Legacy CI relationship builder

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Legacy CI relationship builder

    The Legacy CI relationship builder is a manual tool within ServiceNow's Yokohama release that allows users to define and manage relationships between Configuration Items (CIs). It offers a more advanced interface than the standard list collector, helping users specify how CIs relate to one another within the CMDB. This tool is accessed via the legacy CI relations formatter and is distinct from the newer CI relationship editor.

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    Key Features

    • Select CI relationship type: Users can choose the specific type of relationship they want to work with from a large option box at the top of the editor.
    • Filter CI relationships: Checkboxes allow quick filtering of relationship types to display only relevant relationships based on the selected CI type. Filters include hiding relationships with other CIs, users, or groups. Users with the appropriate role (typically itiladmin) can opt to show all relationships regardless of the suggested list.
    • Select CI relationship targets: Two select boxes help users link or unlink CIs for the chosen relationship type. The left box shows potential CIs to link, while the right box shows already linked CIs.
    • Linking and unlinking CIs: Users move CIs between the boxes to establish or remove relationships. Changes are tracked as pending until saved or canceled.
    • Save or cancel changes: The Save button commits relationship updates and returns the user to the previous screen, while the Cancel button exits without saving any changes.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    This legacy tool enables precise manual control over CI relationships, which is essential for maintaining accurate CMDB data and supporting effective service management and impact analysis. The filtering and linking capabilities allow customers to tailor CI connections to reflect real-world configurations, improving overall data integrity. Users with appropriate roles can access broader relationship options for advanced configuration management scenarios.

    Related Concepts

    Understanding and managing CI relationships within the CMDB is fundamental to configuration management and service mapping. Customers are encouraged to explore the newer CI relationship editor for enhanced functionality alongside this legacy builder.

    Used to define CI relationships manually, this page is a sophisticated version of the standard list collector. In the legacy CI relations formatter, click the CI relationship builder icon (CI relationship builder icon) to display the legacy Define Relationships page.

    For information about the latest CI relationship editor, see CI relationship editor.

    Select a CI relationship type

    The top half of the legacy relationship editor contains a large option box that allows you to select which type of relationship you want to manipulate. Click the particular type of relationship you are interested in working with.

    Filter the list of CI relationships

    In the legacy relationship editor, the check boxes along the right hand edge of the select box provide a quick way to filter down the list of available relationships.

    By default, the system displays a list of all suggested relationships for the type of CI you selected. For example, if you selected a Database instance, a relationship of "Runs on" makes sense, but a relationship of "Provides HVAC for" does not. The default filter is stored in the user preferences ci_manage_relationships_filter_hint.cmdb_cici_manage_relationships_filter_hint.sys_user, and ci_manage_relationships_filter_hint.sys_user_group.

    • Hide CI relationship -- Hides any relationships between this CI and another CI (e.g. "Receives data from").
    • Hide user relationships -- Hides any relationships between this CI and a user (e.g. "Logs reviewed by").
    • Hide group relationships -- Hides any relationships between this CI and a group (e.g. "Backups done by").
    • Show all relationships -- If you have the appropriate role (out of the box this is itil_admin) you will have an additional check box labeled "Show all relationships." If you click that check box, the system will let you choose any relationship defined in the system, regardless of where it is on the "suggested" list for this type of CI.

    Select CI relationship targets

    In the legacy relationship editor, users can link or unlink CIs for a relationship type.

    As soon as you pick a relationship type, the system will fill in the two select boxes at the bottom of the screen with CI's that are appropriate for the relationship you suggested. The left hand select box will contain a list of CI's that might reasonably be linked via this relationship, while the right hand box contains a list of those CI's which are already linked.

    1. Link or unlink items.
      Link new items Move that CI from the left hand box to the right hand box.
      Unlink existing items Move them from the right hand box to the left.

      When you make either type of change, a message appears indicating that you have pending changes.

    2. Apply or cancel your changes.
      Click the Save button. This will save your set of changes, and go back to the previous screen (either a CI or the BSM map depending on how you got here).
      Click the Cancel button. This causes you to exit without saving your changes.