MID Server release notes

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of MID Server release notes Zurich Release

    The ServiceNow® MID Server facilitates communication and data transfer between your ServiceNow instance and external systems, applications, and data sources. The Zurich release introduces significant enhancements to improve MID Server performance, workload management, logging, and monitoring, helping ServiceNow customers maintain reliable integrations and efficient operations.

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    Key Features

    • Smart Workload Manager for Clusters: Continuously evaluates server load using criteria like queue size, execution time, CPU usage, and buffer size to distribute jobs evenly across MID Servers, preventing overloads in clusters.
    • Improved MID Server Logging: Enhanced log management with compressed log backups stored locally and the ability to fetch logs to the instance. Java Flight Recorder (JFR) logs can be enabled every four hours with configurable retention.
    • MID Guardian Agent: An AI-driven assistant within the ITOM Infra Services Workspace that proactively diagnoses and resolves MID Server issues related to configuration, connectivity, upgrades, and operations, reducing Mean Time to Repair (MTTR).
    • ITOM Infra Services Workspace: Provides a centralized dashboard consolidating MID Server activity, real-time monitoring, proactive alerts, automation of common tasks, and diagnostics to minimize downtime and support tickets.
    • Performance Enhancements: Optimized handling of heavy discovery loads by eliminating script include cache misses when using many worker threads.
    • UI Updates: Introduction of the Coral theme as default for portals and mobile experiences, offering a modern, brand-neutral design with an optional dark mode.

    Important Upgrade Information

    • Minimum supported Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version is 17.0.10; 17.0.12 is recommended.
    • During upgrade, MID Server verifies JRE compliance and alerts if the version is unsupported.
    • Access to install.service-now.com is required on MID Server hosts for auto-upgrades.
    • Only one Windows MID Server service per installation path is allowed; multiple services pointing to the same folder will prevent startup after upgrade.
    • Storage requirement: Hosts must have at least 100MB free to accommodate security logs.

    Related ServiceNow Features

    The MID Server supports multiple ServiceNow applications by enabling integration and data collection:

    • Discovery: Launches probes and patterns to populate the CMDB with device and application data.
    • Orchestration: Executes tasks on internal and external systems based on MID Server capabilities and permissions.
    • Service Mapping: Collects data about business services running in your environment.
    • Event Management: Processes events and SNMP traps for root cause analysis.
    • Cloud Management: Collects and processes VMware events.
    • Operational Intelligence: Uses MID Server clusters to gather and analyze operational metrics for anomalies.
    • Health Log Analytics: Collects log data to help identify root causes of issues.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    With Zurich release enhancements, customers can expect more balanced workload distribution across MID Server clusters, improved diagnostic capabilities via AI-driven MID Guardian Agent, better logging and monitoring, and smoother upgrade processes. These improvements contribute to higher availability, reduced troubleshooting time, and enhanced operational efficiency of MID Server-dependent integrations.

    The ServiceNow® MID Server application enables communication and data transfers between a ServiceNow instance and external applications, data sources, and services. MID Server was enhanced and updated in the Zurich release.

    MID Server highlights for the Zurich release

    • MID Server smart workload manager continuously evaluates load and assigns jobs in a cluster to ensure that no server is overloaded.
    • MID Server logging has been improved with log backups that are preserved in a compressed format on a local host with an option to fetch to the instance.

    See MID Server for more information.

    Important information for upgrading MID Server to Zurich

    For the latest MID Server system requirements, see MID Server system requirements. The minimum JRE version supported is 17.0.10 and the recommended version is 17.0.12.

    If you have installed your own JRE, the upgrade process takes the following actions to verify that the MID Server uses a supported JRE:
    • If a MID Server is using an unsupported version of the JRE when it upgrades, the upgrade process displays a warning message with the minimum and recommended JRE version.
    • If a supported JRE is running on the MID Server host, the upgraded MID Server uses that version.

    All MID Server host machines require access to the download site at install.service-now.com to enable auto-upgrades. For additional details, read how the system manages MID Server upgrades.

    Only one Windows MID Server service is permitted according to the executable path. Upgraded Windows MID Servers that have multiple services pointing to the same installation folder can’t start. See MID Server fails to start for more information.

    For more information about MID Server upgrades, see the following topics:

    New in the Zurich release

    ITOM Infra Services Workspace
    The ITOM Infra Services Workspace provides a concise overview of MID Server activity. The dashboard integrates several previously disparate tables so that issues can be monitored and resolved. The workspace provides real-time monitoring, proactive alerts, automation of common tasks, and centralized diagnostics to reduce downtime and support tickets.
    MID Guardian Agent
    The MID Guardian Agent is an advanced AI feature within the MID Server ecosystem/ITOM Infra Services workspace, designed to proactively assist users in diagnosing and resolving issues related to configuration, connectivity, upgrades, and operations. By intelligently analyzing logs, signals, and runtime behaviors, it offers guided troubleshooting steps, automated fixes, and predictive insights. This significantly reduces Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and enhances the reliability and operational efficiency of the MID server.

    Changed in this release

    Smart Workload Manager in clusters

    MID Servers in a cluster now assign jobs based on the true load, using a variety of criteria. The smart workload manager continuously evaluates the queue size, execution time, CPU usage, and buffer size. The manager then assigns tasks to ensure that no server is overloaded.

    Enhancements to MID Server logging and JFR

    MID Server logging has been improved with log backups that are preserved in a compressed format on local host with option to fetch to the instance. You can enable JFR logs every four hours and backup JFR files for a set time.

    MID Server has improved performance during heavy discovery load

    MID Servers no longer have performance degradation due to script include cache misses when using large amounts of worker threads.

    MID Server security logs require 100MB of storage

    To store the security logs, MID Servers must be installed on a host with at least 100MB of storage capacity.

    UI changes

    Coral theme
    Coral is now the default theme for new portal, web, and mobile experiences with Next Experience or Core UI enabled. This theme provides a fresh look and feel, featuring brand-neutral illustrations to enhance your user experience. A dark theme option is available for web and mobile experiences.

    Activation information

    MID Server is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default.

    Related ServiceNow applications and features

    Discovery

    ServiceNow®Discovery uses the MID Server to launch probes and patterns that return information to the CMDB about devices and applications running in your environment. Discovery schedules select appropriate MID Servers based on their configured capabilities and assigned IP ranges.

    Orchestration

    ServiceNow®Orchestration uses the MID Server to do work on internal and external systems. Orchestration selects MID Servers based on their capabilities and the applications that they’re allowed to use.

    Service Mapping

    ServiceNow®Service Mapping uses the MID Server to launch patterns that return information about business services running in your environment.

    Event Management

    ServiceNow®Event Management uses the MID Server to receive and process events, collect data for root cause analysis (RCA), and collect SNMP traps.

    Cloud Management

    ServiceNow®Cloud Management uses the MID Server to collect and process VMware events.

    Operational Intelligence

    ServiceNow®Operational Intelligence uses MID Server clusters to capture operational metrics data from external data sources and analyze them for anomalies.

    Health Log Analytics
    ServiceNow®Health Log Analytics uses the MID Server to collect log data streaming into your instance and helps you identify the root cause of issues.