ServiceNow CSDM

The Common Service Data Model (CSDM) is ServiceNow's framework for structuring service and CI data. It provides a standardised hierarchy that connects business outcomes to technical infrastructure — enabling consistent Incident, Change, and Problem management across the enterprise.

Interactive CSDM Dependency Map

Click any node below to explore dependencies across CSDM layers.

The 5 CSDM Domains

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  SELL / CONSUME                                             │
│  Business Application  ←→  Service Offering                │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  DESIGN                                                     │
│  Application Service  ←→  Technical Service                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  SELL (MANAGE PRODUCTS)                                     │
│  Manufactured Item  ←→  Product Model                       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  BUILD                                                      │
│  Software  ←→  Software Instance                            │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  MANAGE (CMDB)                                              │
│  Infrastructure CI  ←→  Server / Network / Storage          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key CI Classes

Business Application (cmdb_ci_business_app)

The top-level CI representing a business capability. Examples:

• ERP System
• HR Management Platform
• Customer Portal

Business Applications contain Application Services.

Application Service (cmdb_ci_service_auto)

The technical representation of a business application — the running instance, not the concept. An Application Service:

• Runs on Technical Services
• Has defined availability requirements (maps to SLA)
• Is the basis for Incident and Change impact assessment

Technical Service (cmdb_ci_service)

A shared IT capability consumed by multiple Application Services. Examples:

• Database Service
• Authentication Service (LDAP/AD)
• Load Balancer Service

Infrastructure CI

The actual hardware and software components. Key classes:

Relationship Types

CSDM Implementation Phases

Phase 1 — Foundation (Day 1)

• Define CI naming conventions
• Create Business Applications for top 10 services
• Establish Application Services and link to servers
• Enable Discovery for server and network discovery

Phase 2 — Depth (Month 2–3)

• Populate Technical Services layer
• Define Service Offerings for service catalogue alignment
• Implement relationship mapping for Tier 1 services
• Validate Incident impact analysis using CI relationships

Phase 3 — Maturity (Month 4–6)

• Full CMDB reconciliation
• Automated relationship discovery (Traffic-Based Dependency Mapping)
• Business Service Maps with real-time health
• SLA alignment with Application Services

Common CSDM Mistakes

1. Skipping Technical Services — Teams jump from Application Services directly to Infrastructure. Technical Services are the key to reuse and shared service costing.

2. One CI class for everything — Using cmdb_ci_server for VMs, databases, and applications. Use the correct class hierarchy.

3. No ownership defined — Every CI should have Managed by (assignment group) and Owned by (business owner). CIs without owners become zombie records.

4. Relationships without validation — Discovery creates relationships based on network traffic. Validate them — not all traffic relationships are service dependencies.

CSDM implementation consulting → (opens in a new tab) Interactive CSDM model → (opens in a new tab)