This SNOW-CSA practice question tests your understanding of database administration and cmdb. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company wants to restrict access to CI records based on the business service they belong to. What feature should they use?
ACLs on cmdb_ci table
Why wrong: ACLs on the base table do not filter by business service dynamically.
CMDB Application Access Control
Why wrong: This is not a standard ServiceNow feature.
CMDB Data Segmentation
Data Segmentation allows record-level access based on defined conditions.
Condition-based ACLs
Why wrong: Condition-based ACLs are general, but Data Segmentation is the dedicated CMDB feature.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
CMDB Data Segmentation
CMDB Data Segmentation (option C) is the correct feature because it allows administrators to restrict access to CI records based on the business service they belong to, using a segmentation rule that filters CIs by their 'business_service' field. This is specifically designed for multi-tenant or service-based access control in the CMDB, ensuring users only see CIs associated with their assigned business services.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
ACLs on cmdb_ci table
Why it's wrong here
ACLs on the base table do not filter by business service dynamically.
CMDB Application Access Control
Why it's wrong here
This is not a standard ServiceNow feature.
CMDB Data Segmentation
Why this is correct
Data Segmentation allows record-level access based on defined conditions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Condition-based ACLs
Why it's wrong here
Condition-based ACLs are general, but Data Segmentation is the dedicated CMDB feature.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse CMDB Data Segmentation with standard ACLs or condition-based ACLs, not realizing that Data Segmentation is a purpose-built feature for business service-based CI filtering, whereas ACLs require more manual and less maintainable configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
CMDB Data Segmentation works by creating a segmentation rule that references a 'business_service' field on the CI record, and then applies a condition like 'business_service IN (user's assigned services)' using a script include or a direct reference to the user's service catalog. Under the hood, this is implemented via a glide script that modifies the query condition for cmdb_ci table reads, ensuring that users only see CIs where the business_service matches their allowed list. In a real-world scenario, a managed service provider can use this to ensure that each customer's IT team only sees CIs belonging to their own business services, preventing cross-customer data leaks.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
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FAQ
Database Administration and CMDB — This question tests Database Administration and CMDB — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: CMDB Data Segmentation — CMDB Data Segmentation (option C) is the correct feature because it allows administrators to restrict access to CI records based on the business service they belong to, using a segmentation rule that filters CIs by their 'business_service' field. This is specifically designed for multi-tenant or service-based access control in the CMDB, ensuring users only see CIs associated with their assigned business services.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This SNOW-CSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ServiceNow certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SNOW-CSA exam.
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