Spotlight interactive analysis

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Spotlight interactive analysis

    Spotlight interactive analysis enables ServiceNow customers to view and analyze key results from a Spotlight job directly within a Spotlight Group record. This functionality requires users to have either thepaspotlightoradminrole. The analysis leverages a Spotlight database view created for each group to join Spotlight records with corresponding fact table data, highlighting records that exceed defined thresholds.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Access and Launch: Open the Spotlight Group record and click Launch Interactive Analysis to view results.
    • Data Presentation: Displays the number of Spotlight records and unassigned records exceeding thresholds, including detailed rows linking Spotlight and fact table data.
    • Database View Management: Automatically creates a database view for each Spotlight group; users with proper roles can generate missing views via provided links.
    • Role and Domain Controls: Viewing detailed data requires the itil role and respects domain separation, restricting data visibility to relevant domains.
    • Reporting and Dashboards: The database view can serve as a data source for reports and dashboards, which are included in Analytics and Reporting Spotlight Solutions.
    • Interactive Filters: Users can apply filters based on Priority, Opened date, Age, Assignment Group, and State of records, provided these columns exist in the facts table.
    • Filter Customization: Filters must be created on the relevant Spotlight database view, requiring the admin role for access.
    • Sharing Capabilities: Interactive analyses can be shared via URL from the Filter Info panel, but recipients must have the paspotlightviewer role.
    • Subscription Requirement: Using interactive analysis with tables other than incident requires a fully enabled Performance Analytics subscription.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    Spotlight interactive analysis empowers customers to quickly identify and drill down into records exceeding performance thresholds, improving insight into task and incident management. The ability to filter, report, and share analysis results facilitates collaboration and informed decision-making across teams. By leveraging database views and role-based access, it ensures secure and relevant data visibility aligned with organizational domains and permissions.

    Spotlight interactive analysis shows the key results of a Spotlight job. Access the analysis from a Spotlight Group record.

    To open the Spotlight interactive analysis, open the Spotlight Group record for the group of interest and click the Launch Interactive Analysis related link. The pa_spotlight or admin role is necessary.
    Note:
    Interactive analysis uses the Spotlight database view. Spotlight creates the database view for each Spotlight group when you create the group. If the database view is missing, a warning appears. If you have the pa_spotlight or admin roles, a link also appears for generating a database view. For more information, see Spotlight database views.

    Using interactive analysis with any table other than incident requires fully enabled, subscription version of Performance Analytics. See Activating your Performance Analytics subscription.

    Interactive Analysis contains the following information:
    • The number of Spotlight records. This value is also the number of corresponding fact table records that exceeded the Spotlight Group threshold.
    • The number of unassigned facts table records that exceeded the Spotlight threshold. These records have no value in the Assigned To column.
    • The database view that joins the Spotlight table with the facts table of the main indicator. Each row of this view shows the columns from a Spotlight record and the corresponding facts table record.
      Note:
      • If a user cannot see the values in this table, ensure that they have the itil role.
      • If domain separation is enabled, a user can only see Spotlights records for corresponding fact table records that are included in their domains.
      • You can create reports by using this database view as a data source. You can include these reports in dashboards. Each of the Analytics and Reporting Spotlight Solutions includes such a dashboard and reports.

      For more information, see Spotlight database views.

    You can apply interactive filters to the analysis. The following filters are available, for facts tables with the matching columns:
    • The Priority of the facts table record (tasks only)
    • When the record was Opened
    • The Age of the record
    • The Assignment Group (tasks only)
    • The State that the record is in
    For information about adding or removing any of these filters, see Add a filter to Interactive Analysis and Remove a filter from Interactive Analysis.
    Note:
    If you create an interactive filter for a Spotlight interactive analysis, the filter must be created on top of the relevant Spotlight database view. The admin role is necessary to access the database view. If you do not have this role, contact your system administrator.

    To share the interactive analysis, share the URL from the Filter Info. The user with whom you share the interactive analysis must have the pa_spotlight_viewer role. For more information about the Filter Info, see Interactive Analysis information panel.