Node relationship configurations

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated November 4, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Node relationship configurations

    Node relationship configurations in ServiceNow enable you to define and manage relationships between records and objects within tables. This capability allows precise control over the attributes of the main node, including its name, source, table name, and filter conditions. These configurations support visualizing and understanding complex relationships in your data model, particularly beneficial in Operational Resilience and CSDM contexts.

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    Key Features

    • Node relationship configurations related list enhancements:
      • Type column: Offers two display options for node relationships:
        • Default type: Displays the hierarchy top to bottom (default view).
        • Group type: Aggregates data at specific nodes for focused perspectives.
      • Maximum nodes and levels: Configure limits on the number of nodes and hierarchy levels shown in maps and specific node relationships. The “Maximum number of levels” setting activates only if the source and target tables are the same.
      • Direction: Defines relationship direction between source and target tables.
        • Source to target: Selecting a node shows downstream nodes.
        • Target to source: Selecting a node shows upstream nodes.
      • Copy functionality: The main node configuration now supports copying configurations. After copying, you must configure the Nexus for the new main node.
    • Relationships between CSDM objects: Use Main node configurations with the sngrcm2mprofileprofile table as the source to configure relationships among business services, service offerings, business processes, and application services.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Enables flexible and meaningful visualization of complex node hierarchies and relationships.
    • Improves clarity by controlling the depth and breadth of relationship maps to suit your analysis needs.
    • Supports directional insights into relationships, enhancing impact analysis and root cause investigations.
    • Simplifies configuration management with copy functionality for efficient setup and reuse.
    • Facilitates comprehensive modeling of CSDM object relationships, critical for governance and service management frameworks.

    Node relationship configurations are used to set up relationships between the records and objects defined in the table. You can configure the details of the main node such as its name, source, table name, filter conditions, and so on.

    For details on the updates in the Node relationship configurations introduced in Operational Resilience, version 21.1.x, refer to the "Node relationship configurations related list" in Main node configurations: A component of the Data Relationships Framework.

    Node relationship configurations related list

    The existing Node relationship configurations related list has been updated and includes the following changes:

    • Type column: The Type column has been added, offering two distinct options for displaying node relationship information:
      • Default type: As shown in the earlier illustration, the "Default type" column displays the hierarchy from top to bottom. It’s the default option.

      • Group type: Aggregates data at a specific node, providing a more focused view.

        Group type.

      This enhancement enables for more flexible and meaningful visualization of node data.

    • Maximum number of nodes and Maximum number of levels: You can set the maximum number of nodes and levels for the map (as shown in the Properties tab). Similarly, you can also control the maximum number of children shown at the specific node relation and maximum number of levels shown at a specific node. The Maximum number of levels property is enabled only when the source table and target table in the Main node configuration are the same; if they’re different, this property is inactive.

    • Direction: Another field added to the relationship configuration is "Direction," which specifies the direction of the relationship between the source and target tables. The direction can be set to either "Target to source" or "Source to target." When set to "Target to source," selecting a specific node displays all its upstream nodes, showing the relationships leading to that node. When set to "Source to target," selecting a specific node displays all its downstream nodes.

      Direction.

      This enhancement provides more flexibility in visualizing and understanding the relationships between nodes.

    • Copy functionality at the Main node: The main node configuration now includes a Copy UI action. When this functionality is used, the selected main node configuration is copied and then you’re required to set up the Nexus configuration for the copied main node.

    For information on configuring the Node relationship configurations, see Configure the Node relationship configurations.

    For information on setting up relationships between different objects, see Relationships between CSDM objects.