Flattening data with Database Views
Database Views take information as it is stored and present it in a different way, often combining two different data sources. They appear as a standard table to the user, albeit read-only.
In most situations, Database Views are not strictly necessary. Dot-walking can achieve many requirements. In the background, ServiceNow performs the appropriate joins on the database tables, giving you the data that is needed. Nonetheless, you may need to use them when data is difficult to get to.
Note
If you wish to provide a predefined data set in reporting, consider using a Report Source. This helps ensure everyone is using a standard set of filters. The product documentation has more: https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/helsinki-performance-analytics-and-reporting/page/use/reporting/task/t_CreateAReportSource.html.
Creating a Metric Instance Database View
Database Views are useful when working with metric instance records. A Metric Instances table does not contain a regular...
