Configuring the ServiceNow ITSM on-premises connector

Before you begin

Before configuring the on-premises connector, make sure that the following prerequisites are met: 

• The server where you want to run and install the remote plug-in matches the minimum hardware and software requirements.
  For more information, see System-requirements.
• The host where the remote plug-in utility is running is accessible from the host where the endpoint automation tool is installed. 
• You have the permissions required to install and configure an on-premises connector.
  For more information, see Roles-and-permissions. 

• (For Linux) The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) G++ version is 5.4.0 or later. 

  Click here to do the steps before you run the plugin

  1. Install and update GCC version 5.4.0 or later.

  2. Run the following command to unlink the current version.

     sudo unlink /usr/lib64/libstdc++.so.6

  3. Run the following command to copy the new version.

     sudo cp /usr/local/lib64/libstdc++.so.6 /usr/lib64

Task 1: To create a plug-in key

1. In the BMC Helix Intelligent Automation console, click Connectors > Plugin Keys tab.
2. Click Create Plugin Key.
   The plug-in key details, the expiry date, and the default name are displayed. 
3. (Optional) Type the plug-in name.
4. (Optional) Click the calendar to update the expiry date.
   By default, the plug-in key expires in 90 days. You can update the date before it expires.

5. Click Download Plugin Key.
   A creds.json file gets downloaded. 

   Warning

   Make sure that you download the plug-in key before closing the panel. If you close the Create Plugin Key panel, you cannot download it again. You will have to create a new plug-in key. 

6. Click Save.
   The plug-in and the key are displayed on the Plugins page.

Task 2: To download the plugin

You can download and run a plugin on a Linux or Microsoft Windows server. This server should be accessible from the computer where the automation tool or application is installed. 

1. Click Solutions > Proactive Service Resolution and click Configure.
2. Select ServiceNow and click the download & install link to download the remote-restapi-plugin.zip file.
   
3. If you have any on-premises connector configured, skip this step and continue to Task 3. 

Task 3: To create credentials by using the plugin key

A plugin requires credentials to authenticate and execute various actions on the target applications that are defined in an automation policy. The credential CLI utility enables you to create, search, update, and delete credentials for a plugin. 

The current release supports the credential CLI utility only on Linux. This server should be accessible from the server where the on-premise application is installed.

1. Navigate to the directory where you have extracted the remote-restapi-plugin.zip file.
   The remote-restapi-plugin directory contains credential.sh/credentials.bat file.
2. Ensure that the credentials file has execute permissions.

3. Run the following command to create credentials for the ServiceNow ITSM connector.
   Whenever credentials are created, a unique credential provider ID is assigned to it. 

   Sample command for Microsoft Windows

   credential.bat create -n SNOW -i https:<hostname>.service-now.com -p SNOW -a bearer

   Sample command for Linux

   credential.sh create -n SNOW -i https:<hostname>.service-now.com -p SNOW -a bearer

4. Type the values for the following parameters when prompted:

   Parameter	Value
   api key	Type $.access_token
   login required (y/n)	Type y
   login url	Type the URL for ServiceNow ITSM
   authentication parameter	Type Bearer
   username	Type admin
   password	Type the password that matches the user name
   additional authentication parameter required (y/n)	Type y
   authentication parameter name	Type client_id
   authentication parameter value	Type the value for the client ID
   additional authentication parameter required (y/n)	Type y
   authentication parameter name	Type client_secret
   authentication parameter value	Type the secret key
   additional authentication parameter required (y/n)	Type y
   authentication parameter name	Type grant_type
   authentication parameter value	Type password
   additional authentication parameter required (y/n)	Type n
   solution	Specifies the solution for which you want to configure the connector. Type one of the following options:  1. PSR for BMC Helix ITSM 2. Blackout 3. PSR for CSP 4. PSR for SNOW

   If the credentials are created successfully, a message is displayed.

5. (Optional) To create credentials in a single step, skip step 4, create a JSON file, which contains all the credentials required for configuring the connector, and run the following command:

   Click here to expand...

   {
      "auth": {
          "access_token": "$.access_token",
          "bearer_parameter": "Bearer",
          "login_action": {
              "https://hostname.service-now.com//oauth_token.do": {
                  "post": {
                      "parameters": [{
                              "headers": {}
                           },
                       ],
                      "body": {
                          "content": {
                              "application/x-www-form-urlencoded": {
                                  "username": "admin",
                                  "password": "*****",
                                  "client_id": "78e4c2*************5417b27a122",
                                  "client_secret": "T!****y+",
                                  "grant_type": "******"
                               }
                           }
                       }
                   }
               }
           }
       }
   }

   Sample command for Microsoft Windows

   credential.bat create -n <connectorName> -i <hostname> -p <providerName> -a bearer -f <locationforJSONfile>

   Example for Microsoft Windows

   credential.bat create -n SNOW -i <hostname> -p SNOW_TMF -a bearer -f C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Downloads\\auth_json_file.json

   If the credentials are created successfully, a message is displayed.

Task 4: To start and run the plugin as a service

If a remote plugin is installed as a service, you can start, stop, or restart it as any other service. We recommend that you run the plugin as a service instead of running it as a batch or shell process. 

Before running a plugin as a service, make sure that the following conditions are met:

• You have administrative or root privileges on the host where the plugin is extracted.
• The host where the plugin is available is also accessible from the host where the application is installed.

To run the plugin as a service:

1. Navigate to the directory where you have extracted the remote-restapi-plugin.zip file.
2. Run the install.bat (for Microsoft Windows) or install.sh (for Linux) command.
   The plugin runs as a service. The remote restapi plugin service is displayed in the Microsoft Windows Service Manager list of services. On Linux servers, if you run the install.sh status command, a system process with the name BMC remote-restapi-plugin appears.

After the connector is installed and running, the status on the Proactive Service Resolution page is shown as Connected.

Where to go from here

Now that you have successfully configured the connection with the ServiceNow application, perform the next steps to complete configuring  Proactive Service Resolution. For more information, see Configuring-Proactive-Service-Resolution-for-incidents-in-BMC-Helix-ITSM.