Resources

Troubleshoot ServiceNow application issues

The Itential Automation Services (IAS) application integrates ServiceNow with Itential Automation Platform, enabling you to select Platform instances, choose automations, configure manual triggers, and initiate workflows through rendered JSON forms. The application includes modular Actions that encapsulate specific Itential API calls (such as get token and get list of automations) and sample Flow templates that demonstrate how to chain these Actions for common use cases.

This guide helps you diagnose and resolve common issues with the IAS ServiceNow application, including connectivity problems, authentication failures, and form rendering errors.

Before you begin

Ensure the following prerequisites are met:

  • Application installed: Verify the Itential Automation Services application is installed from the ServiceNow app store
  • Active Platform instance: Confirm you have an active Itential Automation Platform instance
  • User roles: Verify users have at least one required role: x_itent_services.user or x_itent_services.admin
  • Instance configuration: Confirm the Itential Platform Instances table contains correct instance details (host, roles, credentials, MID server)
  • MID server status: If using a MID server, verify it’s running and properly configured

Troubleshooting workflow

Follow these steps to diagnose and resolve issues:

1

Verify installation and configuration

Review the Installation and Configuration Guide to ensure all setup steps were completed correctly.

2

Check for common errors

Review the Common errors section for known issues and resolutions.

3

Review diagnostic logs

Check the Network tab and system logs for detailed error information.

4

Contact support

If the issue persists, contact Itential support with relevant logs and error details.

Common errors

Instance not configured

Symptoms: Unable to connect to or select Platform instance

Resolution:

1

Verify instance configuration

Check the Itential Platform Instances Config table contains correct data including hostname, credentials, roles, and MID server configuration. See Configure Instances Table for details.

2

Confirm user roles

Ensure the user has at least one of the required roles: x_itent_services.user or x_itent_services.admin. See Install and Config for role assignment instructions.

3

Check group membership

Verify the user belongs to groups with appropriate permissions, particularly REST access to ServiceNow table APIs.

4

Clear browser cache

Clear your browser cache or open an incognito session. Alternatively, navigate to <servicenow-instance>/cache.do.

Group membership restrictions are a common issue. Ensure users have REST access to ServiceNow table APIs.

Authentication failures

Symptoms: Login errors, 401 Unauthorized responses, or credential validation failures

Resolution:

Verify the credentials in the Itential Platform Instances table are correct. Note that sensitive fields use Password (2-Way Encrypted) format and appear masked for security.

Credentials are encrypted in the Itential Platform Instances table. To verify, you may need to re-enter credentials or test them directly against the Platform.

Connectivity issues

Symptoms: Connection timeout errors, network unreachable messages, or SSL/TLS errors

Common causes:

  • Firewall, ACL, or routing restrictions between ServiceNow and Itential servers
  • DNS resolution issues when using fully-qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Self-signed certificate validation failures

Resolution for self-signed certificates:

2

Configure certificate trust

In the Miscellaneous section at the bottom, verify the following settings:

  • The first item in Trusting Certificates should be checked
  • The second item in TLS should not be checked

Specifically:

  • com.glide.communications.trustmanager_trust_all should be true
  • com.glide.communications.httpclient.verify_hostname should be false
3

Verify changes

Access the following URLs to confirm settings:

https://<your-servicenow-host>/sys_properties_list.do?sysparm_query=nameSTARTSWITHcom.glide.communications.trustmanager_trust_allandsysparm_first_row=1andsysparm_view=
https://<your-servicenow-host>/sys_properties_list.do?sysparm_query=nameSTARTSWITHcom.glide.communications.httpclient.verify_hostnameandsysparm_first_row=1andsysparm_view=

Alternative solution: Configure a MID server to provide access to your Itential server. See MID server configuration for details.

Automations not appearing

Symptoms: Automation dropdown is empty or missing expected automations

Resolution:

1

Verify Platform permissions

Confirm the user account configured in the Itential Platform Instances table has operations-manager:apiread permissions in the Platform.

2

Test credentials

Log into the Platform using the same credentials from the Itential Platform Instances table and verify you can see the automation in the Platform UI.

Triggers not appearing

Symptoms: Trigger dropdown shows “No Manual Triggers” or is empty

Possible causes:

  • Insufficient Platform permissions
  • Automation has no manual triggers configured
  • Unsupported trigger types (API, Event, or Schedule triggers)
  • Corrupt or malformed trigger configuration

Resolution:

1

Check permissions

Verify the Platform user has operations-manager:apiread permissions.

2

Confirm trigger type

Ensure the automation has at least one Manual Trigger. The IAS application only supports manual triggers.

3

Validate trigger configuration

Verify all triggers are properly configured by accessing:

<Platform-instance>/operations-manager/triggers

This endpoint should return a complete list of triggers without errors.

The IAS ServiceNow application does not support API, Event, or Schedule type triggers.

JSON form not rendering

Symptoms: Form fails to display or dynamic dropdowns don’t populate

Possible causes:

  • Insufficient Platform permissions
  • Dynamic dropdown data source issues
  • Unsupported nested dynamic forms

Resolution:

1

Verify form permissions

Confirm the user has forms:apiread permissions in the Platform.

2

Check dynamic dropdown permissions

If the form includes dynamic dropdowns, verify the user has adapters:read permissions to access adapter endpoints.

3

Review form structure

Confirm the form doesn’t use nested dynamic dropdowns, which are not currently supported.

Important: Nested dynamic JSON forms (where one dynamic dropdown’s values depend on another dynamic dropdown selection) are not supported in the current IAS version.

Required permissions

The following table lists required permissions for each component:

ComponentPlatform PermissionsServiceNow Roles
Automationsoperations-manager:apireadx_itent_services.user
Triggersoperations-manager:apireadx_itent_services.user
JSON Formsforms:apireadx_itent_services.user
Jobsoperations-manager:apiread
operations-manager:apiwrite		x_itent_services.user
Dynamic Dropdownadapters:read (for accessing adapter endpoints)x_itent_services.user
Itential Platform Instances Config TableNot applicablex_itent_services.admin
Nested Dynamic FormsNot supported in current IAS versionNot applicable

For complete permission details, see the Installation Guide on the ServiceNow app store.

Debugging with network tab

While the IAS application displays error messages in the UI, the browser’s Network tab provides deeper diagnostic information for authentication, API calls, and data retrieval issues.

Steps to check the Network tab

1

Open Developer Tools

Right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect, or press:

  • Windows/Linux: F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I
  • Mac: Cmd+Option+I
3

Filter requests

Use the search bar to filter for makeRestCall requests. These contain REST API details sent from ServiceNow to the Platform.

4

Inspect request payload

Click on a makeRestCall request and navigate to the Payload section to view:

  • Request headers
  • Request body content
  • API endpoint details

This will help determine if the request is being properly formatted and sent.

5

Review response

Click the Response tab to examine:

  • Status codes (e.g., 401 Unauthorized, 500 Internal Server Error)
  • Error messages
  • Response data

Look for error messages, status codes, or missing data that might indicate the cause of failure.

6

Identify the failure point

Analyze the response to determine the issue:

  • Authentication errors: Check credentials and API tokens in the Itential Platform Instances table. The issue may be related to incorrect credentials or API tokens.
  • Automation retrieval failures: Verify instance configuration and user permissions. Check whether the correct instance and permissions are being used.
  • Platform errors: Review error messages from the Platform for root cause details. Any error messages returned by the Platform will provide clues about the root cause.

Checking application logs

ServiceNow system logs provide detailed information about API calls and integration errors.

Steps to access and review logs

1

Access system logs

In the left-hand navigation panel, search for “System Logs” and select System Logs > All to view a comprehensive list of logs.

2

Filter for IAS logs

Navigate to System Logs > Application Logs and select the Itential Automation Services Application filter. Look for entries related to API calls.

3

Review log entries

Identify any error messages, warnings, or failed API requests that might indicate the root cause. Look for:

  • Error messages
  • Warning indicators
  • Failed API requests
  • Stack traces
4

Document errors

Note down error codes, timestamps, and stack traces for further investigation or support escalation if needed.

MID server configuration

If you encounter certificate or hostname validation issues with your MID server in development environments, you can disable validation checks.

Steps to configure MID server security

2

Access security policy

Open the MID Security Policy for your MID server.

3

Disable validation checks

Turn off one or more of the following properties as needed:

  • Certificate Chain Check
  • Hostname Check
  • Revocation Check

Important: Only disable certificate validation in development environments. Production environments should maintain full certificate validation for security.

Browser caching issues

After upgrading the IAS application, cached browser content may cause synchronization issues between the GUI and backend components. The underlying reason is that code in the frontend GUI provides information to the backend components on the ServiceNow server. If the frontend is running an older version of code, it could be out-of-sync and not providing the information the newer backend code needs.

Symptoms:

  • Unusual behavior after application upgrade
  • Form submission errors
  • Out-of-sync data between frontend and backend
  • Strange behavior that wasn’t present before the upgrade

Resolution:

1

Clear browser cache

Clear your browser cache completely after upgrading the IAS application. This is the recommended approach for all ServiceNow users who access the Itential ServiceNow Application.

2

Test in incognito mode

If you are unable to clear the cache and see strange behavior after an upgrade, try the application in incognito or private browsing mode to verify behavior.

3

Try alternative browser

Test the application in a fresh browser to eliminate browser caching issues. This will help rule out browser-specific caching problems.

Browser caching can cause the frontend GUI to run outdated code that’s incompatible with upgraded backend components. Always clear cache after upgrades to ensure synchronization between GUI and application code.

Get support

For additional assistance with the IAS ServiceNow application, contact the Itential Service Desk.

See the Itential Service Desk for information on:

  • What to include in support tickets
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) details
  • Support contact methods

When contacting support, include:

  • Error messages and status codes
  • Screenshots of the issue
  • Network tab request/response details
  • Application logs
  • Steps to reproduce the issue