System Properties & it's Usage in ServiceNow

 

System Properties

System properties used to store configuration information that rarely or never changes. We can add or update to control the system behavior. It is best practice to use a system property instead of hard cladding the fixed values.System properties store configuration information that rarely or never changes.

System properties are maintained in the System properties [sys_properties] table in ServiceNow.

 

Available Fields

For System property we have these fields.

• Name: Add a unique name for a system property. Generally to add or maintain system property we should maintain the naming conventions. Example: Let's take example, we have to create a property for Team Development Code Reviewers assignment group, so name will be team.development.code.reviewers 
• Description: Type a brief description for the property. What is the purpose/function and where will it be used?
• Type: We have multiple data types for a property. For example- Integer, String, Choice list,color, Time format,  Timezone, Password, Password2, Date format, true/false,  Image, Uploaded image, Short string etc.
• Value: We have to specify the desired values for property. It may be sys_id, true/false, color list etc.
• Ignore cache: When we change a system property value, the system always flushes the cache for the sys_properties table. This option is used to determine whether to flush this property's value from all other server-side caches.
• Private: This option is used to set this property to true to exclude this property from being imported via update sets. Keeping system properties private prevents settings in one instance from overwriting values in another instance. For example, you may not want a system property in a development instance to use the same value as a production instance.
• Read roles: This option is used to define the roles that have read access to this property.
• Write roles: This option is used to define the roles that have write access to this property. 

  Procedure to create System Property
  

  Navigate to application navigator and search System properties or sys_propertie.list Click a New button to add a new property.

  Example:

  Let's create a system property for the Change Advisory Board.

   

  Name: change.advisory.board

  Description: Change Advisory Board assignment group sys_id, used in server scripts.

  Type: String

  Value: d75bcbe4873f4110ec2363150cbb35e6

   

  Fill out this information and click the Save button.

  

   

  Using System Properties on Server side script.

  The system property can be used at any server side script like Business rules, Scheduled jobs, UI action, Script Include etc.

   

  var property_value = gs.getProperty(‘property_name’);

   

  In our case, it will be

   

  var change_cab = gs.getProperty(‘change.advisory.board’); 
  

   

  Using System Properties on Client side

  As per my understanding, we can use 

  1) Display business rule with g_scratchpad variable

  2) GlideAjax with client callable Script include

  
  Let's take the example of making the required fields read-only for closed change requests.  

  We need to enter the required fields in system property, separated by commas, which will be read only by closed change requests.

   

  Name: change.request.closed.read.only.fields

  Value: short_description,description,priority,assignment_group,assigned_to,….

   

  1) Display Business rule with g_scratchpad variable

  We can get the property value in Display business rules as follows.

   

  g_scratchpad.read_only_fields = gs.getProperty(‘change.request.closed.read.only.fields’);

  Use g_scratchpad variable in on-load client script
  

  var readOnlyFields = g_scratchpad.read_only_fields;
  
  var fieldsArray = readOnlyFields.split(',');
  
  for (var i=0; i < fieldsArray.length; i++) {
        g_form.setReadOnly(fieldsArray[i], true);
  }      
  

   

  2) GlideAjax with client callable Script include
  

  We can get the property value in Script Include as follows.

  var GetReadOnlyFields= Class.create();
  GetReadOnlyFields.prototype = Object.extendsObject(AbstractAjaxProcessor, {
      
       getReadOnlyFields: function() {
       var answer = gs.getProperty(‘change.request.closed.read.only.fields’);
       return answer;
  }

   

  Use get the property value from answer variable in on-load client script.

  var glideAjax = new GlideAjax(‘GetReadOnlyFields’);
  glideAjax.addParam('sysparm_name',’getReadOnlyFields’);
  glideAjax.getXML(getFieldsCallback); 
  
  function getFieldsCallback(response) { 
          var answer = response.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute('answer');
          alert(answer);
  
          var readOnlyFields = answer;
  
          var fieldsArray = readOnlyFields.split(',');
  
          for (var i=0; i < fieldsArray.length; i++) {
               g_form.setReadOnly(fieldsArray[i], true);
          }      
  }
  
  

   

  Some Useful Links

  Available System Properties - San Diego

  Working with System Properties

  System Properties - ServiceNow Elite

  Best Practices – System Properties

   

  Thanks,

  Sagar Pagar