk import hardware assets and models in both the Enterprise Asset Workspace and the OT Asset Workspace only if the OT entity column is marked as TRUE. With theParent asset attribute field, you can choose to identify the parent of a child asset using either the asset tag, serial number, or MAC address.

    To view instructions for bulk importing assets, select the Bulk import instructions icon on the contextual side bar.

    You can customize the templates to add more columns. Make the following modifications to add more columns:
    1. Add the new columns to the staging tables.
    2. Modify the list view on the Database view table [sn_eam_import_template] to include the columns you want to display in the spreadsheet. Enter the string sn_eam_import_template.list in the filter field on your instance's navigation bar.
    3. Add field mappings in the Model or Asset transform map.

    Scheduled jobs

    The following scheduled jobs execute as part of the EAM Bulk Import subflow.

    Scheduled jobs for bulk import

    The scheduled jobs execute based on the mode that you select.

    The EAM Bulk Import - Upload File job is executed for all modes. For the Create Model or Update Model modes, the EAM Bulk Import - Transform Asset doesn't execute. Similarly, for the Create asset or Update asset modes, the EAM Bulk Import - Transform Model doesn't execute.

    For example, if you select the Create models and assets mode, the scheduled job, EAM Bulk Import - Upload file uploads the data from the spreadsheet to the three staging tables. Then the Scheduled job, EAM Bulk Import - Transform Model executes the model and model component transform maps. After the model transform maps are complete, the EAM Bulk Import -Transform Asset scheduled job executes the asset transform map.

    Staging tables

    The data that you enter in the spreadsheet is copied to one or more of the following staging tables:
    • Model Import Staging [sn_eam_model_import_row]​
    • Model Component Import Staging [sn_eam_mc_import_row]​
    • Asset Import Staging [sn_eam_asset_import_row]​