NowSDK architecture

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of NowSDK architecture

    The NowSDK is the core component of the Mobile SDK class framework designed to enable seamless integration between your iOS applications and your ServiceNow instance. It provides a comprehensive set of classes, protocols, and APIs that facilitate interaction with ServiceNow’s REST APIs, session management, logging, analytics, chat, push notifications, and web content loading. To utilize these capabilities, you must integrate and configure the NowSDK library within your application code.

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    Key Features

    • SDK Initialization and Configuration: Essential setup to configure and initialize the SDK before using any services, including setting logging thresholds and optionally suppressing logs.
    • Authorization and Session Handling: Seamless management of user authentication and session states, simplifying secure access to ServiceNow data.
    • Logging Interface: Built-in logging with control over log levels, supporting integration with your existing logging solutions.
    • NowData Services:
      • NowAPIService: Access to ServiceNow’s public REST APIs.
      • NowAttachmentService: Upload and query file attachments within iOS apps.
      • NowGraphQLService: Perform GraphQL queries on ServiceNow data.
      • NowTableService: CRUD operations on ServiceNow tables via REST Table API.
    • NowAnalytics: Collect and track user analytics data using NowAnalyticsService for later analysis within ServiceNow.
    • NowChat: Embed native Virtual Agent and Live Agent chat windows through NowChatService, enhancing user interaction in your app.
    • NowPush: Handle push notifications related to chat and Virtual Agent features using NowPushService and customizable payload protocols.
    • NowWeb: Load ServiceNow-hosted web pages within a native web view using NowWebService, including automatic session management and authentication without requiring manual login.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Accelerate mobile app development by leveraging pre-built, secure access to ServiceNow data and services.
    • Enhance user experience with integrated chat support, push notifications, and seamless web content access.
    • Maintain control over logging and diagnostics to support troubleshooting and monitoring.
    • Utilize analytics to gain insights into app usage and user behavior directly within the ServiceNow platform.

    The NowSDK is the top-level entity of the Mobile SDK class framework.

    It contains numerous classes, structures, protocols, type aliases, and functions that enable you to leverage the significant capabilities provided by the Mobile SDK and your ServiceNow instance. This document focuses on describing the primary feature services exposed in the Mobile SDK that enable you to interact with your ServiceNow instance.

    To use any of the feature services provided by the Mobile SDK, you must integrate the NowSDK library into your code. You must call the core library to configure and initialize the SDK before using any SDK functionality.

    NowSDK provides the following capabilities:

    • SDK initialization and settings retrieval and configuration.
    • Seamless authorization and user session handling.
    • Logging interface. The NowSDK provides logging services to all feature services. By default, log messages are written to system logs using platform-specific functionality. You can control the logging threshold through a parameter that is part of the call to configure the SDK. There's also an option to suppress all log messages generated by the SDK and its feature services (log level = none). If you already have your own logging solution in place, the Mobile SDK allows you to use it.
    • Build and release infrastructure.
    NowSDK provides the following feature services and associated APIs:
    • NowData

      Enables third party applications to access the public REST APIs exposed by your ServiceNow instance. Development is streamlined because NowData utilizes the authentication and session handling features provided by the NowSDK.

      • Primary APIs:
        • NowAPIService: This API provides functionality that enables you to interact with the publicly exposed REST APIs on your ServiceNow instance.
        • NowAttachmentService: This API provides functionality to upload and query file attachments on your ServiceNow instance within your iOS application.
        • NowGraphQLService: This API provides functionality that enables you to use GraphQL queries to obtain data from tables within your ServiceNow instance using the ServiceNow REST GraphQL API.
        • NowTableService: This API provides functionality that enables you to perform create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) operations on existing tables in your ServiceNow instance that are serviced through the ServiceNow REST Table API.
    • NowAnalytics

      Enables you to gather and track usage analytics within your mobile applications.

      • Primary APIs:
        • NowAnalyticsService: This API provides functionality to gather user analytics data and store it within the ServiceNow platform for later analysis and tracking.
    • NowChat

      Enables you to embed a native Virtual Agent chat window in your applications. This service includes UI/UX features.

      • Primary APIs:
        • NowChatService: This API provides Virtual Agent and Live Agent chat capabilities to your iOS applications. Leverage the full-service chat capabilities provided by the ServiceNow platform by simply implementing NowChatService within your application.
    • NowPush

      Enables you to send unsolicited messages to your applications that leverage the NowChat/Virtual Agent functionality.

      • Primary APIs:
        • NowPushPayload: This is a generic protocol that you can use to define a push notification protocol within the NowSDK framework.
        • NowPushService: This API provides functions that enable interaction with the Push Notification service.
    • NowWeb

      Enables you to load web pages hosted on your ServiceNow instance in a native web view, with support for Cabrillo. It automatically handles user authentication and session management instead of forcing users to log in to the instance via a login web page.

      • Primary APIs:
        • NowWebService: This API provides functionality that enables the browsing of web pages on your ServiceNow instance.