Legacy CI relationship builder

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Legacy CI relationship builder

    The Legacy CI relationship builder in ServiceNow Zurich release enables users to manually define and manage Configuration Item (CI) relationships. It offers a more advanced interface than the standard list collector, allowing precise control over CI relationship types and targets. This tool is accessed from the legacy Define Relationships page via the CI relationship builder icon.

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    Key Features

    • Select CI relationship type: Users can choose the specific type of relationship they want to edit from a large option box, focusing on relevant relationships for the selected CI type.
    • Filter CI relationships: Checkboxes allow filtering of relationships by type, such as hiding relationships to other CIs, users, or groups. Users with the itiladmin role can enable the "Show all relationships" filter to access any relationship regardless of CI type suggestions.
    • Select and manage CI relationship targets: The interface shows two lists: potential CIs to link on the left and already linked CIs on the right. Users can link new CIs by moving them right or unlink existing ones by moving them left.
    • Save or cancel changes: Changes generate a pending changes message. Users can save to apply changes and return to the previous screen or cancel to discard changes.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    This tool allows precise, manual control over CI relationships, ensuring accurate representation of dependencies and interactions within your CMDB. It helps maintain data quality by filtering relationship types to those relevant for the selected CI, preventing inappropriate links. The ability to link and unlink CIs manually supports maintaining up-to-date and accurate service maps and impact analyses.

    Note that this is the legacy tool; for the latest capabilities, ServiceNow recommends using the newer CI relationship editor.

    Used to define CI relationships manually, this page is a sophisticated version of the standard list collector. In the legacy CI relations formatter, click the CI relationship builder icon (CI relationship builder icon) to display the legacy Define Relationships page.

    For information about the latest CI relationship editor, see CI relationship editor.

    Select a CI relationship type

    The top half of the legacy relationship editor contains a large option box that allows you to select which type of relationship you want to manipulate. Click the particular type of relationship you are interested in working with.

    Filter the list of CI relationships

    In the legacy relationship editor, the check boxes along the right hand edge of the select box provide a quick way to filter down the list of available relationships.

    By default, the system displays a list of all suggested relationships for the type of CI you selected. For example, if you selected a Database instance, a relationship of "Runs on" makes sense, but a relationship of "Provides HVAC for" does not. The default filter is stored in the user preferences ci_manage_relationships_filter_hint.cmdb_cici_manage_relationships_filter_hint.sys_user, and ci_manage_relationships_filter_hint.sys_user_group.

    • Hide CI relationship -- Hides any relationships between this CI and another CI (e.g. "Receives data from").
    • Hide user relationships -- Hides any relationships between this CI and a user (e.g. "Logs reviewed by").
    • Hide group relationships -- Hides any relationships between this CI and a group (e.g. "Backups done by").
    • Show all relationships -- If you have the appropriate role (out of the box this is itil_admin) you will have an additional check box labeled "Show all relationships." If you click that check box, the system will let you choose any relationship defined in the system, regardless of where it is on the "suggested" list for this type of CI.

    Select CI relationship targets

    In the legacy relationship editor, users can link or unlink CIs for a relationship type.

    As soon as you pick a relationship type, the system will fill in the two select boxes at the bottom of the screen with CI's that are appropriate for the relationship you suggested. The left hand select box will contain a list of CI's that might reasonably be linked via this relationship, while the right hand box contains a list of those CI's which are already linked.

    1. Link or unlink items.
      Link new items Move that CI from the left hand box to the right hand box.
      Unlink existing items Move them from the right hand box to the left.

      When you make either type of change, a message appears indicating that you have pending changes.

    2. Apply or cancel your changes.
      Click the Save button. This will save your set of changes, and go back to the previous screen (either a CI or the BSM map depending on how you got here).
      Click the Cancel button. This causes you to exit without saving your changes.