ITSM Quick Reference
Overview
A quick reference card for common ITSM operations in ServiceNow. Keep this handy for fast lookups of state values, priority matrices, and common query patterns.
- What problem does it solve? Quick lookup for common ITSM values and operations
- Who should use this skill? Anyone working with incidents, changes, or problems
- What are the expected outcomes? Faster development with fewer documentation lookups
Prerequisites
- Appropriate roles and table access for the operation being performed
- A confirmed target instance before making changes
Procedure
Incident Operations
Quick Actions
| Action | MCP Tool | Key Parameters |
|--------|----------|----------------|
| List incidents | SN-List-Incidents | query, limit |
| Create incident | SN-Create-Incident | short_description, caller_id, category |
| Update incident | SN-Update-Record | table_name: incident, sys_id, data |
| Get incident | SN-Get-Incident | sys_id |
| Close incident | SN-Close-Incident | sys_id, resolution_code, resolution_notes |
| Assign incident | SN-Assign-Incident | sys_id, assigned_to, assignment_group |
| Add work notes | SN-Add-Work-Notes | sys_id, work_notes |
| Search incidents | SN-Natural-Language-Search | table: incident, natural language query |
Create Incident
Tool: SN-Create-Incident
Parameters:
short_description: Unable to access email
description: User reports Outlook not connecting to server
caller_id: <user_sys_id>
category: software
subcategory: email
impact: 3
urgency: 3
Close Incident
Tool: SN-Close-Incident
Parameters:
sys_id: <incident_sys_id>
resolution_code: Solved (Permanently)
resolution_notes: Restarted email service and cleared user cache
close_notes: User confirmed email is working
Assign Incident
Tool: SN-Assign-Incident
Parameters:
sys_id: <incident_sys_id>
assigned_to: <user_sys_id>
assignment_group: <group_sys_id>
State Values
Incident States
| Value | Label | Description | |-------|-------|-------------| | 1 | New | Newly created, not yet triaged | | 2 | In Progress | Work has started | | 3 | On Hold | Waiting for external input | | 6 | Resolved | Solution implemented, pending verification | | 7 | Closed | Verified and closed | | 8 | Canceled | Canceled (not applicable) |
Change Request States
| Value | Label | Description | |-------|-------|-------------| | -5 | New | Draft state | | -4 | Assess | Assessment phase | | -3 | Authorize | Awaiting authorization | | -2 | Scheduled | Approved and scheduled | | -1 | Implement | Implementation in progress | | 0 | Review | Post-implementation review | | 3 | Closed | Successfully completed | | 4 | Canceled | Change canceled |
Problem States
| Value | Label | Description | |-------|-------|-------------| | 1 | New | Newly identified | | 2 | Assess | Under assessment | | 3 | Root Cause Analysis | Investigating root cause | | 4 | Fix in Progress | Working on permanent fix | | 5 | Resolved | Root cause addressed | | 6 | Closed | Verified and closed | | 7 | Canceled | Problem canceled |
Change Types
| Value | Label | Description | |-------|-------|-------------| | standard | Standard | Pre-approved, low risk | | normal | Normal | Requires CAB approval | | emergency | Emergency | Expedited approval process |
Priority Matrix
Impact x Urgency = Priority
| | Urgency 1 (High) | Urgency 2 (Medium) | Urgency 3 (Low) | |-----------|------------------|---------------------|------------------| | Impact 1 (High) | Priority 1 (Critical) | Priority 2 (High) | Priority 3 (Moderate) | | Impact 2 (Medium) | Priority 2 (High) | Priority 3 (Moderate) | Priority 4 (Low) | | Impact 3 (Low) | Priority 3 (Moderate) | Priority 4 (Low) | Priority 5 (Planning) |
Priority Values
| Value | Label | SLA Target | Description | |-------|-------|------------|-------------| | 1 | Critical | 1 hour | Business critical, widespread impact | | 2 | High | 4 hours | Significant business impact | | 3 | Moderate | 24 hours | Limited business impact | | 4 | Low | 72 hours | Minor inconvenience | | 5 | Planning | No SLA | Future enhancement |
Common Encoded Queries
Incident Queries
| Description | Encoded Query |
|-------------|---------------|
| Active incidents | active=true |
| P1 incidents | priority=1 |
| P1 or P2 incidents | priority=1^ORpriority=2 |
| Unassigned incidents | assigned_toISEMPTY |
| Assigned incidents | assigned_toISNOTEMPTY |
| Created today | sys_created_onONToday@javascript:gs.beginningOfToday()@javascript:gs.endOfToday() |
| Created last 7 days | sys_created_on>=javascript:gs.daysAgoStart(7) |
| New state | state=1 |
| In Progress | state=2 |
| Resolved or Closed | state=6^ORstate=7 |
| Not Closed | state!=7 |
| My incidents | assigned_to=javascript:gs.getUserID() |
| My team's incidents | assignment_group=<group_sys_id> |
| Contains text | short_descriptionLIKEnetwork |
| Starts with | numberSTARTSWITHINC00100 |
| Category is network | category=network |
| Ordered by priority | ORDERBYpriority |
| Ordered by created (newest) | ORDERBYDESCsys_created_on |
Change Request Queries
| Description | Encoded Query |
|-------------|---------------|
| Emergency changes | type=emergency |
| Normal changes | type=normal |
| Standard changes | type=standard |
| Scheduled changes | state=-2 |
| Changes this week | start_dateONThis week@javascript:gs.beginningOfThisWeek()@javascript:gs.endOfThisWeek() |
| High risk changes | risk=1 |
| Pending approval | state=-3^approval!=approved |
Problem Queries
| Description | Encoded Query |
|-------------|---------------|
| Open problems | state<6 |
| Root cause analysis | state=3 |
| Known errors | known_error=true |
| Problems with workaround | workaroundISNOTEMPTY |
| Related to incidents | related_incidentsISNOTEMPTY |
Field Reference
Common Incident Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| number | String | Auto-generated (INC0010001) |
| short_description | String | Brief summary (required) |
| description | String | Detailed description |
| caller_id | Reference | Reporting user |
| opened_by | Reference | User who created record |
| assigned_to | Reference | Assigned technician |
| assignment_group | Reference | Assigned team |
| state | Choice | Current state |
| impact | Choice | Business impact (1-3) |
| urgency | Choice | Time sensitivity (1-3) |
| priority | Choice | Calculated priority (1-5) |
| category | Choice | Incident category |
| subcategory | Choice | Incident subcategory |
| work_notes | Journal | Internal notes |
| comments | Journal | Customer-visible notes |
| resolution_code | Choice | How resolved |
| resolution_notes | String | Resolution details |
| close_code | Choice | Closure reason |
| close_notes | String | Closure notes |
| cmdb_ci | Reference | Configuration item |
Common Change Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| number | String | Auto-generated (CHG0010001) |
| short_description | String | Brief summary |
| description | String | Detailed description |
| type | Choice | standard/normal/emergency |
| state | Choice | Current state |
| risk | Choice | Risk level (1-4) |
| impact | Choice | Business impact (1-3) |
| start_date | DateTime | Planned start |
| end_date | DateTime | Planned end |
| requested_by | Reference | Requester |
| assigned_to | Reference | Change owner |
| assignment_group | Reference | Owning team |
| cab_required | Boolean | Needs CAB approval |
| justification | String | Business justification |
| implementation_plan | String | Implementation steps |
| backout_plan | String | Rollback procedure |
| test_plan | String | Testing steps |
Common Problem Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| number | String | Auto-generated (PRB0010001) |
| short_description | String | Brief summary |
| description | String | Detailed description |
| state | Choice | Current state |
| priority | Choice | Priority (1-5) |
| assigned_to | Reference | Problem manager |
| assignment_group | Reference | Owning team |
| known_error | Boolean | Is known error |
| workaround | String | Temporary workaround |
| cause_notes | String | Root cause |
| fix_notes | String | Permanent fix |
| related_incidents | List | Related incidents |
| cmdb_ci | Reference | Configuration item |
Resolution Codes
Incident Resolution Codes
| Value | Label | |-------|-------| | Solved (Work Around) | Temporary fix applied | | Solved (Permanently) | Root cause addressed | | Solved Remotely (Work Around) | Remote temporary fix | | Solved Remotely (Permanently) | Remote permanent fix | | Not Solved (Not Reproducible) | Cannot reproduce | | Not Solved (Too Costly) | Fix not cost-effective | | Closed/Resolved by Caller | User resolved |
Close Codes
| Value | Label | |-------|-------| | Solved | Resolved successfully | | Closed/Resolved by Caller | User resolved | | Not Solved (Not Reproducible) | Cannot reproduce | | Closed (Cancelled) | Request withdrawn |
Category Reference
Incident Categories
| Category | Subcategories |
|----------|---------------|
| hardware | cpu, disk, keyboard, memory, monitor, mouse |
| software | email, operating system, application |
| network | connectivity, dhcp, dns, firewall, vpn |
| database | db2, ms sql server, oracle |
| inquiry | request, password reset |
MCP Tools Quick Reference
Incident Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Required Parameters |
|------|---------|---------------------|
| SN-List-Incidents | Query incidents | - |
| SN-Get-Incident | Get single incident | sys_id |
| SN-Create-Incident | Create incident | short_description |
| SN-Update-Record | Update incident | table_name, sys_id, data |
| SN-Close-Incident | Close incident | sys_id, resolution_code |
| SN-Assign-Incident | Assign incident | sys_id |
| SN-Add-Work-Notes | Add work notes | sys_id, work_notes |
| SN-Natural-Language-Search | NL search | table, query |
Generic Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Required Parameters |
|------|---------|---------------------|
| SN-Query-Table | Query any table | table_name |
| SN-Get-Record | Get any record | table_name, sys_id |
| SN-Create-Record | Create any record | table_name, data |
| SN-Update-Record | Update any record | table_name, sys_id, data |
Common Workflows
Triage New Incident
1. Query: SN-Query-Table(table_name: incident, query: state=1^active=true)
2. Review: Check short_description, category, caller_id
3. Categorize: SN-Update-Record(table_name: incident, sys_id: X, data: {category: network, subcategory: connectivity}, instance: dev)
4. Prioritize: SN-Update-Record(table_name: incident, sys_id: X, data: {impact: 2, urgency: 2}, instance: dev)
5. Assign: SN-Assign-Incident(sys_id: X, assignment_group: <network_team>)
Escalate Incident
1. Update state: SN-Update-Record(table_name: incident, sys_id: X, data: {state: 2}, instance: dev)
2. Add notes: SN-Add-Work-Notes(sys_id: X, work_notes: Escalating to L2 per procedure)
3. Reassign: SN-Assign-Incident(sys_id: X, assignment_group: <l2_team>)
Resolve Incident
1. Resolve: SN-Resolve-Incident(sys_id: X, resolution_code: Solved (Permanently), resolution_notes: Restarted service, instance: dev)
2. Notify: SN-Add-Work-Notes(sys_id: X, work_notes: Resolution confirmed by user)
Close Incident
1. Close: SN-Close-Incident(sys_id: X, resolution_code: Solved (Permanently), resolution_notes: Service restored, close_notes: Verified with user)
REST API Endpoints
Table API
| Table | Endpoint |
|-------|----------|
| Incident | /api/now/table/incident |
| Change Request | /api/now/table/change_request |
| Problem | /api/now/table/problem |
| Task | /api/now/table/task |
| User | /api/now/table/sys_user |
| Group | /api/now/table/sys_user_group |
| CI | /api/now/table/cmdb_ci |
Common Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| sysparm_query | Encoded query | active=true^priority=1 |
| sysparm_fields | Fields to return | number,short_description,state |
| sysparm_limit | Max records | 100 |
| sysparm_offset | Skip records | 50 |
| sysparm_display_value | Display values | all, true, false |
Best Practices
- Query and verify records before updating them.
- Prefer the narrowest table, field list, and encoded query that satisfies the task.
- Confirm state and resolution values against the target instance before closing records.
Related Skills
itsm/incident-lifecycle- Full incident lifecycle managementitsm/incident-triage- Detailed triage proceduresitsm/natural-language-queries- Natural language searchadmin/generic-crud-operations- Detailed CRUD operations
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