Integrating with ServiceNow

As a tenant administrator, it's important that you can monitor the connected systems and quickly identify and resolve any issues. The BMC Helix Intelligent Integrations ServiceNow connector collects topology data from ServiceNow.

You can view the collected data in various BMC Helix application and derive the following benefits:

As a tenant administrator, perform the following steps to configure a connection with ServiceNow, verify the connection, and view the collected topology data in various BMC products.

Watch the following video (05:55) to learn how to collect topology data from ServiceNow and view the collected data in BMC Helix applications .

https://youtu.be/HbQXNcGkCEA

Supported versions

This connector supports the following versions of ServiceNow for data collection:

• Quebec

• Rome

• San Diego

• Tokyo

Before you begin

Before you configure a connection with ServiceNow , ensure that the following prerequisites are met.

ServiceNow prerequisites

You have read permissions for the following REST API endpoints in ServiceNow:

• /api/now/table/cmdb_rel_ci
• /api/now/table/cmdb_rel_type
• /api/now/cimodel/cmdb_ci/fullclasshierarchy
• /api/now/table/[type], where type is determined by querying fullclassheirarchy
• /api/now/cmdb/instance/cmdb_ci
  For information about APIs, see the ServiceNow API documentation.

You have permissions to access the ServiceNow UI.

You have been assigned the ITIL role. For information about the ServiceNow roles, see Base system roles in the ServiceNow documentation.

BMC Helix Intelligent Integrations prerequisites

• Choose the BMC Helix Intelligent Integrations deployment mode and review the corresponding port requirements. For information about various deployment modes and port requirements, see Deployment scenarios.
• Based on the deployment mode, either use BMC Helix Intelligent Integrations or deploy the BMC Helix Intelligent Integrations on-premises gateway. For more information, see Deploying the BMC Helix Intelligent Integrations on-premises gateway.

• You have the latest Technology Knowledge Update (TKU) required to collect the topology data from ServiceNow. To obtain the latest TKU, see Schedule and Roadmap.

To configure a connection with ServiceNow

1. In BMC Helix Intelligent Integrations, on the CONNECTORS tab, click  in the SOURCES panel.

2. Click the ServiceNow tile.
3. Specify the following source connection details:

   1. Specify a unique instance name.

      Best practice

      We recommend that you specify the instance name in the following format: 

      <sourceType>_<sourceControllerServerName>{_<InstanceQualifier>}                                      

      The instance qualifier helps you to distinguish among the multiple instances configured from the same source server; for example, SN_Host_PROD and SN_Host_TEST.

   2. Specify the ServiceNow host name and port number (default value is 443).
   3. Specify the ServiceNow HTTP or HTTPS port number depending on the connection protocol (default port number is 8089).
   4. Select the HTTPS check box if you plan to use an https connection to the ServiceNow host.
   5. Specify the user name and password for the ServiceNow instance and ensure that the specified user can access the ServiceNow   REST API.
4. Click VALIDATE AND CREATE .
   The specified connection details are validated and the corresponding source connection is created in the Source Connection list.

5. Select the source connection that you created from the list if it is not selected already.
   

   Important

   The destination host connection is created and configured automatically for each tenant when the source connection is created.

6. Ensure that the options for the datatypes for which you want to collect data are selected.

7. Click the topology data type and specify the configuration parameters in the Collectors section as described in the following table:

   Parameter name and description
   Collection Schedule Specify the data collection frequency (in minutes).  Default: 60 minutes Example: Collection Schedule is set to 5 mins.  Current time is 00:30. If you run the collector just after 00:30, data is collected every 5 mins, first at 00:30 and next at 00:35, and so on. For more information about how this parameter affects data collection, see Data collection schedule.
   Data Collection Window Specify the historical time period (in minutes) from the current time for which the data should be collected from ServiceNow .  Default: 5 minutes Example: Collection Schedule is set to 5 mins. Data Collection Window is set to 5 mins. Current time is 00:30. If you run the collector just after 00:30, data is collected first at 00:30 for the interval, 00:25 - 00:30, and next at 00:35 for the interval, 00:30 - 00:35, and so on. For more information about how this parameter affects data collection, see Data collection window.
   Data Latency Specify the time (in minutes) by which the data time window should be shifted back on the timeline. This parameter is useful in delayed data availability situations. Default: 0 minutes Example: Collection Schedule is set to 5 mins. Data Collection Window is set to 10 mins. Data Latency is set to 2 mins. Current time is 00:30. If you run the collector just after 00:30, data is collected first at 00:30 for the interval, 00:18 to 00:28 and next at 00:35 for the interval, 0:23 to 00:33, and so on. For more information about how this parameter affects data collection, see Data latency.
   Service Name Filter Specify a string if you want to retrieve a list of services that match the string pattern. The services that match the string pattern are displayed in the Services list.
   Services Select the required services from the list. This list is updated automatically from ServiceNow.  If you have specified a string in the Service Name Filter list, the services matching the string pattern are displayed. Important: Data only for the root-level CIs and its relationships is collected.
   Load Balancer Service Filter Specify a string if you want to retrieve a list of load balancer services that match the string pattern. The services that match the string pattern are displayed in the Load Balancer Services list.
   Load Balancer Services Select the required load balancer services from the list. This list is updated automatically from ServiceNow. If you have specified a string in the Load Balancer Service Filter list, the services matching the string pattern are displayed. Important: Data is collected only for the root-level CIs and its relationships.
   vCenter Name Filter Specify a string if you want to retrieve a list of vCenter servers that match the string pattern. The vCenter servers that match the string pattern are displayed in the vCenters list.
   vCenters Select the required vCenter servers from the list. This list is updated automatically from ServiceNow. If you have specified a string in the vCenter Name Filter list, the vCenter servers matching the string pattern are displayed. Important: Data is collected only for the root-level CIs and its relationships.
   Collect All CIs Select the Collect All CIs option to collect data for all the CIs present in ServiceNow .  If you select this option, the values selected in the Services, Load Balancer Services, and vCenters lists are ignored and data for all the CIs is collected.  If you don't select an option, no data is collected.  Important : Data collection might take longer if you select this option.

8. Click CREATE COLLECTORS  to create the required collector streams for the topology data type.
9. Click the topology data type and specify the configuration parameters in the Distributors section as described in the following table:
   

   Parameter name and description
   Max Batching Size Specify the maximum number of data items to send in a single POST request to the destination API. The batch size depends on the destination’s ability to buffer the incoming data. Default: 250
   Max Batching Delay Specify the maximum time (in seconds) to wait before building a batch and processing. Default: 3 seconds
   Base Retry Delay Specify the initial time (in seconds) for which to wait before retrying to build a batch and processing. The waiting time increases in the following sequence: n1, n2, n3, and so on, where n indicates the number of seconds. Default: 2 seconds Example: Base Retry Delay is set to 2 seconds. Retry is performed after 2, 4, 8, 16, ... seconds.
   Max Intra-Retry Delay Specify the maximum limit for the base retry delay.  Default: 60 seconds Example: Max Intra-Retry Delay is set to 60 seconds. Base Retry Delay is set to 2 seconds. Retries are performed 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64,... seconds later again.
   Max Retry Duration Specify the total time for retrying a delivery. For REST destinations, a delivery is a batch of data items in one POST request.  Default: 5 minutes Example: Max Retry Duration is set to 8 hours. Base Retry Delay is set to 2 seconds. Requests are sent for 2+4+8+16+32+64+132... until 8 hours in total duration is reached. After that, no subsequent attempts are made to retry the delivery. The assumption here is that if there is an outage or other issue with the destination tool, recovery should take less than the value of the Max Retry Duration parameter to be completed.

10. Click CREATE DISTRIBUTORS to create the required distributor streams for the topology data type.
11. Click one of the following buttons:
    • SAVE STREAM : Click this button if you want to edit the integration details before creating the instance. After you save the stream, the instance that you created is listed in the SOURCES panel. Move the slider to the right to start the topology data stream.
    • SAVE AND START STREAM : Click this button if you want to save the integration details and start receiving topology data immediately.

          For more information about data streams, see Starting or stopping data streams.

To verify the connection

In BMC Helix Intelligent Integrations , on the SOURCES panel, confirm that the topology data stream for the integration you created is running. Data streaming is indicated by moving colored arrows.

A moving light blue arrow () indicates that the topology stream is running. Topology data will be pushed according to the configured Collection Schedule interval.

Viewing data in BMC Helix applications

View data collected from ServiceNow in multiple BMC Helix applications.

To view topology in BMC Helix Discovery

1. In BMC Helix Discovery, select Explore > Data.
2. Click the folder link corresponding to the entity for which you have collected data from ServiceNow. 
   For example, if you have collected topology for a business service, click the <count> Business Services link. 
   The <entity> List page shows the list of entity names and its other attributes received from ServiceNow . For information about entities in the infrastructure, see Managing your IT infrastructure. .
3. Click the entity name to view its topology.

The following figures show the topology for the Blackberry service in the ServiceNow UI and in the BMC Helix Discovery UI:

To view services in BMC Helix AIOps

1. In BMC Helix AIOps, go to the Services page.
   This page shows the Blackberry_Service. 
   
   
2. To view the impact on the service, hover over the service.
   The impact score in percentage and Situations, events, incidents, or configuration items (CIs) associated with a service are displayed.  
3. Click the service to view the health summary, causal analysis, health insights, and other key metrics of interest.

For more information about services, see Monitoring services.