Deployment process in AEMC

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  • Updated August 8, 2025
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    Summary of Deployment process in AEMC

    The deployment process in AEMC enables ServiceNow customers to manage application changes across multiple instances in a structured and controlled manner. Starting with version 28.2.1, ReleaseOps is integrated into AEMC to enhance deployment orchestration. The process supports submitting applications for deployment, pipeline management, Change Management integration, and deployment via either the Application Repository or System Update Sets.

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    Submitting Applications and Pipelines

    Deployment begins when a developer submits an application from App Engine Studio, Creator Studio, or ServiceNow Studio, creating a deployment request for admin review and approval. Applications progress through configured pipelines, which represent the sequence of instances (development, test, production, etc.) and testing frameworks your organization requires. Pipelines can be customized to reflect any number of environments, enabling flexibility in deployment workflows.

    Change Management Integration

    AEMC allows integration with your existing Change Management program to apply scheduled Change windows and add oversight to deployment processes, helping align deployments with organizational policies.

    Application Repository and Deployment Methods

    Deployments use the Application Repository to manage application versions across instances. Customers can deploy applications either via the Application Repository or by using System Update Sets. A one-time conversion option is available to switch from Update Sets to the Application Repository for deployment management, allowing mixed deployment methods within the organization.

    ReleaseOps Deployment Process

    With ReleaseOps integrated from version 28.2.1, the deployment process includes these key steps:

    • Release managers create releases linked to pipelines.
    • Developers submit changes via update sets, marking them complete and associating them with deployment requests targeting a release.
    • Deployment requests move to a Ready to Assess state where Automated Test Framework (ATF) tests and instance scans run.
    • Failures generate deployment tasks for resolution and sign-off.
    • Once issues are resolved, requests advance to Ready for Deployment.
    • On the scheduled release date, the release playbook runs, deploying all ready requests to production.

    For customers migrating to ReleaseOps, App Engine deployment requests synchronize with ReleaseOps deployment requests, where ReleaseOps orchestrates the final deployment. Admin approval in App Engine pipelines triggers deployment handoff to ReleaseOps.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    • Leverage pipelines to create deployment workflows tailored to your organizational environment structure and testing needs.
    • Integrate Change Management to align deployments with governance and scheduled windows.
    • Consider migrating from System Update Sets to the Application Repository to standardize and streamline deployment management.
    • Utilize ReleaseOps for automated testing, deployment orchestration, and improved release management starting with AEMC 28.2.1.

    Learn about the deployment process in AEMC.

    Deployment overview

    The deployment process in AEMC is made up of several parts that make deploying changes possible. The following sections describe each part and how they work together to support the larger deployment process within AEMC.

    Starting with version 28.2.1 of AEMC, ReleaseOps is integrated into AEMC. See the ReleaseOps deployment section for more information.

    Submitting an application for deployment

    The deployment process begins on a development instance when a developer submits an application in App Engine Studio, Creator Studio, or ServiceNow Studio. When an application is submitted for deployment, a deployment request is created, which enables admins to review and approve the application changes. For more information, see Deployment requests in AEMC.

    Pipelines

    Once an application has been submitted and a deployment request has been created, the application then begins to move through the pipeline that has been specified for the organization. A pipeline is the deployment structure that applications follow within AEMC. A pipeline consists of several instances, typically a development instance, test instance, and production instance, as well as the testing suites and frameworks that an organization has set up to verify that the application is stable and compatible before deploying to production. As the application is reviewed and tested, App Engine admins approve the application to move through pipeline environments until the application is finally deployed to a production or target instance.

    With AEMC, you can configure pipelines that are tailored to the specific needs of your organization. AEMC supports any number of instances within each pipeline and as many pipelines as are needed for your organization. For example, if your organization requires that changes move through additional non-production instances prior to deploying to production, you can configure your pipeline so that it reflects each environment that you need. For more information about configuring pipelines, see Configure Pipelines and Deployments.

    Change Management integration

    You can integrate an existing Change Management program with your app deployment processes to add oversight into your deployments and have apps deploy according to a scheduled Change window. For more information, see Manage deployment requests.

    Application Repository

    AEMC uses Pipelines and Deployments to deploy applications through different instances. Pipelines and Deployments uses the Application Repository to manage these deployments. For more information about the Application Repository, see ServiceNow application repository.

    Each application can either be deployed using the Application Repository or System Update Sets. If you have used update sets in the past, but want to switch to using the Application Repository, you can do a one-time conversion to deploy the app using the Application Repository instead. All apps don't have to follow the same deployment. For more information, see Convert custom applications to upgrade from the application repository and System update sets.

    ReleaseOps deployment process

    Starting with version 28.2.1 of AEMC, ReleaseOps is integrated into AEMC. Whether you are exclusively using ReleaseOps to manage your deployments, or you have migrated your App Engine pipelines to ReleaseOps, the deployment process differs from the legacy Pipelines and Deployments deployment process in AEMC.

    If you are deploying exclusively using ReleaseOps, the deployment process for a scheduled release is as follows. is as follows:
    1. The release manager creates a release, which is associated with a pipeline.
    2. Developers make changes through update sets. Once they mark an update set Complete and promote the update set for deployment, the update set is added to an existing deployment request or to a new deployment request, which is targeted to a release.
    3. When the update sets within a deployment request are functional and ready to be deployed, a developer sets the deployment request state to the Ready to Assess.
    4. The assessment playbook runs, during which Automated Test Framework (ATF) test suites and instance scans are run on the changes in the deployment request.
    5. If there are failures during assessment, deployment tasks are created that the tester can sign off on or redirect to the developer to address.
    6. Once the deployment tasks have been addressed, the deployment request is set to the Ready for Deployment state.
    7. On the scheduled date for the release, the release playbook runs. All deployment requests in the Ready for Deployment state move through the pipeline to production.
    For more information about deploying with ReleaseOps, see Exploring ReleaseOps.
    If you have migrated to ReleaseOps, the deployment process is as follows.
    1. For applications being deployed via the Application Repository, developers submit applications from App Engine Studio, Creator Studio, and ServiceNow Studio using the standard process.
    2. An App Engine deployment request is created and sent to an App Engine admin for approval. At the same time, a corresponding ReleaseOps deployment request is created.

      You can view the corresponding ReleaseOps deployment request record on the App Engine deployment request.

      With migration enabled, App Engine deployment requests have corresponding ReleaseOps deployment request records.

    3. Open the corresponding ReleaseOps deployment request and either attach it to an existing release or set the deployment request to on-demand. Then save the record.
    4. An App Engine admin approves the App Engine deployment request from the App Engine pipeline, which hands off deployment to ReleaseOps.
    5. An update set with install instructions is created and attached to the ReleaseOps deployment request.
    6. Deployment requests in both the App Engine and ReleaseOps pipelines are synced, but ReleaseOps orchestrates the deployment.
    To learn more about migrating to ReleaseOps, see: