Perform AES configuration tasks

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Perform AES configuration tasks

    This guide outlines the essential configuration tasks needed to set up and manage App Engine Studio (AES) in your ServiceNow environment. Completing these tasks enables you to establish the necessary environments, tools, user access, and integrations to effectively build and manage applications using AES.

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    Key Configuration Tasks

    • Install App Engine Studio: Install the AES application in your development instances using an admin role. This installation includes required Store applications and plugins.
    • Set up Instance Credentials: Create Connections and Credentials aliases for each instance you use, ensuring the alias type is set to Credential.
    • Activate Playbooks: Enable Playbooks and the Process Automation Designer plugin to allow process editing within AES.
    • Set up IntegrationHub Spokes: Activate integration spokes (e.g., Gmail, Google Sheets, Jira, Microsoft 365 Excel, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Twilio, X Spoke, Zoom) to enhance workflow and app building capabilities.
    • Review Access Settings: Adjust Flow Designer and Catalog Builder access in development instances to provide appropriate editing and catalog item management capabilities to developers.
    • Set up Instance Scan Cadence: Schedule regular Health Center scans to detect potential issues arising from app development activities.
    • Manage User Groups:
      • In production, add users to the AES Admin group and configure a contact email to receive app development notifications.
      • In development, add users to AES Users group to grant app-building rights and AES User Limited group for collaboration on others’ apps.
    • Set up Custom Collaboration Descriptors: Define custom collaborator roles to tailor development collaboration within AES.
    • Manage Template Access: Assign the apptemplateadmin role in non-production instances to control template activation, deactivation, and sharing.

    Why It Matters

    Performing these configuration tasks ensures your AES environment is properly prepared for effective application development, collaboration, and management. It enables appropriate user access control, integrates essential tools, and maintains instance health, thereby supporting streamlined and secure app creation processes.

    What to Expect

    • A fully configured AES environment tailored to your organization’s development needs.
    • Controlled access for developers and administrators to maintain security and governance.
    • Enhanced integration capabilities through Activation of IntegrationHub spokes.
    • Regular monitoring of instance health to proactively address issues.
    • Efficient collaboration through customizable descriptors and appropriate group memberships.

    As you work through the App Engine Studio (AES) guided setup, you must perform different configuration tasks.

    Setting up environments, tools, and user access

    The tasks for configuring App Engine Studio are listed below, along with links to detailed instructions for completing them.

    Table 1. App Engine Studio configuration tasks
    Task Description
    Install App Engine Studio in your development instances.

    You can install the App Engine Studio application (com.snc.app-engine-studio) if you have the admin role.

    The application installs related ServiceNow® Store applications and plugins if they are not already installed.

    For detailed instructions, see Installing App Engine Studio.
    Set up instance credentials.

    For each instance that you're using, create a Connections and Credentials alias. Ensure that the alias type is Credential, not Connection and Credential.

    For detailed instructions, see Set up instance credentials.
    Activate Playbooks.

    You can edit processes in App Engine Studio, but you must activate Playbooks for App Engine Studio and enable the Process Automation Designer for App Engine [com.glide.pad.license] plugin to get started. For more information, see Activate playbooks.
    Set up IntegrationHub spokes.

    Activate spokes to enhance your Workflow Studio and App Engine Studio experience with integration-specific content.

    The following spokes are available for use with App Engine Studio.
    Review access settings for Flow Designer in your development instance. Enable your developers to use the editing capabilities that best suit them.

    For detailed instructions, see Review Flow Designer access settings.
    Review access settings for Catalog Builder. Enable your developers to add items to the appropriate catalogs and categories.​

    For detailed instructions, see Review Catalog Builder access settings.
    Set up an instance scan cadence in Health Center. Schedule regular scans of your instance so that you can identify possible issues that arise from application development in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Set up an instance scan cadence in Health Center.
    In your production instance, add users to the App Engine Studio Admin group.

    Add members to the group so they can review app- and deployment-related requests. Also, define a contact email address for the group.

    For detailed instructions, see Add users to the App Engine Admin group.
    In your development instance, add developers to the App Engine Studio Users group.

    Enable developers in your organization to build applications in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Grant user access to AES.
    In your development instance, add users to the App Engine Studio User Limited group.

    Enable developers in your organization to collaborate on applications that someone else created in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Grant user access to AES.
    Set up collaboration descriptors.

    Set up custom collaboration descriptors in the global scope for use in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Set up custom collaboration descriptors.
    In your non-production instance, specify an app template admin.

    Grant the app_template_admin role to users who will manage template activation, deactivation, and sharing in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Manage template access.
    Learn more about AES configuration Additional ServiceNow resources
    ServiceNow provides several additional resources on configuring and administering App Engine Studio.

    App Engine Studio release notes

    ServiceNow Community site

    App Engine Studio video on adding security