ServiceNow CMDB Data Foundations

Explore CI classes, map dependencies, assess CMDB health, investigate data quality, and review CSDM service taxonomy. See references/cmdb-tables.md for CI classes, health KPIs, CSDM mappings, and encoded query syntax.

Workflows

1. Explore CI Class Hierarchy

Discover what CI classes exist and their structure.

Progress checklist (copy into your response):

- [ ] Get base CI table schema
- [ ] Sample populated CI classes
- [ ] Check class-specific fields
- [ ] Summarize class inventory

1. Get the base CI table schema:

   get_table_schema(table_name="cmdb_ci")

1. List CIs by class to see what's populated:

   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci_server", limit=10)
   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci_computer", limit=10)
   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci_app_server", limit=10)

1. Check class-specific fields by getting the schema for a subclass:

   get_table_schema(table_name="cmdb_ci_server")

1. Summarize which classes have data and how many CIs each contains.

2. Map CI Dependencies

Trace upstream and downstream dependencies for a given CI.

Progress checklist:

- [ ] Find target CI
- [ ] Get CI details
- [ ] Get relationships
- [ ] Build dependency tree
- [ ] Present upstream/downstream map

1. Find the target CI:

   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci", query="nameLIKE<search_term>", limit=10)

1. Get the CI details:

   get_ci(sys_id="<ci_sys_id>")

1. Get all relationships:

   get_ci_relationships(sys_id="<ci_sys_id>")

1. For each related CI, optionally recurse one level deeper to build a dependency map.
2. Present results as an upstream/downstream tree showing relationship types.

3. Assess CMDB Health

Query the CMDB Health Dashboard tables for data quality KPIs. Uses a validation loop: assess -> identify issues -> remediate -> re-assess.

Progress checklist:

- [ ] Query health audit results
- [ ] Check active health rules
- [ ] Get health scores by class
- [ ] Identify top failing rules
- [ ] Recommend remediation actions
- [ ] (Optional) Re-assess after fixes

1. List recent health audit results:

   list_records(table_name="cmdb_health_audit", limit=20, order_by="-sys_created_on")

1. Check active health rules:

   list_records(table_name="cmdb_health_rule", query="active=true", limit=20)

1. Look at health scores by CI class:

   list_records(table_name="cmdb_health_config", limit=20)

1. Summarize: overall health score, top failing rules, classes with lowest scores.
2. Recommend specific remediation actions for each failing rule.
3. After remediation, re-query health scores to verify improvement.

4. Investigate Data Quality

Drill into data quality issues for specific CI classes. Uses a validation loop: profile -> identify gaps -> suggest fixes.

Progress checklist:

- [ ] Find CIs with missing mandatory fields
- [ ] Check for duplicates
- [ ] Check for orphaned CIs (no relationships)
- [ ] Query data quality rules
- [ ] Report issues by category with recommendations

1. Find CIs with missing mandatory fields:

   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci_server", query="ip_addressISEMPTY", limit=20)

1. Find duplicate CIs (same name, different sys_id):

   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci_server", query="nameLIKE<name>", limit=20)

1. Check for orphaned CIs (no relationships):

   get_ci_relationships(sys_id="<ci_sys_id>")

1. Query data quality rules:

   list_records(table_name="dl_definition", query="active=true", limit=20)

1. Report: count of issues by category, affected CI classes, recommended actions.

5. CSDM Service Taxonomy

Explore the Common Service Data Model service hierarchy.

Progress checklist:

- [ ] List Business Services
- [ ] List Technical Services
- [ ] List Application Services
- [ ] Map service relationships
- [ ] Check service-to-offering mappings
- [ ] Present service taxonomy tree

1. List Business Services:

   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci_service_business", limit=20)

1. List Technical Services:

   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci_service_technical", limit=20)

1. List Application Services:

   list_ci(class_name="cmdb_ci_service", query="sys_class_nameLIKEservice", limit=20)

1. For a specific service, map relationships to see which CIs support it:

   get_ci_relationships(sys_id="<service_sys_id>")

1. Check service-to-offering mappings:

   list_records(table_name="service_offering", limit=20)

1. Present the service taxonomy: business -> technical -> application services, with supporting CIs.

Tips

• Use fields parameter on list_ci and list_records to limit returned data to relevant columns.
• CMDB health tables may not exist on all instances — if a table returns 404, the Health Dashboard module may not be activated.
• CSDM class names vary by SN version. If a class returns no results, try get_table_schema to confirm it exists.
• See references/cmdb-tables.md for encoded query syntax, CI class reference, and health KPI definitions.