Including Scheduled Jobs in Update Sets

ServiceNow Update Sets are a cornerstone of the platform's deployment and migration strategy. They allow administrators and developers to package customizations made in a development instance and seamlessly move them to higher environments like testing or production. While many types of configurations are automatically captured, a common question arises regarding Scheduled Jobs. Are these automated processes, crucial for various ServiceNow functionalities, included in Update Sets by default? Understanding this aspect is vital for ensuring a smooth and complete deployment of your ServiceNow applications and configurations.

This article will clarify whether Scheduled Jobs are captured by Update Sets and explain how you can manage their deployment effectively.

The short answer to whether ServiceNow Scheduled Jobs are automatically captured by Update Sets is: no, they are not by default. This might seem counterintuitive, as Scheduled Jobs often represent significant customizations and business logic within your ServiceNow instance. The reason behind this default behavior lies in how ServiceNow tracks customizations.

Understanding Update Set Capture

ServiceNow Update Sets function by recording changes made to tables that have the update_synch attribute set to true in their dictionary entries. This attribute essentially flags whether changes to records in that table should be tracked and included in the current Update Set.

Why Scheduled Jobs Are Excluded by Default

The table that stores Scheduled Jobs (sysauto) does not have the update_synch attribute set to true by default. Consequently, when you create or modify a Scheduled Job, these changes are not automatically recorded in your active Update Set. This design decision likely stems from the fact that Scheduled Jobs often involve time-sensitive configurations or might be specific to a particular environment.

Enabling the Capture of Scheduled Jobs in Update Sets

If you wish to include Scheduled Jobs in your Update Sets for easier deployment, you can manually configure this. Here's how:

1. Navigate to System Definition > Dictionary.

2. Search for the Table Name: In the "Table" field, enter sysauto (the table name for Scheduled Jobs).

3. Open the Table Definition: Click on the record for the sysauto table.

4. Navigate to the Attributes Tab: Locate and click on the "Attributes" tab.

5. Add the update_synch Attribute: In the "Attributes" field, add the attribute update_synch=true. If there are already other attributes present, ensure you separate them with a comma. For example, it might look like no_audit=true,update_synch=true.

6. Click Update: Save your changes.

Important Considerations After Enabling Capture

• Scope: Once you set update_synch to true for the sysauto table, any subsequent creation or modification of Scheduled Jobs will be captured in your active Update Set.

• Existing Scheduled Jobs: Changes made to Scheduled Jobs before you enabled the update_synch attribute will not be automatically added to existing Update Sets. You would need to either manually update those jobs or create a new Update Set and re-save them to capture them.

• Potential Conflicts: When deploying Update Sets containing Scheduled Jobs to higher environments, be mindful of potential conflicts if the target instance already has Scheduled Jobs with the same names or functionalities. Thorough testing in a non-production environment is always recommended.

• Alternative Solutions for Deployment: While enabling update_synch allows you to capture Scheduled Jobs in Update Sets, another approach is to export and import them as XML files. This method provides more granular control over which specific Scheduled Jobs are moved between instances. You can do this by navigating to System Definition > Scheduled Jobs, opening the desired job, and then using the "Export to XML" UI Action.

Use Cases for Including Scheduled Jobs in Update Sets

• Deploying custom automation logic that relies on Scheduled Jobs.

• Migrating specific scheduled data cleanup or integration processes to different environments.

• Maintaining consistency of scheduled tasks across your ServiceNow landscape.

Conclusion

In summary, ServiceNow Scheduled Jobs are not automatically included in Update Sets by default due to the absence of the update_synch attribute on their underlying table. However, by manually adding this attribute to the sysauto table's dictionary entry, you can enable the capture of Scheduled Jobs in your Update Sets for easier deployment and migration. Remember to consider the implications of this change, especially regarding existing jobs and potential conflicts in target environments. For more control over deployment, consider exporting and importing Scheduled Jobs as XML files. Understanding how ServiceNow handles Scheduled Jobs in Update Sets is crucial for effectively managing and deploying your platform customizations. The next step is to evaluate your deployment needs and decide whether enabling the update_synch attribute for Scheduled Jobs or utilizing XML exports is the most suitable approach for your specific scenarios.