Database Schema and Tables Flashcards
7 cards from real CSA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Database Schema and Tables flashcards as text
In ServiceNow, what does the 'sys_id' field represent in every table?
Answer: A globally unique 32-character hexadecimal identifier
The sys_id is a 32-character GUID (globally unique identifier) automatically assigned to every record in every ServiceNow table.
Which ServiceNow table stores all table definitions and metadata about tables themselves?
Answer: sys_db_object
The sys_db_object table stores metadata about all tables defined in the ServiceNow instance, including table name, label, and parent.
What is the purpose of the 'sys_dictionary' table in ServiceNow?
Answer: It defines field-level metadata such as type, max length, and attributes for each column
The sys_dictionary table contains one row per field per table, storing the field's data type, length, default value, and other attributes.
When you extend a table in ServiceNow, records in the child table are stored:
Answer: In both the parent and child tables, with sys_id linking them
ServiceNow uses table inheritance where a child record has a row in the parent table (for inherited fields) and a row in the child table (for extended fields), joined by sys_id.
Which field type should you choose in ServiceNow when you need to store a reference to another record in a different table?
Answer: Reference
The Reference field type stores the sys_id of a record in a specified target table and displays the record's display value.
What does the 'sys_class_name' field indicate on a record in a table hierarchy?
Answer: The actual table (class) the record belongs to within the inheritance hierarchy
sys_class_name stores the specific extended table name the record belongs to, allowing ServiceNow to reconstruct the full record from the hierarchy.
In ServiceNow, a 'Many-to-Many' relationship between two tables is typically implemented using:
Answer: Both B and C are valid approaches
ServiceNow supports M2M relationships via Glide List fields (which store multiple sys_ids) or via explicit junction tables; both are valid, with junction tables preferred for richer relationship data.