CSDM shapes support in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 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 CSDM Shapes Support in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization

    The Common Service Data Model (CSDM) defines standardized relationships between service-related objects within the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), facilitating consistency across IT Service Management (ITSM), IT Operations Management (ITOM), and Enterprise Architecture (EA) practices. In the Enterprise Architecture Workspace, CSDM shapes visually represent these relationships, enabling architects to effectively model business capabilities, applications, services, and technical components aligned with the Now Platform.

    Show full answer Show less

    CSDM Domains and Shapes

    CSDM 5 introduces seven domains, each encompassing related entities, with corresponding shapes in the Enterprise Architecture Workspace diagrams:

    • Foundation: Core referential data such as Company, Location, and Contracts.
    • Ideation & Strategy: Early-stage planning and strategic objectives.
    • Design & Planning: Architectural blueprints and application portfolios.
    • Build & Integration: Development artifacts and integration points.
    • Service Delivery: Operational views of technology services.
    • Service Consumption: Services utilized by end users.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing CSDM shapes, ServiceNow customers can:

    • Visualize complex relationships and interactions within their service ecosystem.
    • Streamline processes and enhance strategic planning through clearly defined domains.
    • Improve compliance and tracking with standardized models for contracts and applications.
    • Facilitate effective service delivery and consumption by clearly defining service offerings and instances.
    • Leverage AI and digital assets efficiently through structured models, enhancing data usage for AI training and applications.

    ServiceNow CSDM data model defines standardized relationships between service-related objects in the CMDB. It ensures consistency across ITSM, ITOM, and EA practices. In Enterprise Architecture Workspace, CSDM shapes represent these objects visually in diagrams, enabling architects to model business capabilities, applications, services, and technical components in alignment with the Now Platform.

    CSDM domains and shapes

    CSDM 5 introduces seven domains, each grouping related entities. Shapes in Enterprise Architecture Workspace diagrams correspond to these domains:
    • Foundation- Shapes in this domain represent core referential data like Company, Location, Groups, Products, and Contracts.
    • Ideation & Strategy- Shapes in this domain capture early-stage planning and strategic objectives.
    • Design & Planning- Shapes in this domain define an architecture blueprint and logical application portfolio.
    • Build & Integration- Shapes in this domain represent development artifacts and integration points.
    • Service Delivery- Shapes in this domain represent an operational view of technology services and offerings.
    • Service Consumption- Shapes in this domain represent services consumed by end users.
    Table 1. Enterprise Architecture Shapes mapping to CSDM Domain, Purpose, and Example
    Shape Domain Purpose Example
    Value Stream Foundation Represents a sequence of activities delivering business value Customer Onboarding Value Stream
    Value Stream Stage Foundation Defines phases within a value stream for process improvement Payment Processing Stage
    Business Process Design & Planning Models operational workflows supporting business capabilities Order-to-Cash Process
    Contract Model Foundation Standardizes contractual agreements and compliance tracking Software Licensing Agreement Template
    Application Model Foundation Catalog entry for an application, including lifecycle and components SAP ERP Application Model
    Business Capability Design & Planning High-level ability enabling business outcomes Customer Relationship Management Capability
    Business Application Design & Planning Logical representation of an application supporting capabilities Salesforce CRM
    Information Object Design & Planning Conceptual representation of data artifacts Customer Profile
    Portfolio Build & Integration Groups services or products for investment and lifecycle management IT Service Portfolio
    Service Offering Build & Integration Defines variations or tiers of a service Gold Tier Support Offering
    Service Instance Build & Integration Represents deployed instance of a service Payroll Application Service – Production
    Technology Management Service Build & Integration Technical service provided by IT for managing technology components Database Management Service
    Technology Management Service Offering Build & Integration Specific variation of a technical service 24x7 Network Monitoring Offering
    Business Service Service Delivery Customer-facing service delivering measurable business value Employee Onboarding Service
    Customer-Facing Service Service Delivery Service consumed directly by external customers Online Banking Service
    Table 2. AI & Digital Asset Shapes
    Shape Domain Purpose Example
    AI Dataset Digital Asset Build & Integration Represents datasets used for AI training and inference Customer Interaction Dataset
    AI Model Digital Asset Build & Integration Represents AI models with metadata and lifecycle details Large Language Model for HR Chatbot
    AI Prompt Digital Asset Build & Integration Represents reusable prompts for generative AI Incident Resolution Prompt
    AI System Digital Asset Build & Integration Represents deployable AI systems integrating models and datasets AI Recommendation Engine
    Table 3. Product Models
    Shape Domain Purpose Example
    AI System Product Model Foundation Catalog entry for AI systems at product level Conversational AI Platform
    AI Model Product Model Foundation Defines AI model product specifications Image Classification Model
    AI Prompt Product Model Foundation Captures reusable prompt templates for governance Customer Query Summarization Prompt
    AI Dataset Product Model Foundation Defines dataset product specifications Product Image Dataset
    Software Component Model Foundation Represents modular software components Authentication Module
    Software Model Foundation Represents software product models for licensing and compliance Windows 11 Enterprise Model
    Software Product Foundation Represents actual software product offered or used Microsoft Office Suite
    Product Feature Foundation Represents specific capability or function of a product Multi-factor Authentication feature