7.4: Additional Administrator Resources Flashcards
386 - 394
Perform Basic Monitoring and Upgrade Functions
There are several ServiceNow tools that may aid you in monitoring performance and upgrading your instance:
* Performance Dashboard
* Instance Scan
* Health Scan
* Release Notes
* Upgrade Center
ServiceNow Performance Dashboard
The ServiceNow Performance dashboard feature provides central access to different graph sets for monitoring the performance of your instance.
* Use the responsive Performance dashboard in new instances.
* View a wide range of platform performance metrics for your instance.
* Time series graphs help analyze system behavior and patterns over selected periods.
The graph sets provide performance data for the following functional areas:
- Asynchronous Message Bus (AMB)
- Database
- Instance View
- MySQL Global Status
- ServiceNow Servlet
- Slow Pattern 387
You can also filter the data in each graph by using different measurements, such as:
- Maximum and minimum values
- Means
- Medians
Use some of these graphs to troubleshoot performance issues or help you tune your system for maximum efficiency. The performance dashboard is feature-rich.
System Diagnostics Stats Tools
To aid in performance evaluation, Stats Tools records statistics for system activities that affect performance such as the execution of queries, scripts, and transactions.
NOTE: The Stats Tools plugin is activated by default . It requires the admin role to activate or upgrade, and it requires the com.snc.jrobin.
Stats Tools adds modules under System Diagnostics > Stats, including Slow Queries, Slow Scripts, and Slow Transactions.
Each module accesses a table of activity patterns [sys_query_pat t ern], [sys_script_pattern], [sys_transaction_pattern].
Each pattern table represents a collection of unique activities. Each collection is an aggregation of executions of that unique activity over all time. Each record provides basic timing analysis with example identifiable details of the activity.
NOTE: To aid in debugging, you can
filter most of these logs by application scope, limiting the transactions (for example, slow scripts or events) to only those transactions originating in specific scopes.
Activity patterns are immediately recorded to a cache and are later persisted to their pattern table. If you flush server caches, then recorded activities that have not been persisted are cleared. The following are examples of pattern records.
- Each time a query is executed that meets the recording and persistence threshold it is aggregated and stored as a query pattern record.
- Each time a particular business rule is executed it aggregates to a script pattern record.
- Each time a particular background job runs it aggregates into a unique transaction pattern record.
- Each click of the New button on the Incidents list counts as a list type transaction pattern with specific form action. 388
Automated Test Framework
Consider using the Automated Test Framework (ATF) to create and run automated tests on your ServiceNow instance after modifying it.
These tests provide enough flexibility to help confirm the instance still works as designed, including:
- Mimicking user actions with no scripting, such as opening a form, setting field values, etc.
- Searching for a catalog item, adding an item to a shopping cart, etc.
- Testing business rules, script includes, etc.
- Using REST requests to create, retrieve, update, or delete records 389
NOTE: By default , the system property to run automated tests is
disabled to prevent you from accidentally running them on a production system. Run tests only on development, test , and other non-production instances to avoid data corruption and outage. 389
Test s include a series of steps that
the test at tempts to execute when run. Once run, the Automated Test Framework creates a Test Results record, which is available through a related list on the test record. 389
All test records are defined with test steps
the individual steps and the order in which the test should execute them. A test step includes an action to take, and the data needed to take that action. ATF provides a default list of step configurations for most use cases and allows test designers to create their own custom step configurations. 389
If a test includes steps that involve a form or other user-interface element
it will run the steps in a browser tab or window on demand or scheduled at a set time. Running tests in a browser is especially useful to watch the test execute in real-time. 389
Automated Test Framework provides these benefits for change managers and developers:
- Reduce upgrade and development time by replacing manual testing with automated testing
- Design tests once and reuse them in different contexts and with different test data sets
- Keep test instances clean by rolling back test data and changes made after each test run
- Create test suites to organize and run tests in batches
- Schedule test suite runs
- Enable non-technical test designers to create tests of standard ServiceNow Platform functionality. 389
App Engine Studio (AES)
- View and search created applications
- Explore tutorials and helpful resources to get started
- Add data, experience, logic, and security to our app 390
Use App Engine Studio for low -code development, automating business processes, and solving business problems. AES allows you
to delegate development work that was once assigned to administrators, with little to not raining. As a result , administrators are freed up to address more strategic, broader issues in the platform.
With App Engine Studio, you can leverage development tools and build apps quickly using templates for pre-built solutions. Engage with rea -time data and empower employees in your organization with this intuitive app development environment.
Using AES, you can also:
- Create applications from scratch * Access a list of recent applications you have built
- Access links to add object s t o apps, brow se app templates, and learn more about the available tools
- Browse through a list of templates you can use to create an app with preconfigured data, experience, automation, and security
NOTE: App Engine may require a separate purchase, depending on your company’s licensing. 390
Delegated Developers are
non-administrator users and groups which are assigned one or more permissions to develop applications.
* Each permission grants one or more delegated-development-specific roles to retain control over the system without having the admin role.
In addition to deployment permissions, delegated developers can be granted the following permissions:
* All File Types
* Integrations
* Reporting
* Workflow
* Service Catalog
* Service Portal
* Flow Designer
* Tables & Forms
* Manage ACLs & Roles
* Allow Scripting
- All File Types: Grants the developer access to all application file types including some not granted by the other options
- Integrations : Grants the developer access to web service APIs, REST APIs, and data sources
- Reporting : Grants the developer access to reports and scheduled reports
- Workflow: Grants the developer access to the Workflow Editor and Activity Creator
- Service Catalog : Grants the developer access to catalog related file types such as catalog items, record producers, and variables
- Service Portal : Grants the developer access to Service Portal editors and tools
- Flow Designer: Grants the developer access to the Flow Designer design environment to create flows and actions. Script action steps require the Allow Scripting permission
- Tables & Forms : Grants the developer access to model and layout related file types such as table columns, form layout , and list layout
- Manage ACLs & Roles : Grants the developer access to security-related file types such as access controls and user roles
- Allow Scripting : Grants the developer write access to script fields such as those in business rules, client scripts, and Flow Designer script action steps 391
Upgrades and Releases
Upgrading your instance involves planning, testing, and validation.
Release notes guide you through completing the phases and tasks for a successful upgrade.
The ServiceNow platform includes tools to help you during and after an upgrade.
Explore ServiceNow upgrades, pre-and post -upgrade tasks, the upgrade planning checklist, upgrade tools and resources, and the ServiceNow store. You may also build your own release notes to enhance your upgrade experience. Building your own release not es allows you to assemble product information, fixes included in your targeted release version, and upgrade tasks to stream line your upgrade preparation, even when you skip a family release. 392
Upgrades vs. Updates
Running Release: System administrators can check which release is running on an instance with stats.do 393
Support ed Release
The supported release version is one of the two most current releases. Supported versions provide technical help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with access to patches and hot fixes.
See What Release you are on. Type stats.do in the application filter and press the enter/return key for statistics of the instance. 393
To check the running release
- Locate the Build name, Build date, and Build t ag.
- Match the build name to the release name in the Release Notes.
- Match the build date and tag to the build date and tag in the Release Notes. 393
Confirm Upgrade and Patch
The event system.upgraded can trigger the System Upgraded notification. If the event has a State of error, the notification is not sent ; however, the upgrade may have completed successfully. 393
To verify the upgrade is complete
- Navigate to All > System Diagnostics > Upgrade Log
- Locate the message “Notifying HI that upgrade has been completed.” To confirm that a patch has been applied, find the system.patched event . You can create a notification for this event; it is not available by default . 393
Knowledge Check
1. Which script runs when a record is displayed, inserted, updated, deleted, or when a table is queried?
- Business Rule 394
Knowledge Check
2. What is used frequently to move customizations from one instance to another? 394
- Update Sets
Knowledge Check
3. Which types of records are not captured in an update set?
- Data records 394
Knowledge Check
4. What protects applications by identifying and restricting access to available files and data?
- Application Scoping 394
Knowledge Check
5. What attributes of a field can a UI Policy Action change on a form?
- Mandatory
- Visible/Hidden
- Read Only 394
Knowledge Check
6. What are the steps for applying an update set to an instance?
- Retrieve
- Preview
- Commit 394
