Glossary

Terms and abbreviations used in the Data Content Management application and this Wiki.

Term / Abbreviation	Definition
Actual record	Actual data record in a ServiceNow table. As compared to the Desired record which is still just a planned record inside DCM and not really created into the matching table.
AI	Audit instance
AM	Audit message
AR	Audit result
Audit	See "DCM Audit".
Audit instance	Each audit "run" creates a single Audit instance record that groups together all Audit results and Audit messages related to that audit.
Audit message	Audit messages will record how current data compares to all details defined by the Blueprint version. Audit messages include information about the Real record and Deviation level together with Audit result type to identify what data we are auditing and how well it matches with the Blueprint.
Audit result	Audit result records are created for each Audited record from the root class which is included in an Audit instance. For example, if you have a Blueprint version where "Business Application" is the Root class, then each Business Application record will create an "Audit result" record that relates Audited record to all Audit messages created by an Audit instance.
Audited record	Record in a Root class (or container) where the audit starts. All records in a Root class that match with the audit filter are considered as Audited records. For each Audited record, an Audit results record is created to collect results and Audit messages from a single Audit Instance. Audited record is also known as Root record.
Available Class	Classes defined to available in Blueprint Designer. ServiceNow instances have a lot of system tables and other data that will never be used on Blueprints. Available classes define which classes can be used on Blueprints. DCM Admin can change and create new "Available classes" definitions. See /wiki/spaces/DCMW/pages/1563166797
Blueprint	Visual representation of a data model including classes and their links to each other. DCM blueprints use a UML-like syntax to define how classes should be connected to each other including multiplicity definitions for links.
Blueprint container	Represent a class used (ServiceNow tables) in the Blueprint.
Blueprint container conditions	Blueprint containers can include conditions that are used to filter records that are valid for the container. For example, only include "Active" records from the User table.
Blueprint container relationship	Links or relationships between Blueprint containers. The link can be either a one-to-many reference or a many-to-many type of relationship.
Blueprint Designer	Blueprint Designer is a visual data modeling tool that information architects or system admins can use to create and maintain data model blueprints on ServiceNow. Read more about Blueprint Designer.
Blueprint element	Reusable part of a Blueprint that can be linked to Audit Messages. Blueprint Elements are either containers or links defined into one or more Blueprint versions. For example, when the same Class is used on two different blueprint versions (or just twice in the same blueprint version), it's considered as a single Blueprint element. Blueprint element can be used to group Audit messages on different reports and give a different point of view to the possible deviations found by the audit.
Blueprint library	See "Library"
Blueprint links	Links are connections between classes. Two types of links are available: One-to-many links - meaning 1..n reference fields between the selected classes Many-to-many links - meaning n..n relationships between the selected classes
Blueprint status	Blueprints have a lifecycle which is indicated by status value. Each Blueprint can have up to one published version and multiple other versions in different states of the lifecycle. Read more about Blueprint lifecycle.
Blueprint template	Blueprint templates are model Blueprints that can be used to create new Blueprints. Templates can not be used to plan or audit data. Templates are available in the Blueprint library and when creating new Blueprints.
Blueprint version	DCM application takes care of blueprint versioning and one Blueprint can have multiple versions defined. Each Blueprint can have only one Published version at a time.
BP	Blueprint
BPE	Blueprint element
BPV	Blueprint version
Class	Classes can be either existing tables in the ServiceNow instance or Desired classes, meaning planned, not existing tables in the Blueprint.
Class Identifier	A Class identifier is a list of attributes used to identify a unique record within a class. Class identifiers are created and used as part of the duplicate checking. For example, if just a name should make the record unique, or if multiple attributes are used to identify a record.
Content set / Data content set	Data content set is a single set of records and links related to a blueprint stored in the DCM Safety Zone. This staging area is used when planning data using the Data Content Planner.
Content Set Item	One record in a Data Content Set. The black circles on the canvas in Data Content Planner. Also known as Data Content Set Item.
COP model	Consumer - Owner - Provider model defining different roles for data management.
CSI	Content Set Item
Data Consumer	Role in a COP model. Consumers are processes or actors that use the data for a specific purpose. Consumers give feedback and requirements to Owners on what data is required and how it is intended to be used.
Data Content Planner	A graphical tool for data analysts to manage data content by making use of blueprints. The selected Blueprint guides the user through the content creation process. Read more about /wiki/spaces/DCMW/pages/1563166529.
Data Domain	The Data domain is a subset of data that contains the data for a particular use or purpose. Data domains are then grouped by Domain groups. Data domains are good for defining responsibilities and grouping Audit results. Data domains belong to a Data tier.
Data Owner	Role in a COP model. Owners own the overall concepts, data models and processes to maintain the data. They work together with Consumers and Providers to define requirements, data models and processes, and provide instructions to Providers to fulfil the requirements.
Data Population Wizard	An automated functionality to preview and validate data changes and update them to ServiceNow production tables safely. Read more about Data Population Wizard
Data Provider	Role in a COP model. Data Providers are processes and actors that create and maintain data. Providers work together with Owners to meet Consumers’ requirements and often act as subject matter experts within their domain.
Data Provider Dashboard	Audit results dashboard showing "personal" audit results and messages related to current user acting as a Data Provider for Audited Records.
Data Tier	Data tiers are used to describe top-level data areas and their high-level dependencies. Tiers are good for defining responsibilities and grouping Audit results.
DCM	Data Content Manager
DCM Audit	A functionality that compares the current data content against the blueprint's rules & conditions, and reports any deviations. Read more about Data Audit.
DCM Safety Zone	All blueprints and data content sets are planned in the isolated staging area called DCM Safety Zone, without any risk of harm for business-critical production data.
DCM Task	A task created to fix a data deviation found by the audit. The DCM tasks can be created automatically based on audit results or as an ad hoc task for Unique Audit Messages that are not yet connected to a task.
DCP	Data Content Planner
DCS	Data Content Set
Deprecated blueprint	Deprecated blueprints are older versions of a blueprint which also has a newer Published version or blueprints which are not encouraged to be used anymore. A deprecated blueprint can still be used to plan new data content sets and to audit existing data.
Desired Class	New Class which doesn't exists as a ServiceNow table yet in the system. Desired classes can be used on new Blueprints for planning, but blueprints can not be published before all Desired Classes are actually added into the system. Desired Classes functionality was deprecated in DCM R5.0.
Desired Links	New links that don't exist as ServiceNow tables (m2m) or references yet in the system. Desired links can be used on new Blueprints for planning, but blueprints can not be published before all Desired Links are actually added into the system. Desired Links functionality was deprecated in DCM R5.0.
Desired Record	Desired records are new records added to data content sets using Data Content Planner. These records do not exist in the actual ServiceNow tables but are recorded as part of planning into DCM Safety Zone.
Duplicate Checking	In the Blueprint Designer, a data architect can enable Duplicate checking for any container within the blueprint. This will trigger duplicate checking based on the given Identifier when the audit is run using the blueprint.
DPW	Data Population Wizard
Field condition	A condition created for a single field within a table as part of field setup used by field-level audit. Each field can include one condition. Conditions are created by using a slightly limited version of a regular Condition Builder.
Field content	Field content is the actual field value for a single attribute in a Field plan.
Field-level audit	Ability to define a "field setup and conditions" for blueprint containers that are then validated in an audit. Audit will report each non-compliant condition per field as an audit message.
Field plan	Field plan is a set of attributes and values to the Desired Record before it's populated into an actual ServiceNow table. Fields plan is required for new Desired Records and can be maintained in the Data Content Planner. Starting at DCM R3, Field plans are also available for actual records, not only Desired records.
Field planner	Field planner is a popup window in Data Content Planner used to manage Field plans for Desired Records.
Field setup	Field conditions for a particular table, linked to a blueprint container. Field setup groups together field conditions used by the field-level audit.
Filter	See "Model condition"
Identifier	See Class Identifier
Implementation phase	The Implementation phase defines the level of maturity for the data model. DCM is using the same analogy as the Common Service Data Model (by ServiceNow) for the choice list values: crawl, walk, run and fly. The purpose of the Implementation phase attribute is that one can have different blueprint versions for different maturity levels and for example set short term targets for the "Walk" phase model while already planning to reach the "Run" phase.
Library	The library is a place to store and manage your local blueprints, blueprint templates, and data content sets.
Model condition	A filter condition set for a blueprint container to further define what kind of records are valid according to the agreed data model (blueprint). The model condition is basically a filter created with the Condition Builder and connected to a blueprint container. Each Model condition will create a separate Blueprint Element, so containers using the same class are still different elements if condition differs.
Published blueprint	Ready and approved blueprint version which has been Published into Blueprint library for new Data Content creation and audits. Each Blueprint can have a maximum of one Published blueprint version. Read more about Blueprint lifecycle
Real record	Term used by Audit messages refers to the closest, actual data record related to the Audit message. For example, if a Blueprint includes Application class as Root class. And the Application has a "Managed by" reference to User table. And the User table has a filter like "Active is true". If an audit message is about the Application missing the required reference, then the Application record is both an Audited record (or Root record) and a Real record. If an audit message is about the filter condition on the User record, then Audited record is still the application where audit started, but the Real record is the User record that doesn't match with the given condition for example.
Record	Record is one instance of a class. One row in an actual ServiceNow table or the Desired record. Record, in general, can refer to any data record with ServiceNow.
Remediation task	See DCM Task.
Root record	See "Audited record".
Task configuration	A configuration used to create tasks based on audit results. This configuration includes filters to select which blueprint version and audit instances will trigger the task creation and what kind of audit messages are worth creating a task. The configuration also defines how tasks are created (different methods available) and to whom the tasks are assigned to.
UAM	Unique audit message
Unique Audit Messages	A unique version of audit messages. When two audit messages have the same real record, blueprint element and audit result type, they are considered duplicates and related to a single Unique audit message. Unique audit messages were introduced in DCM R4.0.
Workspace	Workspace is a new module in the DCM application since R4.0 where remediation tasks are being configured, created, and completed based on audit results. The workspace also includes its own dashboards.