Note

 

This documentation supports the 20.15.01 version of BMC Remedyforce.

To view the latest version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Creating incidents and retrieving incident status through email messages

BMC Remedyforce uses email services to allow users to create incidents or retrieve the status of incidents through email. Additionally, email services also allow staff members to interact with customers through email. For more information, see Configuring email conversation.

Precondition

To create incidents and to retrieve incident status through email messages, perform the following tasks:


Email service creation

If you want your users to create incidents or retrieve the status of incidents through email messages, you must create an email service and add one of the following out-of-the-box Apex classes to the email service:

Apex class

Description

EmailListener

To create incidents and retrieve the status of incidents through email messages

EmailCreateIncident

To create incidents through email messages. Also, use this Apex class when you are configuring integration with BMC Server Automation and BMC End User Experience Management.

EmailIncidentStatus

To retrieve the status of incidents through email messages

GenericEmailListener

To create incidents through events generated in BMC ProactiveNet Performance Management.

Note: Use this Apex class only when you are integrating BMC Remedyforce with BMC ProactiveNet Performance Management.

ChangeRequestEmailListener

To create change requests in BMC Remedyforce from BMC Server Automation

After adding the required Apex class, you must configure an email address for the email service. The Apex class processes the email that is sent to the email address you have configured. 

For more information about email services, see https://na7.salesforce.com/help/doc/user_ed.jsp?loc=help&target=code_email_services.htm&section=integrate.

For information about the email limits of your Salesforce organization, see http://www.salesforce.com/us/developer/docs/apexcode/Content/apex_gov_limits.htm.


Note

If an incident cannot be created through an email message, an email notification is sent to the email address from which the email message was received and the user that you have specified to receive such email notifications on the Incident - Email Settings page (accessed from the Configure Email tile). For more information, see Settings to create incidents by using email messages. The email notification that is sent to the user contains error description and the original email message.

To create an incident or retrieve incident status through email messages

  1. Click the Remedyforce Administration tab.
  2. On the Home page, click the Configure Email tile, and select Email Services.
  3. Click New Email Service.
  4. In the Email Service Name field, type the name of your email service.

    Note

    BMC recommends that you add BMCRF at the beginning of the email service's name to allow you to differentiate BMC Remedyforce email services from the others email services that you create.

  5. Click the Apex Class lookup.
  6. In the Search field, type Email and click Go.
    The list of Apex classes that begin with Email in the Name field is displayed. 
    For more information about the Apex class names, see Email service creation.

    Note

    If the search results do not display any Apex classes with Email in the Name field, you must compile all Apex classes by navigating to Setup > Develop > Apex Classes and clicking the Compile all classes link. 


  7. In the Lookup window, click the required Apex class.
  8. From the Accept Attachments list, select All.
  9. Select the Convert Text Attachments to Binary Attachments check box to ensure that attachments are not lost or deleted from the email.
  10. To enable the email service, select the Active check box.

  11. Depending on your organization's requirements, configure the remaining fields.
    For more information, see https://na11.salesforce.com/help/doc/user_ed.jsp?section=help&target=code_email_services_editing.htm&loc=help&hash=topic-title.
  12. To save the email service and configure an email address for this email service, click Save and New Email Address.
  13. In the Email Address Information section of the Email Service Address page, in the Email Address field, type the user name of the email address.
    Salesforce.com creates and assigns a unique domain name to the email address.
    For more information, see https://na11.salesforce.com/help/doc/user_ed.jsp?section=help&target=code_email_service_address.htm&loc=help&hash=topic-title.
  14. To activate the email address, select the Active check box.
  15. Click the Context User lookup.
  16. In the Lookup window, click the required user.
    When an incident is created through email, by default, the incident is assigned to the user configured as the Context User in the email service. This user does not receive a notification email when the incident is created. You must create workflows for the Context User to receive email notifications when an incident is assigned to the Context User. For more information, see Configuring workflows.
  17. (Optional) In the Accept Email From field, type the valid email addresses.
    The email service address accepts emails from these email addresses only.
  18. Click Save.
    To create incidents or retrieve the status of an incident, users must send emails to the email address that is displayed in the Email Addresses section of the Email Service page.
    After an incident is created by an email message, the values of the following fields are displayed in the Description field of the incident:
  • From
  • Sent (date and time the email message was sent in the format that is set for your Salesforce organization)
  • To (if available)
  • Cc (if available)
  • Subject
  • Body (if you have not mapped the body of the content to any incident field)

Note

Do not use the "Ref:IN" keyword in the subject or body of the email message with which you want to create an incident.

The email listener first searches for the (Ref:xx:#) keyword in the subject of the email message. If it is not found, it searches for the (Ref:xx:#) keyword in the body of the email message. If not found in either the subject or the body of the email message, a new incident is created.

Note

Work with your Email Administration group to set up a rule to forward all emails that come to your outbound email address (servicedesk@bmc.com). These emails must be forwarded to the email address (servicedesk@w-16m7yz3cj78e5esxxntd47ttf.in.salesforce.com) of your email service.

For more information about configuring your Email server, see the documentation of your Email server.

Related topic

Searching for matching incidents

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Comments

  1. Pablo Macias

    Step 6 does not mention what's the Apex class to use. I believe it should be EmailCreateIncident. But the step 6 goes to other solution that also helps. But Name of Apex class is not clear. Thanks

    Jun 04, 2020 02:53
    1. Sriraksha Deshpande

      Hi Pablo,

      The required information has been added.

      However, please do refer to the latest version of the documentation as well.


      Regards,

      Sriraksha Deshpande

      Sep 01, 2020 02:10
  2. Juan Pulido

    What if instead of incidents a customer wants to use the email content to populate requests?

    Dec 06, 2022 03:55
    1. Sirisha Dabiru

      Hi Juan Pulido,

      Creating service requests through email messages is not possible.

      Dec 07, 2022 03:21