Application service maps in classic Service Mapping

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Application service maps in classic Service Mapping

    Application service maps in classic Service Mapping provide a visual representation of configuration items (CIs) that make up application services, including the relationships and connections between these CIs. A new map is generated each time you create or map an application service manually or through Service Mapping discovery, and it updates automatically with new CIs or discovery data.

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    The information and actions available on the map depend on your assigned role, ranging from view-only access for service users to full edit capabilities for administrators. Service owners can review and approve discovered or manually created service instances, while some services, like tag-based or dynamic ones, cannot be fine-tuned from the map.

    Map Window and Navigation

    The map window displays the application service map centrally, with a Properties pane and tabs showing additional information such as CI details and related messages. You can select different application services from a list and navigate the map by zooming, panning, or dragging to focus on specific segments. A time-range selector allows viewing changes to service instances and individual CIs.

    Map Elements and Indicators

    • Icons represent CIs, and arrows represent their connections.
    • Clusters group related CIs (e.g., application clusters or OS clusters) and can be expanded to reveal contained elements.
    • The Properties pane shows detailed attributes of selected CIs, including separate sections for servers and applications.
    • Additional CI-related messages, such as discovery messages, appear in tabs and highlight corresponding CIs on the map.
    • Indicators for alerts, outages, incidents, and problems can be enabled to show relevant records next to CIs and service instances, aiding in monitoring service health.

    Customizing and Monitoring Maps

    You can customize map views to exclude unnecessary information and enhance clarity, improving focus on relevant data. The “Monitor Service” button links the application service instance to Event Management for real-time alert monitoring on associated CIs.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Visualize application services comprehensively, including CI relationships and health indicators.
    • Navigate and analyze service components effectively with interactive controls and detailed properties.
    • Leverage role-based access to perform appropriate actions such as viewing, editing, or approving service instances.
    • Integrate with Event Management to monitor alerts impacting service health directly from the map.
    • Customize map views to tailor information presentation for specific operational or administrative needs.

    Maps offer you a visualization of data on configuration items (CIs) comprising application services, and relations and connections between these CIs.

    A new map is created every time you manually create an application service or map an application service using Service Mapping. The system updates the map every time you add CIs to the application service or when Service Mapping runs discovery for CIs belonging to this application service.

    Note:
    Information and actions available on a map depend on your role:
    • As a Service user [app_service_user] or Service Mapping user [service_mapping_user], you can view the map in the View mode.
    • As a Service administrator [app_service_admin] or Service Mapping administrator [service_mapping_admin], you can view application services in View mode and modify discovered and manually created services in Edit mode.
      Important:
      You cannot fine-tune or edit tag-based and dynamic services from the map.
    • As a Service Mapping administrator [service_mapping_admin], you can view discovery messages and errors generated by Service Mapping and modify services in the Edit mode. You can also reload the map to ensure the map reflects the latest information.
    • As a Service owner [sm_app_owner] role, you can review, provide feedback, and approve services discovered using Service Mapping in the View mode.
      Note:
      The review and approval process is available only for discovered and manually created service instances.

    Also, actions and information related to automatic discovery using Service Mapping are not available for CIs that Service Mapping cannot discover. For example, you do not see the tab for Discovery Messages for a manually created service instance that Service Mapping does not discover.

    Map window

    Aside from the map itself, the map window also displays the Properties pane and tabs with additional information.
    Figure 1. Map window of Service Mapping

    Service Mapping Map window
    You can navigate to a different application service map directly from this window by selecting it from the list.
    Figure 2. Service list

    Select the required application service from the list.
    By default, the entire map is shown in the center of the visible map area of the window. You can zoom in and out as well as position the map depending on which segment of the map you must see using these controls:
    Figure 3. Map navigation

    Control zoom and positioning of your map.
    You can also click anywhere in the map area and drag the required segment of the map into the visible area.

    You can view changes made to an service instance as a whole and to individual CIs belonging to a service by choosing a time range. For more information, see View the change history of application services in classic Service Mapping.

    Map elements and their appearance

    Every map consists of icons representing CIs and arrows that represent the connections between them.
    Figure 4. Connected CIs

    Two CIs with a connection line between them.
    Some map elements can contain other elements such as in the case of application clusters. On the map, application clusters appear as a stack of CIs with the plus (+) symbol next to it. The cluster label shows the number of CIs in this cluster with the multiplication sign.
    Figure 5. CI cluster

    The graphic shows a cluster of the application cluster type.
    When the CI has inclusions, the CI icon has the plus (+) symbol next to it and shows the contained application when you expand it.
    Figure 6. Inclusion

    The graphic shows a cluster of the inclusion type.
    An OS cluster appears as a CI with the plus (+) symbol and the number of CIs in this cluster.
    Figure 7. OS cluster CI

    The graphic shows an OS cluster element.

    CI attributes and CI-related messages

    When a map is loaded and no elements are selected, the Properties pane shows the details of this service instance.

    A selected device, application, or connector appears in blue and is highlighted. Information about the selected map element is displayed in the Properties pane on the right of the map. The Properties pane contains the links to the Detailed Properties page.
    Figure 8. Connection information in the Properties pane

    The Properties pane shows attributes for connections and CIs.
    The attributes for the server hosting applications and applications themselves are shown separately inside the Properties pane.
    Figure 9. Server information in the Properties pane

    The Properties pane shows attributes for hosts and applications separately.
    If there is any information related to the selected CI or connection, it is highlighted on the tab at the bottom of the window.
    Figure 10. The CI and the related discovery message

    Select a CI to display information related to it.
    When you select information on a tab at the bottom of the map window, the related CI displays in yellow.
    Figure 11. The message and the CI it is generated for

    Selecting message marks the related CI yellow.

    Map indicators

    You can show additional information for a CI or service instance itself by displaying its related records such as alerts, outages, incidents, and problems. If you enable this feature, record indicators appear next to relevant CIs and next to the service instance name. Records themselves are displayed on the tabs at the bottom of the map window.

    Figure 12. Application service with indicators

    Indicators for application service and a problem record

    Map views

    Customize a map view to exclude irrelevant information and increase clarity, as described in Modify view for an application service map.

    To open this service instance in Event Management and view alerts on CIs that are part of the service instance, click Monitor Service at the top of the window.
    Figure 13. Monitor Service button

    Monitor Service button for opening the application service in Event Management.