Problem

ServiceNow incidents can be configured to send notifications through Everbridge based on CMDB lookup mappings. In some situations, the incident is processed, but notifications are not delivered to the intended participants. This occurs when the CMDB lookup maps the ServiceNow assignment group to an Everbridge group that does not exist. When this happens, the lookup may return an incorrect or non-existent Everbridge group, so the expected recipients do not receive notifications.

Root Cause

Notifications are matched based on the variables sent from ServiceNow and the CMDB lookup mapping. The match is based on the values of those variables, including the ServiceNow assignment group and related fields. If the CMDB lookup maps these variables to an Everbridge group that does not exist, notifications will not be delivered to participants.

Because the lookup depends on an exact match, including capitalization, unintentional variations in the group name or other variables can prevent the mapping from returning a valid group. If the value sent from ServiceNow differs from the configured mapping or the existing Everbridge group, the result is a mapping to an incorrect or non-existent group and missed notifications.

Solution

To resolve notification failures caused by CMDB lookup mismatches, verify what is being sent from ServiceNow, confirm what Everbridge is receiving, and correct the CMDB mapping to point to an existing group name that matches exactly.

Use the following steps:

• Check the CMDB lookup mapping: Open the CMDB lookup and select the ServiceNow assignment group combination you are using. The lookup will show which Everbridge group it currently points to. This exposes whether the mapping returns an incorrect or non-existent Everbridge group, including cases where the group name differs only by capitalization.

• Review variables from ServiceNow: Review the variables being sent from ServiceNow because the match is based on those variables. Inspect the ServiceNow record (such as the value that indicates which groups to notify) to confirm the exact string sent to Everbridge.

• Verify connector and API activity: Check Everbridge API or logging to see which requests were received and the timestamps for those requests. Compare those timestamps with ServiceNow event times, keeping timezone differences in mind, and check any available ServiceNow connector logs to see whether the connector issued the API call for the relevant event times.

• Confirm the Everbridge group name: In Everbridge, verify that a group exists with the exact name sent from ServiceNow and that the group is linked to the appropriate calendar. If the search returns no matching group, the mapping points to a non-existent group.

• Correct the CMDB mapping: Edit the mapping in the CMDB lookup, remove or correct the incorrect group mapping, and select the correct Everbridge group. Ensure an exact match, including capitalization, when selecting the group. Save the changes so future incidents use the updated mapping. If the issue occurred because a group was deleted and recreated with a different capitalization, updating the lookup to point to the existing group resolves the notification failure.

• Normalize and standardize group values: Update ServiceNow records or templates so the value used to indicate groups to notify matches the Everbridge group name exactly. If the connector supports name mapping or normalization, configure it to translate alternate ServiceNow values to the canonical Everbridge group names.

For ongoing accuracy, apply the following best practices:

• Standardize and document canonical group names and ensure the same spelling and punctuation are used in ServiceNow and Everbridge.

• Periodically audit recent incidents and connector logs to identify anomalous group strings, such as accidental suffixes or capitalization differences, before they result in missed notifications.

Workaround

If immediate changes to source data or broader configuration are not possible, you can mitigate missed notifications by focusing on the CMDB lookup mapping and the source values being sent for specific incidents:

• Temporarily adjust the CMDB lookup mapping to match the exact string currently sent from ServiceNow so that it resolves to an existing Everbridge group.

• For incidents where an extra suffix or variation is present in the ServiceNow value, correct that value directly in the ServiceNow record before it is sent so it matches the Everbridge group name exactly.

• Monitor connector logs and Everbridge logs for new anomalous group strings and correct either the mapping or the ServiceNow source values as they appear.

These steps permit notifications to be delivered while longer-term standardization and normalization of group names are implemented.