Service Catalog and Request Management · Topic 1 of 3
Catalog Architecture and Scoping
CIS-ITSM catalog architecture and scoping: catalogs, categories, items, Request, RITM and Catalog Task records, catalog roles and requirement questions.
- 5 min
- Catalog, category and catalog item form the structure; a category's Parent field nests it.
- One checkout creates one Request; each item gives one Requested Item; fulfillment work is in Catalog Tasks.
- Variable answers are stored with the requested item, and the RITM Stage field shows progress.
What it is
The Service Catalog is where users order goods and services, and Request Management is the process that approves and fulfills those orders. The implementer designs the structure (catalogs, categories, items) and the records each order creates.
Before building anything, the implementer scopes the catalog with the customer: what can be ordered, by whom, with what approvals, and who delivers it. Good scoping keeps the first release small and useful.
How it works
The structure
| Piece | Table | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog | sc_catalog | A top level storefront; an instance can have several, such as an IT catalog and a facilities catalog |
| Category | sc_category | Groups items inside a catalog; its Parent field nests one category under another |
| Catalog item | sc_cat_item | Something a user can order, with its variables, availability and fulfillment |
An item can be shown in more than one category and more than one catalog, so the same laptop item can appear wherever users expect to find it. Users normally reach the catalog through Employee Center, which presents catalog items alongside knowledge and other services.
The records an order creates
| Record | Table | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Request (REQ) | sc_request | The whole order; one per checkout, with a Requested for user |
| Requested Item (RITM) | sc_req_item | One per item ordered; holds the variable answers and a Stage field showing progress |
| Catalog Task (SCTASK) | sc_task | A unit of fulfillment work assigned to a group or person |
All three extend the Task table, so they share fields such as Assignment group, Assigned to and State, and they can use SLAs and notifications like other task records. Approvals are stored as approval records linked to the request or requested item.
A checkout with a laptop and a monitor gives one request, two requested items, and whatever catalog tasks each item's fulfillment creates.
Roles that own the catalog
| Role | Scope |
|---|---|
| catalog_admin | Manages the whole Service Catalog application, including categories and items |
| catalog_manager | Edits a catalog and its categories and items, and can assign editors and a different manager for that catalog |
| catalog_editor | Edits only the catalogs it is assigned to and can add other editors, but cannot change the catalog manager |
This lets a department maintain its own catalog content without full admin rights.
Scoping and requirements
An implementer runs requirement sessions to answer a fixed set of questions for each service before it is built.
| Question | What it drives |
|---|---|
| What is ordered most often today? | Which items go in the first release |
| Who may order it, and who may not? | User criteria on the item or category |
| What must the requester tell us? | Variables and variable sets |
| Who approves, and when? | Approval steps in the fulfillment flow |
| Which groups do the work, in what order? | Catalog tasks and their assignment |
| How fast must it be delivered? | Delivery time on the item and any SLA definitions |
| Does another system do part of the work? | Integrations called from the flow |
A common recommendation is to start with a small set of high volume, well understood items and add more once the process is proven.
How the exam asks about this
- "A user orders a laptop and a docking station in one checkout. How many requests and requested items are created?" One request and two requested items, plus the catalog tasks each item needs.
- "The facilities team wants to maintain its own catalog content without admin rights." Give a team lead catalog_manager for that catalog, who can assign catalog_editor to the others.
- "During scoping, the customer wants every IT service in the catalog on day one." Recommend starting with the highest volume, best understood items and extending later.
What to remember for the exam
- Catalog, category and catalog item form the structure; a category's Parent field nests it.
- One checkout creates one Request; each item gives one Requested Item; fulfillment work is in Catalog Tasks.
- Variable answers are stored with the requested item, and the RITM Stage field shows progress.
- Request, Requested Item and Catalog Task all extend Task.
- catalog_admin owns the application; catalog_manager and catalog_editor own specific catalogs.
- Scoping decides items, audience, variables, approvals, fulfillment groups and delivery time for each service.
Do not put "report a broken thing" forms in the request process. A user reporting a fault is an incident, so use a record producer that creates an incident rather than a catalog item that creates a request.
Common mistakes
Counting one request per item. A checkout creates a single request. Each item in the cart becomes its own requested item under that request.
Granting catalog_admin to department owners. When a team only needs to maintain its own catalog, catalog_manager or catalog_editor on that catalog is the narrower fit.
Scoping the whole catalog at once. Trying to launch every service in the first release delays go live and produces poorly designed items. Start with the most requested, best understood services.
Check yourself
Which record holds the variable answers for one ordered item?
The Requested Item (RITM) in sc_req_item, which sits under the request for the whole checkout.
What can a catalog_editor not do that a catalog_manager can?
A catalog_editor cannot change the catalog manager; a catalog_manager can assign editors and a different manager.
During scoping, what decides who can see a catalog item?
The answer to "who may order it", which becomes user criteria on the item or its category.
Topic 1 of 3 in Service Catalog and Request Management
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