Adding dependencies of impacted assets

Release version: Xanadu

Updated July 31, 2025

2 minutes to read

Summarize

Summarized using AI

Summary of Adding dependencies of impacted assets

This feature allows ServiceNow Business Continuity Management (BCM) users to add dependencies of impacted assets in events and exercises. These dependencies are derived from source data and relationships defined in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), Business Impact Analyses (BIAs), and plans. Properly configuring and updating these dependencies helps BCM teams understand asset relationships and impacts during continuity planning and incident response.

Show full answer Show less

Configuring Event Dependency Sources

BCM administrators configure event dependency sources via the Event dependency source configuration module accessible through Business Continuity Workspace > General Administration. This configuration is a one-time setup where administrators:

Define target records and filter conditions
Select sources to fetch event dependencies, including BIA upstream/downstream dependencies, CMDB, and plan assets

Dependencies are automatically synchronized in events after configuration, but they are added only when the user triggers the Update dependencies UI action. Manual source dependencies must be added individually by users.

Roles and Responsibilities

BCM administrators: Configure event dependency source settings
BCM program managers, planners, and managers: Perform dependency updates on events

Manual Dependency Update Workflow

When a BCM user selects the Update dependencies action on an event record:

The system manually adds dependencies for assets with source marked as Manual.
The workflow checks if the event meets any filter criteria from the configuration.
If matched, dependencies are fetched in real time from configured sources.
If no match, the workflow proceeds without adding dependencies.

This workflow ensures that dependencies are accurately reflected based on the latest configurations and asset relationships.

Data Relationships Framework Integration

Starting with the Xanadu release, the Data Relationships Framework application supports BCM by providing the underlying framework to manage and add asset dependencies automatically. This framework is installed by default with BCM, enhancing dependency management capabilities.

You can add the dependencies of the impacted assets in the events and exercises based on the source data and relationships in the CMDB, BIAs, and plans.

Configuring the sources in the Event dependency source configuration module

The BCM administrators can configure the sources to get the event dependencies in the Event dependency source configuration module. You can access the auto-update configuration module by navigating to Business Continuity Workspace > General Administration > Event dependency source configuration.

The Event dependency source configuration module is shown in the following example. Updating the Event dependencies.

When the BCM administrators can update the target records, filter condition for the records, and sources to fetch the event dependency.

Dependencies are added in the events only when the user selects the Update dependencies UI action. Dependencies are fetched from the following sources for the events:

BIA upstream dependency
BIA downstream dependencies
CMDB
Plan primary assets
Plan related assets

Note:

In an event, the dependencies of all assets are added manually where the source is Manual.

Setting up the Event dependency source configuration module is a one-time activity. Once the sources are configured in the Event dependency source configuration module, the updates are synchronized in the events.

For more information on setting up the Event dependency source configuration module, see Configure Event dependency source configuration record.

Roles associated with event dependency updates

Users with the following roles typically check for the dependency updates in an event:

The BCM program managers, BCM planners, and BCM managers can update the latest dependencies.
BCM administrators can configure the Event dependency source configuration module.

Workflow for updating the dependencies manually in the events and exercises

As the BCM application user, when you select the Update dependencies UI action in the Event record, the dependencies of all assets are added manually where the source is Manual.

The BCM application executes a workflow to update the impacted assets in the events and exercises as shown in the following example.

Updating the dependencies manually in the events and exercises.

The BCM planner navigates to the event record.
The BCM planner selects the Update dependencies UI action to add the assets manually.
The application checks if the event record matches any configuration filter.
If the event record matches any configuration filter, the system gets the dependencies of the added assets in real time according to the sources defined in the configuration (Event dependency source configuration module).
If the event record does not match any configuration filter, the events workflow then continues for the next steps, the events workflow then continues for the next steps.

For more information on updating the event dependencies manually, see Update the event dependencies.

Data Relationships Framework

Beginning with the Xanadu release, the Data Relationships Framework (com.sn_app_grc_relationship_config) application supports the BCM application with the underlying framework to add the dependencies of the impacted assets in the events and exercises. The Data Relationships Framework application is installed with the BCM application by default.

For more information on the Data Relationships Framework, see Data Relationships Framework.