How to Manage ServiceNow Storage and Avoid Exceeding Storage Limits

Poor management of ServiceNow storage can lead to a number of issues.

Firstly, users that exceed the ServiceNow storage limit are subject to additional storage fees. 

Secondly, if left unaddressed, ServiceNow records can accumulate within database tables and impact the performance of the instance. This issue often manifests as slow dashboards, reports, queries and data transfers – issues that impact employees using ServiceNow and employees in other departments reliant on ServiceNow data.

As such, having the ability to calculate the volume of records in tables within your ServiceNow instance and total storage usage can help you avoid additional fees and optimize performance.

Table of contents:

1. What is ServiceNow’s Storage Limit?
2. How Much Does Additional ServiceNow Storage Cost?
3. How To Manage ServiceNow Data Growth and Avoid Exceeding the ServiceNow Storage Limit

What is ServiceNow’s Storage Limit?

ServiceNow’s storage limit is contractual, not technical. Meaning users can exceed the storage limit but should expect additional charges from ServiceNow for doing so. 

ServiceNow have not made a standard contractual limit public, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the typical contractual limit is 4TB. 

But while the storage limit is contractual, technical limitations on the platform mean that users will experience poor performance if the volume of records in tables grows beyond a certain threshold.

How Much Does Additional ServiceNow Storage Cost?

As with the contractual limit, ServiceNow do not list standardized pricing for additional storage. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it is purchasable in 1TB chunks, with some users citing that each additional TB is priced at around $20,000. 

Users in need of additional storage are encouraged to speak with a ServiceNow sales representative, which indicates that there may be some room for negotiation. 

However, users should note that additional storage will not improve performance if existing tables are still hosting large volumes of records.

How To Manage ServiceNow Data Growth and Avoid Exceeding the ServiceNow Storage Limit

Step 1: Calculate Current Usage 

Method #1: Record Estimator

To effectively manage ServiceNow data growth, users need to understand what their ServiceNow instance is storing.

Available from the ServiceNow Store, Record Estimator is a free application that allows users to manage ServiceNow data growth, as well as avoid performance issues and exceeding the ServiceNow storage limit.

With Record Estimator, users can calculate the number of records in any table in an instance, get visibility into table growth over time, and set up alerts to notify users when record totals approach a user-defined threshold.

Key benefits of Record Estimator include:

• Understand the number of records in any table in an instance – with optional filtering and grouping available to refine reports
• Understand the number of records created in a table during a time period
• View reports that illustrate data growth over time
• Set alerts to notify users when records in a table reach a user-defined threshold

Method #2: Instance Database Footprint

Instance Database Footprint can be used to calculate the database size of one instance. 

Users can view their Instance Database Footprint by navigating through:

Now Support > Automation Store > Instance Management > Database Footprint.

Users can then select the instance they would like to run the calculation on, and the number of tables (10 – 100) included in the results.

Other Methods: 

Application Usage Overview

Users can also view the instance database size via a usage Application Usage Overview.

Custom Report

Custom reports can also be used to calculate ServiceNow database size.

Step 2: Off-platform Archiving

After using Record Estimator to calculate current record volumes, users will understand how much data they need to shed from their instance.

However, a lot of the data stored within ServiceNow is subject to data retention requirements – in both legal regulations and internal policy.

Users can retain ServiceNow data and save space by archiving the data off-platform. 

ServiceNow’s own archiving feature does not save users storage space as it supports on-platform archiving only, moving data from production tables to archive tables. 

However, Data Archive is available from ServiceNow partner’s Perspectium, and allows users to archive ServiceNow data within their own repositories where storage is far more cost-efficient, and enterprise-wide access can be governed without requiring additional ServiceNow licenses.

With Data Archive, ServiceNow users get a no-code, ServiceNow-native application that enables:

• Off-platform archiving to external databases of your choice
• Repeat archive events: Archive records as many times as required and to multiple targets simultaneously
• Restore archived data to ServiceNow: Restore data by the record, table or multiple tables whenever required
• Scheduled and on-demand archiving: Archive as and when required, or to a pre-defined schedule

If you would like a demo of Data Archive, or you’d like to speak to a sales rep for more information, click here.