The CSDM is the data framework that admins should follow when they set up ServiceNow products and applications. The standards for defining configuration items (CIs) and relationships between CIs in the CMDB ensure that your data resides in the appropriate CMDB tables. The result is maximum value from Now Platform applications.

CSDM domains

Each domain is associated with one or more products, services, or service types, each of which you can extend as needed. Every box in the diagram (except Request Catalog Item) represents CIs in the CMDB. Roles and user types appear next to their area of responsibility.

CSDM conceptual model.

CSDM domains with standard color-coding as described in the following list.

Foundation domain

The Foundation domain involves tables that contain base data that is referenced from or to objects in the other CSDM domains. Foundation data is required before you can use ServiceNow products or add data to the CMDB. See Foundation domain of the CSDM framework

Design domain
The Design domain supports the design and planning of digital products. CIs in the Design domain aren’t operational, so you can’t select them for Incident Management, Problem Management, or Change Management. Enterprise architects and application owners are the typical users of tables in this domain. See Design domain of the CSDM framework.
Build domain
The Build domain involves the tables that are used in the build effort (systems development life cycle — SDLC or Agile Development) of digital products like DevOps. The tables represent the logical development details of the enterprise applications (digital products) to be deployed and used by the business. These are not operational CIs. See Build domain of the CSDM framework.
Manage Technical Services domain
The Manage Technical Services domain involves the tables used by IT Operations Management (ITOM) products such as Service Mapping and Discovery. These are deployed instances of digital products and their related and discoverable components and documentation of the services that provide and support the deployed instances. See Manage Technical Services domain of the CSDM framework.
Sell / Consume domain
The Sell/Consume domain involves the tables used by Service Portfolio Management (Service Portfolio Management) and Customer Service Management (CSM). This is the portfolio and request catalog of business service offerings that depend on the deployed digital products. See Sell/Consume domain of the CSDM framework.
Manage Portfolio domain
The Manage Portfolio domain is a layer on top of the CSDM conceptual model that interacts with the other CSDM domains. The typical user, a service owner, might be responsible for services in more than one domain. See Manage Portfolio domain of the CSDM framework.

Services and service types

A service enables you to achieve the outcomes that you want with minimal risks and without ownership of specific costs and risks. This definition is consistent with the base definition of “service” in ITIL v3 and IT4IT. Services typically have three components: the interaction, the offering, and the service system.

The Now Platform includes the following base-system service types that you can extend to align with the service types in your organization.

Application services (Application Service table [cmdb_ci_service_auto])
Application services are logical representations of a deployed application stack. Because application services are logical in nature, they should use the Logical life-cycle value pairs. Application services follow the same life-cycle guidance as any other logical CI.
  • An application service is an operational CI and a unique instance of an application.
  • Used in Incident, Problem, and Change.
  • Can be created for each region and each environment (Development, QA, and Production).
  • Can be created via manual mapping, service mapping with entry point, and dynamic query.

For more information about leaf nodes and structured hierarchies, see Design domain of the CSDM framework.

See Monitor the health of application services on the Application Services dashboard.

Business services (cmdb_ci_service_business)

A business service is a service type that is published to business users. A business service typically implements one or more business capabilities.

Usually, business users order business services. Business users can select the desired offering and service commitment levels via the Service Catalog. For example, procurement, shipping, and finance.
  • A business service is an operational CI.
  • A business service must be a one-level service and not a hierarchy of business services.
  • A business service can be used for impact in Incident, Problem, and Change and for approvals for Change.
  • A business service must be focused on the consumer or seller.
See Sell/Consume domain of the CSDM framework.
Technical services (cmdb_ci_service_technical)

Technical services are the systems associated with the admins of CIs in the Manage Technical Services domain: Application service owners, Technical service owners, and Technology service owners). Technical services are typically lower-level leaf nodes of one or more business services or application services in a structured hierarchy.

  • Technical services are operational CIs.
  • A technical service must be a one-level service and not a hierarchy of technical services.
  • Technical services are used for impact in Incident, Problem, and Change. Also used for approvals for Change.
  • Technical services must be provider-focused and include the technology provided for the business to consume or sell.

See Manage Technical Services domain of the CSDM framework.

CSDM videos in the ServiceNow Community

Playlist of all CSDM videos