Import based evidence collection

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Import based evidence collection

    The Import based evidence collection feature enhances change management and evidence gathering for DevOps orchestration tools like GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps (ADO), Jenkins, and GitLab by reducing instance overhead. It allows all relevant evidence in the pipeline to be linked to the change request through import requests instead of webhook notifications.

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    Key Features

    • Toggle Activation: Enable the feature via the Properties page. Ensure no active pipelines are running to avoid data issues.
    • Evidence Collection Process: Upon triggering the change step, an import request is generated to collect pipeline execution details and evidence. Evidence is gathered again at pipeline completion.
    • Specific Tool Behavior:
      • ADO: Evidence collected at pipeline completion only for build pipelines; step-level for release pipelines.
      • GitHub Actions: Evidence collected at workflow completion; configure GitHub app for Deployment Gates.
      • Jenkins: Evidence collected at pipeline completion; requires the latest Jenkins and ServiceNow DevOps Plugin installation.
      • GitLab: Evidence collected through pipeline events webhook at completion.
    • Compatibility: Supports all existing pipeline styles (reruns, parallel, sequential) and maintains historical import and polling features.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing Import based evidence collection, customers can streamline their evidence gathering processes, reduce overhead, and ensure accurate data collection tied to change requests, ultimately leading to improved efficiency in their DevOps practices. Note that certain limitations exist, such as unsupported features for GitHub Actions environment-based changes and manual jobs in GitLab.

    Reduce instance overhead by skipping step-level pipeline processing for accelerated change management and evidence collection for GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps (ADO), Jenkins and GitLab orchestration tools.

    All relevant evidence in the pipeline is attached to the change request using import request instead of webhook notifications.

    Enable import based evidence collection

    You can enable this feature by switching on the Import based evidence collection for orchestration capability toggle in the Properties page. For more information, see DevOps Change Velocity properties.

    Switching the toggle modifies how the pipeline events are processed. When switched on, the setting reduces instance overhead by skipping step-level processing in the pipeline. The skipped step-level events are ignored with the processing details, "IGNORED: This event is ignored because the 'Import based evidence collection for orchestration capability' property is enabled". Conversely, switching off reverts to the standard mode, where all inbound events undergo processing.
    Note:
    Ensure that no pipeline is running before making changes to this setting. Switching the toggle during an active pipeline execution may cause the pipeline to hang and eventually time out, resulting in incomplete or incorrect data collection. If a change request has already been created, you must cancel it manually, as required evidence may not be attached. Select Save to continue, and initiate a new pipeline execution after switching the toggle.

    How is the evidence collected

    When the change step in a pipeline is triggered, a callback record is created with the state: created and change evidence status: pending. An import request, with the corresponding import request pages are created to gather pipeline execution details and the required evidence. The change request is then created with all the evidence attached to it. In addition, the import based evidence collection feature is triggered again at the pipeline completion event to ensure all the associated evidence is accurately retrieved and associated with the change request. Post-creation of the change request, the auto-approval mechanisms, and subsequent behaviors remains the same as the existing behavior.

    For ADO
    • For build pipeline, when the property is enabled, the evidence collection happens based on the pipeline completion event only (step level events aren’t processed to reduce the instance overhead).
    • For release pipeline, even if the property is enabled, the evidence collection happens based on processing step-level events.
    For GitHub Actions
    • When the property is enabled, the evidence collection happens based on the workflow completion event only (step level events aren’t processed to reduce the instance overhead).
    • If you’re using GitHub Actions Deployment Gates in any of your steps, then you must configure the GitHub app, and the evidence collection happens based on the workflow completion event. For more information on deployment gates, see GitHub Deployment Gates for ServiceNow DevOps Change.
    Jenkins
    When the property is enabled, the evidence collection happens based on the pipeline completion event only (step level events aren’t processed to reduce the instance overhead).
    Note:
    You must install the latest Jenkins from the Jenkins Marketplace. Navigate to Manage Jenkins > System configuration > Plugins in your Jenkins instance. Search for ServiceNow DevOps Plugin and select it, and then select Install.
    GitLab
    When the property is enabled, the evidence collection happens based on the Pipeline events webhook event only (step level events aren’t processed to reduce the instance overhead).

    Key points

    • Import based evidence collection supports all existing pipeline styles (reruns, parallel, sequential) and configurations for GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and ADO.
    • All types of evidence collection supported for GitHub Actions, ADO, GitLab, and Jenkins in the base system are also supported when this property is enabled.
    • For GitHub Actions, environment-based change isn’t supported.
    • For GitLab, manual jobs (when: manual) are not supported.
      For example, 
       run_tests:
  script: npm test
  when: manual
  allow_failure: true
    • For Jenkins, Freestyle pipelines are not supported.
    • Historical import and polling features works the same way regardless of the Import based evidence collection for orchestration capability property being enabled or turned off.
    • Restarting import in the import request record is also supported.
    • Troubleshooting and error handling frameworks remain unaffected.
    • If you’re upgrading, the Import based evidence collection for orchestration capability property is turned off by default.