---
sourceDocument: Zurich ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/servicenow-platform

 Release :

    - zurich

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Zurich ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities

ft:clusterId :

    - platcap

bundleId :

    - platcap

workflow :

    - Platform


---

# Principal Class

# Principal Class {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Zurich  
Updated July 6, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read
Summarize  
![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) 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 Principal Class

A Principal Class in ServiceNow CMDB identifies the most critical configuration item (CI) classes essential for foundational data health and governance.
These classes are prioritized for tracking, certification, lifecycle management, and key operational processes like change, incident, problem, and quality management.
Designating Principal Classes helps focus CMDB efforts on the components that have the greatest impact on day-to-day business and IT operations.
Show full answer Show less  
This designation applies only to the specific class, not its child classes, allowing precise control over critical CI categories.

## Managing Principal Classes

Principal Classes are managed through the Principal Class filter, which lists all designated classes. This filter enables you to:

* Focus CI lists and dashboards on essential classes.
* Apply filtering in Service Graph Workspace and CMDB Workspace dashboards.
* Drive CMDB success advisor insights and key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with business priorities.
* Integrate with Hardware Asset Management (HAM) for consistent class designation.
* Use automation tools like the Principal CI class agent in ServiceNow Otto to recommend and configure Principal Classes.

By default, the Principal Class filter is empty in a base system and can be updated by adding or removing classes as needed.

## Best Practices for Designation

* **Consider stability and impact:** Select classes that are stable, well-understood, and critical to business operations.
* **Prioritize core infrastructure:** Choose classes representing foundational IT components.
* **Consult stakeholders:** Collaborate with infrastructure, application, and security teams for validation.
* **Review regularly:** Update designations to reflect changes in your IT environment.

## Task Types and Filtering

The system property **com.snc.task.principalclassfilter** defines which task types apply filtering based on Principal Classes. By default, this includes incident, problem, and change request task types and their subtasks. When enabled, CI lookup fields in these tasks show only CIs belonging to Principal Classes, improving relevance and data quality during task management.

## Practical Benefits

* Improved data quality and ownership by focusing on critical CI classes.
* Reduced noise in reporting and impact analysis, enabling clearer operational insights.
* More consistent measurement of CMDB health, compliance, and operational risk.
* Enhanced alignment between CMDB governance and business priorities.  
A Principal Class is a designation for these CMDB classes that are most critical for foundational data health and governance in the organization. Those designated classes are prioritized for tracking, health, certification,
lifecycle management, and class list views.

Designating certain CMDB classes as principal classes is a strategic way to focus your CMDB and governance on the CIs that matter most to day-to-day operations. Principal classes identify the classes that are in scope for operational
processes---such as change, incident, problem, and quality management. Those classes represent the most critical infrastructure components with meaningful service impact. Limiting some CMDB functions to this set of most essential classes
can help organizations improve data quality and ownership, reduce noise in reporting and impact analysis, and more consistently measure health, compliance, and operational risk where it counts.

The Principal Class setting applies only to the current class and is not derived by child classes. For details about the CMDB class hierarchy, see [CMDB schema model](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/wETFyRFE2fyaIjTUhSNycA "The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) schema model is a series of connected tables that contain all the assets and business services controlled by a company and its configurations.").

## Principal Class filter {#principal-class-filter__section_principal_class_filter}

To manage Principal Classes in your organization, add those classes that are designated as Principal Class to the Principal Class filter. You can then manage the list by adding or deleting classes from the Principal Class
filter as needed. In a base system, the Principal Class filter doesn't contain any classes. For more information, see [Update class list in the Principal Class filter](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/xeGnbizF8qumj4DGcTaQHA "Manage the list of classes in the Principal Class filter so that those classes are prioritized for tracking, health, certification, lifecycle management, and class list views.").

## General guidelines for designating a class as principal {#principal-class-filter__section_general}

Use the following general guidelines for designating a class as principal:

* Consider stability and business impact: Choose those classes that are stable, well-understood, and have a direct impact on business operations.
* Prioritize core infrastructure: When in doubt, select those classes that represent the backbone of your IT environment.
* Consult stakeholders: Engage with infrastructure, application, and security teams to validate your selections.
* Review regularly: As your environment evolves, periodically review and update principal classes to ensure continued relevance.
{#principal-class-filter__ul_qps_1cg_yhc}

For more information, see the [Guidance on designating principal classes in the CMDB \[KB2707240\]](https://support.servicenow.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB2707240) article in the Now Support
Knowledge Base.

## Uses of the Principal Class filter across the CMDB {#principal-class-filter__section_use}

The Principal Class filter has uses across the CMDB, such as:

* In CI lists and dashboards: The Principal Class filter restricts CIs to only those in the filter, so you can focus on those CIs that require attention. For more information about list view filters, see [Save and use filters in a list view](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_SavingFilters&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-platform-user-interface&ft:locale=en-US).
* Service Graph Workspace and CMDB Workspace: You can apply the Principal Class filter in the Discovery sources card in the CMDB 360 dashboard. For more information, see [CMDB 360 experience in CMDB Workspace](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/J2YaCMDwak18XgOsD5LJWA "The CMDB 360 view in CMDB Workspace provides aggregations and analysis of CMDB 360 data which you can use to track activities and identify Potential issues of discovery sources. You can also create different types of your own queries and associated schedules and reports to explore CMDB data.").
* CMDB success advisor: CMDB success advisor dashboards rely on principal classes to generate recommendations and KPIs. You can set principal classes in CMDB success advisor for Data Foundations to track the foundational data health of your CMDB. This alignment ensures that insights reflect actual business priorities. For more information, see [CMDB success advisor](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/BXL5A8kcyi2kn0JYUwXRfA "The ServiceNow CMDB success advisor is a scoped application that drives business outcomes for targeted business products, including Data Foundations, Hardware Asset Management, and Software Asset Management (SAM), by improving Configuration Management Database (CMDB) data quality. Use a specialized advisor to resolve data quality issues through guided remediation and identify which data integrations are keeping your CMDB accurate and complete.").
* HAM (Hardware Asset Management) integration: When model categories are added to the CMDB success advisor for HAM, they are marked as principal classes if they weren't already and will appear in the CMDB success advisor for Data Foundations if already set up. For more information, see [Using CMDB success advisor for HAM](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=cmdb-sa-ham-use&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-it-asset-management&ft:locale=en-US), [Hardware Asset Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=ham-landing-page&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-it-asset-management&ft:locale=en-US), and [CMDB CI Class Models](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/pnmSlrYsJjU5srG_GOUTgw "The CMDB contains base-system classes that store data about configuration items (CIs). The CMDB CI Class Models ServiceNow Store app adds class models that extend the CMDB class hierarchy, including class descriptions, identification rules, identifier entries, and dependent relationships if applicable.").
* Principal CI class agent in ServiceNow Otto for CMDB: This agent suggests classes to be set as principal classes, and then automates setup for consistency across environments. For more information, see [Getting advice from ServiceNow Otto on CMDB governance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ltb~IZGWMIczcwKrSOO2pQ "Data governance can be an overwhelming task. The Provide advice on CMDB governance agentic workflow supports data admins and owners by methodically working through the many-faceted process of improving CMDB data accuracy, completeness, and health. The objective is to help users to trust the data that they use for their work.").
{#principal-class-filter__ul_e14_bvs_khc}

## Task types for Principal Class {#principal-class-filter__set-task-types-principal-class}

The com.snc.task.principal_class_filter system property is a comma-separated list of task types. The system applies principal class
filtering only on the cmdb_ci field of CIs that belong to a class of a specified type. The default value for this property is "incident, incident_task, problem, problem_task, change_request,
change_task".

After you designate a CI class as a principal class in the CMDB Class Information \[cmdb_class_info\] table, you can use the com.snc.task.principal_class_filter system property to specify which
task types use principal class filtering on a CI cmdb_ci field. When you create or update those task types, the CI lookup field shows only CIs that belong to principal classes.
.
* **[Update class list in the Principal Class filter](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/xeGnbizF8qumj4DGcTaQHA)**   
  Manage the list of classes in the Principal Class filter so that those classes are prioritized for tracking, health, certification, lifecycle management, and class list views.

**Related concepts**   

* [Dependent CIs management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/2kB9GL451wZjzBTv6l0XFA "A life cycle update for a CI affects its dependent CIs. For example, when the CI that a dependent CI depends on is deleted, the dependent CI becomes orphan with no further use. To maintain the integrity and health of the CMDB, the system applies cascade-cleanup processes to dependent CIs that are affected by a life cycle update.")  
**Related tasks**   

* [Create a CI class](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6OFyiIq5TMY8e8vi2NQg9w "Create a CI class (table) that is an extension of an existing CI class. Then create identification and reconciliation rules for the new class.")
* [Reclassify a CI](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/yiDrg7yapRQgzWuANBFiyg "You can upgrade, downgrade, or switch the class of a CI by modifying its Class attribute.")
* [Delete CIs](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/BkqhYL8HOMAZtZ~Z69cXfA "You can use the CI Class Manager to delete CIs that are no longer needed.")
* [View and edit class definitions and metadata](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/wk9c~MeL7oq_UYl8Of95_A "Use the CI Class Manager as a central location to explore the CMDB class hierarchy, CI table definitions, and class CIs. View the details of each table such as its label and fields, relationships, and all related metadata definitions.")  
**Related reference**   

* [CMDB record types](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/2l8fKGYcvp8pDI3L~L_dFQ "The CMDB contains the following major record types.")
* [Related Lists of CI components](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/nbi2vhm4kpUtC96revjMvQ "Related lists in CI records display additional components contained by that CI, such as disk drives on a server and the rules that control the behavior of a network router.")