How life-cycle values for Asset, CI, and IBI are synchronized

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated May 11, 2026
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of How life-cycle values for Asset, CI, and IBI are synchronized

    ServiceNow enables synchronization of life-cycle values across Asset, Configuration Item (CI), and Install Base Item (IBI) records to ensure consistent tracking of service and sold items. This synchronization leverages the Common Service Data Model (CSDM) life cycle stages and statuses, allowing organizations to map legacy status values to standardized CSDM life-cycle values and automatically keep them in sync.

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    Synchronization Mechanisms

    • Asset and IBI synchronization: Life-cycle values between Asset and IBI are synchronized by default using CSDM life cycle stage and status pairs. The Model category table links the Asset, CI, and IBI.
    • Asset and CI synchronization: This depends on the system property csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated:
      • When set to false (default), synchronization uses legacy status and substatus values.
      • When set to true (enabled by selecting "Enable life cycle sync" in the Life cycle mappings), synchronization uses direct mapping of CSDM life cycle stage and status values, offering improved consistency.

    Life-Cycle Synchronization Behavior

    When csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated is false (default)

    • Asset to IBI and CI: Updating Asset status or substatus syncs corresponding CSDM life cycle values to the IBI, and legacy status values to the CI.
    • IBI to Asset and CI: Changes to IBI life cycle values update legacy status values of Asset, which then sync to the CI.
    • CI to Asset and IBI: CI status and substatus changes update Asset legacy values, which then update IBI life cycle values accordingly.

    When csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated is true

    • Asset to CI and IBI: Legacy Asset status values map to CSDM life cycle stage/status values, syncing directly with CI status and substatus, and CSDM values with IBI.
    • IBI to Asset and CI: IBI life cycle updates sync legacy status to Asset, which then syncs status and substatus with CI, while CSDM life-cycle values of Asset sync directly with CI.
    • CI to Asset and IBI: CI life cycle stage and status values sync directly with Asset, updating mapped legacy status/substatus on Asset, which then syncs with CI. IBI status syncs with Asset via CSDM pairs.

    Practical Impact for ServiceNow Customers

    By enabling life-cycle synchronization through CSDM mappings, organizations can:

    • Maintain consistent and standardized life-cycle data across Asset, CI, and IBI records.
    • Reduce manual reconciliation of legacy status values with modern CSDM life cycle stages.
    • Improve accuracy in tracking the operational state and availability of services and sold items.

    Configuring the appropriate system properties and enabling life cycle sync in the Life cycle mappings list view is essential to leverage these benefits.

    Your organization gains significant value from your ServiceNow AI Platform applications when you take advantage of the option to directly map legacy status values to CSDM life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values and auto-synchronize the values going forward.

    How Asset, CI, and IBI life-cycle values are synced

    Any item that is provided as a service or sold to your customer is tracked as an Install Base Item (IBI). The Model category table associates Asset, CI, and IBI for the item.
    Synchronization between asset and IBI
    By default, the system syncs life-cycle values between asset and IBI using the CSDM life cycle stage and life cycle stage status life-cycle value pairs.
    Synchronization between asset and CI
    When the csdm.lifecycle.migration.activated system property is set to true on your instance, synchronization between the asset and CI tables depends on the csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated system property setting:
    • When the property is set to false (default), synchronization occurs through the legacy status and substatus values.
    • When the property is set to true, the system syncs the CSDM life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values directly. This option provides significant benefits to your organization.
      Important:
      The property is set to true when you select Enable life cycle sync on the Life cycle mappings list view.

    Life-cycle synchronization when the system property is set to false (the default setting)

    Sync when the system property is false.

    When the CSDM (csdm.lifecycle.migration.activated) plugin is activated on your instance and the csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated system property is set to false:

    Synchronization of updates from asset to IBI and CI
    Updates made to the status or substatus value of an asset are synced with the associated IBI and CI. For example, when the State value of the asset is updated to In use, synchronization happens as follows:
    • The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the asset are set to Operational and In use, these values are then synced with life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of IBI asset.
    • The status and substatus values of the CI change to Installed and In use.
    Synchronization of updates from IBI to asset and CI
    Updates made to the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of an IBI asset are synced with the legacy status and substatus values of the asset through the CSDM values. The status and substatus values of the asset are then synced with the associated CI. For example, when the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of an IBI asset are updated to Defective and In Stock, synchronization happens as follows.
    1. The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the asset change to In Stock and Defective. These values are synced with the status and substatus values of the asset.
    2. The status and substatus values of the asset are then synced with the associated CI.
    Synchronization of updates from CI to asset and IBI
    Updates made to the status and substatus values of a CI are synced with the associated asset. The status and substatus values of the asset are then synced with the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the IBI asset through the CSDM values. For example, when the status and substatus values of a CI are updated to Retired and Donated, the corresponding values of the asset change. The changes from the asset are synced with the IBI asset and the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values change to End of Life and Retired.

    Life-cycle synchronization when the system property is set to true

    Sync when the system property is true or you select Enable life cycle sync on the Life cycle mappings list view.

    When the CSDM (csdm.lifecycle.migration.activated) plugin is activated on your instance and the csdm.lifecycle.sync.between.ci.and.asset.activated system property is set to true (or you select the select Enable life cycle sync on the Life cycle mapping table list page, as described in Enabling life-cycle synchronization from legacy to asset):

    Synchronization of updates from asset to CI and IBI
    Updates made to the legacy status and substatus values of the asset are synced between the asset and CI as follows:
    • The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the asset are updated with values mapped to the legacy status and substatus values of the asset.
    • The status and substatus values of the asset are then directly synced with the status and substatus values of the associated CI.
    • The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the asset are then directly synced with the associated CI.

    However, synchronization of updates from asset to IBI is only through the CSDM life-cycle value pairs.

    Synchronization of updates from IBI to asset and CI
    Updates made to the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the IBI are synced as follows:
    • The legacy status and substatus values of the asset are synced with the CSDM life-cycle value pairs.
    • The status and substatus values of the asset are synced with the status and substatus values of the associated CI.
    • The life-cycle value pairs of the asset are directly synced with the associated CI.
    Synchronization of updates from CI to asset and IBI
    Updates made to the life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of a CI are synced as follows:
    • The life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values of the CI are directly synced with the associated asset.
    • The status and substatus values of the asset are then updated with the values mapped to the CSDM values.
    • The status and substatus values of the asset are then synced with the associated CI.
    • The status and substatus values of IBI are synced with the asset through the CSDM life-cycle value pairs.