---
sourceDocument: Australia Operational Technology Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/operational-technology

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Operational Technology Management

ft:clusterId :

    - optm

bundleId :

    - optm

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Generate a location hierarchy

# Generate a location hierarchy {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated March 12, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read  
When no locations exist, generate a complete location hierarchy for an ISA equipment model entity tree to establish location references that match the ISA hierarchy.

## Before you begin

Ensure the sn_isa_model.isa_entity.validate_and_generate_locations system property is enabled. For more information, see [ISA Equipment Model system properties](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/dK2oVhcbcCse8RV_pJgEcQ "Enable the system properties for the ISA Equipment Model as needed.").

Role required: cmdb_ot_isa_editor

## Procedure

1. Navigate to the Industrial Workspace.
2. Select the Equipment model ![]() icon to open the Equipment Model Manager.
3. Select the equipment model entity that needs a location hierarchy.  
   If no location records exist in the selected equipment model hierarchy, the following message appears and you can continue with the auto-generation process:

   "Click Auto generate locations to create and
   synchronize locations with the Equipment Model Entities."
4. To continue, select the Auto Generate Locations UI action.  
   Note:  
   You can only continue the auto-generation process if no location reference is found for a node. If a location reference is found, the following message appears and you can't continue the auto-generation process:

   "Cannot auto-generate locations because the entity has existing location references."
5. **Optional:** If you have existing location references and want to continue the auto-generation process, delete the references or manually populate them for each equipment model entity.  
   1. After deleting or manually populating the location references, verify they're correctly synced in the Location Validation Map tab of the equipment model entity record.
   2. Starting at the bottom level of the map, remediate the nodes with the following messages:
      * "Invalid Location" - The entity's location parent doesn't match the equipment model entity's parent location.
      * "Missing Location" - The entity doesn't have a location assigned to the Location reference field.

      {#create-location-hierarchy-isa__ul_axd_v3n_k3c}

      Once the bottom level has a valid location reference, the messages disappear.
   3. Continue this process with each level until all invalid and missing locations are resolved.
   4. Continue the auto-generation process by selecting the Auto Generate Locations UI action.
   {#create-location-hierarchy-isa__ol_m2r_4hn_k3c}

## Result

A Location \[cmn_location\] record is created for the equipment model entity and its child entities. The created cmn_location populates Location field for the equipment model entity.

## What to do next

You can also navigate to the Location Validation Map tab in the equipment model entity record to see the populated fields and view the location hierarchy node map.