9/1/2016
ServiceNowKB:Upgradebestpractices(KB0547245)
Upgrade best practices
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Overview
System upgrades can be significant projects
Each ServiceNow feature release includes major additions and you
.
://
should always consider the impact of new functionality on an instance
all features that are part of the base system or are already active
title
Activating
ServiceNow
),
Plugins
ware
tools
In addition to the materials provided by ServiceNow
ServiceNow instance is currently operating
functionality
.
.
wiki servicenow com index php
unless the feature is customized on your instance
Careful preparation and knowledge of the available so
upgrade
http
Upgrading implements enhancements to
and resources can contribute to a successful
it is important to understand how your
if any errors are present
and the performance level of key business
Set the expectation with IT and business users that time needs to be dedicated to preparing for
implementing
and testing ServiceNow upgrades
ective upgrade. If you have
This page provides an upgrade process with best practices for ensuring a safe and e
,
/
any issues during the upgrade process
://
http
://
http
www servicenow com support contact support html
For additional help with upgrades
please submit an incident to ServiceNow Customer Support
).
ers the Configuration Review
ServiceNow o
www servicenow com services production readiness services html
addresses challenges with instance upgradability
ServiceNow certified professional consultant
manageability
service
scalability
The service specifically
and performance
Performed by a
the ServiceNow Configuration Review provides recommendations
to align customer configurations with ServiceNow best practices
Contact your ServiceNow sales representative
for more details
Comparing upgrades and patches
ServiceNow organizes its releases into families
such as Eureka or Fuji
example
Within a family
A family is a set of releases that are named a
er a major city
erentiated by patch and hotfix number. For
releases are further di
the following releases are both part of the Fuji family
Fuji Patch
Fuji Patch
1
2
Hot Fix
1
erent family than your current release. For example, if
Upgrading is the act of moving to a release that is in a di
you move from Eureka Patch
to Fuji Patch
2,
erent families.
this is an upgrade because Eureka and Fuji are di
For details and best practices on upgrading your instances
continue with the following sections in the Upgrades
Best Practices
Patching is the act of moving to a release that is in the same family as your current release
move from Fuji Patch
to Fuji Patch
2,
and best practices on patching your instances
://
http
wiki servicenow com index php
Note that in both cases
For example
this is a patch because both versions are part of the Fuji family
title
if you
For details
see Patches Best Practices
Patches
the target release is Fuji Patch
Best
2.
.
).
Practices
erence between the old and new releases
It is the di
that determines whether you are upgrading or patching
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Understand the ServiceNow release cycle
It is important to understand the ServiceNow release cycle and the types of releases available
Knowledge of the
release cycle helps ensure that the appropriate upgrades and versions are applied to your instance without
,
_
compromising system functionality
release cycle
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or performance
For more information
see Upgrades and the
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ServiceNow automatically updates customer instances to ensure that customers receive the enhancements and
fixes included in the most recent version of the so
cycle
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ware
For more information
see Upgrades and the release
0547244).
About rollbacks and backups
When planning an upgrade
backups
note that ServiceNow does not provide a rollback option or perform on demand
Instances are automatically backed up daily during non peak business hours on schedules defined by
ServiceNow
We do not adjust the timing of existing backup schedules
Avoid restoring a production instance from backup
when possible
due to downtime and data loss
Restoring a
production instance from backup is a final option when a problem cannot be solved using other methods
provide customer support
24/7
We
to provide assistance with critical post upgrade issues
The best method for successfully upgrading a production instance is to first test thoroughly on a sub production
instance
The testing process explained in this article helps identify critical problems and related fixes on the
sub production instance
Use the information identified during testing to create a plan for addressing issues a
er
upgrading the production instance
Review upgrading phases
The upgrading process consists of three major phases
Each phase builds on the the previous one to
methodically move the new code to the production instance without compromising system stability
Prepare for upgrading
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View the ServiceNow Upgrade Planning Checklist
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Determine current release version
System administrators can check which release is running on an instance at any time
1. Navigate to System Diagnostics > Stats > Stats.
2. Locate the Build name, Build date, and Build tag.
3. Match the build name to the release name in the release notes (http://wiki.servicenow.com/index.php?
title=Release_Notes).
4. Match the build date and tag to the build date and tag in the release notes.
Review release notes
ServiceNow provides release notes
release
://
http
wiki servicenow com index php
title
Release
Notes
for every
er valuable information about new functionality, notable changes, and fixes
The release notes o
available in a particular version
Read the release notes to determine whether an upgrade contains functionality
ecting your instance. The release notes can also help you determine
you need and fixes that resolve any issues a
whether items you previously customized are being upgraded
If your instance is more than one release behind
current and two previous family releases
article
see Upgrades and the Release Cycle
0547244).
ServiceNow fully supports the
For more information about releases
sysparm
you can still upgrade directly
as well as any interim hot fixes and patch releases
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Create system benchmarks
er deciding which release you should upgrade to
performing the upgrade
analyze the current operating environment before
Specifically
review the following
Key functionality
Integrations
Instance performance
Assign a consistent core team of power users and key stakeholders to validate important functionality in the
ServiceNow instance before and a
er upgrades
Pre upgrade instance validation can provide a reliable benchmark of the current operating environment and
alert you to any issues that may appear a
functionality is broken by an upgrade
the production instance
er the upgrade
For example
in some cases
it appears that specific
Analysis sometimes shows that the functionality did not work properly in
even before the upgrade
Create comprehensive test plans
Create a comprehensive test plan that includes test cases for all core instance functionality and integrations
Perform the tests before and a
er upgrading
iciently, create a set of detailed test scripts that your
To test e
testing team can use consistently and methodically to evaluate system functionality
er upgrading
track any defects or deviations from the pre upgrade testing results
identify root causes and create fixes
When a fix is identified
Defect tracking can help
capture the fix in a single update set
The resulting
update sets hold the cumulative fixes that should be applied to the production instance
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If you have CreateNow
://
http
),
development suite html
developing test cases
www servicenow com products service automation platform createnow
use ServiceNow to manage ServiceNow
To manage an instance upgrade
Create an application in your instance for
tracking defects
and reporting upgrade compatibility
consider using a spreadsheet with the following columns to track all required
test cases
Column
Description
Test case ID
A unique identification number for the test case
Test object
The object to test
For example
Test case
The type of test to run
type
transaction
For example
Test role
The role required or if applicable
admin or ESS user
field value
or variable value
accuracy test or security test
individual responsible for running the test
For example
Actor
Precondition
Any existing precondition
For example
The list of steps to perform
Execute
run another test case before running this test case
The list may contain a single step or several steps for the test role
to perform
Success
The expected state a
er the test case is completed
criteria
Post
The new condition that is established a
er running the test case
condition
Result set
The expected result set created when the test case is run
Misc
Any additional
if applicable
relevant information
Consider using a spreadsheet with the following columns to track all defects
Column
Description
Test case ID
A unique identification number for the test case
Test name
A reference name for identifying a specific test case
.
.
Expected
The expected state a
er the test is completed
results
Defect
Detailed description of the defect as compared to the expected results
identified
Name of the person or team responsible for validating the defect
Owner
.
,
researching the root cause
and creating a fix
Update set
Name of the update set containing the fix for the defect
Another option is to use the ServiceNow SDLC application
title
SDLC
Scrum
Process
(
.
://
http
.
.
wiki servicenow com index php
to manage defects and stories
Evaluate log data
In addition to specific business functionality
general system performance and operating information is also an
important benchmark to check before performing an upgrade
available in the system logs
Performance and operating information is
er an excellent source of information for evaluating the inner workings of a
which o
ServiceNow instance
Use this information to help resolve as many errors as possible before the upgrade
To access the log data
navigate to System Logs
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>
System Log
>
Errors
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Review the system logs
and their frequency
://
http
wiki servicenow com index php
title
Viewing
System
Logs
to identify errors
Track the total volume of errors to spot any sudden increase that could indicate degraded
system performance or failing operations
In the following example
the sys
trigger with the associated sys
id
can be examined for root cause
When reviewing log files
look at log file size
be an indicator of issues on the instance
Excessively large log files
especially those larger than
GB
could
Evaluate large log files for frequent errors or other excessive logging
that should be fixed
Review prior upgrade history
Each upgrade cycle is an opportunity to evaluate prior upgrade history records
Upgrade History module tracks all upgrades applied to an instance
upgrade is tracked and the action taken is listed as the disposition
://
http
wiki servicenow com index php
title
Upgrade
)
,
History
View the most recent upgrade records to see what was skipped
The System Diagnostics
>
Every record that is examined during an
Use the Upgrade History
module to locate and resolve upgrade conflicts
updated
inserted
or deleted
Note objects that
iciently.
were skipped so you can manage customizations e
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Manage customizations
If viewing the upgrade history shows that a base system object was skipped during the previous upgrade
determine if you want to revert the object back to base system status so it is upgraded automatically in the
future
title
For more information
Upgrade
see Reverting Customizations
History
Reverting
When an object is customized
://
http
).
a corresponding record is added in the Customer Update
customizations from being overwritten by system upgrades
Update table and how customizations are tracked
://
wiki servicenow com index php
title
sys
update
xml
table
To prevent
the upgrade process automatically skips changes to
objects that have a current version in the Customer Update table
http
Customizations
The table maintains the current version information for all objects that have been modified
wiki servicenow com index php
For more information about the Customer
see Update Sets Tables
System
Update
Sets
Update
Sets
Tables
).
To determine the base system objects that were skipped in a specific upgrade
1.
2.
>
Navigate to System Diagnostics
Upgrade History
In the From column
select an upgrade
To make it easier to identify an upgrade
3.
Under Upgrade Details
title
4.
5.
6.
7.
File Gear png
)).
Add the Created by column to the Selected list
Click OK
filter n a out of the From column
click the gear icon
://
http
wiki servicenow com index php
Filter the Disposition column to show Skipped
Filter the Created by column to show system
Consider allowing the upgrade to overwrite a customization if the upgrade contains a desirable enhancement to
a feature that you already customized
Note
There are two methods of restoring a customization a
customization in an update set
Alternatively
you can restore it a
er an upgrade
If you saved the
er the upgrade by reapplying the update set
you can recreate the customization manually
To prevent customizations from being overwritten by system upgrades
changes to these objects
example
version
the upgrade process automatically skips
You may want to overwrite your customizations with the next so
ware version
For
you may change a script to implement a temporary workaround for a problem that is fixed in the next
You would want to overwrite your workaround when upgrading to the next version to ensure that you
receive any future enhancements to the script
.
:
To allow an upgrade to overwrite a customization
1.
2.
Open the customized object
for example
).
right click the header and select Show Application File
Configure the form
://
/
.
.
https
.
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upgrade field
docs servicenow com bundle geneva servicenow
platform page administer form
4.
5.
the ArrayUtil script include
Alternatively
3.
Right click the header and select Show Latest Update
/_
administration task t
ConfigureAForm html
to add the Replace on
if necessary
Select Replace on upgrade
Click Update
The customized object will be replaced on the next upgrade
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Review scheduled jobs for upgrading
Watch the following video to learn about scheduling an upgrade
In the system scheduler
://
http
wiki servicenow com index php
title
System
),
Scheduler
the Upgrade and Check Upgrade Script scheduled jobs execute the upgrade process across all nodes of an
instance
It is imperative that you verify that the two scheduled jobs are set properly for upgrading
:
.
Upgrade
new
runs every
60
minutes to check if there is a new
war file is associated with the instance record a
. ,
the Upgrade scheduled job finds a new
the
war file
war file associated with the instance
er you submit an upgrade request
war file associated with an instance
and then restarts the active node
:
.
Check Upgrade Script
a new and unpacked
runs automatically when a node is restarted
war file
If
it downloads and unpacks
If the Check Upgrade Script job finds
it processes the file and begins updating the database
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To determine when the Upgrade scheduled job runs
1.
2.
3.
Navigate to System Scheduler
In the list
>
>
Scheduled Jobs
Scheduled Jobs
find the Upgrade scheduled job
View the Next action column to determine when the job next runs
For example
past the hour every hour
11:10:00,
if the next action is
11:10:00
60
the scheduled job will run at
because the scheduled job is set to run every
and then at
10
minutes
).
minutes
To verify that the Upgrade scheduled job is set properly for upgrading
1.
2.
3.
4.
Navigate to System Scheduler
Open Upgrade
>
>
Scheduled Jobs
Scheduled Jobs
.
.
Check that the Trigger type is set to Interval
Check that the System ID field is set to None
To verify that the Check Upgrade Script scheduled job is set properly for upgrading
1.
2.
3.
Navigate to System Scheduler
>
>
Scheduled Jobs
Open Check Upgrade Script
Scheduled Jobs
Check that the Trigger type is set to Run at System Startup
Other scheduled jobs
During the upgrade process
the system only runs scheduled jobs that are set as Upgrade safe
All other
scheduled jobs are paused until the upgrade is complete
Create an implementation plan
Create an implementation plan that includes all upgrade steps in the correct sequence for your instances
The
high level steps in your implementation plan could be based on the steps listed in this best practices page
Document all unique and individual steps
For each step
include the following information
Date and time the step should take place
Date and time the step actually took place
Individual or team responsible for completing the step
Current step status
Any details about the step that would be helpful in the future
Review the implementation plan with all upgrade team members
Upgrade and validate sub production instances
Proper preparation and testing on sub production instances can help ensure an accurate and successful upgrade
on your production instance
Clone production over sub production
To perform accurate tests
development and test
clone your production instance over sub production environments such as
Because the production instance is the final destination for any new ServiceNow release
it is important that testing be done on a system that reflects the production instance as closely as possible
The System Clone
://
http
wiki servicenow com index php
the process and enables users with the admin or clone
Note
title
System
Clone
application automates much of
admin role to clone data from one instance to another
Users should perform a full clone by clearing Exclude Audit and Log Data and Exclude Large
Attachment data when performing a clone from prod to subprod to do their upgrade testing
Tips for upgrading sub production instances
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Information for upgrading a sub production instance
When upgrading a sub production instance
record is modified
title
Upgrade
do not modify a base system record to experiment
reverting to base system functionality
#
.
-
History
Reverting
Customizations
://
http
Once a
wiki servicenow com index php
is a manual process
This activity should only be done
on a sandbox instance
When upgrading a sub production instance
actions
UI pages
UI macros
avoid modifying records that are global
and script includes
If a record is modified during the upgrade of a sub production instance
state why the record was modified
such as global UI
.
comment all changes and clearly
This information can help determine if the record should be reverted
at a later date
Request an upgrade for sub production instances
.
(/).
0541128).
Request an upgrade using the ServiceNow Customer Support system named HI at hi service now com
more information
see How to upgrade a ServiceNow instance
When requesting an upgrade
60
which is every
minutes
set the upgrade to start
10-15
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minutes before the Upgrade scheduled job runs
This allows the upgrade request to update HI before the Upgrade scheduled job runs
For information about how to determine when the Upgrade scheduled job runs
'
sysparm
For
see the
'
Review Scheduled Jobs
."
for Upgrading
section of this article
The size of the company database determines how long the upgrade process takes to complete
The amount of
time it takes to upgrade a sub production instance that is a clone of your production instance is a good indicator
for how long it will take to upgrade your production instance
Validate sub production instance upgrade
To view the status of the current upgrade
title
Upgrade
is Complete
Monitor
Running
application
use the Upgrade Monitor
://
http
orFailed
You can also use the Upgrade History
://
http
wiki servicenow com index php
title
Upgrade
first confirm that the upgrade is in progress and then confirm that the process completed
shows theUpgrade started and the Upgrade finished times
but the Upgrade finished column is blank
History
module to
Upgrade History
If the Upgrade started column contains information
the upgrade is still in progress
er the upgrade process finishes
://
http
er the upgrade is applied
wiki servicenow com index php
to the instance
made
perform the following steps to validate the sub production instance
Immediately a
wiki servicenow com index php
The Upgrade Monitor can be used when the upgrade state
use the Upgrade History
title
Upgrade
History
module to understand the changes made
View the upgrade record to determine what was modified and where the changes were
Upgrade History also lists updates that were skipped because of customizations on your instance
Work with the testing team to run all test cases against the newly upgraded sub production instance
Closely compare the test results to the data gathered during the pre upgrade testing
deviations from previous test runs should be confirmed and analyzed
deviations or errors that occurred in the upgrade process
Any defects or
When a fix is created for any
capture each fix in a single update set
The
resulting update sets hold the cumulative fixes that should be applied to the production instance
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Use a simple and descriptive naming convention for all update sets
on project tasks or user stories
items
In the update set naming scheme
,
, Upgrade Remediation 03/15/13 for Eureka Patch 1.
.
project name
example
task name
user story name
date
version
It can be useful to name update sets based
consider using some combination of these
revision
and patch number For
Be sure to add a detailed description of the
update set contents to the update set record
ServiceNow Customer Support
If you find issues during the testing process
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to
Upgrade and validate a production instance
er completing the steps to prepare
test
and resolve issues on sub production instances
upgrade and validate
your production instance
Tips for upgrading a production instance
Information for upgrading a production instance
Do not clone a sub production instance over production instead of upgrading
Apply the upgrade and any
required update sets directly to the production instance
Obtain confirmation from IT and management that all sub production instance defects have been fixed
validated
and included in an update set
.
.
Use the change management process established by your organization to track the upgrade
ectively with your user community regarding changes, new features, and process
Communicate e
updates resulting from the upgrade
Submit the upgrade request
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time for all users of the ServiceNow system
impact to your users
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for a negotiated and suitable
schedule the upgrade a
Remember to schedule the upgrade to occur
15 20
er hours
to minimize
minutes before the Upgrade
scheduled job interval
Company database size determines upgrade process time
that was a clone of your production instance
If you upgraded a sub production instance
you should have a good indicator for how long it will take to
upgrade your production instance
Allow time in your change window to run all test cases and validate that all integrations
functionality
and system performance are acceptable
key business
er for responding to errors without
Add a time bu
breaching the change window
A
er the upgrade
conduct a lessons learned meeting
Document improvements and ensure that they are
incorporated into the next upgrade cycle
Following is a sample lessons learned document template
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Request an upgrade for a production instance
.
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Request an upgrade using the ServiceNow Customer Support system named HI at hi service now com
more information
see How to upgrade a ServiceNow instance
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Configure a completed upgrade notification
To configure an instance to send an email when an upgrade is successfully completed
1.
2.
3.
4.
Navigate to System Policy
>
Email
>
Notifications
Open the System Upgraded notification
Select one or more contacts in the Users field
Click Update
The selected users now receive a notification when an upgrade completes successfully
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Confirm an upgrade
Watch the following video to learn about determining upgrade status
There are several methods of verifying that an instance has been upgraded to a recent feature release
Navigate to System Diagnostics
>
Upgrade Log and locate the message Notifying HI that upgrade has
been completed
Navigate to System Definition
>
Navigate to System Diagnostics
System Upgrades
>
Information about all system upgrades is listed
Upgrade History and search for the most recent upgrade
Article Information
:2016-08-22 16:26:12
:2016-08-22
Last Updated
Published
https://hi.servicenow.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0547245
12/12
