Understanding ServiceNow Dashboard Sharing: Where's the Data Stored?

Are you a ServiceNow administrator or developer working with Performance Analytics and responsive dashboards? Understanding how dashboard sharing works and where that information is stored is crucial for managing access and security effectively. This article provides a clear answer to where the information about shared dashboards lives within the ServiceNow platform, specifically which table is responsible.

Diving into Dashboard Sharing Details

When you share a dashboard in ServiceNow, whether with individual users, groups, or roles, this information isn't simply floating in the ether. It's meticulously recorded within a specific table. The key to unlocking this information lies within the pa_dashboards_permissions table.

This table serves as the central repository for managing access control to your Performance Analytics dashboards. Each record within this table represents a specific sharing permission, detailing which user, group, or role has access to a particular dashboard. Examining the fields within pa_dashboards_permissions reveals how ServiceNow meticulously controls who can view and interact with your dashboards.

Working with the pa_dashboards_permissions Table

The pa_dashboards_permissions table holds the data relating to who has access to the shared dashboard and with what permission/access rights. You can explore and query the table via All > Self-Service > Dashboards, and open up a dashboard record and click Share. There is an Add groups, users and roles where we are presented with User, Group, Role that we want to grant access to this specific dashboard. This defines what records are created on the pa_dashboards_permissions table for this particular shared dashboard record.

Practical Uses for this Knowledge

Knowing about the pa_dashboards_permissions table opens a range of possibilities:

• Auditing Dashboard Access: Quickly generate reports to identify who has access to sensitive dashboards.

• Troubleshooting Access Issues: Pinpoint why a specific user cannot view a dashboard.

• Automating Permission Management: Create scripts to programmatically manage dashboard sharing based on user attributes or roles.

• Integration with Workflows: As one user mentioned, use this information within workflows to automatically grant or revoke access based on request approvals or other triggers. For example, a new employee onboarding workflow could automatically grant them access to relevant dashboards.

  
  

While direct manipulation of this table via scripts should be approached with caution (always test in a development environment first!), understanding its structure is invaluable. You might leverage this table's information to create custom reports or integrations. For example, if you need to list all users that have access to particular dashboard from a workflow. This is also useful in situations to create some data driven dashboards based on roles/groups that user has so it's dynamic and always presents users relevant data at hand without any complex implementations.

Alternative Methods to Explore Shared Dashboards:

Instead of interacting directly with the pa_dashboards_permissions table for access control from request workflows you may consider calling existing Script Includes pa_SharingService (starting in Rome)

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

The pa_dashboards_permissions table is the definitive source of truth for dashboard sharing information in ServiceNow. By understanding its structure and contents, you can effectively manage access, troubleshoot issues, and even automate administrative tasks related to your Performance Analytics dashboards.

Your next steps could include:

• Exploring the table: Navigate to pa_dashboards_permissions in your ServiceNow instance and examine its fields.

• Creating a report: Build a simple report to list dashboards and their associated users/groups/roles.

• Developing a script (in a development environment): Experiment with using scripting to retrieve or modify dashboard sharing permissions (exercise caution!).

  
  

By mastering this fundamental aspect of ServiceNow dashboarding, you'll be better equipped to ensure the right people have access to the right data at the right time.