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ServiceNow IT Service Management Integration Guide
Connect ServiceNow ITSM with enterprise applications through REST and SOAP APIs, configured outbound notifications, Import Sets, and attachment workflows.
ServiceNow IT Service Management integration options at a glance
ServiceNow ITSM provides REST APIs as its primary integration surface, including the Table API, Import Set API, Attachment API, application-specific APIs, and Scripted REST APIs. SOAP web services remain available for legacy or WSDL-based integrations. ServiceNow can also initiate configured outbound REST calls for selected records, conditions, flows, or platform events, although this is not a universal webhook stream. Martini can consume these APIs, expose endpoints for ServiceNow callbacks, orchestrate scheduled or event-driven workflows, transform JSON, XML, and attachment content, and apply validation, correlation, retry, and reconciliation logic. OAuth 2.0, Basic Authentication, mutual TLS, and scoped integration users can be handled through secure configuration.
| Integration point | Supported by ServiceNow IT Service Management? | Common use cases | How Martini supports it |
|---|---|---|---|
| REST APIs | Yes | Use the Table API and specialized APIs to query and modify Incident, User, Change Request, CMDB, Service Catalog, Knowledge, and custom-table data. REST API Explorer and Scripted REST APIs support discovery and governed custom endpoints. | Martini can consume ServiceNow REST endpoints from workflows, generate reusable API services where applicable, transform responses, and expose normalized REST APIs. |
| SOAP APIs | Yes | Inbound SOAP web services and generated table interfaces support WSDL-based or legacy enterprise integrations. | Martini can consume SOAP services, manage configured authentication, transform XML, and orchestrate SOAP calls with other APIs. |
| Webhooks / outbound callbacks | Limited | ServiceNow can initiate outbound REST requests for configured records, conditions, flows, business rules, or events. Coverage depends on instance configuration and is not universal. | Martini can expose a REST endpoint or receive the configured callback, validate signatures or correlation data where provided, and launch a workflow. |
| Events and notifications | Limited | Platform events, notifications, flows, and IntegrationHub actions can trigger outbound calls for selected record changes or business events. | Martini can process the resulting HTTP request, apply event-specific routing, and reconcile missed or duplicated notifications. |
| Bulk / async / batch APIs | Yes | Import Sets, transform maps, scheduled imports, and applicable REST batch capabilities support higher-volume ingestion and asynchronous transformation. | Martini can submit Import Set data, track import and transform outcomes, process rejected rows, and use controlled concurrency. |
| File / attachment APIs | Yes | The Attachment API uploads, downloads, and manages files associated with incidents, requests, changes, knowledge articles, and other permitted records. | Martini can transfer attachments as separate workflow operations, validate content metadata, and correlate them with the parent record. |
| Authentication | Yes | ServiceNow supports Basic Authentication, OAuth 2.0, mutual TLS, and selected API-key scenarios, with roles, scopes, ACLs, and integration-user permissions controlling access. | Martini stores credentials and tokens in secure environment configuration and sends the authentication required by the ServiceNow instance. |
| Database access | No | Direct access to the underlying ServiceNow SaaS database is not a normal customer integration mechanism; use APIs, imports, exports, or approved reporting interfaces. | Martini can connect to approved external databases but should access ServiceNow through its documented APIs and integration mechanisms. |
How ServiceNow IT Service Management exposes data and business events
ServiceNow REST APIs
ServiceNow REST APIs provide the primary interface for querying and modifying standard and custom tables. The Table API, Import Set API, Attachment API, Service Catalog API, CMDB APIs, Knowledge APIs, and Scripted REST APIs support different integration requirements.
Martini implementation pattern
Martini workflows authenticate to the ServiceNow instance, send filtered and paginated REST requests, transform JSON responses, and write results to target systems or expose normalized API responses. API permissions, ACLs, mandatory fields, reference behavior, and business rules are evaluated by the ServiceNow instance.
Implementation sequence
ServiceNow SOAP APIs
ServiceNow SOAP web services provide WSDL-based interfaces for inbound and legacy enterprise integrations. They remain relevant when an existing application requires SOAP rather than REST.
Martini implementation pattern
Martini consumes the configured WSDL-based service, transforms XML request and response structures, and coordinates SOAP operations with REST APIs or downstream systems. The workflow records SOAP faults separately from business validation failures.
Implementation sequence
ServiceNow outbound callbacks
ServiceNow can initiate outbound REST calls through REST messages, business rules, flows, notifications, IntegrationHub actions, or scripts for selected records and conditions. This is configuration-dependent rather than a universal webhook stream.
Martini implementation pattern
Martini exposes a controlled REST endpoint for the configured callback, validates the event contract, deduplicates using a correlation key, and launches downstream processing. A scheduled reconciliation workflow can recover events that were not delivered.
Implementation sequence
Import Set API
Import Sets, transform maps, data sources, and scheduled imports support bulk or asynchronous ingestion into ServiceNow. Import rows may be accepted, transformed, ignored, or rejected independently.
Martini implementation pattern
Martini batches source data, submits Import Set rows, tracks import and transform outcomes, and routes rejected rows for review. Coalescing keys and transform-map behavior are treated as part of the target contract rather than assuming that an accepted request means every record succeeded.
Implementation sequence
ServiceNow Attachment API
The Attachment API manages files associated with permitted ServiceNow records such as Incidents, Requests, Change Requests, and Knowledge Articles.
Martini implementation pattern
Martini handles the parent record and attachment transfer as separate but correlated workflow operations. Content type, size, naming, permissions, and retry behavior are validated before the file is uploaded or downloaded.
Implementation sequence
Common ServiceNow IT Service Management integration patterns
Pattern 1: Synchronize incidents with observability platforms
When to use this pattern
Use this pattern when Splunk, Datadog, or another operational platform must create and update ServiceNow incidents while receiving assignment, acknowledgement, or closure information.
Integration direction
Example Mapping
| ServiceNow IT Service Management Field | Canonical Field | Target Field |
|---|---|---|
| alert_id | externalCorrelationId | u_external_correlation_id |
| alert_message | description | description |
| severity | priority | priority |
| service | affectedService | business_service |
Martini implementation pattern
Martini receives the alert through an API, validates and enriches it, searches for an existing incident using a stable correlation key, and creates or updates incident only when appropriate. It returns the ServiceNow sys_id and routes transient failures to retry while separating authorization or validation errors.
Martini capabilities used
- API exposure
- workflows
- data mapping
- business rules
- error handling
Pattern 2: Synchronize employees to ServiceNow Users
When to use this pattern
Use this pattern when Workday or Microsoft Entra ID is the source of employee, department, manager, location, or employment-status changes used by ServiceNow workflows.
Integration direction
Example Mapping
| ServiceNow IT Service Management Field | Canonical Field | Target Field |
|---|---|---|
| worker_id | externalUserId | u_external_id |
| manager_id | managerExternalId | manager |
| employment_status | active | active |
Martini implementation pattern
A scheduled or event-driven workflow retrieves changed users, resolves manager and department references, and performs idempotent create-or-update operations on sys_user. Martini retains a watermark, handles inactive users explicitly, and reports ambiguous reference matches for correction.
Martini capabilities used
- scheduled workflows
- API consumption
- data mapping
- reference resolution
- validation
Pattern 3: Orchestrate change requests and approvals
When to use this pattern
Use this pattern when an application submits infrastructure or application changes and needs a normalized response for approval, scheduling, and completion status.
Integration direction
Example Mapping
| ServiceNow IT Service Management Field | Canonical Field | Target Field |
|---|---|---|
| issue_key | sourceChangeId | u_source_change_id |
| summary | changeDescription | short_description |
| planned_start | plannedStart | start_date |
| approval_status | approvalState | approval |
Martini implementation pattern
Martini exposes an API for change submissions, validates required fields and scheduling rules, maps the request to change_request, and returns a correlation identifier. It receives configured ServiceNow notifications or polls for lifecycle changes, then maps approval and completion statuses back to the source application.
Martini capabilities used
- API exposure
- workflows
- mapping
- business rules
- orchestration
- retry handling
Pattern 4: Load configuration items through Import Sets
When to use this pattern
Use this pattern for larger CMDB synchronization loads from infrastructure-management or cloud inventory platforms where individual Table API writes would be inefficient.
Integration direction
Example Mapping
| ServiceNow IT Service Management Field | Canonical Field | Target Field |
|---|---|---|
| asset_id | externalCiId | u_external_id |
| asset_name | name | name |
| asset_type | configurationItemClass | sys_class_name |
| owner | ownedBy | owned_by |
Martini implementation pattern
Martini extracts filtered inventory data, maps it into Import Set rows, submits controlled batches, and tracks transform-map outcomes. Coalescing keys prevent duplicate CIs, while rejected rows and post-transform errors are retained for review and later replay.
Martini capabilities used
- scheduled workflows
- batch processing
- data transformation
- business rules
- error handling
- reconciliation
Applications commonly integrated with ServiceNow IT Service Management
ServiceNow ITSM can be integrated with adjacent enterprise applications to coordinate incidents, users, changes, requests, alerts, and operational status. Martini can consume the relevant application APIs, receive configured callbacks, normalize payloads, and apply business rules without requiring a dedicated ServiceNow connector.
| Application | Scenario | Direction | Martini Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Entra ID | Synchronize users, groups, departments, managers, and identity attributes with ServiceNow User records and service workflows. | Microsoft Entra ID → Martini → ServiceNow IT Service Management | Use scheduled or event-driven API retrieval, match users with stable external identifiers, map identity attributes to sys_user, and route validation or authorization failures for review. |
| Microsoft Teams | Surface incidents, approvals, notifications, and service requests in collaboration channels and return selected updates to ServiceNow. | ServiceNow IT Service Management → Martini → Microsoft Teams | Receive configured ServiceNow outbound calls, normalize incident or approval data, invoke Microsoft Teams APIs, and correlate user actions or responses with the originating ServiceNow sys_id. |
| Salesforce | Create or update ServiceNow incidents from customer-facing cases and return assignment, resolution, or status information to Salesforce. | Salesforce → Martini → ServiceNow IT Service Management | Expose a Martini API for Salesforce requests, validate and map case data to incident, persist correlation identifiers, and synchronize status changes through callbacks or reconciliation. |
| Jira Software | Coordinate ServiceNow incidents, problems, or changes with software-development issues and delivery work. | ServiceNow IT Service Management → Martini → Jira Software | Map selected ServiceNow objects to Jira issues, apply routing rules by assignment group or category, and handle bidirectional updates with duplicate detection and conflict rules. |
| Splunk | Create ServiceNow incidents from operational alerts and return assignment, acknowledgement, or closure status to operations teams. | Splunk → Martini → ServiceNow IT Service Management | Receive alert payloads, deduplicate using an alert or correlation key, create or update incident through the Table API, and send normalized status responses to Splunk. |
| Datadog | Convert monitored events into ServiceNow incidents and coordinate assignment, acknowledgement, and closure. | Datadog → Martini → ServiceNow IT Service Management | Accept selected Datadog event notifications, enrich them with ownership and service mappings, apply incident creation rules, and update existing incidents idempotently. |
| Workday | Synchronize employee and organizational changes and trigger onboarding, offboarding, or access-related ServiceNow workflows. | Workday → Martini → ServiceNow IT Service Management | Retrieve changed worker data, map department, manager, location, and employment status to sys_user or request workflows, and retain watermarks for incremental processing. |
| NetSuite | Route finance or business-application support issues into ServiceNow and synchronize selected request or fulfillment statuses. | NetSuite → Martini → ServiceNow IT Service Management | Consume NetSuite events or scheduled API results, map support context to ServiceNow Request or Incident objects, and return correlated status updates through the relevant APIs. |
How to build a ServiceNow IT Service Management integration in Martini
Objective
Establish a controlled connection to the ServiceNow instance using the authentication and permissions appropriate for the selected APIs.
Instructions in Martini
- Select REST, SOAP, callback, Import Set, or Attachment API requirements
- Configure OAuth 2.0, Basic Authentication, mutual TLS, or another confirmed method
- Store credentials, tokens, and certificates in secured environment configuration
- Use a dedicated integration user with narrowly scoped roles and ACL access
Objective
Select an event-driven, callback, API-led, or scheduled trigger based on ServiceNow delivery behavior and synchronization needs.
Instructions in Martini
- Expose a Martini API for configured ServiceNow outbound calls
- Use a schedule for incremental retrieval with a watermark
- Define the ServiceNow table, event, condition, and payload contract
- Add reconciliation for notifications that may be delayed or missed
Objective
Retrieve or receive the current ServiceNow resource and supporting reference data needed for reliable processing.
Instructions in Martini
- Use filtered queries and explicit pagination
- Retrieve current state when callbacks contain partial payloads
- Resolve users, groups, CIs, and other reference fields deliberately
- Use Import Sets for suitable high-volume ingestion
Objective
Coordinate ServiceNow calls, downstream APIs, validation, enrichment, and asynchronous work in a maintainable Martini workflow.
Instructions in Martini
- Separate parent records from attachment operations
- Apply routing by table, state, priority, assignment group, or event
- Persist sys_id, external identifiers, correlation IDs, and watermarks
- Use reusable workflow logic for common ServiceNow operations
Objective
Transform ServiceNow JSON, XML, Import Set rows, and attachment metadata into the target system's canonical model.
Instructions in Martini
- Map actual objects such as Incident, User, Change Request, Request, and Configuration Item
- Prefer stable sys_id or external identifiers over display values
- Normalize dates, states, priorities, references, and enumerations
- Validate mandatory and instance-specific custom fields
Objective
Apply business rules that control deduplication, state transitions, permissions, routing, and partial-failure behavior.
Instructions in Martini
- Use a stable correlation key for idempotent create-or-update operations
- Respect ServiceNow mandatory fields, ACLs, workflows, and state transitions
- Distinguish transient errors from validation, authorization, and business-rule failures
- Handle Import Set rows independently when results are partial
Common ServiceNow IT Service Management data objects used in integrations
| Object | Typical Use | Common target systems | Martini handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incident | Create, route, update, synchronize, and close operational support incidents. | Splunk, Datadog, Salesforce, Jira Software, Microsoft Teams | Martini maps source alerts or cases to incident fields, persists sys_id and correlation keys, and applies state, priority, assignment, and retry rules. |
| Problem | Synchronize recurring issue investigations, root-cause analysis, and related incidents. | Jira Software, reporting platforms, knowledge systems | Martini retrieves or submits Problem data through REST APIs, maps relationships and ownership, and reconciles status changes. |
| Change Request | Submit, approve, schedule, and track infrastructure or application changes. | Jira Software, Microsoft Teams, cloud operations platforms | Martini validates change fields, maps approvals and scheduling data, and handles configured notifications or polling for lifecycle updates. |
| Request | Represent a user or business request submitted through the Service Catalog. | Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Workday, NetSuite | Martini normalizes request payloads, invokes Service Catalog or REST APIs, and correlates fulfillment status. |
| Requested Item | Track an individual catalog item and its fulfillment status within a Request. | Workday, identity platforms, procurement applications | Martini maps item-specific variables and statuses, handles reference lookups, and separates parent-request from item-level outcomes. |
| User | Synchronize users, departments, managers, contact details, and identity references. | Microsoft Entra ID, Workday, Salesforce | Martini uses stable external identifiers, maps reference fields explicitly, and applies idempotent create-or-update behavior. |
Authentication and security considerations
Authentication and authorization
ServiceNow supports Basic Authentication, OAuth 2.0, mutual TLS, and selected API-key scenarios depending on instance configuration. OAuth bearer tokens are commonly passed in the Authorization header.
- Use a dedicated integration user with the minimum required roles and ACL permissions.
- Align OAuth scopes, table permissions, field-level access, and ServiceNow roles with the workflow operations.
- Store credentials, tokens, and certificates in Martini secured environment configuration.
- Test read, create, update, attachment, and Import Set permissions separately.
Operational considerations for ServiceNow IT Service Management integrations
Reliability and instance protection
ServiceNow instances may enforce transaction quotas, rate limits, query restrictions, and other protections. Use filtered queries, explicit pagination, controlled concurrency, backoff, and batching where appropriate.
Data integrity
- Persist sys_id values, external identifiers, correlation IDs, and synchronization watermarks.
- Use Import Set coalescing carefully and distinguish import-row results from target-record results.
- Handle reference fields, mandatory fields, custom fields, state transitions, and business rules explicitly.
- Use an overlap window for incremental synchronization and deduplicate late or repeated updates.
Testing and monitoring
ServiceNow customizations can change field behavior, ACLs, reference resolution, and lifecycle rules. Test against the target instance, log request identifiers and outcomes without exposing credentials or sensitive ticket content, and reconcile periodically even when outbound notifications are configured.
Why use Martini instead of scripts or point-to-point integrations?
Maintainable integration orchestration
Martini provides a workflow and API layer between ServiceNow ITSM and surrounding enterprise applications. Instead of embedding point-to-point logic in scripts or individual applications, teams can centralize authentication, routing, transformation, validation, retries, and reconciliation.
- Consume REST or SOAP APIs and expose controlled APIs for ServiceNow callbacks.
- Reuse mappings and workflow logic across incidents, users, changes, requests, CIs, and attachments.
- Apply business rules for correlation, state transitions, reference lookups, and partial failures.
- Support real-time, scheduled, batch, and asynchronous designs while preserving operational visibility.
- Adapt mappings to ServiceNow custom tables and fields without assuming direct database access.
Frequently asked questions
ServiceNow ITSM can be integrated through its REST APIs, including the Table API, Import Set API, Attachment API, application-specific APIs, and Scripted REST APIs. SOAP web services support WSDL-based or legacy integrations, while configured outbound REST calls, notifications, flows, and events can notify external systems for selected conditions. Authentication and effective access depend on the instance configuration, integration user, roles, scopes, and ACLs.
Yes. Martini can consume ServiceNow REST or SOAP APIs, expose APIs for configured ServiceNow callbacks, orchestrate Import Set and Attachment API workflows, transform payloads, and implement scheduled reconciliation. No native Martini ServiceNow connector is documented in the supplied context, so the integration should use ServiceNow's confirmed native mechanisms.
No. A dedicated ServiceNow connector is not required. Martini can integrate using ServiceNow REST or SOAP APIs, configured outbound REST calls or callbacks, Import Sets, Attachment APIs, and the supported authentication methods for the instance.
Lonti does not charge an additional per-connector or per-vendor fee to integrate ServiceNow. The integration is subject to the provisioned capacity of the Martini environment. Separate costs may apply from ServiceNow, cloud infrastructure, or other third-party systems depending on subscription, usage, and deployment model.
REST is generally the preferred starting point for new integrations, using the Table API or a specialized API where available. Use the Import Set API for higher-volume ingestion and the Attachment API for files. SOAP is appropriate when a legacy application requires WSDL-based integration.
Martini can receive HTTP requests through an exposed API or webhook-oriented workflow. ServiceNow can be configured to send outbound REST calls for selected records, conditions, flows, business rules, or events. This is selective and configuration-dependent rather than a universal event stream, so the event contract and delivery behavior should be tested.
Martini can use filtered incremental queries, pagination, sys_updated_on or another watermark, and configured callbacks. It maps ServiceNow objects into canonical or target models, resolves reference fields explicitly, stores sys_id and external identifiers, and uses correlation keys or Import Set coalescing to make retries idempotent.
Martini workflows can distinguish transient transport failures from validation, authorization, ACL, and business-rule errors, then apply controlled retries and escalation. Large synchronizations can use filtered pages, controlled concurrency, and Import Set batches. Import and transform outcomes should be tracked per row because an accepted Import Set request does not guarantee that every target record succeeded.
Related Martini documentation
APIs
Operations
Connect ServiceNow ITSM with your enterprise systems
Use Martini to build maintainable ServiceNow ITSM integrations across APIs, callbacks, workflows, files, and batch processes.