Integration methods

SOAP web services

Web services are the efficient way of integrating with BMC Helix ITSM, because they eliminate the need to create API applications. With web services, you use a web services client to access the web services functions available in BMC Helix ITSM. Customers can choose to develop their own web service client application. For more information, see Registering the BMC Helix ITSM web service.

For example, an event occurs in an event-based system that causes the web services client to connect to BMC Helix ITSM and create an Incident, Problem, Change, or Purchase Order ticket. For more information, see Web service function mapping.

C and Java APIs in AR System

Using various AR System APIs (Java API, C API, and Plug-ins), you can integrate a third-party application with BMC Helix ITSM. Using the field reference tables listed under the Developing integrations section of the application documentation (for an example of the field reference tables, see the tables on this page:  HPD_IncidentInterface_Create_WS you can determine what fields are needed to create, modify, and query Incident, Problem, Change, and Purchase Order tickets.

For example, if you use a third-party application to identify incidents in a system, but have no way of tracking them, you can access BMC Helix ITSM: Service Desk: Incident Management from the third-party application and create an incident ticket by way of the AR System APIs.

See Using the AR System API for integration to read information in the AR System documentation about using the AR System API for integration. 

You implement the following application integration methods from AR System:

• LDAP Integration—Imports existing user names so you can grant permission to access applications. For more information, see Integrating with a directory service to read information in the AR System documentation about LDAP integrations.
• Vendor and View Forms—Retrieves and displays data from external data sources in ITSM applications. For more information, see Types of forms .
• ODBC type integrations—For example, Microsoft Excel integration based on AR System that imports user names into the ITSM foundation's People form.

REST API

For information about third-party applications with BMC Helix ITSM, see Integrating ITSM with third-party applications by using the REST API.