ServiceNow_CMDB

Integration of ServiceNow’s CMDB management with ManageIQ

Table of Contents

1. Prerequisites
2. Importing ServiceNow datastore to ManageIQ
3. Modifying the imported domains Instance values
4. Creating Servicenow Incident Generic Object
5. Importing the dialogs for the ServiceNow datastore methods
6. Creating Add ServiceNow Incident Button
7. Creating Servicenow catalog
8. Creating ServiceNow Create Incident Service Catalog Item
9. Creating ServiceNow View and Update Incidents Service Catalog Item
10. Using ServiceNow Catalog Items and Buttons

Prerequisites

• Clone the repository and zip the ServiceNow directoriy.
• Download the dialogs yaml file from ServiceNow_Dialogs.
• Make sure you have a running instance of ManageIQ (the steps in this document are performed in ManageIQ's UI).
• Make sure you have a running Servicenow Instance and the required credentials.

Importing ServiceNow datastore to ManageIQ

• Navigate to Automation -> Embedded Automate -> Import / Export.

• Under Import Datastore Classes (*.zip), select Choose file and open the zip file that contains the datastore classes, then click Upload:

  • Under Select domain you wish to import from:, select ServiceNow.
  • Under Select namespaces you wish to import from:, select Toggle All and click Commit.

• Navigate to Automation -> Embedded Automate -> Explorer.

• Under Datastore, select Datastore -> ServiceNow:

  • Select Configuration -> Edit selected domain:
    • Check the Enabled checkbox and click on save.

Modifying the imported domain's Instance values

After importing the required domains, the instance's Servicenow related properties need to be updated to match an existing, running Servicenow Instance.

• Navigate to Automation -> Embedded Automate -> Explorer.

• For all the required instances perform the following steps:

  • Select Configuration -> Edit this instance:
    • Replace (snow_server) value with your Servicenow Instance Host.
    • Replace (snow_user) and (snow_password) values with your Servicenow's user and password.
    • Replace (proxy_url) with your instance's proxy url, or leave blank if there is none.

  NOTE

  1. values are used in "https://#{snow_server}/api/now/table/#{table_name}", so make sure to leave out the https:// and any endpoints from the (snow_server) value.

  2. make sure to select automate instances, as there should be an automate instance and an automate method with the same name.

Creating ServiceNow Incident Generic Object

• Navigate to Automation -> Embedded Automate -> Generic Objects.

• Select Generic Object Definitions -> All Generic Object Definitions and then select Configuration -> Add a new Generic Object Definition:

  • Under Name, enter "Servicenow_Incident".
  • Under Description, enter "Servicenow Incident created from Cloudform".
  • Add the following Attributes:
    • ci_name: "String",
    • ci_type: "String",
    • urgency: "Integer",
    • short_description: "String",
    • number: "String",
    • comments: "String",
    • sys_id: "String",
    • state: "String",
    • assignment_group: "String",
    • created_by: "String",
  • Click Add.

  NOTE

  The object's attributes match the Incident's attributes, they may be changed, but then the create.rb method should be updated accordingly.

Importing the dialogs for the ServiceNow datastore methods

• Navigate to Automation -> Embedded Automate -> Customization.

• Under Import, select the dialogs yaml file and click Upload:

  • Under Import Service Dialogs, check all the dialogs and click Commit.

Creating Add ServiceNow Incident Button

• Navigate to Automation -> Embedded Automate -> Customization.

• Select Buttons -> Object Types -> {object_type}.

• Select Configuration -> Add a new Button Group:

  • Under Name, enter Servicenow.
  • Under Description, enter Servicenow Button Group.
  • Check Display on Button and select an Icon and Icon color.
  • Click Add.

• Select the created group and select Configuration -> Add a new Button:

  • Under Name, enter Create Servicenow Incident.

  • Under Description, enter Create Servicenow Incident Button.

  • Check Display on Button.

  • Select an Icon and Icon Color.

  • Under Dialog select "Create Context Specific Snow Incident".

  • NOTE: Make sure Open Url is unchecked.

  • Under the Advanced tab, under Object Details enter the following values:

    • System/Process: "Request",
    • Message: "create",
    • Request: "Call_Instance",
    • Under Attribute/Value Pairs, add the pair: action: "create".

  • Click Add.

  NOTE

  When creating the button, you may specify expressions that define where the button is enabled or visible.

  Example - creating a button on a Physical Server with name physical-server-1:

  • During the button creation under the Advanced tab:
    • Under Visibility / Edit Selected Element select Field.
    • Another dropdown should appear, select Physical Server:Name.
    • Another dropdown and text box should appear; In dropdown, select REGULAR EXPRESSION MATCHES, and in text box insert physical-server-1.
    • Click Commit.

Creating ServiceNow catalog

• Navigate to Services -> Catalogs.

• Under Catalogs, select All Catalogs.

• Select Configuration -> Add New Catalog:

  • Under Name, type "Servicenow".
  • Under Description, type "Catalog for Servicenow Incident Management Operations".
  • Click Add.

Creating ServiceNow Create Incident service catalog item

• Navigate to Services -> Catalogs.

• Under Catalog Items, select All Catalog Items -> Servicenow:

  • Select Configuration -> Add a New Catalog Item:
    • Do the following in the Basic Info section:
      • Under Catalog Item Type select Generic.
      • Under Name / Description type "Create Incident" and "Catalog Item to create Servicenow incident".
      • Check Display in Catalog checkbox.
      • Under Catalog select My Company/Servicenow.
      • Under Dialog select Create Generic Snow Incident.
      • Under Provisioning Entry Point select /ServiceNow/Integration/ServiceNow/CMDB/create_generic_incident (check Include Domain prefix in path).
      • Under Retirement Entry Point select /ServiceNow/Service/Retirement/StateMachines/ServiceRetirement/Default (check Include Domain prefix in path).
    • Do the following in the Details section:
      • Under Long Description type "Use this catalog item to create servicenowincident. Select the appropriate CI type and enter descriptions appropriately.".
    • Click Add.

Creating ServiceNow View and Update Incidents service catalog item

• Navigate to Services -> Catalogs.

• Under Catalog Items, select All Catalog Items -> Servicenow:

  • Select Configuration -> Add a New Catalog Item:
    • Do the following in the Basic Info section:
      • Under Catalog Item Type select Generic.
      • Under Name / Description type "View and Update Incidents" and "Update Servicenow Incidents.".
      • Check Display in Catalog checkbox.
      • Under Catalog select My Company/Servicenow.
      • Under Dialog select View and Update Servicenow Incidents.
      • Under Provisioning Entry Point select /ServiceNow/Integration/ServiceNow/CMDB/update_servicenow_incident (check Include Domain prefix in path).
      • Under Retirement Entry Point select /ServiceNow/Service/Retirement/StateMachines/ServiceRetirement/Default (check Include Domain prefix in path).
    • Do the following in the Details section:
      • Under Long Description type "Use this catalog item to view and update servicenow incident. On Selecting the incident, the latest details from servicenow will be pulled. Update the required details and submit.".
    • Click Add.

Using ServiceNow Catalog Items and Buttons

Creating Generic Incidents and updating their urgencies from Catalog Items

• Navigate to Services -> Catalogs.

• Under Service Catalogs select the desired Catalog Item and click Order.

  • Fill the dialog and click Commit.

Creating Context Specific Incidents with a button.

• Navigate to the Object Type on which the button has been created (Example for Provider object type: Compute -> Physical Infrastructure -> Providers, and select the provider)

• When in the Object Type's section, the Servicenow button group should be visible:

  • Select it and select the Create Incident button.
  • Fill the dialog and click Commit.

Viewing the Created Incidents as Generic Objects

• Navigate to Automation -> Embedded Automate -> Generic Objects.
• Under Generic Object Definitions select the Servicenow_Incident.
• Under Relationships the number of instances should be visible, clicking on that number should display them.