---
sourceDocument: Australia Governance, Risk, and Compliance
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/governance-risk-compliance

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    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Governance, Risk, and Compliance

ft:clusterId :

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workflow :

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---

# Setting up pillars, entity types, entity filters, and entities

# Setting up pillars, entity types, and entities {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Australia
* 
* Updated March 12, 2026
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read

Summarize  
![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) 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 Setting up pillars, entity types, and entities

The Operational Resilience application in ServiceNow organizes operational data using a hierarchical structure of pillars, entity types, and entities.
This setup enables organizations to systematically track and manage operational components aligned with their specific business model.
Understanding key terms and their relationships is critical to correctly configuring the application and ensuring data consistency, particularly in relation to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) and the Common Service Data Model (CSDM).
Show full answer Show less  

## Key Concepts

* **Pillar:** Top-level organizational category grouping related entity types (e.g., Technology, Services, People).
* **Entity Type:** Classification within a pillar defining the kind of data tracked (e.g., Servers under Technology).
* **Entity Filter:** Criteria that automatically select records from ServiceNow tables based on conditions (e.g., "Operational Status = Active AND Location = US").
* **Entity:** Individual record that meets filter criteria (e.g., a specific server "PROD-WEB-01").
* **CMDB Integration:** Entities and their relationships are aligned with CMDB data; changes in CMDB update Operational Resilience, but not vice versa.

## Role Requirements and Setup Checklist

To perform setup, users must have either **snoperres.admin** or **snoperres.manager** roles, with admins having full capabilities including deletion of entity types. Before setup, confirm roles, review default pillars, identify necessary pillars and entity types, and understand your CMDB structure. Note that all pillars are shipped inactive and must be activated before activating entity types.

## Setup Interfaces

* **Workspace UI:** Modern, streamlined interface recommended for new users and to access latest features.
* **Core UI (Admin setup):** Classic interface familiar to experienced admins, offering complete setup functionality.
* Users can switch between interfaces at any time depending on preference.

## Step-by-Step Setup Process

1. **Activate Pillars:** Enable only the pillars your organization requires, ensuring pillars are active before entity types.
2. **Activate Entity Types:** Review and activate default entity types per pillar or create custom ones if needed.
3. **Configure Entity Filters:** Define criteria to select CMDB records automatically, using custom conditions or predefined queries, then activate filters.
4. **Generate Entities:** Run the generation process to create entities based on filters; manual addition is also possible.
5. **Configure Main Node (Post-Setup):** Integrate with CMDB, set up relationship mappings, and finalize main node configurations.

## Practical Impact

Following this structured setup enables ServiceNow customers to accurately model and maintain operational resilience data aligned with their organizational structure and CMDB data. It ensures consistency, facilitates automated data population, and supports ongoing operational risk management and resilience planning.  
This section helps you configure the Operational Resilience application to organize and track your organization's operational data through a structured hierarchy of pillars, entity types, and entities.

## Key concepts and definitions in Operational Resilience {#setting-up-hierarchy__section_tmd_lqs_c3c}

It is essential to understand the core terminology and how different components relate to each other. This section defines the key concepts that form the foundation of the application's data structure. Knowledge of these terms
enables informed decision-making during setup and confirms that the system is configured correctly for your organization's needs. The table provides definitions and practical examples for each concept.
{#setting-up-hierarchy__table_lz4_xqs_c3c__entry__3}

| Term | Definition | Example |
|-|-|-|
| Pillar | Top-level organizational category that groups the related entity types | Technology, Services, People, Facilities |
| Entity type | A classification within a Pillar that defines what kind of data to track | Within Technology pillar: Servers,Applications, Databases |
| Entity Filter | Criteria that automatically select records from ServiceNow tables | Filter: "Operational Status = Active AND Location = US" |
| Entity | An individual record that meets the Entity filter criteria | A specific server: "PROD-WEB-01" |
| CSDM | Common Service Data Model - Company standard for organizing IT data | Confirms consistency across ServiceNow applications |
| CMDB | Configuration Management Database (CMDB) - Stores IT infrastructure data | Source of servers, applications, and relationships |
[Table 1. Concepts, definitions, and examples]

{#setting-up-hierarchy__table_lz4_xqs_c3c}

Consider the example of organizing a filing cabinet. Pillars are drawers, entity types are folders within each drawer, entity filters are the labels that determine what goes in each folder, and entities are the actual documents.

## Understanding the data hierarchy {#setting-up-hierarchy__section_gbk_1ss_c3c}

The Operational Resilience application organizes data in a multi-level hierarchy as shown in the example.

## Key relationships between pillars, entity types, and entity filters {#setting-up-hierarchy__section_umh_kts_c3c}

Understanding how different levels of the data hierarchy interact with each other is crucial for effective configuration and maintenance of the Operational Resilience application.{#setting-up-hierarchy__table_yxj_xqc_23c__entry__2}

| Relationship | Example |
|-|-|
| One pillar and many entity types | The "Technology" pillar can contain many entity types such as Servers, Applications, Network Devices. |
| One entity type and many entity filters | The "Servers" entity type can have many entity filters such as ones for "Production Servers","Test Servers". |
| One entity filter and many entities | An entity filter for "Active Production Servers in US" generates many individual server entities. |
| Entities and CMDB relationships | When CMDB relationships change, entity relationships update automatically. |
[Table 2. Key relationships]

{#setting-up-hierarchy__table_yxj_xqc_23c}  
Note:  
The CMDB relationships flow into Operational Resilience in one direction only. Changes to Operational Resilience entities do not update the CMDB relationships automatically. If relationships change in the CMDB, new entity relationships are created, but old relationships aren't automatically deleted---you may need to delete them manually.

## Required roles, their capabilities, and checklist {#setting-up-hierarchy__section_f12_p5s_c3c}

Before beginning the setup process, verify that you have the required roles to perform the setup.

Required roles for the setup
:   sn_oper_res.admin, sn_oper_res.manager

Role capabilities
:
    {#setting-up-hierarchy__table_vvm_3vs_c3c__entry__5}

    | Role | Can activate pillars | Can create Entity types | Can delete Entity types | Can generate entities |
    |-|-|-|-|-|
    | sn_oper_res.admin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
    | sn_oper_res.manager | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
    [Table 3. Roles and their capabilities]

    {#setting-up-hierarchy__table_vvm_3vs_c3c}

Checklist

:   Complete the checklist before you begin the setup:

    1. Confirm that you have the required roles to perform the setup.
    2. Review the list of default pillars. The default pillars are: Services, Business Services, Business Processes, Technology, Facilities, People, Suppliers, Data, Application Services, and Service Offerings.
    3. Identify the pillars and entity types that you would need for your organization.
    4. Determine if you need custom entity types in addition to the default entity types.
    5. Understand your CMDB structure and relationships.
    6. Allocate sufficient time for the initial setup.
{#setting-up-hierarchy__ol_u5g_psc_23c}  
Note:  
Beginning with Operational Resilience, Release 21.x.x, all pillars are shipped in an "Inactive" state. You must activate the pillars before activating the entity types, as the entity types depend on the pillars. Entity types can be activated only after their parent pillars are active.

## Using the Workspace UI or Admin setup {#setting-up-hierarchy__section_y3w_kws_c3c}

This section provides a high-level overview of the Workspace UI or the Admin setup from Core UI in the Operational Resilience.
{#setting-up-hierarchy__table_qwz_sws_c3c__entry__3}

| Feature | Workspace UI interface (Suggested method) | Core UI (UI16) interface |
|-|-|-|
| Visual design | Modern and streamlined | Classic interface |
| Learning curve | Easier for new users | Familiar to experienced admins |
| Navigation | Operational Resilience Workspace \> Entity types \| Pillars | All \> Operational Resilience \> Admin \> Entity types \> Pillars |
| Functionality | Complete setup capability | Complete setup capability |
| When to use | General setup tasks | Preference for classic UI |
[Table 4. Workspace UI and Admin setup]

{#setting-up-hierarchy__table_qwz_sws_c3c}  
Note:  
Use the Workspace UI to use latest features and enhancements. The Core UI is part of the classic interface. You can switch between them at any time.

## Step-by-step overview {#setting-up-hierarchy__section_mxf_g1t_c3c}

Setting up Operational Resilience follows a logical progression from foundational components to data generation. This overview helps you understand what each step accomplishes and why the sequence matters. Detailed procedures
with screenshots and examples are available in the subsequent sections.
{#setting-up-hierarchy__table_aqy_dvc_23c__entry__3}

| Step number | Action | Reference |
|-|-|-|
| Step 1 | Activate Pillars * Navigate to the Pillars module. * Review default pillars available with the application. * Activate pillars that are needed for your organization * Confirm that you follow the sequence (order) and activate pillars before entity types. {#setting-up-hierarchy__ul_cl1_41t_c3c} | [Set up pillars and entity types from Workspace UI](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/CYTBxvcIv2M3m6SQvy1p3Q "Set up the pillars and entity types from the Operational Resilience Workspace UI. You must activate the pillars first and then activate the entity types. If you prefer the classic experience, you can navigate to the module using the Admin setup in the Core UI.") |
| Step 2 | Activate entity types * Navigate to the Entity types module. * Review the default entity types within each pillar. * Activate the entity types that you need. * Create custom entity types if needed. {#setting-up-hierarchy__ul_ivt_q1t_c3c} | [Set up pillars and entity types from Workspace UI](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/CYTBxvcIv2M3m6SQvy1p3Q "Set up the pillars and entity types from the Operational Resilience Workspace UI. You must activate the pillars first and then activate the entity types. If you prefer the classic experience, you can navigate to the module using the Admin setup in the Core UI.") |
| Step 3 | Configure entity filters * Within each entity type, configure filters. * Choose "Build custom conditions" or "Select predefined queries." * Define a criteria to select records from CMDB tables. * Activate entity filters. {#setting-up-hierarchy__ul_ikv_q1t_c3c} | [Configure the entity filters](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/sBe5FXHQE4HhREM3C_aXpg "Configure entity filters to define the records from ServiceNow tables that populate each entity type after setting up pillars and entity types. Entity filters use selection criteria to identify and pull relevant records automatically. You can build custom filter conditions tailored to your requirements or select from predefined (saved) queries for common scenarios."), [Activate the entity filters](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/D~L~hy8H7TIVKExPvU6Kaw "Activate the entity filters directly from the form by adding the Active check box to the layout. This field is hidden by default. Follow the steps in this section to make it visible."), and [Verify the configuration of entity filters](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/qin5a7gsEnoihtszzwOpPw "Verify that entity filters are configured correctly and produce accurate results. Confirm that filters are active, assigned to the correct entity types, and use valid field conditions. If possible, test your filter logic directly in the source CMDB table to see which records match your criteria. This proactive verification helps you capture the right data without including unwanted records.") |
| Step 4 | Generate entities * Run entity generation process. Entities are created automatically based on filters. * Option: Manually add entities if needed. * Verify that entities appear in the Entity Types record. {#setting-up-hierarchy__ul_jtg_dbt_c3c} | [Generate entities automatically using a scheduled job](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/HUNsHwF~PvBVXk28~ekI8g "Generate entities automatically via scheduled job once pillars, entity types, and entity filters are active. Entities are individual records matching your filter criteria. For actual entity creation, you should run the GRC Profile Generation scheduled job in the GRC: Profiles application rather than using entity filters.") |
| Step 5 | Configure Main node (Post-setup) * Set up CMDB integration. * Configure relationship mapping. {#setting-up-hierarchy__ul_iph_dbt_c3c} | [Configure the Main node configurations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/d_BOjuVVe~oU~uYRvnAf4A "Create the Main node configuration record to fetch data into Operational Resilience for reporting. Main node configurations are available with the base system. You can use the existing Main node configurations or create new Main node configurations for your business needs.") |
[Table 5. Step-by-step overview of the steps]

{#setting-up-hierarchy__table_aqy_dvc_23c}