Automating Incident Management with ServiceNow: A Developer’s Guide

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to automate incident management using ServiceNow. This is a common task for developers working with the platform, aimed at streamlining the process of incident reporting, tracking, and resolution within an organization. We’ll go through the steps to create a custom workflow for incident management, demonstrate how to trigger an incident automatically based on certain conditions, and explain how to integrate email notifications within the workflow.

Step 1: Setting Up the Incident Table

First, we need to ensure that the incident table (incident) in ServiceNow is configured to meet our specific requirements. We might need to add custom fields to store additional information relevant to the incidents.

// Example of adding a custom field to the Incident table using ServiceNow's Scripting
var dict = new GlideRecord('sys_dictionary');
dict.initialize();
dict.name = 'incident';  // Table name
dict.element = 'impact_reason';  // New field name
dict.type = 'string';  // Field type
dict.insert();

Step 2: Creating the Workflow

ServiceNow provides a visual workflow editor where you can drag and drop different workflow activities. For automating incident management, our workflow might include:

1. Trigger Condition: Define what triggers the incident. This could be an error detected by monitoring tools or a user submission.
2. Tasks: Define tasks such as assigning the incident to the appropriate team, setting priority levels, and initial analysis.
3. Notifications: Send email notifications to relevant stakeholders when the incident is reported and when it is resolved.

Here’s how you might code the logic to trigger this workflow when a specific condition is met:

// Example of a Business Rule in ServiceNow
(function executeRule(current, previous /*null when async*/) {
    // Trigger the workflow if the error log contains a specific error code
    if (current.error_log.includes("ERROR_501")) {
        // Call the custom workflow
        var workflow = new Workflow();
        var workflowId = 'your_workflow_sys_id';  // Replace with your actual workflow Sys ID
        workflow.startFlow(workflowId, current, current.operation());
    }
})(current, previous);

Step 3: Email Notifications

To keep stakeholders updated, you can configure the workflow to send automated emails at various stages of the incident lifecycle. Here’s how you might script an email notification in ServiceNow:

// Example of sending an email notification from a Script Include
var sendEmail = function(recipient, subject, body) {
    var mail = new GlideEmailOutbound();
    mail.addRecipient(recipient); // Recipient's email
    mail.setSubject(subject);
    mail.setBody(body);
    mail.save();
};

// Usage
sendEmail('user@example.com', 'Incident Reported', 'An incident has been reported with the following details: ...');

Testing and Deployment

Before deploying the workflow, test it thoroughly in a development or sandbox environment. Ensure that the triggers activate as expected and that emails are sent at the correct times.

Automating incident management in ServiceNow can significantly improve the efficiency and responsiveness of your IT support team. By customizing the incident table, creating an intelligent workflow, and implementing timely notifications, you can ensure that incidents are handled promptly and effectively.

By following this guide, ServiceNow developers can extend the platform’s capabilities to meet specific organizational needs, leading to a more controlled and efficient IT environment. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to the platform, understanding these fundamentals is crucial for leveraging ServiceNow’s full potential in automating business processes.