Integrating BMC Digital Workplace Catalog with BMC Helix Integration Service

BMC Helix Integration Service is an option for BMC Digital Workplace Advanced customers. Catalog administrators can use BMC Helix Integration Service connectors to fulfill services. Developers can create custom connectors in BMC Helix Integration Service. BMC Helix Integration Service is a standalone product. You need to purchase a license to use it. 

Architecture overview

The following diagram illustrates the architecture for using BMC Helix Integration Service with BMC Digital Workplace Catalog. Although BMC Helix Integration Service is a cloud product, you can integrate it with BMC Digital Workplace Catalog in the cloud or on premises.

Data flows through BMC Helix Integration Service, but the data is not stored there. All transmission of data is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption. 

For the BMC Digital Workplace architecture, see Hybrid deployment architecture and High availability deployment for production.

Process overview for using BMC Helix Integration Service connectors in BMC Digital Workplace

The following diagram provides a high-level overview of using BMC Helix Integration Service with BMC Digital Workplace Catalog to provide services that end user can be consume in the BMC Digital Workplace client applications. For more information about any part of the process, click the applicable box in the diagram.

You can use existing BMC Helix Integration Service connectors, in addition to connectors that you develop. To see what connectors are available, see Finding existing connectors.

Set up the connector developer environment Develop, test, and build a connector Deploy the connector Configuring connectors Create a user Create a connection for the connector Create a service that uses the connector

Before you begin

If you are using BMC Digital Workplace Advanced Cloud 18.02 or later, use the self-service portal to request access to BMC Helix Integration Service. If you are using BMC Digital Workplace Advanced 18.02 or later on premises, contact Support to request access to BMC Helix Integration Service. 

Build, configure, and deploy BMC Helix Integration Service connectors and create a user in BMC Helix Integration Service that BMC Digital Workplace Catalog will use to access the connectors. See the following topics in the BMC Helix Integration Service documentation:

• Configuring connectors
• Building connectors
• Managing users

To configure the integration with BMC Helix Integration Service

1. Click the configuration gear () to open Application Settings.
2. From the Connectors section, select Integration Service. 
   
3. In the Integration Service section, enter the URL of BMC Integration Service, your user name and password, and then click Save.

4.  On the server where BMC Digital Workplace Catalog is installed, run the following commands to restart the BMC Digital Workplace Catalog:

   cd /opt/bmc/digitalworkplace
   # /opt/bmc/digitalworkplace is the installation folder 
   ./dwpcontroller stop
   ./dwpcontroller start -u dwpadmin -p dwppassword

   After you configure the integration, all available BMC Helix Integration Service connectors become available for selection from the Connector list in the New Connection dialog box.
   

   In a workflow, BMC Helix Integration Services connectors are available from the Connector element:
   

BMC Helix Integration Service custom connectors and BMC Digital Workplace Catalog

If you create custom connectors in BMC Helix Integration Service, you can use them in a BMC Digital Workplace Catalog workflow to fulfill services. Optionally, you can extend the custom connectors to take advantage of any of the following BMC Digital Workplace Catalog advanced capabilities:

• Importing services—Allow the catalog administrator to import services from the external system to the catalog
• Import data sets—Allow the catalog administrator to use data sets from the external system to populate a list of responses in the service questionnaire
• Perform data lookups—Allow the catalog administrator to use data from tables or forms from the external system in the service questionnaire

Where to go from here

Create a connection for each connector, as described in Configuring service connectors.

To create a service that uses the connector, you must first create a workflow, as described in Setting up workflow to open a JIRA issue through a BMC Helix Integration Service connector.