ServiceNow integration variable deletion after Aria Automation catalog updates causes data loss in historical requests

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

This article addresses a data integrity issue within the integration between VMware Aria Automation and ServiceNow.

Symptoms:

• When catalog variables are updated or versioned in Aria Automation, the corresponding variable schema strings in ServiceNow (e.g., BusinessOwner__2) are deleted and replaced by new versions (e.g., BusinessOwner__3). This causes:

  • Historical Requested Items (RITMs) to lose data as the underlying variables they reference are purged from the system dictionary.

  • Active workflows to fail when they attempt to resolve properties (such as hostnames or owners) using the now-deleted version suffixes.

Environment

Aria Automation 8.18.x

ServiceNow ITSM Plug-in 9.0.2

Cause

The is identified as a product issue. By design, the current version of the ITSM plug-in deletes variables associated with an unpublished or superseded version of a custom form in Aria Automation. This purge is immediate, preventing historical records from referencing the original variable schema.

Resolution

Engineering is currently developing a fix to change the plugin behavior. The intended resolution will ensure that instead of permanent deletion, older variable versions are marked as active: false, preserving the data for auditing and historical request viewing.

• Estimated Fix Availability: Expected by late 2026.

• Prerequisites: None currently required; the fix will be delivered via a plug-in update.

Workaround To mitigate data loss for custom fields and prevent them from being purged during Aria catalog syncs, users can utilize the Custom Variable feature within the ServiceNow ITSM plug-in. These variables are managed independently of the Aria Automation synchronization lifecycle.

Steps to implement a Custom Variable:

1. Navigate to the catalog item in the ServiceNow ITSM Plug-in for VCF Automation.

2. Ensure the Application Scope is set to Global.

3. Under the Variables section, click New to create a custom field.

   • Note: Use order ranges 10002–10099 for these fields.

4. For existing Day 2 actions, run the fix script: 'Provision of Custom Variable for Day 2s'.

5. When creating Client Scripts for these variables, set the UI Type to All to ensure compatibility across both Native UI and Service Portal.