Domain separation in Contextual Search

This is an overview of domain separation with Contextual Search. Domain separation allows you to separate data, processes, and administrative tasks into logical groupings called domains. You can then control several aspects of this separation, including which users can see and access data.

Overview

Domain separation is supported in this application. Not all ServiceNow applications support domain separation; some include limitations on the data and administrative settings that can be domain separated. To learn more, see Application support for domain separation.

Contextual searches are enabled for incidents by default, providing incident deflection using knowledge and social Q&A questions. With regard to domain separation, you can search as the currently logged-in user as well as search as a different user. This feature is enabled in separated domains as well.

How domain separation works in Contextual Search

By default, Contextual Search displays results using the domain of the currently logged-in user. The Administrator can configure Contextual Search to also search as a different user: When Search as is configured, two tabs display in the search results:

The Administrator can configure Contextual Search to also Search as a different user : When Search as is configured, two tabs display in the search results:

  1. My Results tab searches using the currently logged-in user domain.
  2. The Search as user tab searches using the domain of the User Reference field selected by the administrator. For example: The domain of the user who made the request (Opened by or Caller fields).
Note:
  • The results for the user performing the search are based on that specific user's security access. Hence, the search result view for that user may have fewer entries than what that user can actually view.
  • Record producers only support searching as the currently logged-in user.

Search as a different user

In addition to being able to search for results using the domain of the logged-in user, the administrator can also configure Contextual Search to Search as a different user .

When Search as is configured, two tabs display in the search results:

  1. My Results tab searches using the currently logged-in user domain.
  2. The Search as user tab searches using the domain of the User Reference field selected by the administrator. For example: The domain of the user who made the request (Opened by or Caller fields).
Note:
  • The search as user results apply security access to display results that are common to both the logged in user and the search as user. Hence, the search result view for that user may have fewer entries than what that user can actually view.
  • Record producers only support searching as the currently logged in user.
Example: An Incident's short description displaying My Results (the currently logged-in user).
Example: An Incident's short description displaying the caller results (reference field).