State roll-up and roll-down scenarios

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of State Roll-up and Roll-down Scenarios

    State roll-up and roll-down scenarios facilitate the automatic synchronization of remediation tasks (RTs) and vulnerable items (VITs), providing real-time updates that enhance accuracy and efficiency in vulnerability management. This system reduces manual tracking, allowing users to make informed decisions quickly based on the updated status of remediation tasks and vulnerable items.

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    Key Features

    The roll-up behavior allows changes in VIT states to influence the corresponding RT states based on specific conditions. Key scenarios include:

    • VITs transitioning to non-final states keep RTs Open.
    • When all associated VITs are closed, the RT is marked Closed.
    • If VITs are mixed (some closed, some deferred), the RT reflects the state of the deferred VITs.
    • VITs marked as fixed but pending verification do not change the RT state until confirmed.

    Conversely, roll-down behavior ensures that when RT states change, these changes can affect the associated VITs unless overridden. Notable roll-down scenarios include:

    • RTs marked as resolved will also update associated VITs to a resolved state.
    • RTs closed without full resolution leave VITs Open.
    • Mixed outcomes in state changes allow for flexibility; for instance, one VIT can be closed while another remains open.

    Key Outcomes

    Implementing roll-up and roll-down scenarios enables ServiceNow customers to achieve:

    • Streamlined vulnerability management through automated status updates.
    • Improved accuracy and efficiency in tracking remediation efforts.
    • Enhanced decision-making capabilities based on real-time data.

    State roll-up and roll-down scenarios automatically sync the status of remediation tasks (RTs) and vulnerable items (VITs), ensuring real-time updates across both. This dynamic interaction reduces manual tracking, enhances accuracy, and provides users with an up-to-date view of progress, making vulnerability management more efficient and helping users make informed decisions quickly.

    Roll-up behavior

    When vulnerable item (VIT)states change, these changes may propagate up to the remediation task (RT)level. The following table summarizes key roll-up scenarios where changes in vulnerable item (VIT) state may influence the associated remediation task (RT) state, based on closure conditions, reassignments, and deferrals.

    Table 1. Roll-up scenarios
    VITs State Condition RT State
    Open → Under Investigation / Awaiting Implementation (any sub-state) / In Review VIT transitions to any non-final or non-actionable state Remains Open
    Open → Closed All associated VITs have the same sub-state Closed – <same sub-state as VITs>
    Open → Closed All associated VITs have different sub-states Closed – <no sub-state>
    Open → some Closed VITs and some Deferred VITs All associated Deferred VITs have the same sub-state Deferred – <same sub-state as VITs>

    (Until date = earliest of all VITs)
    Open → some Closed VITs and some Deferred VITs All associated Deferred VITs have different sub-states Deferred – <no sub-state>

    (Until date = earliest of all VITs)
    Open → Closed–Fixed (after next scan) → Resolved VITs marked as fixed but pending verification Remains Open
    Closed–Fixed → Open VIT reopens after being Closed–Fixed Remains Closed–Fixed
    Closed–Stale → Open VIT reopens after being Closed–Stale Remains Closed–Cancelled
    Under Investigation → Closed–CI Decommissioned Multiple RTs (e.g., RT1, RT2) exist for related VITs Each RT transitions to Closed–Cancelled
    Resolved → Open If a resolved VIT reopens and the previously associated RT was assigned to a user Resolved → Under Investigation
    Resolved → Open If a resolved VIT reopens and the previously associated RT was unassigned to a user Resolved → Open

    Roll-down behavior

    When the state of a remediation task changes, the state is often propagated to the associated VITs unless overridden by manual updates or specific exceptions. The following table summarizes key roll-down scenarios where changes in remediation task (RT) state may affect the associated vulnerable item (VIT) state, based on precedence rules and special conditions.

    Table 2. Roll-down scenarios
    RT State Condition VIT State
    Open → Under Investigation / In Review / Closed–False Positive RT transitions to a non-final or non-actionable state Mirrors RT state change (Open → <same state as RT>)
    Open → Deferred (Sub-state: Reason Given) RT deferred with a specified reason Open → Deferred (Sub-state: Reason Given)
    Open → Resolved RT marked as resolved Open → Resolved
    Open → Closed–Cancelled / Closed–Fixed with Exceptions RT closed without full resolution Remains Open
    RT1: Open → Under Investigation; RT2: Open One RT moves to Under Investigation while another remains Open Open → Under Investigation
    RT1: Open → Under Investigation → Awaiting Implementation; RT2: Under Investigation One RT progresses to Awaiting Implementation Open → Under Investigation → Awaiting Implementation
    RT1: Awaiting Implementation → Deferred; RT2: Awaiting Implementation One RT deferred while another remains Awaiting Implementation Awaiting Implementation → Deferred
    RT1: Awaiting Implementation → Closed–Cancelled; RT2: Under Investigation One RT cancelled while another is Under Investigation Awaiting Implementation → Under Investigation
    Open → Closed–Fixed with Exceptions Mixed outcome: one VIT closed as fixed with exceptions, another remains open VIT1: Open → Closed–Fixed; VIT2: Remains Open
    Open → Resolved Mixed outcome—one VIT closed as fixed and another resolved VIT1: Open → Closed–Fixed; VIT2: Open → Resolved
    Resolved → Open RT reopens after resolution VIT2 reopens; VIT1 remains Resolved