ServiceNow AWS Integration Guide

Architecture Overview

Implementation Steps

var requestBody = JSON.parse(request.body.dataString);
var snsMessage = JSON.parse(requestBody.Message);
var incident = new GlideRecord('incident');
incident.short_description = 'AWS Alarm: ' + snsMessage.AlarmName;
incident.description = snsMessage.AlarmDescription;
incident.priority = snsMessage.NewStateReason.includes('ALARM') ? '2' : '4';
incident.assignment_group = 'AWS Operations Team';
incident.caller_id = gs.getUserID();
var incidentSysId = incident.insert();
return incidentSysId;

var awsAction = new sn_fd.FlowAPI();
var launchResult = awsAction.getRunner('AWS Service Management Connector', 'Launch EC2 Instance')
  .withInput('instance_type', current.variables.instance_type)
  .withInput('ami_id', current.variables.ami_id)
  .withInput('subnet_id', current.variables.subnet_id)
  .withInput('security_group_ids', current.variables.security_groups)
  .withInput('connection_alias', 'AWS_Production_Connection')
  .run();
current.work_notes = 'AWS EC2 instance launch initiated: ' + launchResult.instanceId;

var gr = new GlideRecord('cmdb_ci_ec2_instance');
gr.addQuery('install_status', 'Installed');
gr.query();
gs.info('Found ' + gr.getRowCount() + ' active EC2 instances in CMDB');
while (gr.next()) {
  gs.info('EC2 Instance: ' + gr.name + ', State: ' + gr.instance_state + ', Type: ' + gr.instance_type);
}

Common Use Cases

Troubleshooting

Pro Tips

• →Configure AWS CloudTrail integration to automatically create Change Records for infrastructure modifications by parsing CloudTrail logs through AWS Lambda functions that POST to ServiceNow's Table API. This provides complete audit trails for all AWS changes regardless of how they were performed.
• →Use AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store to centrally manage ServiceNow connection details and automate credential rotation by having Lambda functions update ServiceNow credential records when AWS access keys are rotated. This enhances security while reducing manual maintenance overhead.
• →Implement custom Business Rules on AWS Configuration Item tables to automatically trigger security compliance checks when new resources are discovered, such as validating security group configurations or ensuring proper tagging standards are followed.
• →Leverage ServiceNow's Predictive Intelligence capabilities to analyze historical AWS alarm patterns and proactively identify potential infrastructure issues before they trigger critical alerts, enabling preventive maintenance workflows.
• →Create custom Integration Hub actions that combine multiple AWS API calls to implement complex provisioning workflows, such as creating EC2 instances with all required networking, security, and monitoring configurations in a single Service Catalog request.
• →Use AWS Cost and Usage Reports delivered to S3 and processed through scheduled ServiceNow imports to maintain detailed cost allocation records linked to Configuration Items, enabling accurate chargeback and cost center reporting.

Known Limitations

• —AWS API rate limits vary by service but generally allow 5,000-10,000 requests per second with burst capabilities, requiring careful scheduling of discovery jobs and implementation of exponential backoff in custom integrations. Large AWS environments may require multiple discovery schedules spread across different time windows to avoid throttling.
• —The AWS Service Management Connector spoke requires Integration Hub Professional licensing and does not support all AWS services out of the box, particularly newer services or those in preview. Custom Integration Hub actions or REST Message configurations are needed for unsupported services.
• —Real-time event processing through SNS/SQS introduces latency of 2-5 seconds under normal conditions but can experience delays during AWS service disruptions. EventBridge rules have limits of 300 rules per account per region, which may require careful planning for large-scale integrations.
• —CMDB discovery of AWS resources in private VPCs requires MID Server deployment within the VPC or proper VPC peering/transit gateway configuration, adding network complexity and potential security considerations. Some AWS resource metadata is only available through specific API calls that require elevated permissions.
• —AWS CloudFormation and Terraform integration requires custom development as the out-of-box connector does not automatically track infrastructure-as-code deployments. Change tracking for IaC-deployed resources requires additional webhook configuration and custom Scripted REST API development.

Frequently Asked Questions