Dependency Views map
Summarize
Summary of Dependency Views
ServiceNow® Dependency Views provide graphical representations of Configuration Items (CIs) that support application or business services, illustrating their relationships. This feature is part of the CMDB Workspace and Service Graph Workspace, offering an alternative through the Unified Map, which integrates Dependency Views and Service Mapping.
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Key Features
- Root CI Focus: Each Dependency Views map centers around a root CI, highlighted by a pulsing effect for visibility.
- Upstream and Downstream Relationships: The map displays dependencies in both directions and defaults to showing three levels of relationships, adjustable by administrators.
- Cluster Management: Clusters are collapsed by default for easier navigation and can be expanded as needed.
- Issue Indicators: Map indicators reveal active or pending issues related to any CI.
- Dynamic Refresh: The map automatically updates to reflect changes in the CMDB.
- CI Relationship Management: Users can create, define, and delete CI relationships directly within the map.
- User Roles: Only users with the itil and ecmdbadmin roles have access to view and manage maps.
Key Outcomes
By utilizing Dependency Views, ServiceNow customers can effectively visualize and manage the dependencies between CIs, leading to improved oversight of IT infrastructure supporting their services. This enables quicker identification of issues, better resource management, and fosters informed decision-making based on real-time data.
ServiceNow® Dependency Views maps graphically display CIs that support application or business services and the relationships between the CIs.
The CMDB Workspace and Service Graph Workspace store apps provide the Unified Map feature as an alternative to using Dependency Views. Unified Map combines the capabilities of Dependency Views and Service Mapping into a single map experience.
A ServiceNow service (application service or business service) is work or goods that are supported by an IT infrastructure. For example, delivering email service to an employee can require services such as email servers, web servers, and the work to configure the user's account.
A Dependency Views map has one starting point, called the root CI or root node of the map. The root CI is surrounded by a darker frame that repaints itself with a pulsing effect drawing the attention to the root CI. The maps can show both upstream and downstream dependencies for the root CI. By default the Dependency Views map displays 3 levels, both upstream and downstream relationships. Administrators can configure the number of levels displayed. The map collapses and expands clusters to make them easier to view. By default, clusters are collapsed.
In a Dependency Views map, map indicators indicate if a CI has any active, pending issues. You can investigate the tasks that are connected to a CI to get more details. When you return to the map from another form, the system
restores the last map viewed, using the default filter and layout settings. When you click the icon (
) on a CI record or on a task record that identifies a CI, the map opens.
Many of the relationships in map are created through the discovery process. You can also create, define, and delete CI relationships in the map. You can display the map from different perspectives and open specific records that relate to configuration items. The system refreshes the map automatically to reflect changes to the CMDB.
The Dependency Views module is active in all instances, and includes demo data.
When you click the map icon [] on a CI record or on a task record that identify a CI, a map opens.
Roles
Users with the itil and ecmdb_admin roles can view maps and perform all actions in the map. Actions include access to the map views and saved filters, both from the lists in the map and from the Saved Filters module.