---
sourceDocument: Australia IT Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/it-service-management

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia IT Service Management

ft:clusterId :

    - itsm

bundleId :

    - itsm

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Device action diagnosis and checks

# Device action diagnosis and checks {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated May 19, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read  
Common device action symptoms, and the tables and configurations to check during diagnosis.
{#device-actions-issues__table_ujt_l5r_hjc__entry__2}

| Symptom | Checks |
|-|-|
| Action doesn't appear in Employee Center | Confirm the following: * Employee Center (ec_enabled) is enabled. * User applicability (user_applicability) is set to End user. * Device OS matches the OS of the target device. {#device-actions-issues__ul_rnd_pbr_hjc} |
| Action doesn't appear in ServiceNow Otto | Check that ServiceNow Otto (va_enabled) is enabled or set to true. This setting is inactive by default. |
| Issue configuration is not available when creating a device action | Confirm that the issue configuration is: * Not already associated with another device action. * Enabled for end users through the User applicability setting. * Linked to remedial action resolution type. * Not linked to unsupported or silent engagement type. {#device-actions-issues__ul_rtk_w5r_hjc} |
| Action runs but reports failure | Check the execution record for the user and device, and review the associated task for details about the failure. |
| Action completes without visible result (macOS) | Confirm that the sudoers file grants the required permissions to `_servicenow`. For more information, see [Configure ServiceNow sudoers file](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/HdoOx9EEf5oC5YU4RDQtVQ "Configure the ServiceNow sudoers file to grant the servicenow user the necessary permissions to run specific commands with elevated privileges. This configuration uses a drop-in file in /etc/sudoers.d/ to maintain secure, isolated sudo rules for ServiceNow operations."). |
| Battery replacement action repeats without resolving the issue | Before creating or modifying this action, confirm that the battery replacement resolution record is correctly configured. The battery replacement action has a specific configuration requirement. |
| Action triggers unexpectedly or does not trigger at all | Check the metric source on the metric definition record. If the metric source does not match the expected evaluation method, the action may trigger incorrectly or not at all. |
[Table 1. Device action checks]

{#device-actions-issues__table_ujt_l5r_hjc}  
Note:  
If a symptom persists, contact ServiceNow support.