ServiceNow Developer Interview Questions
ServiceNow is a cloud-based ITSM (IT Service Management) tool that offers a single record system for business management, operations, and IT services. All features related to the organization’s IT services reside within the ServiceNow ecosystem. You can obtain a complete view of the resources and services. This permits you to control the allocation of resources in a better way and helps to efficiently design the process flow. ServiceNow provides services such as HR, security, business applications, customer service, and IT(Information Technology) service delivery. It is considered an integrated cloud
solution where we can get all of these services in a single place.
CMDB stands for Configuration Management Database. CMDB is repository that can be used as a data warehouse for IT installations. It will hold the data associated with IT assets collections and details about relationships between assets.
Use the below-given steps to enable or disable an application in ServiceNow:
1. Go to the “Application Menus” module.
2. Open the required application that has to be enabled or disabled.
3. You can set the active value as “true” to enable the application. To disable the application set the active value as “false”.
The data lookup and record matching features allow you for setting up the field value based on a particular condition instead of scriptwriting. For example, on incident forms, the priority lookup rules automatically sample data. Now, set the priority of an incident based on the urgency values and the incident impact. Data lookup rules allow you to specify the fields and conditions where you wish data lookup to happen.
The field property that is used in transform map field mapping is known as Coalesce.Coalescing on a field allows you to use that field as a unique key. The existing record will get updated with the imported information if a match with the coalesce field is found. If you can’t find a match, then insertion of a new record into the database will take place.
Impersonating a user means providing the administrator access to what the actual user would have access to. This will have the same modules as well as menus. ServiceNow records all activities of an administrator when the user is impersonating another user. This feature of ServiceNow is very helpful in testing. For example, if you want to test that whether a user is able to access the change form or not. You are allowed to impersonate that user and can perform testing without any need of logging out from your session and again logging in with that user credentials.
Dictionary overrides allow for overriding various field properties in an extended table. Consider an example of a changing table that is extended from the task table. There is a status field in the task table which is set as read-only. If you use this field in change form, it will be in read-only mode. By using the dictionary override, we can alter this to non-read only.
Data policies are helpful to enforce data consistency by setting read-only and mandatory states. They can be quite relatable to UI policies, but the difference is UI policies are applied only to the data provided on forms using standard browsers. Also, it can apply rules to each data entered, like data entered through import sets, web services, email, or mobile UI. For example, if a mandatory field in the entered record is empty then it is possible to prevent the insertion of that record into the table by using data policy.
UI policies are considered as an alternative for client scripts. You can set a field as mandatory, which is read-only, and visible on a form by using UI policies. It can be used to dynamically change a field on a form.
1. A transform map in ServiceNow is a field map set that controls the relationship between the import set table’s displayed fields and the target table’s existing fields, like {“detectHand”:false} or {“detectHand”:false}.
2. After transform map creation, you can reuse this to map data from one more import set to the same table.
3. A transform map allows an administrator to define final destinations for data imported on tables. This will make it easier to specify linkage between the import set table’s source fields and the target table’s destination fields.
4. You can use transform mapping to dynamically map source fields and destination fields.
Domain separation is a useful method for separating data into logically defined domains.Also, it can be used to separate administration. For example, consider a client who has twobusinesses and has a single ServiceNow instance for both businesses. He doesn’t want usersfrom one business to view other business data. In this case, we can use domain separation forisolating the records from both businesses.
The business rule is server-side scripting, which gets executed when you try to insert, delete, update, display or query a record. The main use of creating a business rule is that you can decide when and on what action it will execute. The business rule can be applied to the following states: {“detectHand”:false}, {“detectHand”:false}or {“detectHand”:false}.
The import set tool is utilized for importing data from multiple sets of data sources and then map that data into ServiceNow tables through transform maps. It behaves as a staging table for imported records.
The HTML Sanitizer is useful in cleaning up HTML markup in HTML fields automatically. Also, it will eliminate unwanted code and protect against security threats like cross-site script attacks. Starting from the Eureka release, the HTML sanitizer is active for all instances.
A gauge can be seen on the homepage of ServiceNow and can contain up-to-date information about the record’s current status that is present on ServiceNow tables. A gauge is based on a report and it can be placed on a homepage or a content page.
Metrics are used for recording and measuring the workflow of individual records. By using metrics, customers are able to arm their process by giving tangible figures for measuring. For example, how much time it takes before a ticket is reassigned or changes its state.
Below given list of searches are helpful in ServiceNow to find the information:
Lists: Used to obtain records in a list.
Knowledge base:Used to find knowledge-based articles.
Global Text Search: Used to find records in different tables from a search field.
Navigation Filter: Used to filter the application navigator items.
Search screens: Use a form as an interface for searching table records. These custom modules can be created by administrators.
Catalog item that permits users in the creation of task-based records by using Service Catalog is known as a record producer. For example, you can consider the creation of a problem record or a change record by using a record producer. It will give you an alternative method for the creation of records via Service Catalog.
BSM map stands for Business Service Management map. Configuration Items(CI) are graphically displayed by using a BSM map. These items are used to provide support for a business service and indicates the Configuration Items related status.
ACL(Access Control List) in ServiceNow defines what can be accessed by data users and in what way they can access the same. ACL rules require users to fulfill individual requirements to obtain access to particular data.
An inactivity monitor is used in event triggering for a task record if the task was kept in an inactive state for a certain period. If the task remains in an inactive state, the inactivity monitor repeats at regular intervals.
A scorecard is used for measuring employee performance or a business process. It provides a representation of progress across time in the visualized format. It belongs to an indicator. The initial step is defining the indicators that you wish to measure. You can enhance scorecards by adding aggregates, targets, breakdowns(scores per group), and time series.
The next() method is used for moving into the next record in GlideRecord. next() is quite similar to _next(), the difference is it is used when you query the table that has next as a column name.
Bar reports: They allow you for comparing scores over data dimensions.
Pie and Donut reports: It helps to visualize the relationship between parts and the entire data set using various shapes like pies.
Time Series reports: It helps to visualize data over time. You can make use of MetricBase data in time series reports, along with your instance data and imported data sources.
Multidimensional reports: It helps to visualize data across dimensions in a table or graph
Scores: It helps to visualize single data points either as a single value or across ranges.
Statistical reports: It helps to visualize data with statistical values like means and medians.
Other reports contain calendars, lists, and maps.
When an import does a modification to a table that is not the target table for that particular import, then a foreign record insert happens. This occurs when you try to update a reference field on a table.
By default, queries having invalid field names executes but invalid condition will be ignored. You can enable the glide.invalid_query.returns_no_rows property.It will produce an empty result set for invalid queries.
Processing order for Record ACL rules is given below: for more strict query control.
1. Matching the object against ACL rules related to the field. Matching the object against ACL rules related to the table.
2. Both field and table ACL rules must be passed by the user to gain access to a record object.
Following is the stepwise process for restricting users to upload an attachment: Go to System Properties -> Security.
Under the Attachment limits and behavior section, search for a role list that can produce attachments: property(glide.attachment.role). Mention one or more roles(separated by commas).
Only roles listed under this property will be allowed to upload attachments to a record. If no roles are mentioned, then all roles are permitted to upload attachments to ServiceNow forms.
Click on Save.
It is a checkbox for selecting whether the used variables should cascade, which transmits their values to the items ordered. Variable data entered in the order guide will not be passed on to ordered items if we clear this checkbox.
The Change Management application in ServiceNow gives an organized approach for controlling the life cycle of entire changes. It also provides useful changes to be made with minimum interference to IT services.