Instantiating your network inventory by using design and assign
Summarize
Summary of Instantiating your network inventory by using design and assign
The design and assign function in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application allows ServiceNow customers to instantiate, generate, and validate network inventory records at the site level. This process enables the creation of individual network instances from predefined inventory templates and models, ensuring proper configuration and management of network changes.
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Key Features
- Change Request Management: Create and manage change requests using change models that capture details such as reason, priority, risk, and category. Change requests facilitate modifications to network workflows, service requests, and network structure adjustments.
- Change Task Execution: Generate and track change tasks derived from workflows or manual creation to assign and manage specific actions by inventory agents. Tasks ensure coordinated implementation of network changes and enable closure upon completion.
- Record Producer Integration: Use or assign record producer forms to change models to capture necessary data efficiently. This supports passing parameters from third-party applications (e.g., Order Management for Telecommunications and Media) and automates change request and task creation.
- Network Element Management: Design and assign network components such as Link Aggregation Groups (LAGs), GPON broadband services, logical and physical connection endpoints, network topology records, cables, equipment, cards, racks, and composites. These capabilities help fulfill customer order requests and visualize network architecture.
- Configuration Item (CI) Management: Revise and operationalize configuration items to update and finalize network element configurations within the inventory.
Practical Applications for ServiceNow Customers
- Efficiently manage network inventory changes by leveraging structured change requests and tasks that support collaboration among agents.
- Automate data capture and workflow initiation through record producers, improving accuracy and reducing manual effort.
- Fulfill complex customer orders by designing and assigning network elements including connections, equipment, and services within a unified platform.
- Maintain accurate network topology and inventory visualization to better understand network element relationships and configurations.
- Ensure network changes are properly validated and operationalized, supporting network reliability and service delivery.
By instantiating your network inventory in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application, you can generate and validate your inventory records at the site level. You can also generate your individual network instances from your defined inventory templates and models and then verify that they’re properly configured.
Design and assign overview
- Create a change request by using the change model.
A change request records the details about the change, such as the reason of the change in any network, priority, risk, type of change, and change category. By using a change request, you can change any existing network workflow. You can also expand the application capabilities, request new services, modify network structures, and much more. To learn more, see Create a change request from Network Inventory Workspace.
- Execute a change task.
The list of tasks are created from a change-triggered workflow or you can create a change task manually. The change tasks help you to track and manage the various tasks required to implement the requested changes. By using a list of change tasks, you can assign a task to an inventory agent who can then execute the actions and create a configuration item. At the same time, other agents can work on their assigned change tasks. After all tasks are completed and closed by the agents, the change request can also be closed with comments. To learn more, see Create and execute a change task in Telecommunications Network Inventory.
Using a record producer in the design and assign function
If a record producer form is assigned to the selected change model, based on the provided input, a change request is automatically generated. If a record producer form isn’t assigned, you can assign a record producer. To learn more, see Assign a record producer form to a change model.
- Pass third-party application parameters to the Telecommunications Network Inventory application. The Order Management for Telecommunications and Media (OMT) integration is an example. After you assign a record producer form to the change model, the assigned form appears when you select that change model. When you complete the form, the details are filled in the change request form, and the change tasks are created automatically. To learn more, see Assign a record producer form to a change model.
- Change the type of change request. The change task form includes a Request type field that describes the type of change request. Based on your selection, a form appears on the Task Attributes tab. By assigning a record producer form to the request type field of the change task, you can determine which form appears when you select a type. Based on the selected Request type field, a form appears under the Task Attributes tab. After filling out the fields in the form, the change request form updates. To learn more, see Assign a record producer form for a request type of a change task.