Upgrade Preview module

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Upgrade Preview module

    The Upgrade Preview module provides ServiceNow customers with insights into an instance prior to an upgrade. It allows users to explore and preview various release versions and assess potential impacts based on current configurations. This tool assists in planning, scheduling, and preparing for upgrades.

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    Key Features

    • Current Version Information: Displays the current version, upgrade date, and end-of-life information.
    • Previewing Version: Users can select a version to preview, with relevant details like preview creation date and options to refresh the preview.
    • Scheduled Upgrade: Information about upcoming upgrades, including estimated duration and scheduled start time.
    • Links to New Features: Provides access to problem fixes, personalized release notes, and known error articles related to the previewed version.
    • Skipped List Prediction: Offers insights into predicted skipped records and total changes expected during the upgrade, along with links to review changes.
    • Predicted Skipped Records by Priority: Visual representation of skipped records prioritized by file type importance.
    • Automated Test Framework (ATF) Results: Displays pass percentages from recent ATF tests to assess upgrade readiness.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing the Upgrade Preview module, ServiceNow customers can effectively prepare for upgrades, understand the implications of changes, and ensure that all critical components are addressed. This proactive approach minimizes disruptions during the upgrade process and enhances overall system reliability and performance.

    The Upgrade Preview module enables you to have an unprecedented insight to an instance prior to an actual upgrade. You can explore and preview upgrades to different ServiceNow release versions and see how your instance might be impacted with your current configurations. The Upgrade Preview utility helps you to plan, schedule, and prepare for an upgrade.

    Image showing the preview screen
    Note:
    Depending on the eligibility of your instance, the list of available target versions for preview varies. Only versions that are allowed for a particular instance to be upgraded to, show up on the list. If your instance is not eligible to be upgraded to any version, the drop-down menu is empty.
    The following cards show up with more information.
    Card names Description
    Current version Name of the current version.
    • Upgraded on: Date on which the instance got upgraded to the current version
    • End of life: Link to KB0610454 for more information about end of life
    Previewing version Information about the previewing version shows up. If you haven't previewed any version, you are expected to select a version for preview and click Go. If you have already previewed a version, the following information shows up.
    • Preview created: Date on which the preview was created
    • View preview details: Link to the Upgrade Preview form
    Note:
    Click Refresh preview if you want to regenerate a new preview of the same target version. Although clicking Refresh preview regenerates the skipped list, the reverted records won't get skipped. If you have reviewed and retained some records, they get replaced as soon as you click Refresh preview.
    Scheduled upgrade Name of the next upgrade that has been scheduled to start. If there is no currently scheduled upgrade, the card shows No upgrade scheduled.
    Note:
    This card can have different messages depending on the schedule of the upgrade.

    If there is an upgrade scheduled, the following information shows up.

    • Estimated upgrade duration: Estimated duration needed to complete the scheduled upgrade
      Note:
      If this is your first upgrade, there will be no information about estimated upgrade duration.
    • Next scheduled upgrade: Date and time on which the next upgrade has been scheduled to start.
    Find out what's new and changed Links to view the new and changed features in the current upgrade version. The following three links show up when you click Go to preview the upgrade version.
    • Problem fixes: Fixes that have been made since the last upgrade version
    • Personalized release notes: Release notes summary for the previewed version
    • Known error articles: Errors that have been identified but not yet resolved
    Note:
    These links don't show up if you haven't previewed any upgrades.
    Skipped list prediction
    Note:
    If you are using Upgrade Plan, the card name changes to Skipped list prediction with plans.
    Information about the predicted skipped records. See Preview predicted changes for more details.
    • Total record changes: Total number of records that are predicted to change when the upgrade occurs. Total record changes also include possible predicted skipped files known as Predicted skipped records.

      Review changes: Link to the list of records that have changed and can be reviewed

    • Predicted skipped records: Total number of records that have been predicted to be skipped.
      • Total: Total predicted skipped records
      • To review: Predicted skipped records to be reviewed
      • Reviewed: Predicted skipped records that have been reviewed
      • Resolved: Predicted skipped records that have been resolved by implementing the rules
        Note:
        This entry shows up on the card only when rules are executed on the skipped records. You will also see a link to create a skipped record rule if either there are no existing rules or the existing rules aren't executed.
      Note:
      Skipped record rules and upgrade plans can't be implemented together. See Execute a skipped record rule automatically for more information.
    • Predicted skipped records by priority: Pie chart to represent the predicted skipped records by priority.
      Note:
      Click the pie chart to see the list of predicted skipped records.
      ServiceNow prioritizes the skipped records based on the importance of the file types. The prioritization is done as follows:
      • Priority 1 (highest priority): UI pages, UI macros, and more
      • Priority 2: Business Rules, Security ACLs, and more
      • Priority 3: Reports and more
      • Priority 4: Form Sections, Choice Sets, and more
      • Priority 5 (lowest priority): everything else
    Predicted skipped records by product Records that have been predicted to be skipped and are sorted as per their product families.
    Note:
    The products sorted under the Other category don't have any specific product family.
    Automated Test Framework (ATF) results Percentage of passing ATF tests that ran in the last 30 days.
    • Most recent ATF run: Date and time on which the recent ATF tests ran
    • View ATF results: Link to show more information about the recent ATF results
    Note:
    Only the tests which are finished and have passed are considered for the ATF results. If one test runs more than once, only the recent execution is considered in the results.