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Service Manager modes: Classic, Codeless, and Hybrid

Service Manager 9.5x or later is available in two modes: Hybrid and Codeless. 9.4x versions of Service Manager are additionally available in Classic mode. The main difference between the three modes is the extent to which Process Designer technology is implemented.

Note In versions of Service Manager before 9.40, Process Designer functionality was available only through content packs.

  • Service Manager Classic uses legacy workflows and functionality, with the exception of the Service Level Management and Knowledge Management modules, which are re-factored to use Process Designer-based workflows. Classic mode is not available in Service Manager 9.50 or later.

  • In Service Manager Codeless, Process Designer workflows and functionality are fully implemented in the Service Desk, Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, Request Fulfillment, Knowledge Management, Service Level Management, and Service Catalog modules.

  • Service Manager Hybrid is designed to ease the transition between Service Manager Classic and Service Manager Codeless. In Hybrid mode, Process Designer technology is fully implemented, however you can to continue to use legacy technology such as Format Control. This enables you to continue to use tailoring that you implemented using legacy technology until the time that you choose to migrate Service Manager to Codeless mode.

    Upgrade paths

    Codeless mode is directly available to new customers and to existing customers who are already running Service Manager 9.5x Codeless, 9.4x Codeless, or Service Manager 9.3x with Process Designer Content Pack (PDCP) 4 installed. Otherwise, you must migrate your system to Codeless mode from a Hybrid mode version (for specific upgrade paths, see the following illustration).

    Hybrid mode is available to customers who are upgrading from Service Manager 9.3x without PDCP 4 installed, Service Manager 9.4x (either Classic or Hybrid), or Service Manager 9.5x (Hybrid). If you are upgrading from 9.3x or from 9.4x Classic, the Applications Upgrade Utility automatically migrates much of your data and business logic to Process Designer. For more information, refer to the Service Manager Applications upgrade documentation.

    The following table provides an overview of the functional implementation of freshly-upgraded Service Manager Codeless and Service Manager Hybrid systems (that is, this table does not include the possibilities presented by additional manual tailoring).

    Module Functional implementation
    Codeless Hybrid
    Service Desk Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer workflow and migrated Classic workflow
    Object Process Designer (migrated from Classic object)
    Security Process Designer (migrated from Classic profiles)
    Category records OOB Process Designer records and migrated Classic records
    Incident Management Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer workflow and migrated Classic workflow
    Object Process Designer (migrated from Classic object)
    Security Process Designer (migrated from Classic profiles)
    Category records OOB Process Designer records and migrated Classic records
    Alerts OOB Process Designer alerts and migrated Classic alerts
    Solution matching Process Designer (migrated from Classic solution matching)
    Problem Management Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer
    Object OOB Process Designer
    Security Process Designer (migrated from Classic profiles)
    Category records OOB Process Designer records and migrated Classic records
    Known Errors Process Designer (migrated from Classic Known Errors)
    Change Management Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer workflow and migrated Classic workflow, or OOB Process Designer if upgrading from a PDCP3 system
    Objects Process Designer (migrated from Classic objects), or OOB Process Designer if upgrading from a PDCP3 system
    Security Process Designer (migrated from Classic profiles), or OOB Process Designer if upgrading from a PDCP3 system
    Category records OOB Process Designer records
    Request Management Workflows N/A N/A (unless manually configured)
    Object
    Security
    Category records
    Request Fulfillment Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer
    Object
    Security
    Category records
    Service Level Management Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer
    Object
    Security
    Category records
    Knowledge Management Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer
    Object
    Security
    Category records
    Service Catalog Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer
    Object
    Security
    Category records
    Configuration Management Workflows OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer
    Object OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer
    Security OOB Process Designer Process Designer (migrated from Classic profiles)
    Category records OOB Process Designer OOB Process Designer records and migrated Classic records
    Contract records Classic Classic