Domain separation and Table Builder
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Summary of Domain separation and Table Builder
Domain separation in ServiceNow enables the segregation of data, processes, and administrative tasks into logical groupings called domains. This separation allows precise control over user access to data and supports multi-tenant environments where multiple customers share a single ServiceNow instance. Table Builder is a tool that helps developers configure form layouts and logic for tables within these domain-separated applications. It supports domain separation when launched from UI Builder but not from App Engine Studio.
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Domain separation promotes standardization across instances, which is essential for maintaining stability, scalability, and efficient governance, especially in environments with hundreds or thousands of domains. Instance owners are encouraged to apply domain-specific configurations only when necessary to minimize complexity and code sprawl, facilitating smoother adoption of ServiceNow upgrades.
Key Features
- Domain Overrides: Developers can switch the session domain in Table Builder to create overrides for form layout, section layout, and form logic specific to domains. However, system dictionary changes like field metadata do not require domain overrides.
- Form Layout Management: Domain overrides must be applied to both form and section records when changes occur at lower domains. Section labels cannot be edited before saving domain overrides.
- UI Policy Overrides: UI policies can also have domain-specific overrides, with visual indicators showing the overridden policies.
- Global Domain View: Developers in the global domain can expand the domain scope to view all form views and recognize overrides via icons, enhancing oversight across domains.
- Single Section Forms: Single section forms differ as they only have section records until a second section is added. Adding sections to forms with existing domain overrides may break those overrides, requiring careful management.
Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers
- Use domain separation to securely and effectively manage multi-tenant instances, controlling data visibility and process behavior per tenant.
- Leverage Table Builder within UI Builder to customize forms per domain while maintaining overall instance standardization.
- Apply domain-specific configurations judiciously to avoid complexity and ensure smooth upgrades and feature adoption.
- Be cautious when modifying single section forms with existing domain overrides to prevent breaking configurations.
- Rely on governance to maintain consistent configurations and minimize code sprawl in large, domain-separated instances.
Domain separation enables you to separate data, processes, and administrative tasks into logical groupings called domains. You can control several aspects of this separation, including which users can see and access data.
Support level: Standard*
The support level is Standard but has some exceptions or special conditions.
- Includes all aspects of Basic level support.
- Business logic: The service provider (SP) creates or modifies processes per customer. The use cases reflect proper use of the application by multiple SP customers in a single instance.
- The instance owner must be able to configure minimum viable product (MVP) business logic and data parameters. This configuration is done per tenant, as expected for the specific application.
Sample use case: An admin must be able to make comments required when a record closes for one tenant, but not for another.
For more information on support levels, see Application support for domain separation.
Overview of domain separation
Table Builder enables developers to configure the layout and logic for each form view for tables in their application. When launched from UI Builder, Table Builder supports domain separation, which is the ServiceNow instance-wide multi-tenant architecture.
Table Builder enables developers in domain-separated environments to create forms while they are in the same browser window. Domain separation in Table Builder works similarly to an application scope that helps administrators to create or edit in a multi-tenant environment.
Standardization is the key principle to maintaining a stable, healthy, and scalable ServiceNow instance, where domain separation is installed. By having standardization, you have a common configuration that most of the instance operates by. When an instance has hundreds or thousands of domains, managing them successfully requires rigorous governance. Domain-specific configurations should be done only if they are deemed necessary by the instance owners. Most instances should follow the common instance configuration to provide a more uniform experience across the instance. It also lets instance owners minimize the code sprawl that slows the adoption of new ServiceNow features that are included as part of the release upgrades.
How domain separation works in Table Builder
Table Builder enables developers to switch the session domain to create domain overrides to the form layout, section layout, and form logic. System dictionary record changes (such as field metadata for a field label) do not require domain overrides. Form layout changes require domain overrides to both the form record and the section when the change is performed at a lower domain. When creating a domain override, section labels can't be edited prior to saving the override.