Configuration Management Database (CMDB) release notes

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 7 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 Configuration Management Database (CMDB) Release Notes

    The Washington DC release of the ServiceNow® Configuration Management Database (CMDB) application, updated on February 1, 2024, introduces significant enhancements to manage and maintain your organization's infrastructure data effectively. This release focuses on improving user roles, integrating new functionalities, and optimizing data management processes within CMDB Workspace.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Role Access Changes: The sncmdbeditor and sncmdbadmin roles now have restricted access, limiting create, update, or delete operations on the Configuration Item [cmdbci] class.
    • CMDB Data Manager Integration: Fully integrated into CMDB Workspace, allowing for policy administration, task management, and analytics monitoring.
    • De-duplication Enhancements: Create libraries of de-duplication templates for consistent remediation of duplicate records.
    • CMDB 360 Enhancements: Capture data from non-CMDB classes and limit the data scope for improved analytics.
    • UI Updates: The Governance view is now renamed My Work, and a new toolbar has been added to the Unified Map for better navigation and control.
    • Product Instance Support: Introduction of a new product instance identifier (PID) to manage operational assets more effectively and prevent duplication.

    Key Outcomes

    With the Washington DC release, ServiceNow customers can expect enhanced data integrity and management in CMDB, streamlined processes for handling duplicates, and improved user experience through a more intuitive interface. The integration of powerful analytics tools allows users to proactively monitor CMDB health and streamline their operations, ensuring a more robust infrastructure management system.

    The ServiceNow® CMDB application stores data about the infrastructure of your organization. CMDB was enhanced and updated in the Washington DC release.

    CMDB highlights for the Washington DC release

    • Access reduced for the sn_cmdb_editor (CMDB Editor) and the sn_cmdb_admin (CMDB Admin) user roles in CMDB Workspace. Starting with Washington DC Patch 10, the sn_cmdb_editor and sn_cmdb_admin user roles no longer have create, update, or delete access to records in the Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] class.
    • Use CMDB Data Manager in CMDB Workspace to administer and manage policies and tasks, and manage retirement definitions and exclusion lists. You can also view analytics about ongoing CMDB Data Manager processes to detect any potential problems that require your attention.
    • Remediate de-duplication tasks consistently and in bulk by creating libraries of de-duplication templates in CMDB Workspace.
    • Focus on CMDB classes by limiting the scope of data in the Coverage tile in the CMDB 360 dashboard in CMDB Workspace.
    • Identify fields that aren't populated in reference tables by designating them as recommended so they are tracked by the recommended metric in the completeness CMDB Health KPI.

    See Configuration Management for more information.

    Important information for upgrading CMDB to Washington DC

    • The column product_instance_id has been added to the base Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] table to support the new product instance identifier (PID), which enables the lookup and linking of any pre-existing related assets, CIs, and Install Base Items (IBI). For more information about the impact of that change during upgrade and how to minimize that impact, see the Upgrade impact of CMDB_CI schema changes for Washington release [KB1534035] knowledge base article.
    • If you enable CMDB 360 for the first time after upgrading to the Washington DC release, to enable the capture of CMDB 360 data for CIs from non-CMDB classes (classes not derived from the Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] class) you must set the glide.identification_engine.multisource_non_cmdb_ci_enabled system property to true.
    • If you have been using the legacy Data Certification application on Core UI, then any associated definitions won’t be available in the new implementation of Data Certification in CMDB Workspace. After upgrading to the Washington DC release and to CMDB Workspace version 6.0, you can convert definitions created in the legacy Data Certification application into draft Data Manager Certification policies in CMDB Workspace. For more information, see .

    New in the Washington DC release

    CMDB Workspace store app
    • Access CMDB Data Manager from CMDB Workspace where it's built using UI Builder (UIB) components. CMDB Data Manager is now fully integrated into the CMDB Workspace.
    • Use Data Certification in CMDB Workspace where it's built using UI Builder (UIB). Data Certification is now fully available by using the Certification policy type in CMDB Data Manager in CMDB Workspace.
    • Remediate de-duplication tasks consistently and in bulk by creating libraries of de-duplication templates in CMDB Workspace. De-duplication functionality is now built using UI Builder (UIB) components and is fully integrated into the CMDB Workspace.
    Quick start tests for CMDB

    After upgrades and deployments of new applications or integrations, run quick start tests to verify that CMDB works as expected. If you customized CMDB, copy the quick start tests and configure them for your customizations.

    UI changes

    Governance view in CMDB Workspace changed to My Work view
    The Governance view in CMDB Workspace has been renamed My Work.
    New toolbar in Unified Map in CMDB Workspace
    A new toolbar at the top of the map provides some functionality that was provided previously elsewhere:
    • Search: Search for CIs
    • Filter: Open the filter panel
    • Toggle appearance of filtered items
    • Levels: Set the level of relationships to show
    • Toggle appearance of the timeline

    Changed in this release

    CMDB Workspace store app
    • Unified Map:
      • Configure the CIs that appear on maps by filtering CIs according to their life-cycle stage. For example, you can filter all end-of-life CIs so that only operational CIs appear on maps. For more information, see Configure operational states of CIs.
      • Limit the number of hierarchy levels shown for application service CIs by setting the map level. You can, for example, set the map level to a smaller number to reduce the overall size of a map to help improve performance.
      • View both the source CI and the target CI on the detail cards when you select a group member connection element on a map.
      • View all attributes for all Service Mapping endpoints, including the type of an endpoint.
      • Highlight all the nodes associated with a card by selecting an application service or a related items card.
      • Show the details card for each CI associated with a dynamic CI group in the Attributes pane.
      • Configure the maximum number of levels from the home node to show on a map, by setting the system property sn_cmdb_ws.unifiedmap.map_search_filter.max_levels without having to add the property first. For more information, see Components installed with CMDB Workspace.
    • CMDB Data Manager integration into CMDB Workspace
      • All of the features of CMDB Data Manager are now available in CMDB Workspace. Administer policies and manage tasks, manage retirement definitions and exclusion lists, and review and approve or reject assigned tasks.
      • View analytics in various charts and counts for ongoing CMDB Data Manager processes.
    • Data Certification integration into CMDB Workspace

      Data Certification features are now fully supported in CMDB Workspace by using the Certification policy type in CMDB Data Manager. Review, certify, or edit field values for records in selected tables to ensure that those values are exactly as needed to support organizational tasks.

      View analytics in various charts and counts that also account for ongoing Data Certification processes.

    • De-duplication integration into CMDB Workspace
      • Remediate de-duplication tasks consistently and in bulk by creating libraries of de-duplication templates.
      • Remediate de-duplication tasks in a central location, the De-duplication dashboard. Remediate multiple de-duplication tasks in a single operation by running one or more templates. Track progress as templates run and review the remediation results.
      • See statistics and potential problem areas related to duplicate CIs in your CMDB by examining the De-duplication insights pane.
    • CMDB 360 experience in CMDB Workspace: Limit the scope of data in the Coverage tile in the CMDB 360 dashboard to only CMDB classes by using the sn_cmdb_ws.ms.calculate_cmdb_only system property. For more information, see Components related to CMDB 360.
    CMDB Health support of dot-walking when selecting a recommended field
    Identify recommended fields that aren't populated in reference tables by selecting a field from a referenced table for the CMDB Health recommended metric by using dot-walking and directly interacting with the CMDB Recommended Fields [cmdb_recommended_fields] table.
    Capturing CMDB 360 data for non-CMDB classes
    Enable the capture of CMDB 360 data for CIs from non-CMDB classes (classes not derived from the Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] class) by setting the value of the glide.identification_engine.multisource_non_cmdb_ci_enabled system property to true.
    CMDB support for Product Instance
    Prevent duplication when managing operational assets in your organization throughout their life cycles in the Hardware Asset Management application and workflows by using unique product instance identifiers (PID).
    Access reduced for the sn_cmdb_editor user role
    Starting with Washington DC Patch 10, the sn_cmdb_editor (CMDB Editor) and the sn_cmdb_admin (CMDB Admin) user roles no longer have create, update, or delete access to records in the Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] class.

    Deprecations

    • Starting with the Washington DC release, CMDB Data Manager that is built on Core UI (UI 16) is being prepared for future deprecation. It will be hidden and no longer activated on new instances but will continue to be supported. CMDB Workspace provides the latest experience for this functionality.

    Activation information

    CMDB is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default.

    Related ServiceNow applications and features

    Common Service Data Model (CSDM)
    Common Service Data Model (CSDM) provides prescriptive guidelines for service modeling within CMDB and is the standard for all ServiceNow products that use the CMDB. CSDM provides a framework for mapping data from your IT services and other products to the CMDB. Following the CSDM framework ensures that the required data for your ServiceNow application maps correctly to the appropriate CMDB tables.
    Service Graph Connectors
    Use predefined ServiceNow® Service Graph connectors to import data from third-party applications, such as Microsoft SCCM, into your CMDB. In addition, you can use the IntegrationHub ETL store app to create and manage custom ETL transform maps so that you can integrate third-party data into the CMDB without compromising its integrity.
    CMDB Workspace
    Use CMDB Workspace to search, explore, and gain insights into the CMDB. The CMDB Workspace is a store app that provides a central place for working with the CMDB. In the CMDB Workspace, you can examine health and recent activity related to CMDB, and access various CMDB dashboards and tools to support tasks in your organization.