Importing data from Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager
You can import data from Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager into BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0 by using the Pentaho Data Integration tool. The Pentaho package for importing data from System Center Configuration Manager is available on the BMC Communities website. For information about how configuration items (CIs) are imported and relationships are created in CMDB 2.0, see Overview of how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce.
The following topics provide information about importing data from System Center Configuration Manager into BMC Remedyforce CMDB:
Before you begin
Before you can import data from System Center Configuration Manager into BMC Remedyforce CMDB, you must perform the following tasks:
- Install Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
- Download the Pentaho Data Integration tool.
If the Require TLS 1.1 or higher for HTTPS connections Salesforce critical update is enabled in your organization, you must use version 6.1 or later of the Pentaho Data Integration tool. - Register at the BMC Communities website.
- Connect to Windows authenticated MS SQL server.
- (Optional) Configure BMC Remedyforce to retain the original Instance Name value of CIs imported from an external source.
- If you have enabled the setting to access your Salesforce organization from limited IP addresses, ensure that you have the security token to log on to your Salesforce organization.
For more information about the security token, see Salesforce Help. Download the Pentaho package from the BMC Communities website (https://communities.bmc.com/docs/DOC-28432).
For information about the KJB (job) and KTR (transformation) files that are included in the Pentaho package, see KJB and KTR files for importing data from System Center Configuration Manager.Best practice
BMC recommends that you do not change the folder structure because doing so can interfere with the running of the batch files provided in the CombinedJobs folder.
Note
For information about the System Center Configuration Manager versions that BMC Remedyforce supports, see Supported browsers, mobile devices, and integrations.
To import data from System Center Configuration Manager
- To launch the Pentaho Data Integration tool, perform the following actions:
Navigate to the location where you downloaded and unzipped the Pentaho Data Integration tool.
Navigate to the data-integration folder and double-click the Spoon.bat file.
- In Pentaho Spoon, select File > Open, navigate to the folder where you downloaded the Pentaho package, and open the appropriate KJB file.
For example, to import LAN Endpoint CIs into BMC Remedyforce CMDB, open the TransferSCCMLANEndPointinfotoCMDB.kjb file in the LANEndpoints folder. In the KJB file, right-click the Update BE table with SCCM <CI type name> information step, select Open referenced object, and then select Transformation.
Enter the information required to access System Center Configuration Manager.
Enter the information required to access your Salesforce organization.
Important
If you have enabled the setting to access your Salesforce organization from limited IP addresses, you must append the security token to your Salesforce organization password.
For example, if the password for your Salesforce organization is mypassword and your security token is XXXXXXXXX, specify mypasswordXXXXXXXXX in the Password fields.
(Optional) Update the predefined mapping between System Center Configuration Manager fields and BMC Remedyforce CMDB.
- To save the KJB and KTR files, click Save .
- In the KJB file, click Run this job .
Perform one of the following actions based on the Pentaho version that you are using:
Pentaho version Action 6.1 In the Run Options window, click Run. 5.4 In the Execute a job window, click Launch. Transformation status is depicted by using the following icons:
- — Complete
- — Running
- — Unsuccessful
(Optional) To view logs, in the Execution results section, click the Logging tab.
All errors are displayed in red.
For the imported records, the Source field is set to SCCM. You can use the Source field to generate reports and also when you enable and configure reconciliation.
User scenarios for importing data from System Center Configuration Manager
David is a member of the Infrastructure team for Downtown Bank, responsible for managing the laptops for ABC project. He signs up for BMC Remedyforce and expects to use the pre-configured, ITIL-based incident and problem management processes for managing CIs. Also, David wants to use the CMDB to represent the physical, logical, and conceptual items and to track the relationships between the different CIs.
John Doe, a BMC Remedyforce administrator, helps David to import details of the laptops provided to the team members of the ABC project from System Center Configuration Manager to BMC Remedyforce CMDB.
Data to be imported | Steps to follow |
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Operating system details of the laptops |
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Processor details of the laptops |
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Software server details of the laptops |
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KJB and KTR files for importing data from System Center Configuration Manager
The Pentaho packages contain job (KJB) and transformation (KTR) files that are created in the Pentaho Data Integration tool. The KJB files (jobs) and KTR files (transformations) store metadata in XML format. A KJB file contains a series of transformations that are run in a sequence. A KTR file contains a single transformation. The KJB (job) files retrieve data from external sources into BMC Remedyforce CMDB.
For information about the KJB and KTR files in the Pentaho packages for System Center Configuration Manager, see KJB files in the Pentaho package and KTR files in the Pentaho package.
KJB files in the Pentaho package
The Pentaho package includes different KJB (job) files for importing different types of CIs, such as computer systems and LAN endpoints, from System Center Configuration Manager. These job files are bundled with related files and provided to you in folders. The folder names correspond to CI types in BMC Remedyforce CMDB.
The following table provides information about the job files that you must run to import specific CI types to BMC Remedyforce CMDB:
Folder name (CI Type) | Job file | Description |
---|---|---|
Computer System | TransferSCCMinfoto CMDB.kjb | Transfers information about the CI type |
OS | TransferSCCMOSinfoto CMDB.kjb | Transfers information about the CI type |
Processor | TransferSCCMProcessorinfoto CMDB.kjb | Transfers information about theBMC_Processor CI type |
IPEndPoints | TransferSCCMIPEndPointinfoto CMDB.kjb | Transfers information about theBMC_IPEndPoint CI type |
LANEndPoints | TransferSCCMLANEndPointin fotoCMDB.kjb | Transfers information about the BMC_LANEndpoint CI type |
Software Server | TransferSCCMSoftwareServern fotoCMDB.kjb | Transfers information about the Note: Depending on the organization size, running the software server job transfers large amounts of data to the Salesforce organization, which might lead to exceeding the organization storage limit. |
Combined Jobs |
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KTR files in the Pentaho package
All job (KJB) files for importing data from specific CI types contain a series of transformations that are run in a sequence. Each transformation maps to a KTR file that is available, along with the KJB file, in the folder for each CI type.
The following table provides information about the KTR files and the corresponding transformations that the KJB file for each CI type contains:
KTR file | Transformation or step in the KJB file | Description |
---|---|---|
None | Check If Delta Time stamp File Exists | Checks if any time stamp file exists. The Pentaho package utilizes a time stamp file to determine which records were added or modified since the last time the job was run. This step is used for incremental import. If a time stamp file does not exist, the Create the initial timestamp file step is run; otherwise, the Update BE Table With SCCM <CI type name> information step. |
CreateInitialTimeStampedFileFor<CIType>.ktr | Create the initial time stamp file | Creates the time stamp file to record the time of import. This step is run only if you are importing for the first time or you have deleted the existing time stamp file. |
TransferSCCM<CIType>infotoCMDB.ktr | Update BE Table With SCCM <CI type name > Information | Transfers data from System Center Configuration Manager to the Base Element object of BMC Remedyforce CMDB. |
Store<CIType>Timestamp.ktr | Store the current timestamp | If the data is successfully imported, the time stamp file is updated with the current time of import |
For example, the LAN Endpoint job file (TransferSCCMLANEndPointinfotoCMDB.kjb) contains the CreateInitialTimeStampedFileForLANEndPoint.ktr, TransferSCCMLANEndPointinfotoCMDB.ktr, and StoreLANEndPointTimestamp.ktr files.
The following table provides information about the steps that are included in the TransferSCCM<CIType>infotoCMDB.ktr file (Update BE Table With SCCM <CI type name> information transformation). The Pentaho package runs these steps to transfer data from System Center Configuration Manager into BMC Remedyforce CMDB. You can view these steps only when you open the KTR file in the Pentaho Data Integration tool.
Step | Description |
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Delta timestamp | Reads the saved time stamp. |
SCCM input | An SQL query that fetches information from SCCM based on the stored time stamp. |
Transform SCCM variables | Facilitates JavaScript transformations, such as appending or trimming fields. |
Upsert into class <CI type name > | Accepts the destination of the data, the credentials for the Salesforce organization where you want to save the imported data. |
Salesforce Input[CMDB_Class] | Accepts the access details of the Salesforce organization to fetch the BMC Remedyforce CMDB classes details. |
Success rows | Stores the rows that are imported successfully. |
Failure rows | Stores the rows that are not imported, error code, error description, and error fields. |
Related topics
Applying models while importing CIs and assets
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