How to Create a ServiceNow Instance?

What is a ServiceNow Instance and Its Types?

A ServiceNow Instance is a unique environment within the ServiceNow ecosystem that comprises all your applications, configurations, and data. It is like a personalized, isolated, and secure platform for your organization. Each instance is self-contained and includes everything needed to run and customize ServiceNow. Any change that you make within an example, such as workflows, form designs, or custom applications, is specific to your environment. 

There are various use cases you can apply to your organization, depending on your requirements.

ServiceNow Instance Types

Here are all the ServiceNow Instance Types based on the development and deployment lifecycle:

1. Production Instance: The production instance is the live environment where real users interact with ServiceNow. Any action that you take here directly affects day-to-day business operations.
2. Development (Dev) Instance: The development instance is used by the developers to build, test, and customize applications or features. It’s completely isolated from production to avoid any accidental disruptions.
3. Test or QA Instance: This instance is used for quality assurance, regression testing, and user acceptance testing. It mirrors production, but it is safe to run tests before deploying updates.
4. Sandbox Instance: A temporary, experimental environment you can use to test new ideas or run training without affecting other environments. 

Preview/Upgrade Instance: A Preview or Upgrade Instance is a temporary instance used during upgrade cycles. Customers can test how their current configuration behaves in the new ServiceNow version in this space.

Each instance type plays a critical role in ensuring a smooth development-to-production pipeline, minimizing risk, and ensuring quality.

Creation of Instance

Instances are essential for the easy workflow, and creating an instance is also an easy task in a few steps: 

Step 1: Go to https://developer.servicenow.com. 

Step 2: Click on the “Sign up and start building” option on the Website.

Step 3: You will be redirected to an interface with your email ID and verification options via email. 

Step 4: After logging in, in the top menu, select the instance option under manage. (Here you will get access to active instances, requests to create new ones, and their status.)

Step 5: Click on Request New Instance. This will open a pop-up to select the ServiceNow release version. Select the latest version, like Yokohama. (It will take a few minutes to create)

Step 6: Once creation is completed, the screen will show:

Step 7: Log in to the ServiceNow Instance using the URL, enter the details, and password. 

Finally, you have access to your own ServiceNow Instance.

What’s Next? 

In the next section, you will be introduced to the ServiceNow User Interface. The chapter will cover the User Interface and the user profile, along with their key components.