---
sourceDocument: Australia Telecommunications Network Inventory
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/telecom-network-inventory

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Telecommunications Network Inventory

ft:clusterId :

    - telninv

bundleId :

    - telninv

workflow :

    - Customer and Industry


---

# Create inventory template relationship

# Create inventory template relationship {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated March 12, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read
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## Summary of Create inventory template relationship

This guide outlines the sequence to create inventory templates and establish their relationships within the Telecommunications Network Inventory application.
Proper equipment instantiation relies on accurately creating inventory models, default templates, and inventory templates in a specified order to ensure correct equipment relationships.
Show full answer Show less  
When you create equipment or card templates, associated slot and interface templates are automatically generated if model relationships exist. Without these model relationships, you must create associated templates manually.

## Key Steps for Template Relationship Creation

* **Establish a default template:** Begin by creating a default template that captures default attribute values for a configuration item (CI) class. This template ensures instantiated resources inherit these default attributes.
* **Create inventory templates for equipment models:** Use the Network Inventory Workspace to create inventory templates for equipment models.
* **Create inventory templates for related interface card and network interface models:** Similarly, create inventory templates for cards and network interfaces associated with the equipment.
* **Add slots to the equipment inventory template:** Link slot templates to the equipment template to define hierarchical relationships.
* **Add network interfaces and interface card templates:** Associate network interfaces with equipment templates and interface cards with slot templates.
* **Add subslot templates and related network interfaces:** For cards that support subslots or network interfaces, add these templates accordingly.
* **Optionally add network interfaces to child or daughter card templates:** These relationships can be created as a final step.
* **Create inventory templates for cable and logical composite models:** Templates for cables and logical composites enable instantiation of cables, stands, logical composites, equipment, and racks.

## Why This Matters

Following this sequence ensures that equipment instantiation functions correctly, allowing network asset instances to be generated accurately from your templates. Proper template relationships automate the creation of associated elements, reducing manual effort and improving data consistency.  
Use this sequence as a guide when creating inventory templates for your equipment and establishing the proper template relationships in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application.

## Sequence for creating template relationships {#creating-inventory-templates-telco-equipment__section_if4_33k_3tb}

Equipment instantiation, or the task of generating network asset instances from the inventory template relationships that you create, is a key function in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application. To operate properly, it depends on you creating accurate inventory models, default templates, and inventory templates, in a certain sequence, to establish proper equipment
relationships.  
Note:  
To learn more about equipment instantiation, see [Design and assign](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/R26LUIXVsdikzynJjcwLaw "With the design and assign function, you can build a digital representation of your network inventories and your network service in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application.").  
When you create an equipment or card template, the associated slots and
interface templates are automatically created by using the data from the model relationship. If the model relationships aren't made, it doesn't create the associated templates. In this case, you must create the templates
manually. To learn more about the model relationship, see [Create inventory template for network asset instantiation](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/HkItG9b0upuSaQNXgqZarw "As an inventory template manager, you create templates using functions you access from the Lists view in the Network Inventory Workspace. These templates contain the detailed business guidance rules so that you can properly configure your equipment. During this process, you also specify the relationships between each inventory template."). For example, when you create a template for an equipment model, the associated templates, such as the Telco equipment holder (slot) and interface, are
automatically created.  
The names for these associated templates are mapped from the Slot naming pattern or Interface naming pattern fields in the Information tab of the Equipment Model or Interface Model forms.

* To learn more about the Slot naming pattern or Interface naming pattern fields, see [Inventory Model form - Information](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/V1a9tikoCh6I8zEql7tJRA "The Information section of the Inventory Model form enables you to create, review, and modify the network asset details of a model.").
* To learn more about the naming convention, see [Naming convention for associated templates](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/0mGILMb0QJsGPuPuQv_DJg "The naming convention for associated templates defines how names are generated automatically when you create an equipment or interface card template.").
{#creating-inventory-templates-telco-equipment__ul_cxj_y2q_d5b}

To establish the proper relationships between these elements for your equipment, perform these tasks in the following order.

## Establishing a default template {#creating-inventory-templates-telco-equipment__section_ojr_bnt_jtb}

The first step in this process is to create an appropriate default template for use in your inventory template relationship sequence.

Default templates capture the default attribute values for a configuration item (CI) class. A template defines the set of attribute values for any resource (equipment, card, and so on).
When this default template is associated with an inventory template, it adds these attribute values to the resource that is instantiated using that template.

To learn more, see [Create a default template](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/FgFDCcQomFAyMeiqPCR6oQ "Create a default template in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application to capture the default attribute definition for a specific configuration item (CI) class.").

## What's next {#creating-inventory-templates-telco-equipment__section_swn_gkk_3tb}

After establishing a default template, begin the sequence by creating an inventory template for the equipment model. To learn more, see [Create an inventory template for the equipment model](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/jDbr9WReGzSfEa4jdsdw6g "In the Inventory Template form in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view, you can create an inventory template for the equipment model.").
1. [Create an inventory template for the equipment model](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/jDbr9WReGzSfEa4jdsdw6g)  
   In the Inventory Template form in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view, you can create an inventory template for the equipment model.
2. [Create inventory templates for related interface card models](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/j4IPB1d8a8AkY61YJge7Cg)  
   In the Inventory Template form in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view, you can create inventory templates for the interface card models that are associated with the equipment inventory template.
3. [Creating inventory templates for related network interface models](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/QeREucPgN4OBXD6sm_zrQg)  
   In the Inventory Template form in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view, you can create inventory templates for the network interface models that are associated with the equipment inventory template.
4. [Add slots to the equipment inventory template](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/FFziTVnlXmLVAwXPMy221w)  
   In the equipment inventory template that you created in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view, use the Related Templates tab to create the associations for the slots. The following example shows how you add a related inventory template for an equipment model.
5. [Add a network interface to the equipment template](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/uPgpnBEhk_TdRx4UIhu8oQ)  
   In the equipment inventory template that you created in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view, use the Related Templates tab to add the associated network interface.
6. [Add interface card templates to the slot templates](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/~ricsBUD84jvVG5hxrUwRQ)  
   In the equipment inventory template that you created in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view, use the Related Templates tab to add the interface cards to the selected slots.
7. [Add subslot templates to the interface card template](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/TiAArkZ3XOlxkbQTYG46ag)  
   In the Inventory Template form in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view, you can add subslots to the interface card template that you created. You perform this procedure any time that you add a new card model to an existing equipment inventory template.
8. [Add a network interface template to an interface card template](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/aJvU0q0lVeFomE9PtI2xyw)  
   If the interface card supports network interfaces directly to it, create an interface template relationship between the two interfaces in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view.
9. [Add an interface card template to the subslot templates](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/T1LCsGgBifVRQ~pbbQawRw)  
   Add an interface card to the subslots that are associated with a piece of equipment in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view.
10. [Add a network interface template to a child or daughter card template](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/MAIwD4jyZJQHYCWha7RdsA)  
    As a last step, you can optionally add a network interface template to a child and daughter card template in the Network Inventory Workspace Lists view.
11. [Create an inventory template for cable models](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/0UsfON209drJ31LagNyscA)  
    Create an inventory template for the cable models in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application. You can use this template to instantiate a cable record and related stand records.
12. [Create an inventory template for a logical composite](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r0Y3ykRP1z7sjjJbyk1KHQ)  
    Create an inventory template for the logical composite in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application. You can use this template to instantiate a logical composite record and its related equipment and rack records.

**Related concepts**   

* [Create inventory template for network asset instantiation](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/HkItG9b0upuSaQNXgqZarw "As an inventory template manager, you create templates using functions you access from the Lists view in the Network Inventory Workspace. These templates contain the detailed business guidance rules so that you can properly configure your equipment. During this process, you also specify the relationships between each inventory template.")