CSDM life-cycle terms

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of CSDM life-cycle terms

    The Common Service Data Model (CSDM) life-cycle terms standardize how ServiceNow products and AI Platform applications represent the life cycle status of Configuration Items (CIs), assets, and Install Base Items (IBIs). This alignment ensures consistent tracking and management of product instances across their entire life cycle within ServiceNow.

    Show full answer Show less

    Life cycle mapping table

    ServiceNow includes a pre-populated life cycle mapping table that translates legacy status values into corresponding CSDM life cycle stage and stage status values. Each mapping rule connects a legacy status from a specific table to the best-fit CSDM life cycle value pair. When multiple rules exist for a class, the system prioritizes them to select the most relevant mapping. This functionality streamlines the transition from older status frameworks to the standardized CSDM approach.

    Key life cycle terms

    • Configuration Item (CI): Records in the CMDB that represent components managed during their life cycle.
    • Life-cycle value pair: The combination of a life cycle stage and a life cycle stage status that fully describes the state of a CI, asset, or IBI throughout its life cycle. The life cycle stage is a broad phase (e.g., Operational, Retirement), while the stage status reflects the specific condition within that phase (e.g., In Use, In Maintenance, End of Support).
    • Legacy CI values: Pre-CSDM status types such as install status, operational status, hardware status, and hardware substatus.
    • Production asset: Records in the asset table representing physical or virtual assets.
    • Install Base Item (IBI): Items sold or provided as services, tracked in the install base item table and linked to assets and CIs.
    • Product instance (PI): A logical grouping of Asset, CI, and IBI records that represents a product instance (goods or services) through its life cycle in ServiceNow workflows. Variations include Asset+CI+IBI, Asset+CI, or Asset+IBI configurations.

    Practical value for ServiceNow customers

    This standardized life cycle terminology and mapping enable customers to:

    • Consistently represent and manage the life cycle states of CIs, assets, and IBIs across ServiceNow applications.
    • Simplify migration from legacy status systems by leveraging the life cycle mapping table.
    • Improve accuracy and clarity in reporting and workflows by using comprehensive life cycle stage and status pairs.
    • Effectively track product instances—combining assets, CIs, and IBIs—through their entire operational and retirement phases.

    Most ServiceNow products and ServiceNow AI Platform applications align closely with the Common Service Data Model. This table defines terms as they are used across the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    Life cycle mapping table

    The base system includes the life cycle mapping [life_cycle_mapping] table. The table is pre-populated with mappings between widely used legacy status values and the equivalent CSDM life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values. Each record in the table (called a mapping rule) specifies how to map a legacy status value, based on its table, to the best-fit CSDM life-cycle value pair.

    The table typically contains multiple record entries per class, each entry that maps a specific legacy status to a life-cycle value pair. When there are multiple record entries for a class, the entries are prioritized by importance and likelihood for containing meaningful values for the mapping process. The highest priority rule is used when multiple candidate rules apply.

    Mapping rule that specifies the mapping between a legacy status value and the equivalent CSDM life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values.

    See Map legacy status values to CSDM life-cycle values and How life-cycle values for Asset, CI, and IBI are synced.

    Terms related to life cycle

    CI
    Configuration item: Record in the CMDB CI [cmdb_ci] table.
    life-cycle value pair

    A life-cycle value pair is the combination life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values for a CI, asset, or IBI over the life cycle of a product instance. The pair of values fully describe the life-cycle state of the product instance.

    The standard CSDM life-cycle value pair covers all phases of a product instance life cycle.
    • A life cycle stage is one of the broad phases that a CI moves through, from inception or procurement to retirement and end of life.
    • life cycle stage status is the particular status of a CI within its current life cycle stage.
    For example, a hardware CI in the Operational stage might change status over time from In Use to In Maintenance to End of Support. A different hardware CI might go from In Use to End of Support without ever having been in In Maintenance status.
    Allowed life-cycle values during the Operational stage of a hardware CI's life cycle
    CI legacy values
    Value types that were in place before CSDM life-cycle values were implemented:
    • install status
    • operational status
    • hardware status
    • hardware substatus
    asset
    Production asset: Record in the asset [alm_asset] table.
    install base item (IBI)
    Install-Base-Item: Record in the install base item [sn_install_base_item] table. Any item that is provided as a service or sold to your customer is tracked as an Install Base Item (IBI). The Model category table associates Asset, CI, and IBI for the item.
    product instance
    A product instance (PI) is comprised of an operational asset (asset), an install-base-item (IBI), and a configuration item (CI). A PI is a logical grouping of the [Asset/CI/IBI] that represents instances of products (goods and services) throughout their life cycles in ServiceNow applications and workflows. Possible formulations:
    • Asset+CI+IBI
    • Asset+CI
    • Asset+IBI