How to Export Your Cherwell Data to ServiceNow

Before you begin your move from Cherwell to ServiceNow after its EOL (December 2026), the first step is getting your Cherwell data out safely. Cherwell data has linked records, attachments, child objects, and many custom fields. Because of this, most leaders start by asking how to export everything without losing anything.

The first step to migrate is securely exporting your Cherwell data. And this blog will guide you through the steps to perform a secure Cherwell data export and the different methods for it. As you prepare for life after Cherwell, ServiceNow emerges as the platform most enterprises rely on for long-term stability, scalability, and AI-driven workflow automation across ITSM, ITOM, HRSD, SPM, and GRC.

Ways to Export Your Cherwell Data & Which One’s Best for You

There are multiple options to export data when preparing for a migration to ServiceNow, depending on how large your environment is and how complex your migration will be.

1. Cherwell Data Export (Admin Tool)

This is a built-in export option available through the CSM Administrator application.

Best for:

• Small to mid-sized exports.
• Exporting Individual Business Objects (incidents, requests, changes, etc.).
• Quick backups before migration steps.

What you get:

• .czar export files.
• Options to include/exclude attachments, emails, encrypted fields, and automation data.

2. Cherwell Business Object Data (CSV/Excel Export)

Export records directly from business object grids within the Cherwell client.

Best for:

• Simple, quick, clean data pulls.
• CSV or Excel files that are easy to transform for ServiceNow.
• Teams that don’t have (or don’t want) SQL/database access.
• Early-stage migration assessments or partial exports.

What you get:

• CSV or Excel files.
• Only the columns displayed in the grid.
• Clean, flattened output suitable for Import Sets (after mapping).

3. Cherwell REST API (JSON/XML Data Pulls)

Use Cherwell REST API endpoints to extract business objects programmatically.

Best for:

• Large-scale or automated migration exports.
• Accessing child objects, relationships, and attachments.
• Enterprise migrations needing high-fidelity, structured data.

What you get:

• JSON or XML payloads of business objects.
• Ability to retrieve related objects, attachments, and links.
• Requires API development (authentication, paging, scripting).

4. Cherwell One-Step (Automated CSV/Excel Exports)

Teams often use One-Step Actions to automate exports of business object data.

Best for:

• Repeatable exports (weekly, monthly, or pre-migration cycles).
• Consistent staging datasets.
• Teams that want automation without API/database complexity.

What you get:

• Automated CSV/Excel files via “Export to File” One-Step actions.
• Consistent logic, exports run the same way every time.
• Limited depth: does not automatically export deep relationships or all attachments.

5. Direct SQL Database Access (Full-Fidelity Extraction)

Access the underlying SQL Server database that supports Cherwell to export data at table level.

Best for:

• Environments where you have database-level access (on-premise or hosted with SQL backup rights)
• Full-system exports including all tables and data not easily exported via UI
• Migration or archival scenarios requiring maximum fidelity

What you get:

• Ability to export SQL Server tables directly
• Evidence of data extraction from hosted environments via SQL-level access

(Note: The export methods outlined above represent common approaches used in Cherwell-to-ServiceNow migrations. Actual availability may depend on your specific Cherwell deployment and access permissions.)

Steps for Cherwell ServiceNow Migration

After exporting your Cherwell data, the next phase is to prepare it to fully work inside the ServiceNow ecosystem.

Step 1: Consolidate, Clean, and Normalise Your Cherwell Data

Gather all Cherwell exports (CSV/Excel exports, API payloads, attachments, relationship files, and any. czar admin exports) to ensure no records are missing.

Clean and standardize the data: remove duplicates, map fields to ServiceNow conventions, normalize references to users, groups, and CIs, and maintain parent/child relationships

Small datasets can be cleaned manually; larger ones require scripts or ETL tools, with validation in a ServiceNow sandbox to ensure accuracy before import.

Step 2: Map Cherwell Fields to ServiceNow Fields

Create a field mapping document where you define:

• Which Cherwell tables map to which ServiceNow tables
• How fields translate (e.g., Incident Category vs. ServiceNow Category/ Subcategory)
• Lookup value conversions
• Relationship mapping (child tasks, approvals, journals, etc.)

(This is the foundation for accurate imports.)

Step 3: Import Data Using Import Sets & Transform Maps

This is where your exported data actually becomes ServiceNow records. Once mapping is ready, the data is brought into ServiceNow using Import Sets.

Transform Maps handle:

• Field-level mapping
• Scripts for value conversions
• Data cleaning rules
• Relationship linking

And if you’re importing configuration items, placing the right data into the correct ServiceNow CMDB tables.

Step 4: Validate the Imported Data

Any mismatches or errors are corrected before going forward, so after the transform runs, teams verify:

• Record counts
• Required fields
• Relationship integrity
• Attachments and notes
• Timestamps and user references
• SLAs and states

Step 5: SME/Business User Review

Functional teams (ITSM, HR, Facilities, etc.) review the imported data inside ServiceNow to confirm it is accurate, usable, familiar, and compliant with business rules. This ensures nothing breaks core workflows on Day 1.

Step 6: Run the Delta (Final) Migration

Between the first import and go-live, Cherwell will still have new or updated records. A delta migration captures only those changes and loads them into ServiceNow, ensuring the final cutover dataset is complete.

 Step 7: Final Migration and Cherwell Shutdown

Finally, ServiceNow becomes the system of record. Cherwell can be archived, restricted, or fully decommissioned depending on compliance needs. Your teams operate fully on ServiceNow from this point onward.

Also Read: Cherwell vs. ServiceNow vs. Jira

Begin Your Cherwell Migration with Aelum

Cherwell’s EOL is way beyond only moving data. It is an opportunity for enterprises to modernize. Preparing your exports carefully, aligning them with ServiceNow structures, and validating them with business teams makes the difference between a functional migration and a strategic reset.

At Aelum, we’ve worked closely with enterprises navigating this shift and understand that every Cherwell environment looks different. Some teams move only core ITSM workloads; others migrate large, interconnected modules with complex dependencies. Our goal is to help you make this transition in a way that aligns with your structure, data, and ServiceNow journey, in a matter of weeks (typically within a 3-to-12-week window).

If you’re planning your next steps, our ServiceNow migration experts can walk you through what a secure move from Cherwell looks like for your business.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best method to export data from Cherwell?

The best method to export data from Cherwell is its built-in Export tool, which lets you export business objects and grid data into CSV or Excel. For larger migrations, the best approach is a combination of methods: Export Tool for basic objects, Cherwell API for relational data, and database exports for anything the tool doesn’t capture.

2. What is the biggest challenge when exporting Cherwell data?

The biggest challenge when exporting Cherwell data is preserving relationships and data integrity. Cherwell stores information across many linked objects, incidents, tasks, journals, approvals, attachments, and more. So, most export methods flatten the data and break these connections. Attachments, child records, and lookup values often require separate extraction, and many Cherwell values don’t directly match ServiceNow formats. As a result, getting the data out is easy; keeping it complete, connected, and ready for migration is the real difficulty.

3. How do I handle export limits in Cherwell?

To handle export limits in Cherwell, break your data into smaller batches using filters (such as date ranges or record status), increase grid row limits where allowed, and use the REST API with paging for large datasets. For large environments, exporting directly from the Cherwell SQL database (if permitted) or requesting a hosted SQL backup from Ivanti is the most reliable way to avoid export limit restrictions.

4. Should I migrate all my historical data from Cherwell?

It is not necessary to migrate all your historical data from Cherwell. Most enterprises don’t migrate all historical data because it increases cost, complexity, and load time without adding much day-to-day value. A common approach is to migrate only what’s operationally relevant, such as the last 12-24 months of incidents, requests, changes, and key configuration data, while archiving older records in a read-only format for compliance. This keeps ServiceNow clean, fast, and aligned to current processes while still retaining access to legacy information when needed.