1. A
ACL: Access Control List - Access control lists are used for contextual security and Discovery:
An access control rule or ACL rule controls what data users can access and how they can
access it. ACL rules require users to meet certain requirements to access particular data.
An access control list uses a range of IP addresses to define which devices Discovery can
access and scan. Access control lists can be used to establish or bypass access restrictions
on certain systems.
ADB: Advanced Debugger - ADB is a UNIX process used by Discovery to access information on
UNIX systems.
ADFS - Active Directory Federation Services: ADFS is Microsoft software developed to provide
single sign-on access to network services. ServiceNow supports ADFS through SAML 2.0.
AIX: IBM Advanced Interactive Executive - AIX is a UNIX operating system owned by IBM and can
be accessed by Discovery.
API: Application Programming Interface - APIs are software rules to facilitate communication
between programs. ServiceNow uses APIs to extend the software beyond base system uses.
ASP: Application Service Provider - An ASP is a business that supplies a web-based software
product. This software differs from SaaS as an ASP provides hosting and administration of a
traditional software platform accessed via the internet whereas SaaS is natively web-based.
B
BGP: Border Gateway Protocol - BGP is a general table of IP prefixes used to establish
decentralized reachability for autonomous routing systems.
BSM: Business Service Management - A BSM map is a graphical display of the configuration items
(CI) within a system and their relationships to one another.
C
CAL: Client Access Licensing - A CAL is a license that gives the client access to a particular web
service.
CAB: Customer Advisory Board - A CAB is a special type of focus group composed of high level
management workers.
Also: Change Approval Board - A change approval board is a group of users that provide formal
approvals as part of a change workflow. See Case Study - Advanced Approval Workflow (Part 1) for
more information.
2. CCMDB: Configuration and Change Management Database - CCMDB is the IBM tool for
discovering hardware and software infrastructure. ServiceNow can inport and export to/from the
CMDB with IBM CCMDB.
CI: Configuration Item - A configuration item (CI) is a computer or other device attached to an
enterprise's networks.
CMDB: Configuration Management Database - The CMDB holds a list of all configuration items and
their details. ServiceNow supports CMDB through both the Baseline CMDB plugin and
the Enterprise CMDB plugin.
CMS: Content Management System - The Content Management System is a plugin that provides
functionality for creating branded front-ends for an instance.
CRM: Customer Relationship Management - CRM is a management strategy to ensure a strong
client-provider relationship while minimizing costs and taking advantage of available technology.
This is supported in ServiceNow through the Sales Force Automation plugin.
CSR: Certificate Signing Request - In ServiceNow mutual authentication, a certificate signing
request is generated by a client for an existing Java keystore when requesting a server certificate for
authentication.
CSRF - Cross-site Request Forgery: A cross-site request forgery is a security exploit using
unauthorized commands sent from a trusted user. ServiceNow protects against CSRF attacks
through High Security Settings.
CSV: Comma-separated values - Comma-Separated Values are data values stored in plain text
format by way of a comma-separated list.
CVS: Concurrent Versions System - CVS is a system used to track changes in software files to aid
in development.
D
DCOM: Distributed Component Object Model - DCOM is a tool owned by Microsoft that facilitates
communication between software over a network.
DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - DHCP automatically configures a device to connect
to an IP server without the need for human intervention.
DHTML: Dynamic HTML - Dynamic HTML is a combination of HTML along with a number of other
related technologies to create fully interactive web content.
DNS: Domain Name System - DNS is a system used to translate domain names readable by
humans, such as URLs, into numerical IP addresses.
DOM: Document Object Model - DOM is a standardized and multi-platform language for object
interaction in internet markup languages.
3. DSL: Definitive Software Library - A definitive software library is a secured repository of master copy
software CIs.
E
EC2: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud - The Amazon EC2 workflow enables users to request the
provisioning and deletion of virtual computers (Linux or Windows) in theAmazon EC2 virtual
computing environment through the ServiceNow service catalog.
ECC Queue: External Communication Channel Queue - The ECC Queue is a database table that is
normally queried, updated, and inserted into by external systems such as the MID Server used for
Discovery. The ECC Queue is the normal connection point between the ServiceNow platform and
external integrations. Records saved to the Queue [ecc_queue] table are in the form of messages
from external systems.
EMEA: Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
ESS: Employee Self-Service - Employee Self-Service is a module in ServiceNow that allows users
to make requests, view articles, log incidents, and search the knowledge base through a user-
friendly website called the Employee Self-Service Portal (ESS Portal).
ESX: VMware ESX Server - The ESX Server software is offered by VMware to partition a single
hardware server into multiple logical servers. These servers can be accessed by Discovery and
automated with the Runbook Automation VMware Support plugin.
EVM: ManageIQ Enterprise Virtual Management Suite - EVM is a management tool offered by
ManageIQ to manage and administer virtualized devices over a network. ServiceNow supports
bidirectional compatibility with EVM through the EVM plugin.
F
FSA: Field Service Agent - A field service agent is an employee or contracted worker that operates
primarily away from the main office managing offsite tasks, often working at client locales.
ServiceNow supports managing field service agents through Field Service Management.
G
GUID: Globally Unique ID - A GUID is a unique, 32-character identifier called a sys_id that is used
to identify each record in ServiceNow.
H
HPUX: Hewlett-Packard UniX - HPUX is a proprietary UNIX operating system owned by Hewlett-
Packard that can be accessed by Discovery.
4. I
IANA: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority - IANA is the governing body that manages IP address
allocation among other internet standards.
ICS: iCalendar - ICS or .ics is a standard format for sharing calendar data via the web. ServiceNow
supports various ICS functions via the ICS Request Processor plugin.
IIS: Internet Information Services - IIS is an extremely common web server software offered by
Microsoft and supported by the Discovery application.
ITAM: Information Technology Asset Management - Information Technology Asset Management is
the set of business practices that join financial, contractual, and inventory functions to support life
cycle management and strategic decision making for the IT environment. Assets include all elements
of software and hardware that are found in the business environment. Asset management is a key
component in the ServiceNow platform.
ITIL: Information Technology Infrastructure Library - The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is an
integrated, process-based, best practice framework for managing IT services. It provides guidance
for creating and operating a service desk that provides efficient communication between the user
community and the IT provider.
J
J2EE: Java Platform, Enterprise Edition - J2EE is the former name of the Java platform for server
programming. It is now known as Java EE.
J2JS: Java to JavaScript - The J2JS script include allows you to convert Java objects to JavaScript
objects.
JDBC: Java Database Connectivity - JDBC defines how Java based clients can access a database.
This is utilized in ServiceNow by the MID Server plugin.
JSON: JavaScript Object Notation - JSON is a data-exchange language built to be simple for both
human and machine use. ServiceNow utilizes this language through the JSON Web Service.
K
KB: Knowledge Base - The knowledge base is a tool that allows the storage and publishing of any
information, such as desktop support information, company and department processes or
procedures, or documentation on internally developed applications.
KPI: Key Performance Indicators - Key performance indicators are quantifiable measurements that
reflect the agreed upon important success factors of an organization. For example, key performance
5. indicators for incidents in an IT organization could be the number of escalations and incident
resolution time.
L
LDAP: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol - LDAP is a protocol used to access and modify sets
of records remotely. ServiceNow can access but not modify an organization's internal directory
services to streamline login and administrative processes.
LSNCTRL: Oracle Listener Control - LSNCTRL allows Oracle's Listener application to access
remote databases. Discovery uses LSNCTRL to retrieve version information on Oracle servers.
M
MAC: Media Access Control - A MAC address is a unique identifier of a particular networked device
usually stored via hardware memory.
MAM: Mercury Application Mapping - MAM is a software tool offered by Hewlett-Packard to identify
relationships between software and system resources. This tool can be integrated with Discovery
along with other similar software.
MIB: Management Information Base - MIB is a hierarchal database which holds records of objects
within a network and is often associated with SNMP. Discovery uses MIBs to gather information on
various systems.
MID: Management, Instrumentation, and Discovery - The Management, Instrumentation, and
Discovery (MID) Server is a Java server that runs as a Windows service or UNIX daemon. The MID
Server facilitates communication and movement of data between the ServiceNow platform and
external applications, data sources, and services.
MIIS: Microsoft Identity Integration Server - MIIS is software offered by Microsoft to aggregate a
spectrum of data and to facilitate asset management.
MSP: Managed Services Provider - A managed services provider is an external provider of specific
services. ServiceNow provides managed IT services.
MSSQL: Microsoft Structured Query Language - MSSQL is a server system offered by Microsoft
running SQL.
N
NBT: NetBIOS over TCP/IP - NBT allows older devices that do not natively network over TCP/IP to
connect via newer networks.
NOC: Network Operations Center - A network operations center is the location from which a
communications network is administered and operated.
6. O
ODBC: Open Database Connectivity - The ServiceNow ODBC driver (compliant to version 3.52 of
the Microsoft ODBC specification) allows any ODBC client to connect to the ServiceNow platform for
reporting. The ServiceNow ODBC driver uses the ServiceNow Web Services support for a query-
only interface.
OID: Object Identifier - An OID is an object identifier (called a System OID in Discovery) that is
required identification on any SNMP device. Some devices provide a unique OID that Discovery can
use to identify the device. Other OIDs are not unique and are useless for establishing the identity of
a device. ServiceNow provides a list of over 400 unique OIDs.
OLAP: Online Analytical Processing - OLAP analysis is a method of data analysis for reporting that
uses cubes. OLAP was deprecated in favor of pivot tables.
OOB: Out Of the Box - Out of the box software is software as it is provided immediately upon
activation.
OU: Organizational Unit - An organizational unit is a division of data that allows for differentiation
between similarly named objects and allows uniform changes across all data in a particular OU.
P
PaaS: Platform as a Service - PaaS is the extension of SaaS beyond simply software to offer an
entire business platform solution. ServiceNow offers customizability and expandability to ensure
client platform needs are met.
PPM: Project Portfolio Management - PPM groups related projects and configures progress data for
presentation.
R
RBA: Runbook Automation - Runbook Automation automates simple or complex multi-system tasks
that are normally done manually. An RBA process can cross all management disciplines and interact
with all types of infrastructure elements, such as applications, databases, and hardware.
RFC: Request for Change - A Request for Change is a request to modify a particular system either
to improve functionality or fix problems. This is encompassed by theITIL framework and is
implemented in ServiceNow via ITIL Change Management.
Also Request for Comments - A publication of internet discourse and standards for review and
mediation.
RMA: Return Material Authorization - An RMA is a request to return a product to the vendor, usually
for replacement or refund. RMAs can be tracked through ServiceNow via inventory management.
7. ROI: Return on Investment - ROI is a measure of the profitability of an initial capital investment.
RPM: Red Hat Package Manager - RPM is a free, expandable package manager originally
distributed by Red Hat and included in a number of Linux distributions.
RSS: Really Simple Syndication - RSS is a common method for publishing and tracking publication
of regularly or frequently updated material.
S
SAP: Systems, Applications, and Products - SAP is both enterprise planning software and the
company that provides it. ServiceNow can integrate and communicate with SAP software.
SaaS: Software as a Service - SaaS provides software as a service rather than as an end product.
Instead of local network or individual software installations, software is hosted on a remote machine
and accessed as needed. ServiceNow provides software in this format.
SAML: Security Assertion Markup Language - SAML is an XML-based standard for exchanging
authentication and authorization data between security domains, that is, between an identity provider
(a producer of assertions) and a service provider (a consumer of assertions). SAML is a product of
the OASIS Security Services Technical Committee. ServiceNow has created a plugin that enables a
ServiceNow instance to accept SAML 1.1 or 2.0 responses.
SCCM: System Center Configuration Manager - SCCM is software offered by Microsoft for large
scale computer management. This software is compatible with ServiceNow through the Microsoft
SMS/SCCM Integration 2.0 plugin.
SCOM: Systems Center Operations Manager - SOCM is Microsoft server software for cross-platform
data center management.
SCP: Secure Copy Protocol - SCP is a secure transfer protocol used to manage files remotely via
SSH.
SLA: Service Level Agreement - Within ServiceNow, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a defined
rule that measures the elapsed time of an open task. After a set period of time, the SLA promotes
the open task to an escalation level, from Normal to Moderate, Moderate to High, and High to
Overdue.
SMS: Short Message Service - In ServiceNow, SMS is the text communication service component of
phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that
allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices.
SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol - SNMP is a standard protocol used to manage a
variety of device IP addresses across a network. SNMP protocol is used in Discovery to explore
network devices such as routers and switches.
8. SOA: Service-Oriented Architecture - Service-Oriented Architecture is a software design
methodology focused on delivering interoperable and modular applications which provide a specific
service.
SOAP: Simple Object Access Protocol - SOAP is a basic protocol for transferring structured
messages, such as those produced by WSDL, across a network.
SOX: Simple Outline XML - SOX is an alternative XML writing style meant to simplify and shorten
XML code.
SQL: Structured Query Language - SQL is the most common language used in relational database
servers.
SQLDMO: SQL Database Management Objects - SQL database management objects are COM
objects used in programming Microsoft SQL server.
SSH: Secure Shell - Secure shell is a remote shell capable of protecting sensitive data, such as
password information, sent over an unsecured network. The SSH protocol is used in Discovery to
explore UNIX devices such as Solaris, Linux, and Mac computers.
SSL: Secure Sockets Layer - SSL is a standard encryption method used to secure internet
communication.
SSO: Single Sign-On - Single sign-on is a method of access control that enables a user to log in
once and gain access to the resources of multiple software systems without being prompted to log in
again. After logging in to their company portal page, end users are pre-authenticated on their
ServiceNow instance.
T
TCP: Transmission Control Protocol - TCP is one of the major protocols used to establish and
maintain communication between systems over a network. TCP is ubiquitous in most modern
networks.
TCO: Total Cost of Ownership - The total cost of ownership is the entire estimated cost of a
purchase. This encompasses initial and future costs such as maintenance and upgrades.
TLS: Transport Layer Security - TLS is encrypted email communication between mail servers. In
ServiceNow, TLS encrypts the communication between the ServiceNow mail server and the
customer’s remote mail server. No certificate exchange or validation is done. ServiceNow can both
send and receive email via TLS.
U
9. UAC: User Account Control - UAC is a security feature to restrict privileges granted to software to
that of a user unless specifically promoted to administrator. This feature is included in modern
Microsoft Windows operating systems and can affect the behavior of the MID Server.
UPS: Uninterruptible Power Supply - A UPS is a backup power source that supplies short-term
power to critical resources if the primary power source fails.
V
VLAN: Virtual Local Area Network - A VLAN is an artificially created network with the properties of a
local area network yet not necessarily sharing the same physical domain.
VM: Virtual Machine - A virtual machine is an emulated system running within another operating
system. This can be used to test software under varied conditions or to run software that would not
normally be usable on a particular machine.
VPN: Virtual Private Network - A VPN is a network that transmits encoded data over the public
internet to simulate a local network. This network can connect individuals together or connect an
individual to a larger network such as a remote user accessing a central corporate network.
W
WMI: Windows Management Instrumentation - WMI is one of the major protocols used by Discovery
to access systems running Windows operating systems.
WSDL: Web Services Description Language - WSDL is a language based on XML to describe and
access web services. It is utilized alongside SOAP to facilitate remote software usage such as with
ServiceNow.