TNI Data Model Navigator

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated July 20, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
  • Summarize
    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 TNI Data Model Navigator

    The TNI Data Model Navigator is a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) framework feature designed for telecommunications operations within ServiceNow. It provides a curated, domain-specific hierarchical view of the CMDB, enabling customers to focus on relevant Configuration Item (CI) classes without navigating the entire CMDB. This structured approach supports telecom network inventory management by organizing thousands of CI classes into meaningful operational contexts.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Contexts: Hierarchical operational domains that group related CI classes, fields, and relationships. The Telecom Network Inventory (TNI) context is a parent context subdivided into six child contexts, each representing telecom infrastructure layers such as physical fiber, logical paths, services, sites, facilities, and topology.
    • Tables (CI Class Descriptions): Metadata that describe each CI class’s purpose and its role in various contexts and use cases, such as planning, inventory management, and capacity planning. For example, the Optical Fiber Cable table details physical fiber cables and their function.
    • Fields (Critical Attributes): Detailed metadata on important CI attributes, their significance for different use cases, and sample values to help users understand and correctly apply the data. For instance, the fiber cable's “strandcount” field is critical for network planning and informational for inventory tracking.
    • Relationships: Metadata defining how CI classes interconnect across layers, explaining the reasons for these connections and their importance. Examples include service instances containing logical paths and logical paths riding over physical links, which are crucial for accurate service mapping, billing, topology visualization, troubleshooting, and capacity planning.

    Key Outcomes

    • Enables ServiceNow customers to navigate and understand telecommunications CMDB data efficiently by focusing on operationally relevant subsets of the data model.
    • Improves decision-making by highlighting critical attributes and relationships tailored to telecom use cases, supporting activities such as service provisioning, inventory tagging, and network capacity planning.
    • Facilitates end-to-end service and network topology mapping, enhancing the accuracy of customer billing and troubleshooting workflows.
    • Supports agents and users with contextual data insights, enabling them to provide realistic examples and traverse complex relationships within the telecom infrastructure data model.

    A Data Model Navigator is a CMDB framework feature that presents a curated, domain-specific view of the CMDB. With TNI (Telecommunications Network Inventory) context, it organizes thousands of CMDB CI classes into a focused, hierarchical structure relevant to telecom operations.

    Data Model Navigator framework stores and organizes metadata in four interconnected components: Contexts: Hierarchical Organization Tables: CI Class Descriptions Fields: Critical Attributes Relationships: How tables connect with one another.

    Data Model Navigator framework stores and organizes metadata in four interconnected components:
    • Contexts: Hierarchical Organization
    • Tables: CI Class Descriptions
    • Fields: Critical Attributes
    • Relationships: How tables connect with one another

    Context

    A model context is a curated view of the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) that organizes CI classes, fields, and relationships around a specific operational domain. Instead of requiring you to navigate thousands of CI classes in the full CMDB hierarchy, a model context shows only the data relevant to your work.

    Contexts are hierarchical. A parent context defines the broadest domain grouping. Child contexts subdivide it into focused subdomains, each carrying its own mapped tables, documented fields, and defined relationships.

    Telecom Network Inventory (TNI) Context Hierarchy.

    The Telecom Network Inventory is a parent context containing 6 child contexts, each representing a layer of telecom infrastructure:
    • TNI Physical: Fiber infrastructure (cables, strands, splice closures, cross-connect panels)
    • TNI Logical: Logical paths that ride over physical (PON paths, VLAN circuits, MPLS LSPs)
    • TNI Services: Service instances that contain logical paths
    • TNI Site: Site-level containers and racks
    • TNI Facilities: Power, cooling, physical plant infrastructure
    • TNI Topology: Network topology views and relationships

    Tables — CI Class Descriptions

    Metadata describing what each CMDB CI class tracks, its purpose, and variations across contexts.

    Example: Optical Fiber Cable Table.

    Field Description
    Table name cmdb_ci_optical_fiber_cable
    Purpose Physical cable containing individual fiber strands for telecom transmission. Cables bundle multiple fibers for protection and routing through infrastructure.
    Context TNI Physical layer
    GPON Planning use case Determines splitter capacity and service provisioning
    Inventory Management use case Tags equipment and tracks deployment
    Capacity Planning use case Aggregates service capacity by cable

    Fields — Critical Attributes

    Field-level metadata describing critical attributes, their importance across use cases, and sample values.

    Example: Fiber Cable Fields.

    Field 1: strand_count.

    Aspect Details
    Description Number of individual fiber strands contained in this cable
    GPON Planning (CRITICAL) Determines how many circuits this cable can support
    Inventory (INFORMATIONAL) Tags equipment specification
    Sample data "24", "48", "96"

    Field Metadata = Describes individual fields within a CI class table, their purpose across use cases, and sample values.

    Importance of Field Metadata: An agent knows which fields matter for which decisions and can provide realistic examples to users.

    Relationships

    Metadata describing how CI classes relate to each other, why those relationships exist, and their importance in different use cases.

    Relationship 1: Service Contains Logical.

    Field Value
    Source cmdb_ci_connection_service_instance (service layer)
    Target cmdb_ci_nl_logical_path (logical layer)
    Modeling reason Customer services ride over logical connectivity paths
    Critical for End-to-end service mapping, customer billing

    Relationship 2: Logical Rides Over Physical.

    Field Value
    Source cmdb_ci_nl_logical_path (PON path)
    Target cmdb_ci_nl_physical_link (fiber span)
    Modeling reason Logical connectivity requires physical fiber to carry signals
    Critical for Network topology mapping, troubleshooting, capacity planning

    Relationship Metadata: Describes how CI classes connect across TNI layers and why those relationships matter.

    Understanding Relationship Mapping: An agent understands how to traverse the data model (Service → Logical → Physical → Equipment) to answer complex questions.