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Database Administration

Manage data schema, CMDB, access controls, and data import/export operations.

Covers data schema concepts, tables, fields, and relationships, Configuration Management Database (CMDB), Common Service Data Model (CSDM), application and access controls, import sets, transform maps, data policies, and data management best practices. This is the largest domain representing approximately 30% of the CSA exam.
5 minutes 5 Questions

Database Administration in ServiceNow refers to the management and maintenance of the underlying database that powers the ServiceNow platform. As a Certified System Administrator, understanding database administration concepts is essential for maintaining system health and performance. ServiceNow …

Concepts covered: Data Schema Model, Tables and Table Administration, Fields and Field Types, Field Attributes, Dictionary Entries, Table Relationships, Reference Fields, Glide Lists, Configuration Management Database (CMDB), Configuration Items (CIs), CI Relationships, Common Service Data Model (CSDM), Application and Module Configuration, Access Control Rules, Before and After Business Rules, Import Sets, Data Sources, Transform Maps, Field Maps and Coalesce, Scheduled Data Imports, Data Export

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CSA - Database Administration Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Database Administration

Question 1

Scenario: A global insurance company has a complex ServiceNow environment with multiple business units. The IT governance team has identified an issue where users from the Claims department with the 'claims_processor' role can unexpectedly access Configuration Items (CIs) in the CMDB that belong to the Finance department's critical infrastructure. Upon investigation, the system administrator discovers there are three ACLs that could apply: one at the cmdb_ci table level granting read to 'itil' role, one at the cmdb_ci_server table level with a script checking department ownership, and one at the cmdb_ci_server.serial_number field level requiring 'asset_manager' role. The claims processors have both 'claims_processor' and 'itil' roles. The script condition on the cmdb_ci_server ACL should restrict access based on department, but it doesn't seem to be evaluated. Considering how ServiceNow evaluates ACL precedence and inheritance, what is the most likely explanation for why claims processors can still view Finance department servers?

Correct Answer: The table-level ACL on cmdb_ci grants access before the more specific cmdb_ci_server ACL is evaluated, and once access is granted at a parent level, child table restrictions may not apply as expected

The correct answer explains the fundamental principle of ACL inheritance in ServiceNow. When ACLs are evaluated, ServiceNow uses a hierarchical approach where parent table ACLs are checked first. In this scenario, the cmdb_ci table is the parent of cmdb_ci_server.

Here's how ACL evaluation works in ServiceNow:

  1. ServiceNow evaluates ACLs from the most general (parent table) to the most specific (child table/field level)
  2. When a user has the 'itil' role and the parent table (cmdb_ci) ACL grants read access to 'itil', access is granted at that level
  3. The critical issue is that once access is granted by a parent table ACL, the system may not enforce more restrictive child table ACLs as expected, especially when the parent ACL doesn't have matching conditions

The claims processors have the 'itil' role, which satisfies the cmdb_ci table-level ACL. This grants them read access before the more specific cmdb_ci_server ACL with the department ownership script is properly evaluated in a restrictive manner.

The other answers are incorrect for these reasons:

  • Field-level ACLs do not take highest priority - they work in conjunction with table-level ACLs, and the evaluation order goes from table to field, not the reverse. Additionally, lacking a role on a field ACL doesn't cause the system to default to granting access.

  • The claims_processor role does not have any inherent elevated privileges that bypass script conditions. Roles only grant what is explicitly defined; they don't automatically override ACL script conditions.

  • ServiceNow does not evaluate all ACLs simultaneously with a logical OR operation. ACL evaluation follows a specific hierarchical order (table inheritance, then operation type, then specificity), and all applicable ACLs must pass for access to be granted - it's more of an AND operation for matching ACLs, not OR.

Question 2

Scenario: A multinational corporation uses ServiceNow to manage their global IT infrastructure. The Enterprise Architecture team has designed a complex data model where the Configuration Item (CI) table extends from the Base Configuration Item table, which itself extends from the cmdb_ci table. A performance issue has been identified where queries against the CI table are returning inconsistent results when filtering on fields that exist in the parent tables. The database administrator reports that some queries return records but certain inherited field values appear null despite being populated in the parent table. As the system administrator investigating this issue, which technical aspect of ServiceNow's table extension relationship is most likely causing this data retrieval behavior?

Correct Answer: The table extension creates separate database tables for each level, requiring proper dot-walking syntax to access parent table fields in queries and business rules

The correct answer relates to how ServiceNow implements table extension at the database level. When a table extends another table in ServiceNow, it creates a physical separation where each table level has its own database table. This is a fundamental aspect of ServiceNow's relational database architecture.

In this scenario, the CI table extends from Base Configuration Item, which extends from cmdb_ci. Each of these represents a separate physical table in the database. When querying the child table, fields that are defined in parent tables require proper dot-walking syntax or explicit joins to retrieve their values correctly. If queries are written without proper consideration of this table hierarchy, inherited field values may appear null because the query isn't properly traversing the parent table relationships.

This is a common issue when developers or administrators write GlideRecord queries or business rules that don't account for the physical table separation. The solution typically involves using proper dot-walking notation (e.g., parent.fieldname) or ensuring that queries are structured to pull data from all relevant table levels in the inheritance chain.

The other answers are incorrect for the following reasons:

  • The suggestion that table extension creates a flattened single database structure is factually wrong. ServiceNow uses a hierarchical table structure where each extension level maintains its own physical table.

  • The concept of lazy loading with an inheritance depth parameter does not exist in ServiceNow's table extension implementation. This is not how ServiceNow handles data retrieval from extended tables.

  • The system property mentioned for eager loading of parent table data is fabricated and does not exist in ServiceNow. There is no such glide.db.inheritance.eager_load property that controls this behavior.

Question 3

Michael is a ServiceNow administrator at a software development company. The Change Advisory Board (CAB) has implemented a new policy requiring that all change requests include documentation of potential blast radius - specifically which CIs might be impacted if something goes wrong during implementation. Currently, change managers manually search through the CMDB to identify related CIs, which is time-consuming and often incomplete. Michael's manager wants him to configure a solution that allows change managers to select a CI on a change request and automatically see all CIs that could be affected based on their documented connections in the CMDB. The solution should leverage existing relationship data between CIs to show both direct and indirect dependencies. What CMDB capability should Michael configure to meet this requirement for automated impact visibility?

Correct Answer: Configure CI Relationship Visualization using the Dependency Views feature to display connected CIs and their hierarchical relationships

The correct answer is to configure CI Relationship Visualization using the Dependency Views feature to display connected CIs and their hierarchical relationships.

Dependency Views is the CMDB capability specifically designed to show relationships between Configuration Items and visualize how they are connected. This feature allows users to:

  1. Select a CI and automatically see all related CIs based on documented relationships in the CMDB
  2. Display both direct and indirect dependencies through hierarchical relationship mapping
  3. Visualize the potential blast radius of changes by showing upstream and downstream dependencies
  4. Leverage existing relationship data that has been populated through Discovery or manual entry

This directly addresses Michael's requirement for automated impact visibility on change requests, allowing change managers to understand which CIs could be affected if something goes wrong during implementation.

The other options are incorrect:

  • Discovery Patterns are used to identify and map infrastructure during the Discovery process to populate the CMDB. They are not used for visualizing existing relationships for impact analysis on change requests.

  • Health Dashboard is focused on showing the operational status and health metrics of CIs, not their relationship dependencies. This would show whether CIs are functioning properly, not which CIs are connected to each other.

  • Reconciliation Rules are used to match and merge duplicate CI records from different data sources and ensure data quality in the CMDB. They handle data correlation and attribute matching, not relationship visualization for impact analysis.

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