Telecommunication Network Inventory workflows in Flow Designer

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 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 Telecommunication Network Inventory workflows in Flow Designer

    The Telecommunication Network Inventory (TNI) workflows in Flow Designer help automate the design and assignment processes of network inventory management. By leveraging the TNI function catalog and subflows, ServiceNow customers can streamline tasks such as creating, updating, and retrieving configuration items (CIs), as well as managing logical and physical connections within their telecommunication networks.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Telecommunications Network Inventory Function Catalog: This catalog provides a comprehensive set of functions categorized by their purposes—Create, Search, Read, Update, and Helper functions. Examples include creating telco equipment, adding interface cards, creating logical or physical connections, and allocating free numbers.
    • Workflow Studio Integration: The TNI functions are accessible as reusable actions within Workflow Studio, allowing automation of repetitive inventory-related tasks such as logical connection creation.
    • Telecommunications Network Inventory Subflows: Prebuilt subflows are available to manage specific parts of the inventory process:
      • Logical Connection Creation: Automates the creation of logical connection records based on input data during inventory instantiation.
      • Physical Connection Creation: Automates the creation of physical connection records similarly based on input data.
      These subflows are customizable with input and output parameters to fit specific workflow needs.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    By utilizing the TNI function catalog and subflows within Flow Designer, customers can automate complex network inventory workflows efficiently. This reduces manual effort, improves data accuracy, and accelerates network design and assignment processes. The reusable actions and customizable subflows enable integration into broader automation strategies, supporting scalable and maintainable network inventory management.

    By using the Telecommunications Network Inventory function catalog and subflows, you can access the functions that help you to automate the network inventory's design and assign process.

    Telecommunications Network Inventory function catalog

    You can use the Telecommunications Network Inventory functions to create, update, and retrieve a configuration item (CI) while you’re performing the Design and Assign process. For example, you can do the following actions:
    • Create telco equipment
    • Add an interface card
    The following table lists the Telecommunications Network Inventory functions that are categorized by their functionality.
    Table 1. Telecommunications Network Inventory functions
    Function Type Function Name
    Create
    • TNI Create CI From Template
    • Create Logical Connection
    • Create Logical Interface
    • Create Physical Connection
    • Path Search
    Read
    • Allocate Free Number
    • Get Interface Summery
    • Lookup Next Hub
    Update Cascade Update
    Helper function
    • Split String
    • Get Index From Array

    To learn more about the network inventory functions, see Telecommunications Network Inventory function catalog.

    The following example shows the functions that are available in the Workflow Studio action library under the Network Inventory Advanced option. You can use these functions to perform the inventory-related data operations.
    Figure 1. Network Inventory Function Catalog Location
    Infographic displaying all default options of Network Inventory Advanced.

    You can also use these functions as Workflow Studio actions in the Telecommunications Network Inventory workflow because the Design and Assign is a series of actions. The reusable Workflow Studio actions can automate repetitive work, such as creating a logical connection in the workflow. To learn more about Workflow Studio actions, see Flow Designer.

    Telecommunications Network Inventory subflows

    In Workflow Studio, you can give the inputs and outputs to pass the data to and from the subflow while you’re performing the Design and Assign process. If necessary, you can add more fields in the subflows. To learn more about working with the subflows, see Building subflows. To learn more about the Workflow Studio, see Flow Designer.

    The Telecommunications Network Inventory application has the following subflows:
    Logical Connection Creation
    Creates a logical connection record in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application based on the input that you receive when you instantiate an inventory. To learn more, see Logical Connection Creation subflow.
    Physical Connection Creation
    Creates a physical connection record in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application based on the input that you receive when you instantiate an inventory. To learn more, see Physical Connection Creation subflow.
    The following example shows the subflows that are available in the Workflow Studio action library under the Network Inventory Advanced option. You can use these functions to perform the inventory-related data operations.
    Figure 2. Network Inventory Subflow Location

    Infographic displaying all default options of network inventory subflows in the Flow Designer action library.