Setting up the ServiceNOW CMDB Connector

Last Updated: 15 April 2026 by Sanjay Subramaniam

Prerequisites

Before setting up the ServiceNow CMDB connector, ensure you have:

A ServiceNow OAuth client created with Client ID and Client Secret
An OAuth client configured with scopes that allow reading CMDB and related tables
Access to Paratira with permission to add connectors
The sys_id of the ServiceNow Company record representing the customer

Technical Audience

IT administrator or integration engineer responsible for managing ServiceNow CMDB OAuth credentials and customer mappings in Paratira.

Granting Access to ServiceNow

The connector authenticates using OAuth client credentials. Ensure the OAuth client has permission to read the following ServiceNow tables: cmdb_ci, cmdb_rel_ci, ast_contract, contract_model, and service_offering.

Step-by-Step Connector Setup in Paratira

Step 1: Access Connector Setup

Log in to Paratira
Go to Settings
Select Connectors
Click Add a new connector

Step 2: Select ServiceNow CMDB Connector

In the "Add new connector" wizard, click the By technology tab
Select the ServiceNow CMDB tile
Choose One to One or One to Many as applicable
Click Next

Step 3: Enter Connection Credentials

Fill in the following:

Name: Friendly connector name
Instance: Enter the name of the ServiceNow instance URL (e.g. Acme where acme.service-now.com)
Client ID: OAuth client ID from ServiceNow
Client Secret: OAuth client secret from ServiceNow
Click Next

Step 4: Map to Paratira Customer

Retrieve the sys_id of the ServiceNow Company record representing the customer
Enter the Company sys_id in the mapping field
This associates ingested data to the correct Paratira customer
Click Next

Step 5: Test Connection

Click Test Connection
Paratira will validate API access and verify ability to read CMDB and contract data
Upon success, click Next

Step 6: Complete Setup

Review connector details
Click Finish
The connector will be listed in Paratira and start initial data ingestion automatically

Data Collection Details

Paratira collects:

Configuration items (cmdb_ci and subclasses)
CI relationships (cmdb_rel_ci)
Contract-related CIs (ast_contract and contract_model)
Service offerings (service_offering)

Authentication Details

Uses OAuth 2.0 client credentials grant
Requires valid Client ID and Client Secret with appropriate scopes
Paratira securely stores credentials and manages token refresh
HTTPS communication with ServiceNow API endpoint at https://<instance>.service-now.com

Troubleshooting

401 Unauthorized

Confirm OAuth client ID and secret are correct
Verify OAuth client has required scopes and is active

403 Forbidden

Check API access permissions in ServiceNow
Verify company sys_id is valid and accessible by the OAuth client

Connection failure

Verify network connectivity to ServiceNow instance
Confirm OAuth client credentials have not expired or been revoked

No data ingested

Ensure CMDB tables contain data
Confirm OAuth scopes include read access to all relevant tables

Best Practices

Use a dedicated OAuth client with least privilege scopes
Store and rotate client secrets securely
Regularly verify data ingestion completeness in Paratira
Validate sys_id mappings when customers change or are added

Support Resources

Should you have any issues, feel free to reach out to: sanjay.subramaniam@raioam.com