⚙️ System Properties and Configuration in ServiceNow

CASE STUDY 1: 🌐 1. Introduction

System Properties and Configuration in ServiceNow provide administrators with tools to control global settings that affect the behavior, appearance, and performance of the platform.

• System Properties: Key-value pairs that define how the platform behaves.

• Configuration: Broader settings that customize modules, workflows, and UI to meet business needs.

💡 Key Point: Properties = system-level settings, Configuration = instance-level customization.

📑 2. What are System Properties?

System Properties are stored in the sys_properties table. Each property has:

• Name (e.g., glide.ui.show_service_catalog)

• Type (String, Integer, True/False, etc.)

• Value (Current setting applied)

• Description (Purpose of the property)

Properties control core functionality without requiring code changes.

🔍 Examples of System Properties

1. UI Properties

   • glide.ui.show_service_catalog → Show/Hide Service Catalog

   • glide.ui.max_list_columns → Limit number of columns in list view

2. Performance Properties

   • glide.ui.session_timeout → Defines session timeout in minutes

   • glide.ui.autosave → Enables/disables autosave on forms

3. Security Properties

   • glide.csrf.enable → Controls CSRF protection

   • glide.enforce.password_policy → Enforces password complexity rules

4. Email Properties

   • glide.email.smtp.active → Enable/Disable outbound email

   • glide.email.read.active → Enable/Disable inbound email

📝 3. Configuration in ServiceNow

Beyond system properties, Configuration includes settings that tailor the platform for business processes:

• Module Configuration: Customize Incident, Problem, Change modules (e.g., states, workflows).

• Form and List Layouts: Control how records are displayed.

• UI Configuration: Branding, themes, logos, and portal design.

• Workflow/Flow Designer Configurations: Automations and approvals.

• Notification Configuration: Emails and alerts based on events.

• Integration Configuration: External system connections, credentials, and API endpoints.

CASE STUDY 2: ⚡  Advanced Concepts

1. Dynamic Properties

   • Some properties can be updated on the fly without requiring a restart.

2. System Property Categories

   • Properties can be grouped logically: UI, Email, Performance, Security.

   • ServiceNow provides UI pages like “System Properties > Email” for easy access.

3. Overriding Defaults

   • System Properties allow admins to override platform defaults without customization.

4. Scoped Application Properties

   • Scoped apps can have their own properties, isolated from the global scope.

5. Debugging with Properties

   • Developers often use system properties for feature toggling (enable/disable custom logic).

🛠️ Real-World Examples

• Enforcing Security
  Enable MFA enforcement using properties (glide.authenticate.multifactor).

• Performance Tuning
  Set list view maximum rows (glide.ui.per_page) to prevent performance issues.

• Custom Branding
  Configure portal logos and UI theme via properties instead of direct CSS edits.

• Email Control
  Temporarily disable outbound emails (glide.email.smtp.active = false) in sub-production environments.

CASE STUDY 3:💡 Best Practices

• ✅ Use system properties instead of hardcoding values in scripts.

• ✅ Maintain naming conventions for custom properties (x_companyname.propertyname).

• ✅ Document changes to system properties for audit and compliance.

• ✅ Regularly review security-related properties (CSRF, encryption, authentication).

• ✅ Test configuration changes in sub-production environments before production.

• ❌ Avoid modifying OOB system properties without understanding impact.

🎬 Conclusion

System Properties and Configuration provide administrators with powerful tools to control the behavior and customization of ServiceNow.

• Properties give fine-grained control over security, performance, and UI.

• Configuration allows tailoring of workflows, modules, and interfaces.

• With careful management, properties and configurations help balance flexibility, performance, and security in ServiceNow.