Preparing ServiceNow CMDB for synchronization


The BMC Helix Discovery integration with ServiceNow CMDB is supported for all supported releases of ServiceNow CMDB.


Add BMC Discovery to cmdb_ci discovery_source choice list

The BMC Helix Discovery integration uses a Discovery Source choice list on the base cmdb_ci class. Discovery Source is a choice list meaning that it is not a free text field and that the values allowed are restricted to a predefined list. The Discovery Source text used in theBMC Helix Discovery CMDB integration is BMC Discovery and this must exist in the choice list.

  1. Login to the ServiceNow CMDB with a system administrator privileged account and navigate to System Definition > Choice Lists
  2. Click on New to add a choice list record and complete the following fields:

    FieldValue
    Table"Configuration Item [cmdb_ci]"
    Elementdiscovery_source
    LanguageEnglish (mandatory)
    Label"BMC Discovery"
    Value

    The default value is, "BMC Discovery". This must match the "Source Name" used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery, and be unique in your ServiceNow CMDB instance.

  3. Click Submit.

Create the bmc.integration user

A ServiceNow user must be created to allow the BMC Helix Discovery CMDB integration to create / update and manage CIs within the ServiceNow CMDB.

This procedure assumes that the roles have not been modified from their default configuration.

  1. Login to the ServiceNow CMDB with a system administrator privileged account and navigate to User Administration > Users

  2. Click on New to add a User record and complete the following fields:

    FieldValue
    User ID

    This must match the Username used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery.

    First NameIntegration user first name
    Last NameIntegration user last name
    Password

    This must match the Password used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery.

    ActiveSet to "Active"
    Locked OutEnsure this is not selected
    Password needs resetEnsure this is not selected
    Web service access only Ensure this is selected.
    LanguageEnglish (mandatory)
  3. Click Submit.
  4. Locate the created user and open the User record, select Roles and Edit. The following roles must be added to the user:

    RolePurpose
    itilThe itil role is required to give access to the cmdb_ci tables
    model_managerThe model_manager role is required so that any missing products (models) can be created when a CI is added to ServiceNow. The products (models) are stored in the table cmdb_model. The role model_manager gives write access to the cmdb_model table.
    user_adminOptional - The user_admin role is to allow write permissions to the core_company table to create / add missing "manufacturers" to the system. If not provided, manufacturers unknown by ServiceNow will be empty on CIs.
    personalize_choicesThe system needs to read the sys_choice records to check that the discovery source exists in the choice list of the cmdb_ci table.

    This procedure assumes that the above roles have not been modified from the default configuration.

  5. Click Save.

Setting the OAuth API Endpoint

Create an OAuth application endpoint to allow the BMC Helix Discovery CMDB integration to access system resources in the ServiceNow CMDB.


  1. Login to the ServiceNow CMDB with a system administrator privileged account and navigate to System OAuth > Application Registry

  2. Click New
  3. On the interceptor page, click Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients.
  4. Complete the following fields:

    FieldValue
    Name

    A unique name.

    Client ID

    This is created by default. This must match the Client ID used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery.

    Client Secret

    If no value supplied the system automatically generates this. This must match the Client Secret used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery.

  5. Click Submit.

Class configuration summary

The following table shows a summary of the configuration changes that you need to make to ServiceNow CMDB classes. 

Info

Unless stated otherwise all dependency rules you create must be of the type "Hosting" rather than the default of "Containment".

Class

Internal Class Name

Change

Dependency

Note

Hardware

cmdb_ci_hardware

Remove the identifier entry for “Name” and remove the identifier entry for “Serial Number” and replace with an identifier entry for “Name” + “Serial Number” with allow null attributes selected. This new identifier entry should be the 2nd in priority behind the Serial Number lookup identifier entry.



Storage Volume

cmdb_ci_storage_volume

Change first Identifier Entry to be Object ID and Name with allow null attributes



Resource Group

cmdb_ci_resource_group

Change Identifier Entry to be Object ID and Name with allow null attributes.

Add in a dependency for Environment

Resource Group - Contains (Contains::Contained by) - Environment

Rule must be of the type “Containment” and should be added via the Metadata Editor. See below for details.

Environment

cmdb_ci_environment

Create Identification Rule: Independent, Set Identifier Entry to be Serial Number and Name with allow null attributes



Application


cmdb_ci_appl



Add two additional dependencies for Logical Datacenter and Cluster


Application - Runs on (Runs on::Runs) - Logical Datacenter


Check. This is NOT
Runs (Runs on::Runs)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

Application - Runs on (Runs on::Runs) - Cluster


Check. This is NOT
Runs (Runs on::Runs)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

Virtual Machine Instance


cmdb_ci_vm_instance 



Add two additional dependencies for Server and Network Gear



Virtual Machine Instance - Runs on (Runs on::Runs) - Server

Check. This is NOT
Runs (Runs on::Runs)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

Virtual Machine Instance - Runs_on (Runs on::Runs) - Network Gear

Check. This is NOT
Runs (Runs on::Runs)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

Fibre Channel Port

cmdb_ci_fc_port

Change Identifier Entry to be Name and WWPN with allow null attributes and add in another dependency for IP Switch

Fibre Channel Port - Owned By (Owns::Owned by) - IP Switch


Check. This is NOT
Owns (Owns::Owned by)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

Logical Datacenter

cmdb_ci_logical_datacenter

Add in a dependency for Environment

Logical Datacenter - Hosts (Hosted on::Hosts) - Environment


Check. This is NOT
Hosted On (Hosted on::Hosts)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

VMware vCenter Datacenter

cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter

Add in a dependency for ESX Server

VMware vCenter Datacenter - Contains (Contains::Contained by) - ESX Server


Check. This is NOT
Contained by (Contains::Contained by)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

VMware vCenter Datastore

cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastore

Add in a dependency for VMware vCenter Datacenter

VMware vCenter Datastore - Contained by (Contains::Contained by) - VMware vCenter Datacenter

Check. This is NOT
Contains (Contains::Contained by)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

Service

cmdb_ci_service

Create Identification Rule: Independent, Set Identifier Entry to be Name.



Datastore Disk

cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastore_disk

Create Identification Rule: Dependent, Set Identifier Entry to be Name and add in dependency for VMware vCenter Datastore.

Datastore Disk - Provided By (Provided By::Provides) - VMware vCenter Datastore


Check. This is NOT
Provides (Provided By::Provides)

Rule must be of the type "Hosting".

Load Balancer Service

cmdb_ci_lb_service

Change first Identifier Entry to include Fully Qualified Domain Name, Port, IP Address, Name and Object ID and Allow null attributes and add in another dependency for Load Balancer Application

Load Balancer Service - Runs on (Runs on::Runs) - Load Balancer Application 

Check. This is NOT Runs (Runs on::Runs) 

Rule must be of type “Hosting”. 

Cloud Load Balancer

cmdb_ci_cloud_load_balancer

Change Identifier Entry to include Name, IP Address and Object ID and Allow null attributes



Business Application 

cmdb_ci_business_app 

Create Identification Rule: Independent. Set Identifier Entry to be Name. 



File System 

cmdb_ci_file_system 

Change first Identifier Entry to be Name and Mount Point with allow null attributes 



IP Network 

cmdb_ci_ip_network 

Create Identification Rule: Independent. Set Identifier Entry to be Subnet. 



Load Balancer Application 

cmdb_ci_appl 

Change the Identification Rule to be Independent. Set Identifier Entry to be Name and Serial number with allow null attributes 



Load Balancer Pool 

cmdb_ci_lb_pool 

Add in a dependency for Load Balancer Application 

Load Balancer Pool - Owned by (Owns::Owned by) – Load Balancer Application 

Check. This is NOT Owns (Owns::Owned by) 

Rule must be of type “Hosting”. 

Metadata Editor

Some IRE rules require a type of "Containment" rather than "Hosting". To set up these rules, use the Metadata Editor.

The following example shows how to set up the Containment rules between Environment and Resource Group:

  1. Navigate to the Metadata Editor in the Service Now UI.
  2. Under the Containment Rules tab, click Add New Rule .
  3. In the "Add Top-Level Containment Rule select "Environment".
  4. For the newly create rule for environment select "Add Containment Rule".
  5. Select "Resource Group" for the configuration Item type and "Contains::Contained by" for the relationship type.

System Property Modification

Some classes in ServiceNow are configured to require specific attributes to be defined at the time of creation, for example, it_application_owner and cmdb_software_product_model in the cmdb_ci_business_app class.

To enable successful creation of CIs with these mandatory attributes, disable the following system property in ServiceNow:

  1. Open the ServiceNow menu, in the All search field, enter sys_properties.list and press Enter.
  2. On the resulting table view, filter the Name column by using the term glide.required.attribute.enabled, and open the system property.
  3. Change the value from true to false. The term false must be in lowercase.

You should consult your ServiceNow product documentation for full details on its configuration.

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