User scenario for operator-initiated changes for ServiceNow

This topic describes a scenario in which the changes implemented by a BMC Server Automation operator are automatically recorded, tracked, and approved in ServiceNow.

The topic includes the following sections:

• • Overview
  • Operator-initiated change scenario by specifying an approval type
  • Operator-initiated change scenario by specifying an existing change ticket
  • Where to go from here

Overview

When you select one of the execute options (Execute now, Execute against, and Execute against failed targets) for a job that requires ServiceNow approval, the job is blocked until approval notification is received from ServiceNow. The job displays a status of Waiting for Approval until the approval notification is received. When the approval is received, the job executes automatically (for Execute now ) or at the scheduled time (for scheduled jobs). 

The BMC Server Automation integration with ServiceNow supports the following job types:

• AIX patching Job
• Agent Installer Job
• BLPackage Deploy Job
• Batch Job
• File Deploy Job
• Network Shell Script Job
• Oracle Enterprise Linux Patching Job
• Provision Job
• Red Hat Linux Patching Job
• Software Deploy Job
• Solaris Patching Job
• SuSE Linux Patching Job
• UCS Provision Job
• Virtual Guest Job
• Windows Patching Job
• Workflow Job

You enable job approval for these job types using the Configuration > Approval Configuration menu option.

In this scenario, an operator in the IT operations organization is using BMC Server Automation to implement changes on the data center servers. The operator creates the job, selects the Execute Now option, and specifies that the change should be approved in ServiceNow by selecting an appropriate approval type.

After completing the job definition in the job wizard:

• A ServiceNow change and task ticket is created automatically

• The job execution is blocked and displays Waiting for approval status

As soon as the corresponding change request in ServiceNow has been approved and BMC Server Automation has been notified, the job is executed and the corresponding ticket in ServiceNow is updated with the results. This workflow ensures that all server configuration changes are logged for tracking by the change manager.

Operator-initiated change scenario by specifying an approval type

As part of a regular maintenance schedule, the BMC Server Automation operator creates any BMC Server Automation Job, for example a File Deploy Job to deploy new configuration files to several target servers. Because the administrator has specified that File Deploy Jobs must be approved in ServiceNow, the wizard displays the Approval Information window. The following scenario occurs when the operator selects the Manual approval for a job.

The following figure describes the end to end use case for the operator-initiated change for ServiceNow when a manual approval configuration is selected. 

1. On the BMC Server Automation console, the operator (BLAdmin user) uses the context menu for the job and clicks Execute to execute the File Deploy Job. 

2. On the Approval Information window, the operator selects Change Management: Manual approval, accepts the defaults for Change type, Impact, and Risk Level, and enters a description of the change that will result from the execution of the job. For information about configuring job approvals, see Creating-a-new-BMC-Server-Automation-job-with-Change-Management-approval-for-ServiceNow. A change request and an associated task is created in ServiceNow.
   

   Note

   The values are generated based on the change template created in ServiceNow. If you specify any other value, the values in the change request template are overridden and a change request is created with the new values.

3. The operator chooses to have a new change ticket opened for this job execution, and completes the job definition. The ServiceNow actor adapter is invoked to create a change request in ServiceNow.
4. A new change request is created using a specific change template and includes one task, even if multiple servers are used as targets. The change request ID and task ID are sent to the BMC Server Automation system and the values are attached to the job schedule. The servers that have been specified as targets are associated to the change and task requests.The operator checks to see if the interaction with the change management system was successful by reviewing the job schedule log, which is displayed under the job until the job starts running. For information, see the Viewing job schedules page in the BMC Server Automation online documentation.
5. As a ServiceNow user, you log on to the ServiceNow application and change the status of the change request to APPROVED. 

6. An email is sent to the user specified in ServiceNow. 

   Note

   For a Change Management: Automatic Approval type or a Change Management: Emergency Approval type, no manual intervention is required for the job to be approved and subsequently executed. 

7. The ServiceNow monitor adapter for TrueSight Orchestration reads the email message and based on the content of the email, a workflow is triggered.
8. The TrueSight Orchestration workflow sends an alert and in BMC Server Automation, the status of the job is changed from In Progress to Complete. 

9. The operator checks the status of the File Deploy Job and sees that it has been approved and executed. The operator validates whether the file is actually deployed to the target directory or server.

   For information, see the Viewing job schedules page in the BMC Server Automation online documentation.
   

   If the change request in ServiceNow is rejected or canceled, then the corresponding BMC Server Automation job schedule remains in the Waiting for approval state (shown in the Tasks in Progress pane) the change request might be re-opened and moved into pre-approved state at a later time. If the change request remains in a Rejected or Canceled state after the job schedule expires, the job schedule is automatically deleted in BMC Server Automation. If a job in Waiting for Approval status is canceled (for example, due to time-out), the ServiceNow task associated with the change request is automatically closed.

10. The operator verifies the status of the task and change request in ServiceNow and reviews that the status is CLOSED. 

Operator-initiated change scenario by specifying an existing change ticket

You can create a change request and a task for a File Deploy Job in BMC Remedyforce and then provide the Change ID and Task ID while executing a job in BMC Server Automation. You can only specify the change ID and task ID when the status of the change request and task in BMC Remedyforce is APPROVED. 

• The operator executes the File Deploy Job by clicking Execute.
• On the Approval Information window, the operator selects Use existing Change Ticket and specifies the change request ID and the task ID created in BMC Remedyforce. When the operator clicks OK, the job is executed. 
• The operator checks to see if the interaction with the change management system was successful by reviewing the job schedule log, which is displayed under the job until the job starts running. For information, see the Viewing job schedules page in the BMC Server Automation online documentation.
• The operator checks the status of the File Deploy Job and sees that it has been approved and executed. The operator validates whether the file is actually deployed to the target directory or server.
  For information, see the Viewing job schedules page in the BMC Server Automation online documentation.
• The operator verifies the status of the task and change request in BMC Remedyforce and reviews that the status is CLOSED.

Where to go from here

Troubleshooting-Continuous-Compliance-for-Servers-for-ServiceNow