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Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

Activate External Key Management Service

Install the External Key Management Service (EKMS) plugin and configure user permissions to enable external key management functionality.

Before you begin

Roles required: admin, security_admin, and sn_kmf.cryptographic_manager

Dependencies:

The following plugins must be already installed on your environment:

  • Key Management Framework Scoped App
  • Field Encryption Enterprise

About this task

Activating EKMS installs the necessary components to encrypt ServiceNow data with external keys managed in AWS Key Management Service.

Procedure

  1. Navigate to All > System Definition > Plugins.

  2. Under Search your licensed applications and plugins, search for Platform Encryption External Key Management.

    The search should reveal the plugin. If you purchase a subscription for External Key Management Service through either Platform Encryption or ServiceNow Vault, you can also see this plugin available.

    Important: To activate the External Key Management Service, you must first purchase a subscription to either Platform Encryption or ServiceNow Vault and ensure the dependent plugin is installed: Key Management Framework Scoped App.

  3. Select Install

    Note: When domain separation and delegated admin are enabled in an instance, the administrative user must be in the global domain. Otherwise, the following error appears: Application installation is unavailable because another operation is running: Plugin Activation for <plugin name>.

Result

The EKMS plugin is now installed and activated. You can proceed to configure your external key integration.

What to do next

Next steps:

  • Set up AWS Key Management Service access within AWS (the process for this is out of scope of the ServiceNow documentation)
  • Configure the EKMS key definition in ServiceNow

Parent Topic:Configuring External Key Management Service

Related topics

External Key Management Service

Configure an external key definition