RPA Hub release notes
Summarize
Summary of RPA Hub Release Notes
The ServiceNow® RPA Hub application facilitates end-to-end automation, with enhancements introduced in the Zurich release. Key updates focus on improved error handling, enhanced security, and expanded AI model integration, enabling organizations to automate workflows more effectively and securely.
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Key Features
- Try-Catch Component Enhancement: Users can now select specific actions for inclusion in Try-Catch blocks, improving error handling and workflow reliability.
- Role Updates: Only the
snrpafdn.rpaadminrole can manage records in the Robot License Distribution table, enhancing control over permissions. - AI Model Provider Options: Support for Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude on AWS has been added for RPA bot generation, alongside existing options like Now LLM Service and Azure OpenAI.
- Python Connector: Execute custom Python scripts within automation workflows, providing flexibility and expanded functionality.
- Smart Card Authentication: Increased security through physical smart card usage for logging into machines, especially for unattended automations.
- Enhanced Access Controls: Access to RPA bot generation is limited to users with specific roles, ensuring compliance with security protocols.
Key Outcomes
With the Zurich release, ServiceNow customers can expect:
- Improved control and reliability in automation workflows through enhanced Try-Catch handling.
- Stronger security measures surrounding RPA operations and user permissions.
- Greater flexibility and options for AI model integration, enhancing automation capabilities.
- Support for custom scripting, allowing for tailored automation solutions.
- Clear hardware and software requirements for both unattended and attended robot applications, ensuring optimal performance.
To ensure a smooth upgrade to the Zurich release, customers should follow the outlined prerequisites and installation instructions, and verify system properties are correctly set before upgrading. RPA Hub is available through the ServiceNow Store for activation.
The ServiceNow® RPA Hub application enables end-to-end automation for your organization. RPA Hub was enhanced and updated in the Zurich release.
RPA Hub highlights for the Zurich release
- You can now selectively define which actions (components) are handled within a Try-Catch block and which are handled outside it.
- Versions of model provider are now supported for RPA bot generation skill.
- Promote stability with the Long-Term Support (LTS) model for generative AI.
- Only the sn_rpa_fdn.rpa_admin role can create, update, and delete records in the Robot License Distribution table.
- Use Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude on AWS as AI model providers for RPA bot generation skill in addition to Now LLM Service and Azure OpenAI.
- Use the Python connector to execute custom Python scripts or files as part of an automation workflow.
- Use a Smart Card authentication for enhanced security.
- Enhanced access controls for RPA bot generation skill.
See Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hub for more information.
Important information for upgrading RPA Hub to Zurich
- RPA Desktop Design Studio
- Attended Robot
- Unattended Robot
- Unattended Robot Login Agent
The following upgrade information is applicable only when you’re upgrading from San Diego or Tokyo to Zurich.
Based on the number of records in the application file table, you may experience a delay while upgrading the RPA Hub applications from Tokyo or earlier releases to Zurich.
Before upgrading RPA Hub to Zurich, you must set the value of the glide.rollback.blacklist.TableParentChange.change system property to false. If this property doesn't exist in the System Property [sys_properties] table, add the property and set its value to false. For more information on how to add a property, see Add a system property.
After you upgrade to Zurich, the bot process definitions change to the new structure, which is the bot process configuration.
Although the bot process configuration doesn't replace the bot process completely, most fields are moved from the bot process to the bot process configuration. If you upgrade to Zurich without updating the system property value, the tables don’t extend the Application File [sys_metadata] table. To update the table changes manually, see the Restructuring RPA Hub tables to sys_metadata in Utah and beyond release [KB1223629] article in the Now Support Knowledge Base.
New in the Zurich release
- Zurich Patch 7
- Try catch component enhancement
- You can now precisely control the scope of Try-Catch blocks by selecting which actions (components) to include within exception handling and which to manage outside it. This enhancement provides better control over error handling logic and improves workflow reliability.
- Zurich Patch 4
- Role changed for creating, updating, and deleting the Robot License Distribution records
- Role for Create, Update, and Delete ACLs in the Robot License Distribution table is changed from admin to sn_rpa_fdn.rpa_admin.
- Long term stable models
- Long term stable (LTS) models are part of Now LLM Service and provide longer model stability windows for regulated industries. These models can integrate with tools to provide governance, monitoring, and compliance controls.
- Zurich Patch 1
- New third-party AI model provider options available for all Now Assist applications
- Google Gemini and AWS Claude are available for RPA bot generation skill in addition to Now LLM Service and Azure OpenAI.
- Python connector
- Execute custom Python scripts or files as part of an automation workflow in the RPA Desktop Design Studio.The connector comprises two methods:
- Execute: Runs Python scripts set up in the configuration window.
- InvokeScript: Runs Python script on local computers and gets the output.
- Smart Card authentication
- Use a physical smart card instead of a username and password for logging into a Windows machine.
You can run unattended automations on the machines that use smart cards for authentication. While configuring a robot credential, you can store the smart card username and password to allow the unattended robot to log in to machines that use smart card.
- Enhanced ACLs for security measures
- Enhanced access controls for RPA bot generation skill for Now Assist for RPA Hub in compliance with AI security directives.
Access to RPA bot generation skill is now restricted to users with the RPA developer or RPA admin role. These roles contain the RPA Hub Admin user role (sn_nowassist_admin.user).
Activation information
Install RPA Hub by requesting it from the ServiceNow Store. Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.
Additional requirements
| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2 cores of Intel 1.8 GHz 64-bit processor | 4 cores of Intel 2.4 GHz 64-bit processor |
| RAM | 4-GB RAM | 8-GB RAM |
| Disk space | Minimum 50-GB free disk space after installing the OS, patches, and base software | Minimum 100-GB free disk space after installing the OS, patches, and base software |
- 6 cores of Intel 1.8GHz 64-bit (6 cores of 1.8GHz 64-bit per runtime).
- 12 GB of RAM (4 cores per runtime).
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022.
- NET framework: Windows 4.7.1 or greater.
- DPI scaling setting must be deactivated.
- Operating system: Windows Server 2022.
- NET framework: Windows 4.7.1 or greater.
- DPI scaling setting must be deactivated.
If you are upgrading to Zurich, verify that you have the latest robot MSI from Zurich installed. The older versions of the robots do not work.
An unattended robot is mapped to only one machine. This is applicable for standard robot.
Virtual Machines (VMs) that are used for the Unattended Robot application must be persistent and constantly on.
| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Processor (1vCPU) | Intel Processor (4vCPU) |
| RAM | 4-GB RAM | 8-GB RAM |
| Disk space | Minimum 20-GB free disk space after installing the OS, patches, and base software | Minimum 50-GB free disk space after installing the OS, patches, and base software |
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019.
- NET framework: Windows 4.7.1 or greater.
- DPI scaling setting must be deactivated.
An attended robot is mapped to only one user.
| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Processor (At least, Core i5) | Intel Processor (Core i7). |
| RAM | 4-GB RAM | 8-GB RAM |
| Disk space | Minimum 20-GB free disk space after installing the OS, patches, and base software | Minimum 50-GB free disk space after installing the OS, patches, and base software |
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019.
- NET framework: Windows 4.7.1 or greater.
- Monitor with 1920x1080p resolution.
- DPI scaling setting must be deactivated.
Browser requirements
ServiceNow workspaces don’t support mobile devices. For more information about the list of supported browsers, see Browser support.
Accessibility information
- Accessibility improvements
- Accessibility improvements were completed to support WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance.
Localization information
RPA Hub supports international languages. For more information, see Internationalization support for RPA Hub.