Platform Overview + Navigation
7%of exam
Instance Configuration
10%of exam
Plugins + AppsPersonalizationUI SettingsBrandingSystem Properties
Configuring Apps Collaboration
20%of exam
Self Service + Automation
20%of exam
Database + Platform Security
30%of exam
Data Migration + Integration
13%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- CSA Mainline
- Credential
- System Administrator
- Questions
- 60 items
- Time
- 90 min
- Pass
- Hidden cut score
- Format
- MCQ + multi-select
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE / OnVUE
- Cost
- $300 USD
- Maintain
- Annual delta + CMP
Platform Basics
- Instance
- Your isolated environment
- Single datastore
- One shared database
- Now Platform
- Low-code app engine
- Family release
- Named version, e.g. Zurich
- PDI
- Personal Developer Instance
- Multi-instance
- Dedicated per customer
Instance Configuration
- Plugin
- Activatable feature pack
- Store app
- Installed marketplace app
- System Property
- Global config value
- Branding
- Logo, colors, banner
- System Clone
- Copy prod to sub-prod
- Personalize
- User-only UI change
- Configure
- Admin global change
Lists + Filters
- Condition builder
- Build filter logic
- AND / OR
- Combine conditions
- Right-click header
- Personalize columns
- List control
- Edit list config
- Tags
- Personal record labels
- List view
- Saved column layout
- Group by
- Collapse by field
Forms + Fields
- Form Designer
- Drag-drop layout tool
- Form sections
- Group related fields
- Related lists
- Linked child records
- Templates
- Prefill field values
- Reference field
- Points to another table
- Dot-walking
- Traverse referenced fields
- Annotation
- On-form instructions
Notifications + Reporting
- Notification
- Email trigger record
- Event
- Queued system signal
- Email template
- Reusable message body
- Report
- Visualized table data
- Dashboard
- Report + widget canvas
- Visual Task Board
- Kanban-style tasks
- Performance Analytics
- Trend over time
Flow Designer vs Workflow
Flow Designer
- Current standard
- No-code actions
- Reusable subflows
Legacy Workflow
- Graphical canvas
- Older engine
- Being replaced
New vs legacy automation
Service Catalog + Knowledge
- Catalog Item
- Orderable product/service
- Record Producer
- Catalog creates record
- Order Guide
- Multi-item ordered flow
- Variable
- Catalog input field
- Knowledge Base
- Article container
- Knowledge article
- Searchable how-to
- Catalog Task
- Fulfillment work item
Workflow Studio
- Flow Designer
- No-code automation
- Flow
- Trigger plus actions
- Action
- Reusable flow step
- Subflow
- Callable flow logic
- Legacy Workflow
- Older graphical engine
- Virtual Agent
- Conversational chatbot
- SLA
- Timed service target
ACL Evaluation
Field first, then table; AND
Field ACL checkedThen table ACLMost specific winsRole + condition + script
ACL vs Role
ACL
- Defines restriction
- Per table/field
- Requires + script
Role
- Grants capability
- Assigned to user
- Often via group
Gate vs key
Getting Data In
- Load a spreadsheet→Import Set(Staging)
- Map source columns→Transform Map(Field map)
- Update existing rows→Coalesce field(Match)
- Per-row import logic→Transform script(onBefore)
- Recurring DB pull→Scheduled import(JDBC)
- Move config changes→Update Set(Not data)
Data Schema
- Table
- Record collection
- Dictionary
- Defines field metadata
- Label
- Display name only
- Table extension
- Parent-child inheritance
- task table
- Common parent table
- sys_id
- Unique 32-char key
- Schema map
- Visual table relations
Import Flow
Source -> Import Set -> Transform -> Target
Data source: file/JDBCImport set: stagingTransform map: fieldsCoalesce: match
Import Set vs Update Set
Import Set
- Moves data records
- Staging + transform
- Coalesce match
Update Set
- Moves config changes
- Cross-instance
- No data
Records vs configuration
Granting Access
- Give a permission→Role(Not user)
- Bundle users→Group(Roles flow)
- Restrict a row→ACL(record)
- Restrict a field→Field ACL(Most specific)
- Limit catalog view→User Criteria(Audience)
- Test someone's view→Impersonate(No edits)
Access Control (ACL)
- ACL rule
- Row/field permission
- Operations
- Read, write, create, delete
- Evaluation order
- Field then table
- Requires
- Role + condition + script
- Most specific wins
- Field beats table
- contains role
- Inherited via container
- High Security
- Plugin default-deny
Task Hierarchy
task -> incident / problem / change
task: parentincident: break-fixproblem: root causechange: planned
Dictionary vs Label
Dictionary
- Field definition
- Type + max length
- Attributes
Label
- Display name only
- Per language
- No data change
Structure vs wording
Users, Groups, Roles
- User
- sys_user record
- Group
- Users sharing function
- Role
- Bundle of permissions
- admin
- Full elevated access
- Role via group
- Inherited group role
- Impersonate
- Test as another user
- Elevate privilege
- Temporary security_admin
Domain Weights
Security 30 is the biggest
Security: 30%Collab + Self: 20% eachIntegration: 13%Platform: 7%
Delegated Dev vs Admin
Delegated Dev
- Scoped capability
- Limited app access
- No global admin
admin
- Full platform access
- All scopes
- Elevate security_admin
Scoped vs full control
Importing Data
- Import Set
- Staging table holder
- Data source
- File or JDBC feed
- Transform Map
- Maps source to target
- Field map
- Source-to-target column
- Coalesce
- Match update vs insert
- Transform script
- Per-row import logic
- Robust import set
- Typed staging columns
CMDB + CSDM
- CI
- Configuration Item record
- cmdb_ci
- Base CI table
- CI relationships
- Depends on / hosts
- CSDM
- Common service data model
- Discovery
- Auto-populate CMDB
- CI Class Manager
- Manage CI hierarchy
- Identification rule
- Deduplicate CIs
Business Rule Timing
Before -> After -> Async -> Display
Before: alter saveAfter: act post-saveAsync: queued jobDisplay: load g_scratchpad
Business Rule vs Client Script
Business Rule
- Server-side
- Runs on save
- GlideRecord
Client Script
- Browser-side
- Runs on form
- g_form
Server data vs form UX
Where To Put Logic
- Validate on form→Client Script(Browser)
- Show/hide field→UI Policy(Client + server)
- Enforce at data layer→Data Policy(Imports too)
- Change on save→Business Rule(Server)
- Add form button→UI Action(Action)
- Run on schedule→Scheduled Job(Time)
- Reusable server code→Script Include(Shared)
- No-code automation→Flow Designer(Workflow)
Scripting
- JavaScript
- Platform scripting language
- GlideRecord
- Query/modify records
- Business Rule
- Server-side table logic
- Client Script
- Browser form logic
- Script Include
- Reusable server function
- g_form
- Client form API
- current
- Active server record
UI Policy vs Data Policy
UI Policy
- Form only
- Show/hide/mandatory
- User sees it
Data Policy
- Data layer
- Imports + API
- Always enforced
Form behavior vs data integrity
Automation Rules
- UI Policy
- Dynamic form behavior
- Data Policy
- Rules at data layer
- UI Action
- Buttons and links
- Business Rule when
- Before/after/async/display
- Scheduled Job
- Time-triggered script
- Flow trigger
- Record or scheduled start
- Inbound action
- Email-driven logic
Update Sets
- Update Set
- Captures config changes
- Current update set
- Active capture target
- Default
- Never move this set
- Complete state
- Ready to migrate
- Retrieved set
- Imported to target
- Preview
- Check before commit
- Data not captured
- Records excluded
Common Traps
Personalize vs Configure
Personalize is per-user ≠ Configure changes everyone
Save vs Update
Save stays on form ≠ Update returns to list
Label vs Dictionary
Label is display text ≠ Dictionary defines field
Role vs ACL
Role grants access ≠ ACL restricts access
UI Policy vs Data Policy
UI Policy is form ≠ Data Policy hits imports
Import vs Update Set
Import moves data ≠ Update Set moves config
Default update set
Never move Default ≠ Create a named set
Last Minute
- 1.Weights: Security 30 is largest
- 2.Cut score hidden, not always 70%
- 3.Business Rule = server; Client Script = browser
- 4.UI Policy = form; Data Policy deeper
- 5.Role grants; ACL restricts
- 6.ACL: field checked before table
- 7.Import Set = data; Update Set = config
- 8.Coalesce = match update vs insert
- 9.Personalize = me; Configure = everyone
- 10.Dictionary = field; Label = display name
- 11.task is parent of incident records
- 12.Flow Designer replaces legacy Workflow
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