Common Service Data Model

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 5, 2026
  • 3 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 Common Service Data Model

    The Common Service Data Model (CSDM) is a crucial framework for ServiceNow administrators, guiding the setup and configuration of ServiceNow products and applications. It establishes standards for defining configuration items (CIs) and their relationships within the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), ensuring data accuracy and consistency. Implementing CSDM maximizes the value derived from ServiceNow AI Platform products and features.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • CSDM Compliance: All ServiceNow AI Platform products are CSDM-compliant, ensuring unified data access across applications.
    • Guidelines for Service Modeling: Provides prescriptive guidelines for managing services within the CMDB, leading to better reporting and analytics.
    • CMDB Query Builder: Enables users to create detailed reports on CIs and their relationships.
    • CSDM Assessment: Offers expert guidance and best practices for evaluating and enhancing CSDM implementation.
    • Clear Definitions: Utilizes agreed-upon definitions to minimize confusion and ensure accurate data representation.

    Key Outcomes

    By adhering to the CSDM framework, organizations can achieve:

    • Consistent Reporting: Reliable analytics and reporting capabilities to manage digital environments effectively.
    • Error Reduction: Avoid implementation errors, leading to accurate, complete, and consistent data outputs.
    • Data Integrity: Ensured through prescribed technologies for data integration and governance processes.
    • Enhanced Collaboration: Shared data models facilitate better collaboration across different product teams.

    The CSDM is the data framework that admins should follow when they set up ServiceNow products and applications. The standards for defining configuration items (CIs) and relationships between CIs in the CMDB ensure that your data resides in the appropriate CMDB tables. The result is maximum value from ServiceNow AI Platform products, apps, and features.

    About the CSDM

    The CSDM is the data model standard for all products that use the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
    • ServiceNow AI Platform products, apps, and features are “CSDM-compliant”. That is, they all share identical access to the underlying CSDM data model. This shared model significantly increases the power of your applications.
    • The CSDM guidelines ensure unified data access for ServiceNow AI Platform products.
    • The CSDM gives you clear direct prescriptive guidelines for service modeling within the CMDB.
    • CSDM terms and definitions ensure consistent and accurate service reporting.
    • The CSDM data model supports multiple configuration strategies and includes guidelines for using base-system tables and relationships.
    • You can use the CMDB query builder to create reports showing CMDB configuration items (CIs) and their relationships.

    You will find additional information about the CSDM on the Community Forum. Also, see CSDM in a nutshell.

    Playlist of all CSDM videos

    Expert guidance to assess and improve your CSDM implementation — the CSDM Assessment

    The CSDM Assessment provides Impact Customers with leading practices and prescriptive guidance on the CSDM and how it supports processes on the ServiceNow AI Platform. To help your organization plan for and implement CSDM, the assessment includes interactions with ServiceNow CSDM experts and personalized content. See Common Service Data Model (CSDM) Assessment Accelerators.

    CSDM documentation

    Key principles that guided the design and development of the CSDM framework

    The framework is intended to help you avoid errors in implementation and to ensure that your ServiceNow AI Platform products generate accurate, complete, and consistent reports. The following principles guided the development of the CSDM framework.
    Use simplified concepts
    Represent concepts in a simple, distinct manner to eliminate duplicates and confusion over data sources.
    Design for reporting and analytics
    A prime objective of CSDM is to support consistent analysis.
    Prescribe the data relationships
    Tell users in a clear direct way which relationships and references to use to link CSDM tables.
    Share the data model across products
    The CSDM identifies a data model that is shared across products to simplify concepts and collaboration. Collaborating with other product teams achieves the best shared design.
    Use clear definitions
    Use agreed-upon CSDM definitions wherever a table, reference, or attribute is used.
    Share base-system tables
    zBoot must provide shared base-system CSDM tables by default.
    Consistent data integrations
    To ensure data integrity, use prescribed technologies when integrating external data sources
    Speed adoption
    For each new release, provide automation and guidance for CSDM that accelerates upgrading and minimizes issues.
    Enable data governance and process
    The presence of data within the model provides little value without governance and effective process to manage the truth and validity of the data.
    Provide practical user documentation
    (The content that you’re viewing now) Each product team that references CSDM objects should provide documented guidance on use and/or value of the objects. Links to product guidance appear in Applying CSDM guidelines to your product — product views.