Chapter 2 - SN Platform Overview Flashcards
What does aPaas Stand for and what does it mean?
-It stands for Application Platform as a service.
-Cloud-based computing model providing infrastructure needed to develop, run and manage apps.
-Not limited to specific department or function, but encompasses entire enterprise
Note: CMDB = Configuration Management Database
What is ServiceNow?
-A configurable web-based user interface built on top of a flexible table schema.
-Apps running on Now platform use a single system of record and a common data model to consolidate your organization’s business processes.
-This single system also can be leveraged to build custom apps.
Which 4 different workflows do the apps delivered by ServiceNow are divided into?
IT workflows
Employee workflows
Customer workflows
Creator workflows
Describe the Now Platform Architecture.
-Takes care of all app infrastructure requirements (i.e. Service availability, backups, security)
-Allows you to focus on building, running and managing great apps
Why is the Now Platform Architecture considered a true enterprise cloud?
-Single system of engagement for the enterprise
-Nonstop cloud (Multi-instance, secure/compliant, scalable)
-Now Platform (Anomaly detection, predictive modeling, peer benchmarking, performance forecasting, service portal, subscriptions/notifications, knowledge base, service catalog, workflows, developer tools, reports/dashboards, single database, contentual collab, orchestration)
-Cloud Services (IT workflows, employee workflows, customer workflows)
What is the difference between ServiceNow and other cloud infrastructure?
Others: Multi-tenant architecture (Hardware > VM > OS > Middleware > App)
-Data is mingled between clients, requires complex database that need maintenance > causes availability issues for clients and any issue in database affects many customers)
ServiceNow: Multi-instance architecture
-Clients have unique environments for their data called instance
-Instances are isolated and clients can have multiple instances
-Issues can be resolved on client basis and also upgrades done by client’s timeline to minimize downtime
Availability/Redundancy:
-Data Centers are paired to provide redundancy so it provides near perfect availability
Backup/Security:
4 weekly full backups/6 days of daily differential backups
What is the difference between global domain and other domains?
Global Domain:
-All users can see and manage records with permissions.
-All users have access.
-All users can potentially see records.
Other Domains:
- Access to these records is limited to assigned users.
-Access is limited to specific users.
-Only users who belong to a domain can see domain-specific records.
Which three ways to interact with ServiceNow?
-Now platform user interface (Employee side)
-ServiceNow mobile apps
-Service Portal (Client side)
Describe the Now platform user interface?
-Primary way to interact with apps/info in ServiceNow instance
-Real time form updates, user presence, enhanced activity streams and an app navigator with favorites/history tabs.
Describe the three persona focused ServiceNow mobile apps?
ServiceNow Agent
-Targets role of fulfiller.
-Supports needs of those fulfilling requests for products/services across enterprise
Now Mobile
-Targets the need of an employee
-Functionality includes: Reporting broken items, finding conference rooms.
ServiceNow Onboarding
-Employee new hire
-Helps facilitate tasks performed prior to start of employment.
These apps help agents/employees work more efficiently/productively on the go.
Reasons for using ServiceNow Apps
-Persona-focused for intuitive use
-Mobile first and completely native, using devices built in features
-Codeless/rapid development of new applets
-Ability to submit, view and update requests, issues and tasks
-Global search to find people, service and items and articles
-Offline access with mobile agent to enable fulfillers to complete work while not connected
-Push notification for access to important info instantly
-Access to virtual agent, chat and knowledge articles
-Role-based access to customized info
-Manageable from an MDM (mobile device management) or an MAM (mobile app management)
Describe the Service Portal?
-Provides user friendly self-service experience and allows users to:
-Search for articles, catalog items, records
-Submit requests
-Browse corporate news feed
-Your organization might have different ServiceNow instance environments for development, test and production.
Describe the principle behind role-based access?
-Ensures people have the info/workflows they need to fulfill their roles.
Note: Not everyone in the organization needs access to all info at all times.
What are the three components of role-based access?
User: Individual that has been granted access to your ServiceNow instance.
Group: Set of users who share a common purpose.
-Perform similar tasks or need access to similar info for various purposes (i.e. approvals, resolving incidents, receiving email notifications, administering Service Catalog)
-Users working in ServiceNow are usually assigned to one or more groups.
Role: A collection of permission in ServiceNow.
-Permissions define which apps a user/group will and will not be able to access within the system and actions the user will be able to take on records within the app.
-A role can be assigned to a single user/group of users.
-Users/groups can be assigned more than one role.
-Roles can contain other roles
Ex. Catalog_admin role contains the catalog and user_criteria_admin role
If a user/group was assigned the catalog_admin role, they would be granted the permission of all three roles.
What are the 5 based system roles?
System Admin (admin): Provides almost all roles/access to all Now Platform features, functions and data (with some exception like HR or Security operations constraint).
-Grant this privilege carefully as we can create/modify user roles/impersonate other roles.
Specialized admin (ex. Catalog_admin): Provides users with specialized administrator roles to manage specific functions or apps (i.e. Knowledge base, HR, reports, web services)
Approvers (approver_user): Allows users to view/modify approval records directed to them.
ITIL: Can perform standard actions for an ITIL help desk technician.
Open, update, close incidents, problems, changes, configuration management items.
