How life-cycle values for Asset, CI, and IBI are synced

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 21, 2026
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of How life-cycle values for Asset, CI, and IBI are synced

    This document explains how ServiceNow synchronizes life-cycle values across Asset, Configuration Item (CI), and Install Base Item (IBI) records. Proper synchronization ensures consistent tracking of items provided as services or sold to customers, leveraging Common Service Data Model (CSDM) life cycle stages and statuses. Synchronization behavior depends on system properties that customers can configure to optimize their asset and CI management processes.

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    Key Details on Synchronization

    • Model Category Table: Links Asset, CI, and IBI records for the same item to facilitate synchronization.
    • Asset to IBI Sync: By default, life-cycle values sync between Asset and IBI using CSDM life cycle stage and status pairs.
    • Asset and CI Sync Behavior: Controlled by two system properties:
      • csdm.lifecycle.migration.activated (must be true to enable migration features)
      • csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated (false by default)
        • When false: synchronization uses legacy status and substatus values.
        • When true: synchronization uses CSDM life cycle stage and status values directly, providing improved consistency.

    Synchronization Scenarios

    When csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated is false (default)

    • From Asset to IBI and CI: Updating asset status/substatus updates IBI’s CSDM values and CI’s legacy status/substatus.
    • From IBI to Asset and CI: Updating IBI’s CSDM life cycle stage/status updates asset’s legacy status/substatus, which then sync to CI.
    • From CI to Asset and IBI: Updating CI’s legacy status/substatus updates asset’s legacy status/substatus, then IBI’s CSDM values.

    When csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated is true (enabled life cycle sync)

    • From Asset to CI and IBI: Asset legacy status/substatus updates map to life cycle stage/status, then sync directly to CI. Sync to IBI uses CSDM life cycle pairs.
    • From IBI to Asset and CI: IBI life cycle stage/status updates legacy status/substatus on asset, which syncs to CI; life cycle pairs between asset and CI update directly.
    • From CI to Asset and IBI: CI life cycle stage/status syncs directly to asset; asset legacy status/substatus update accordingly and sync with CI; IBI syncs with asset via CSDM life cycle pairs.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    • Enabling life cycle sync between asset and CI (setting the sync property to true) allows for direct, consistent synchronization using CSDM life cycle stages and status values, enhancing data integrity.
    • Legacy synchronization (default) still operates but relies on status/substatus mapping, which may be less consistent across records.
    • Proper configuration of these system properties enables your organization to maintain accurate life-cycle tracking across assets, CIs, and IBIs, supporting better service and asset management.
    • Activation of these features is managed via the Life cycle mappings list view, providing administrators control over synchronization behavior.

    Your organization gains significant value from your ServiceNow AI Platform applications when you take advantage of the option to directly map legacy status values to CSDM life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values and auto-synchronize the values going forward.

    How Asset, CI, and IBI life-cycle values are synced

    Any item that is provided as a service or sold to your customer is tracked as an Install Base Item (IBI). The Model category table associates Asset, CI, and IBI for the item.
    Sync between asset and IBI
    By default, the system syncs life-cycle values between asset and IBI using the CSDM life cycle stage and life cycle stage status life-cycle value pairs.
    Synchronization between asset and CI
    When the csdm.lifecycle.migration.activated system property is set to true on your instance, synchronization between the asset and CI tables depends on the csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated system property setting:
    • When the csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated property is set to false (default), synchronization occurs through the legacy status and substatus values.
    • When the csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated property is set to true, the system syncs the CSDM life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values directly. This option provides significant benefits to your organization.
      Important:
      The property is set to true when you select Enable life cycle sync on the Life cycle mappings list view.

    Life-cycle sync when the system property is set to false (the default setting)

    Sync when the system property is false.

    When the csdm.lifecycle.migration.activated system property is set to true and the csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated system property is set to false:

    Sync of updates from asset to IBI and CI
    Updates made to the status or substatus value of an asset are synced with the associated IBI and CI. For example, when the State value of the asset is updated to In use, sync happens as follows:
    • The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the asset are set to Operational and In use, these values are then synced with life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of IBI asset.
    • The status and substatus values of the CI change to Installed and In use.
    Sync of updates from IBI to asset and CI
    Updates made to the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of an IBI asset are synced with the legacy status and substatus values of the asset through the CSDM values. The status and substatus values of the asset are then synced with the associated CI. For example, when the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of an IBI asset are updated to Defective and In Stock, sync happens as follows.
    1. The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the asset change to In Stock and Defective. These values are synced with the status and substatus values of the asset.
    2. The status and substatus values of the asset are then synced with the associated CI.
    Sync of updates from CI to asset and IBI
    Updates made to the status and substatus values of a CI are synced with the associated asset. The status and substatus values of the asset are then synced with the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the IBI asset through the CSDM values. For example, when the status and substatus values of a CI are updated to Retired and Donated, the corresponding values of the asset change. The changes from the asset are synced with the IBI asset and the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values change to End of Life and Retired.

    Life-cycle sync when the system property is set to true

    Sync when the system property is true or you select Enable life cycle sync on the Life cycle mappings list view.

    When the csdm.lifecycle.migration.activated system property is set to true and the csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated system property is set to true (or you select the select Enable life cycle sync on the Life cycle mapping table list page, as described in Enabling life-cycle sync from legacy-to-asset):

    Sync of updates from asset to CI and IBI
    Updates made to the legacy status and substatus values of the asset are synced between the asset and CI as follows:
    • The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the asset are updated with values mapped to the legacy status and substatus values of the asset.
    • The status and substatus values of the asset are then directly synced with the status and substatus values of the associated CI.
    • The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the asset are then directly synced with the associated CI.

    However, sync of updates from asset to IBI is only through the CSDM life-cycle value pairs.

    Sync of updates from IBI to asset and CI
    Updates made to the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the IBI are synced as follows:
    • The legacy status and substatus values of the asset are synced with the CSDM life-cycle value pairs.
    • The status and substatus values of the asset are synced with the status and substatus values of the associated CI.
    • The life-cycle value pairs of the asset are directly synced with the associated CI.
    Sync of updates from CI to asset and IBI
    Updates made to the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of a CI are synced as follows:
    • The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the CI are directly synced with the associated asset.
    • The status and substatus values of the asset are then updated with the values mapped to the CSDM values.
    • The status and substatus values of the asset are then synced with the associated CI.
    • The status and substatus values of IBI are synced with the asset through the CSDM life-cycle value pairs.