Getting started with Service Graph Connectors
Summarize
Summary of Getting started with Service Graph Connectors
Service Graph Connectors and API Service Graph Connectors are predefined integrations designed to ingest third-party and API data into your Configuration Management Database (CMDB) from diverse domains such as security, servers, software, monitoring, IoT, and cloud. These connectors ensure data quality and consistency by mapping data according to the Common Service Data Model (CSDM), enhancing the usability and reporting accuracy within ServiceNow products.
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You can explore and request available connectors through the ServiceNow Store, including those built by partners and vendors. The connectors process data through a pipeline involving identification, standardization, reconciliation, and ingestion into the CMDB.
User Roles
Service Graph Connector users can be assigned specific roles to control permissions effectively:
- Administrator (admin): Full permissions including installing, upgrading connectors, managing connections, and running background scripts.
- SGC-admin (sncmdbintutil.sgcadmin): Can create, update, and delete connections, configure connectors using guided setups, and manage system properties.
- CMDB installation administrator (cmdbinstadmin): Uses IntegrationHub ETL for creating and customizing integrations, managing import schedules, and handling related records.
- SGC-viewer (sncmdbintutil.sgcviewer): Primarily monitors integration status and views related data and logs.
Using SGC Central
SGC Central is a dedicated application within the CMDB Workspace that facilitates discovering, installing, managing, and monitoring Service Graph Connectors. It helps maintain connector support and certification status, reduces customization needs, and accelerates deployment through intuitive setup and playbook-guided workflows. When playbooks are unavailable, guided setup options are provided.
Practical Benefits and Best Practices
- Mandates data governance and design practices, such as consistent CI-type associations (e.g., IP addresses assigned to network interfaces).
- Ensures ServiceNow products can accurately locate third-party data, supporting proper CMDB classifications and dependencies.
- Leverages the Identification and Reconciliation (IRE) engine to correctly identify, classify, and reconcile data, preventing duplicates and maintaining attribute consistency.
- Utilizes IntegrationHub ETL for efficient data transformation and loading.
Issue Resolution
For troubleshooting and analyzing connector issues, you can use the Now Assist for Configuration Management Database (CMDB) application, which provides diagnostic capabilities to fix import set problems related to Service Graph Connectors.
Service Graph Connectors, including API Service Graph Connectors, are predefined integrations that ingest third-party data and API data into the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) from various domains, such as security, servers, software or monitoring, Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud.
Request apps on the Store
Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.
Service Graph Connectors overview
The following video provides an overview of Service Graph Connectors.
As a purpose-built app, you can use a Service Graph Connector, including an API Service Graph Connector, to maintain the quality and consistency of third-party data in your CMDB.
- Service Graph Connectors
- A Service Graph Connector imports and integrates third-party data into CMDB and non-CMDB tables. For a list of Service Graph Connectors, see Service Graph Connectors.
- API Service Graph Connectors
- An API Service Graph Connector imports and integrates third-party API data into CMDB and non-CMDB tables. For a list of API Service Graph Connectors, see API Service Graph Connectors.
- Partner-built connectors
- Service Graph Connectors can be built by partners and vendors. For a list of partner-built connectors, see the ServiceNow Store website.
The connectors also make sure that third-party data is mapped to the right locations in your CMDB as specified by the Common Service Data Model (CSDM). The CSDM enables ServiceNow products to use the data and increases reporting accuracy. For more information on CSDM, see Common Service Data Model.
- Ingest the data by identifying class, attribute, and data sources by using the identification rules.
- Standardize the data to comply with your CMDB.
- Reconcile the data into a single coherent picture by using the reconciliation rules.
- Ingest the data into your CMDB.
Service Graph Connector user roles
| User role | Description |
|---|---|
| Administrator (admin) | Users with the Administrator (admin) role can install and upgrade Service Graph Connectors, including API Service Graph Connectors. Administrator users can perform the following tasks:
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| SGC-admin (sn_cmdb_int_util.sgc_admin) | The SGC-admin (sn_cmdb_int_util.sgc_admin) user role has the second-highest level of permissions for Service Graph Connectors. SGC-admin users can perform the following tasks:
|
| CMDB installation administrator (cmdb_inst_admin) | Users with the CMDB (cmdb_inst_admin) role can use IntegrationHub ETL to create and customize integrations. CMDB installation administrator users can perform the following tasks:
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| SGC-viewer (sn_cmdb_int_util.sgc_viewer) | Users with the SGC-viewer (sn_cmdb_int_util.sgc_viewer) role can monitor the status of the integration. SGC-viewer users can perform the following tasks:
|
Using SGC Central for connectors
The Service Graph Connector Central application also called as SGC Central is available as a view in the CMDB Workspace. The application enables you to discover and install Service Graph Connectors, including API Service Graph Connectors, and then effectively manage the full life cycle of creating, editing, monitoring, and debugging connections. The SGC Central application also ensures that connectors remain supported and up-to-date with certified partners.
The SGC Central application minimizes customization and accelerates time to value with intuitive setup options and playbook-guided connector deployment. If the playbook experience isn’t available for a connector, you can follow the guided setup provided with the connector.
To learn more, see SGC Central.
Using connectors
- Consistently associating data with specific CI types. For instance, IP addresses are assigned to network interfaces rather than a mix of interfaces and servers. Ensuring that ServiceNow products know where to find third-party data. For more information, see CMDB classifications and class dependency.
- Using the Identification and Reconciliation (IRE) engine to identify and classify data correctly before it’s loaded into the CMDB. Helping prevent duplicate CIs and ensuring that attribute values are consistent across multiple data sources.
For information on the IRE-related rules used in Service Graph Connectors, see the following topics:
- Using the IntegrationHub ETL functionality so that data is transformed and loaded in the fastest and most efficient manner. For more information, see IntegrationHub ETL.
Resolving connector issues
You can use the Now Assist for Configuration Management Database (CMDB) application to resolve any issues or perform a general analysis on a connector installed on your instance. See Fix SGC import set issues with the Now Assist SGC diagnosis skill.