Using the Connections dashboard

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Using the Connections dashboard

    The Connections dashboard in ServiceNow provides a centralized, streamlined interface for connection administrators to manage connection and credential aliases. It allows users to add, edit, and configure multiple connections efficiently while viewing all relevant details in one place.

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    Key Features

    • Unified Management: Manage multiple connection and credential aliases from a single dashboard.
    • Alias Cards: Each alias is shown as a card displaying the application's icon, alias name and scope, description, total connections, and associated child connections.
    • Search and Sorting: Easily search aliases by name or sort them by creation date or alphabetically.
    • Detailed View: Access detailed information about an alias and its connections, including configuration status, credentials, and OAuth token details.
    • Configuration Templates: Simplify complex integration setups (e.g., OAuth) by filling out a single form that automatically creates necessary records. Templates enable direct configuration through the dashboard.
    • Advanced Setup: For aliases without configuration templates, use the Advanced Setup option to configure connections through the platform UI.
    • Handling Unconfigured Connections: When transferring or promoting aliases, connection information may need reconfiguration, which can be done via the dashboard if a template exists, or via the platform interface if not.
    • Role Requirements: Access requires the connectionadmin or admin role.

    Key Outcomes

    • Connection administrators can efficiently manage all connection aliases and their child connections in one place.
    • Configuration templates reduce setup complexity and speed up integration deployments.
    • Clear status indicators and token management features help maintain connection validity and security.
    • Flexible setup options ensure compatibility with both newer aliases (with templates) and legacy aliases (without templates).
    • Improved visibility and control over connection configurations support better operational governance and reliability.

    View and configure your connection and credential aliases through a simplified interface. Add new connections, edit existing connections, and view connection details.

    Benefits

    The Connections dashboard provides these benefits:
    • Enables connection admins to manage multiple connections through a single interface.
    • Provides simplified processes for adding, editing, and configuring connections.
    • Displays details about an alias and all associated child connections in a single location.

    Landing page

    The dashboard landing page displays all the connection and credential aliases available on your instance. You can search for an alias by name, sort aliases by date created, or sort them alphabetically in ascending or descending order.

    Each alias is displayed in a card format. Cards display the following:
    • The application's icon.
    • The name and scope of the parent alias.
    • A short description of the application associated with the alias. This option only appears when there are no connections.
    • The total number of connections.
    • A list of all the connections associated with the alias. The first connection is the default parent connection.
    • A View Details option that displays specific information about the alias and any child connections.
    • An Advanced Setup option. This option only appears when an alias doesn't have a configuration template.
    • An Add Connection option. This option is only available when an alias has a configuration template.

    Each page of the Connections dashboard displays a maximum of 12 aliases. Page through to see additional aliases.

    Detailed view

    View details about an alias and any child connections by clicking the View Details option on the alias card. The details page has two columns. The first column displays:
    • The application's icon.
    • The name and scope of the parent alias.
    • An option to View connection alias, which opens the associated Connection & Credential Aliases record.
    The second column of the detailed view displays:
    • An Add Connection or Advanced Setup option, depending on whether the alias has a configuration template.
    • The number of connections associated with the alias.
    • A list of connections associated with the alias. The default connection is marked.

    Connections that are not configured have a Configure option. Connections that are configured have an Edit option. Each configured connection displays the connection name, endpoint, credential name, and credential type.

    If an alias uses an OAuth credential, the OAuth access or refresh token status is displayed with each connection. For connections that require a new token, you can request one by clicking Get OAuth Token.

    Configuration templates

    Configuration templates enable you to set up complex integrations using a single form. For example, an OAuth integration requires registering an OAuth provider, generating a token, and creating several connection and credential records. But if you use a configuration template to set up an OAuth integration, you only need to fill in one form. The system creates the associated records. To learn more about templates, see Connection and Credential configuration templates.

    To add, edit, or configure connections directly through the dashboard, an alias must have a configuration template. Not all aliases have templates. Templates were first introduced in the Orlando release, so aliases from previous versions may not have them yet. An alias without a template displays an Advanced Setup option on both its dashboard and detailed view. Clicking Advanced Setup opens the alias's connection and credential record, where you can set up the alias. For more information about working with aliases that don't have templates, see Create a Connection and Credential alias.

    Unconfigured connections

    When you transfer an alias or promote it to production, its underlying connection information doesn't get transferred with it. In this situation, the connection is in an unconfigured state and must be reconfigured before you can use it. You can reestablish the underlying connections either through the dashboard or through the platform user interface.
    • If the alias has a template, you can configure the connection through the dashboard.
    • If it doesn't have a template, configure it through the platform user interface. For more information about configuring a connection without a template, see Getting started with connections.

    Roles

    To access the Connections dashboard, you must have the connection_admin or admin role.