Implementing normalization data services using guided setup
Summarize
Summary of Implementing normalization data services using guided setup
ServiceNow's Normalization Data Services can be implemented through a guided setup that streamlines configuring the necessary components on your instance. This guided setup assists in activating the plugin, downloading normalized vendor data, updating reference qualifiers, activating normalization properties, and normalizing data across key tables. Note that this feature requires internet connectivity and is not supported for on-premise instances.
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Key Features
- Plugin Activation: The guided setup begins by activating the Normalization Data Services plugin (com.glide.dataservicescanonicalization.client), which installs the schema needed to normalize references to Company records in CMDB and Asset Management.
- Downloading Normalized Data: The setup downloads a repository of enterprise vendor names and their normalized mappings, viewable in the Normalized Company Names and Normalized Mappings tables. This ensures consistent naming, for example mapping variations like “Dell” and “DELL” to “Dell Inc.”
- Updating Reference Qualifiers: Reference fields linked to the Companies table are updated so users select only normalized company names, improving data consistency during record creation. Some qualifiers may require manual updates as detailed in KB0784201.
- Activating Normalization Properties: You choose properties to activate, including one that ensures only a single canonical company record exists if multiple normalized records existed before mapping. This property helps maintain a clean canonical dataset and properly reassigns normalized values during CMDB normalization.
- Data Normalization: The final tasks involve normalizing data in key tables such as Configuration Items (CMDB), CMDB Models, and Software Asset Management tables to align with the normalized company data.
Key Outcomes
- Consistent and accurate company references across CMDB and Asset Management records.
- Improved data integrity by enforcing selection of normalized company names.
- Automated normalization reduces manual cleanup and supports accurate reporting and asset tracking.
- Flexibility to handle pre-existing canonical records ensuring smooth transition to normalized data standards.
You can implement Normalization Data Services using a guided setup.
Normalization Data Services guided setup provides a sequence of tasks that help you configure the Normalization Data Services plugin on your instance. To open Normalization Data Services guided setup, navigate to . For more information about using the guided setup interface, see Using guided setup.
Activating the plugin
In the first task of the guided setup, you activate the Normalization Data Services plugin (com.glide.data_services_canonicalization.client). Activating the plugin installs all the necessary schema to support normalizing references to Company records in the configuration management database (CMDB) and Asset Management.
Downloading normalized data
In this task, you download the repository of all enterprise vendor names and the mappings to their normalized counterparts. After the download finishes, you can view the downloaded data in the Normalized Company Names [cds_client_name] table. You can verify mappings in the Normalized Mappings [cds_client_mapping] table. For example, you can verify that “Dell”, “DELL”, “Dell (UK)” are mapped to “Dell Inc.”.
Updating reference qualifiers
This task modifies the reference qualifiers in reference fields linked to the Companies [core_company] table, helping to ensure that users can only select from a list of normalized company names. For example, when creating a Computer (cmdb_ci_computer) record, users can only select “Dell Inc.” and not “Dell” or “Dell Incorporated”.
Some reference qualifiers may not get updated. To normalize these reference qualifiers manually, see KB0784201.
Activating normalization properties
In this task, select the properties you want to activate. See Normalization properties.
Enable the Normalize existing canonical core_company records property if the Companies [core_company] table has two or more records that were both set to Normalized ("canonical=true") before any mapping. This option ensures only one [core_company] record is set to Normalized. When you normalize the CMDB tables later in guided setup, the normalization job reassigns the proper normalized value.
For example, prior to mapping, both “DELL Inc” and “Dell Inc.” are set to Normalized ("canonical=true"). You define a new mapping for “DELL Inc” to “Dell Inc.”. If this property is true, guided setup denormalizes "DELL Inc", and updates the manufacturer field in the CMDB records to “Dell Inc." when the CMDB tables are normalized.
Normalizing data
To finish the guided setup, complete the remaining tasks by normalizing data in the following tables:
- Configuration Items (CMDB)
- Configuration Items (CMDB) Model
- Software Asset Management tables