ServiceNow supports domain-separated instances that allow admins and users working within a single instance to isolate their environments. Data shared with one user will not be visible to other users within the same instance.
But this creates a challenge when you need to escalate an incident or problem to teams working in a different platform like Jira or Jira Service Management (JSM). How do you keep updates private and restricted to a certain domain while still sharing the right information with the right people?
That is exactly what this post covers: syncing domain-separated ServiceNow data with Jira, while preserving data isolation and giving both sides full control over what gets shared.
What Is Domain Separation in ServiceNow?
Domain separation is a ServiceNow feature that logically partitions data, processes, and administrative tasks into separate domains. It is commonly used by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and global enterprises that need isolated environments within a single ServiceNow instance.
For example, an MSP may host multiple client environments (ACME, Cisco, etc.) on the same instance, where each client’s data, workflows, and business rules are invisible to the others. This is useful for regulatory compliance, operational independence, and security.
The challenge comes when you need to bridge that isolation, syncing specific incidents, change requests, or other work items from a ServiceNow domain to an external tool like Jira.
Domain-Separated Instance Sync: ServiceNow to Jira Use Case
Let’s say you have access to a ServiceNow instance from two domain-restricted accounts: one ACME account as the admin and one account restricted to the Cisco domain.
By default, both users working within the same instance will be unable to access each other’s data.
To bridge the gap, you connect both the ACME and Cisco ServiceNow domains to Jira through Exalate.
When you make comments or add information to either ServiceNow domain, the relevant data syncs to Jira Service Management. And when you create a JSM ticket, you can escalate it to a specific ServiceNow domain, keeping it private for only the admins on that domain.
That way, either side has only the necessary information.
How does this help your organization?
Syncing domain-separated data helps both sides. The teams using ServiceNow get to decide what stays private and what gets shared externally. The team using Jira can centralize information from two different domains in a single work item for easy access and better visibility.
This setup is especially valuable for MSPs managing multiple clients on a single ServiceNow instance while collaborating with development teams in Jira. It is also useful for enterprises with regional or departmental domain separation that need a unified view across Jira projects.
Primary Requirements and Challenges
- Obtaining the right information from the API on both sides.
- Keeping the data separated when mapping fields from entities and objects.
- Assigning the right Jira custom field to the correct ServiceNow domain.
- Writing or generating the correct sync rules for both the incoming and outgoing data.
- Creating triggers to update the custom fields on Jira automatically.
- Handling authentication per domain to ensure only authorized data flows between systems.
How Exalate Syncs Jira and Domain-Separated ServiceNow Instances
Exalate supports one-way and two-way integration between Jira and ServiceNow, as well as Zendesk, Azure DevOps, Salesforce, GitHub, Freshservice, Freshdesk, Asana, and more.
Exalate’s Groovy-based scripting engine gives you full control over what data crosses system boundaries. You can write custom field mappings, apply conditional logic (for example, sync only work notes tagged for a specific domain), and use platform-native triggers like JQL in Jira or filter queries in ServiceNow to control exactly which work items enter the sync.
Exalate also provides Aida, an AI-assisted configuration feature that helps generate and troubleshoot Groovy scripts from natural language prompts. So instead of writing a script from scratch, you can describe what you need in plain English and Aida generates the code for you.
For domain-separated setups, you create a separate connection for each ServiceNow domain. This means the ACME domain has its own connection to Jira with its own sync rules, and the Cisco domain has its own connection with its own rules. Both connections can be managed from Exalate’s unified console, giving you a single view of your entire integration architecture without needing to switch between systems.
To automate work item creation and updates, you can set up triggers on all sides of the connection. For instance, a JQL trigger in Jira can automatically sync high-priority work items to a specific ServiceNow domain, while a ServiceNow filter query can push only critical incidents from a particular assignment group to the Jira project.
Key Exalate features for this use case:
- Unified console: Manage all connections across both ServiceNow domains and Jira from one interface.
- Aida (AI-assisted configuration): Generate and troubleshoot sync scripts without manual coding.
- Test Run: Test your sync scripts against real data before deploying to production.
- Script versioning: Full audit trail of all script changes, with rollback capability and draft mode so you can iterate without affecting live syncs.
- Real-time sync: Complete queue visibility, so you always know the status of your sync operations.
- Security: ISO 27001 certified, role-based access control (RBAC), encryption in transit (TLS 1.2/1.3) and at rest, and decoupled access control. Review full details at the Exalate Trust Center.
Since this use case often requires scripting, choose the Exalate Script Mode when setting up the connection. You have two script directions per connection:
- Outgoing sync (on the ServiceNow side): Defines what data gets sent from ServiceNow to Jira.
- Incoming sync (on the Jira side): Defines how the incoming data is mapped in Jira.
To get both ServiceNow domains in sync with Jira, copy the incident number from the first ServiceNow domain and sync it from the Jira work item. Then do the same for the other ServiceNow domain. Now all three systems are in sync.
You can start adjusting the configuration to match your exact workflow requirements.
If you still have questions or want to see how Exalate is tailored to your specific use case, book a demo with one of our integration experts.
