Unified Map

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 10 minutes to read
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    Summary of Unified Map

    The Unified Map feature provides a graphical representation of Configuration Items (CIs) and their interrelations, focusing on a selected home node CI. It integrates functionalities from Dependency Views and Service Mapping into a cohesive mapping experience, included in the CMDB Workspace. This feature is particularly beneficial for applications like Change Management, Incident Management, and Event Management by visually depicting CI connections and compositions.

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    Key Features

    • Map Pane: Displays CIs and their relationships, allowing for CI searches, filtering, toolbox utilities, and a timeline of related item events.
    • Contextual Side Panel: Offers detailed views based on selected modules: Attributes, Application Services, Related Items, and Changes.
    • Filtering: Users can filter CIs displayed on the map based on various criteria, with options to save filter presets.
    • Service Mapping Integration: When installed, it enhances mapping capabilities with additional data on application services.
    • Operational State Filtering: Non-operational CIs are excluded by default, but this can be adjusted by administrators.
    • Customization: Users can modify the appearance of the map, adjust zoom levels, and export maps to PDF.

    Key Outcomes

    Utilizing the Unified Map allows ServiceNow customers to:

    • Visualize the impact of changes on interconnected CIs effectively.
    • Access comprehensive insights into application services and their members.
    • Review historical changes and related incidents efficiently.
    • Customize the map's appearance and data presentation to fit specific operational needs.
    • Improve incident and change management processes through better understanding of CI relationships.

    The Unified Map feature graphically shows a hierarchical map of CIs and the relationships between them, while centered on a CI that you choose (the home node). The Unified Map feature combines some of the capabilities of Dependency Views and of Service Mapping, into a single map experience.

    Unified Map is included in CMDB Workspace.

    Because Unified Map shows how CIs are connected to each other, it is useful with products such as Change Management, Incident Management, and Event Management. Nodes on the map represent CIs in the CMDB hierarchy and different types of lines between the nodes represent the connections between CIs.

    For example, Unified Map helps you understand the impact of a change by visually showing how CIs are connected to other CIs by relationships and references. Unified Map also shows the composition of application services which lets it be useful with products such as Event Management and Incident Management. For example, you can see all CIs that are members of the 'Revenue App' application service. You can review historical changes, and then easily filter the CIs so that only Application CIs appear.

    Unified Map provides the following panels:
    • Map pane that shows the map for a CI, and which lets you access the following utilities:
      • CI search field letting you search for the home node CI for the map
      • Filter panel letting you filter CIs and relationships that appear on the map, and create filter presets to reapply a set of filters on any map
      • Toolbox letting you modify various visual aspects, such as the layout mode, of the map
      • Mini-map navigator letting you easily move the entire map to an area of interest and set the zoom level for the map
    • Timeline showing related item events for the CIs on the map, up to six months in the past and six months into the future, as of the time of viewing the timeline.
    • Contextual side panel on the right where you can choose the Attributes, Application services, Related items, or Changes module. The panel shows different types of details per module and according to the selections on the map
    Figure 1. Panels and elements in Unified Map
    Unified Map elements.

    The map content and the details that appear in the various modules in the contextual side panel, is synchronized. The selected module in the contextual side panel determines the type of details that appear and your selection on the map determines the scope. If you select a CI on the map, then the contextual side panel shows details for that CI. For some modules, if nothing is selected on the map, the contextual side panel shows details for all the CIs on the map.

    For example, if the Application services module is selected and a CI is selected on the map, then the contextual side panel shows all application services related to the selected CI. If you then select an empty space on the map so that no CI is selected — The contextual side panel shows all application services that are associated with any CI in the map.

    Access

    You can access the Unified Map feature from CMDB Workspace, in either of the following ways:
    • Navigate to Workspaces > CMDB Workspace. Then, in the Quick Links section on the CMDB Workspace Home view, select Unified Map.
    • Select Open Map on a CI form, to open a map for the respective CI as the home node of the map. By default, CIs must be in an operational state to use this capability. For more information, see Configure operational states of CIs.
    Role requirements:
    • To access maps: sn_cmdb_user, sn_cmdb_editor or sn_cmdb_admin roles
    • To access maps with operational application services: app_service_user, and sm_user or sm_admin
    • To access maps with operational and non-operational application services: app_service_admin, and sm_user or sm_admin
    • To access and view related items: itil

    Map content

    The map pane shows a graphical layout of CIs and their relationships including group CIs such as application services, and a timeline. You can set and change the content on the map as follows:
    Home node
    Use the Search box to select the CI, such as an application service CI, that you want the map to center on. That CI is the home node of the map. The home node is easily visible by its thicker border line and by a pulsating effect. The home node is the focal point of a map and all other CIs and relationship lines are drawn in the context of the home node.
    Level

    Select the levels drop-down list to set the map level. The map level limits the number of hierarchy levels for which to show CIs, therefore, limiting the overall size of a map. Starting with the home node, the map shows all CIs up and down the hierarchy, up to the specified level. By default, only the first three levels of CIs, directly descending from the home node, appear on the map.

    Filter

    Select Open filter panel (Open filter panel icon.) to filter the data appearing on the current map, and create filter presets. Each filtering category includes only items that are relevant to the current map. The list in the CI types category, for example, includes all the CI types on the map, and you can filter in or out any of those items. A blue dot appears on the filter icon when filters are being applied.

    Filtered items don't appear on the map unless you select the Show filtered items icon (Show filtered items.) to expose them as grayed-out CIs and relationships.

    For more information about configuring map filters, see Configure map filters.

    Service Mapping

    When Service Mapping is installed then application services populated by Service Mapping population methods, are included in maps. Otherwise, only application services populated by CMDB-related population methods, appear.

    Without Service Mapping, any other data that Service Mapping provides for application services, such as relationships, grouping, and mapped application services data (and subclasses of that class), isn't available. Also, the Application services module in the contextual side panel, doesn't show details for CIs in the map.

    If Service Mapping is installed and the sn_sm_scoped_app.sa.unified_map.enabled system property is enabled, you can access Unified Map from the Service Mapping Workspace. For more information, see Access the Unified Map feature from the Service Mapping Workspace.

    Filtering by operational state of CIs

    By default, non-operational CIs are filtered out of the map and only Cis in which Life Cycle Stage is Operational or empty, appear on maps. When searching for CIs in a map, those CIs that are filtered out based on operational state, aren't included in the results. Also, viewing details for a CI that is filtered out based on operational state, such as a non-operational CI, the Open Map button on the CI form isn't available.

    An administrator can change this default behavior to show non-operational CIs, or CIs of any combination of Life Cycle Stage values. For more information, see Configure operational states of CIs.

    Number of elements
    The number of elements that a map retrieves and shows, is up to the number of elements within the specified level, without exceeding the value of the node.map.max.edge.count system property (250 by default, and CIs within a collapsed group CI are counted):
    • If node.map.max.edge.count is greater than the number of elements within the specified level: Then all elements up to the specified level, show on the map.
    • If node.map.max.edge.count is less than the number of elements within the specified level: Then any additional elements, beyond the specified level, are truncated and don't show on the map.
    An administrator can modify the node.map.max.edge.count property, which affects the amount of data on a map and impacts performance.

    Map appearance and interaction

    The map initially appears using default settings. Colors used in Unified Map to highlight some field values, follow the Next Experience color themes, and dashed lines represent references between end point CIs.

    You can interact with the map and change the appearance of its current content, as follows:
    • Use the toolbox on the map to change map appearance:
      • Zoom in or out: Add or reduce the level of details on the map.
      • Align to home node: Move the home node to the center of the map.
      • Fit to screen: Center the map on the canvas and set the zoom level to its maximum level that enables the entire map to fit on the canvas.
      • Export map: Export the map to a PDF document on your local drive.
      • Collapse all: Collapse all group CIs that are expanded, center the map on the canvas, and set the zoom level to its maximum level that enables the entire map to fit on the canvas.
      • Switch map layout to either of the following options:
        • Unified vertical layout: Shows elements in a vertical tree pattern according to their upstream and downstream relationships. This option is the default layout for showing mapped application services.
        • Unified force layout: Shows elements in a clustered arrangement around a parent CI, regardless of upstream or downstream relationships.
    • Toggle visibility of the timeline: Show or hide the timeline underneath the map by selecting the Toggle visibility of the timeline icon (Toggle visibility of the timeline.). For more information about the timeline, see Show CI related items events on a timeline.
    • Point to a CI to animate the relationships between the CI and its connected CIs.
    • Use the mini-map navigator on the bottom right to easily move the entire map on the canvas and set the zoom level to a specific percentage number. You can hide or show the mini-map navigator.
    • Select the number badge on a group CI to expand the group and show its member CIs. The group parent and any CI members are temporarily highlighted by a light purple color (point to a group if needed). Select the badge again to collapse the group back into its group CI mode.
    • Drag CI nodes on the map canvas to reposition CIs as needed.

    Contextual side panel

    Select one of the following modules in the contextual side panel on the right to show different types of details for CIs on the map:
    • Attributes (Unified Map Attributes.): Shows the Attributes pane with details that are based on selections in the map. For more information about using this module, see Show attributes for a CI or a relationship in a map.

    • Application services (Unified Map Application Services.): Cards in the Application services pane show key details, such as Owner and Discovery source, for application services. If a CI is selected on the map, then application services related to the selected CI, appear. If nothing is selected on the map, then any application service that is related to any CI on the map, appears.

      For more information about using this module, see Show application services for a CI in a map.

    • Related items (Unified map Related Items.): Shows related items grouped by related items categories, such as active incidents and alerts, in the Related items pane. If a CI is selected on the map, then only related items that are associated with the selected CI, appear. If nothing is selected, then all related items that are associated with any CI on the map, appear.

    • Changes (Unified Map Changes.): Shows CI changes in the Changes pane. If a CI is selected on the map, then only changes for the selected CI, appear. If no CI is selected, then the Changes pane doesn't show any change details.

      For more information about using this module, see Show changes for a CI in a map.

    Service maps

    Mapped services, appear on the map as group CIs that you can expand and collapse to show or hide its members. Mapped services are descendents of the Application Services [cmdb_ci_service_auto] class, such as application services and dynamic CI groups. A badge on a group CI shows the number of members in the group.

    Select the badge to expand the group to show all members, and then collapse the group back to hide members and to show only the group CI. In its expanded mode, point to any CI in the group to temporarily highlight all CI members by a light purple color.