Onboarding to a new BMC Helix Innovation Suite Cloud

Activate your systems and onboard your Foundation, Template or Process, and Configuration Items (CI) data to your new BMC Helix Innovation Suite Cloud system to access the new SaaS capabilities.

Onboarding to a new BMC Helix Innovation Suite Cloud (BMC Helix ITSM SaaS) system involves several tasks that must be performed in phases. After BMC completes the provisioning of the development, QA, and production environments, the onboarding process includes the following major tasks:

  • Activation tasks
  • (Optional) Development activities and working on integrations
  • Data Loading/Onboarding:
    The forms involved in mapping and loading the data are mentioned in Stage 4: Data Loading section.
    As part of this process, you can onboard and/or load Foundation data, Template or Process data, and Configuration Items (CI) data.
  • User Acceptance Tests (UAT)
  • Go Live

Starting from version 21.x, the BMC Helix Innovation Suite environments which are activated in BMC Helix Innovation Suite Cloud consist of the following applications:

  • BMC Helix ITSM
  • Smart IT
  • BMC Helix Digital Workplace
  • BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog
  • BMC Helix Dashboards


Planning the onboarding

Prepare the following documents required for planning your onboarding project:

  • Implementation planning document: Review your requirements and ensure that you create an implementation plan that covers your development work, creating custom forms, new CMDB classes and prepare data for loading. The document must also include the Foundation, CMDB, and process setup data onboarding details.
  • Project plan:
    • Create a project plan that includes all the tasks and activities to be performed for all stages 1 through 6.
    • Create a Go-Live plan including the tasks and activities described in Stage 7.
      Make sure that you also include the tasks that the BMC team is responsible for in each of the stages.
    • We recommend that you create a draft project plan before you start working on the activities.

Onboarding process

The following image gives an overview of the onboarding process:

Onboarding_process1.png


Stage 1: Activation - Environments provisioning

No.

Task

Action

1.

(BMC Helix Innovation Suite Cloud system) Activate the required systems and BMC Helix installations.

After your ordering process is complete, BMC initiates the activation for the following systems and services required for your migration:

  • Systems
    BMC activates the following environments with the updated versions of BMC Helix ITSM and the BMC Helix applications.
    • Development (with Admin access)
    • QA
    • Production
  • Email services
    • BMC configures one inbound and one outbound email server for each environment.
    • After the activation is complete, BMC sends you an email with the environment and access details for the products you purchased.
    • To view a sample of the email sent after activation of the environments, save and view the Activation Email. The email you receive includes the system details for your activated environments.
  • Permanent FTP
    • BMC configures and provides you distinct and separate accounts for each destination environment - Development, QA, and Production on the BMC-hosted SFTP servers.
      For more information, see File-transfer-process.

Important:

  • Review the complete list of BMC Helix products purchased and validate that these applications are available in the activated systems.
  • After you complete the ordering process, make sure that you complete the registration on BMC Support Central.

2.

Enable Quiet and Admin only mode

After you activate your systems, create a ticket to enable the Quiet and Admin only mode.

The BMC team performs the following steps to enable the Quiet and Admin only mode: 

  1. Turn off any alerts and monitoring services that you are using in your environment.
  2. In the Server Group Configuration screen of the AR System Management Console, set the following global parameters:
  3. In the Server Group Configuration screen of the AR System Management Console, disable the Flashboard services.
  4. On the AR System Server Group Operation Ranking form, set the following configuration settings:
  5. On the Service Failover form, turn off the following settings:
    1. Email
    2. Normalization

  6. Make sure that the Full text search (FTS) services are not running.
    See Enabling and disabling full text search in Action Request System documentation.

  7. On the AR System Email Mailbox Configuration form, disable the status of the incoming mailbox and outgoing mailbox.
  8. Enable the Email services.

  1. Enable the Email Engine.
    See Stopping and starting the Email Engine in Action Request System documentation.


3.

(On-premises system) Install Developer Studio and other client tools on the on-premises system as needed.

While your BMC Helix environments are being activated, download and install the latest version of Developer Studio and Data Import tool on your on-premises system:

4.

Create realm entries and configure your SAML and Active Directory (AD) authentications.

Configuring SAML:

We recommend that you create a realm for SAML authentication, and configure the general details for the realm. Obtain the necessary information from the IdP administrator and then configure SAML authentication.

For more information, see Importing configuration from an identity provider and configuring SAML.

Configuring Active Directory:

After you configure BMC Helix SSO as a service provider and Active Data Federation Services (AD FS) as the remote identity provider (IdP) in BMC Helix SSO Admin Console, you can configure SAML for AD FS.

For more information, see Configuring Active Directory Federation Services as a SAML identity provider.


Stage 2: Activation - Lifecycle requests

No.

Task

Action

1.

Lifecycle request: Create Configure the client gateway

Set up the client gateway environment in the on-premises system for your client tools connectivity and integrations configurations:

  • Initial client gateway setup
    Create a BMC Client Management Gateway Connectivity lifecycle request and attach the completed BMC Helix Client Gateway request form to the request.
    This process includes the following steps:
    1. The BMC team configures the Client Gateway server by using the details provided in the client gateway request form provided with the request.
    2. Install the client gateway software on your on-premises systems.
      For more information about installing the client gateway software, download the BMC Helix Client Gateway Installation Guide available at BMC Helix Client Gateway connectivity.
    3. Configure the client tool connectivity. The BMC team configures the connectivity between client tools on your on-premises and your BMC Helix SaaS systems. You should be able to verify your connectivity by using the client tools.

  • For integrations that require client gateway (Support tickets) 
    Create a support ticket to configure the ports for your integrations. You can create single or multiple tickets depending on the integration information available. The BMC team configures the ports for your integrations.

For more information, see the following topics:


(Optional) Stage 3: Development activities

Perform the activities mentioned in this stage only if you want to create the following:

  • Overlays to extend the out-of-the-box functionalities to support customizations such as field changes, adding new fields, updating existing workflow, and adding new workflow.
  • Create custom objects such as forms, fields, workflows, and CMDB extensions (classes and attributes).


Important

Make sure that all the configuration and environment changes on the development server are also applied to the QA and Production servers during every phase of the onboarding. Apply these changes to all environments after every database restore, unit testing, UAT, and final UAT.

If you do not apply these changes to all the environments, create a request to reapply these changes after every database restore. Track these requests so that data from existing requests can be used as a reference for the changes to be applied.


No.

Task

Action

1.

Perform custom/overlay development changes for the BMC Helix applications

2.

Configure third-party or other BMC applications integrations

You can integrate the BMC Helix ITSM system with your existing on-premise integrations. These integrations can include BMC TrueSight Operations Management, BMC Helix Discovery, and so on.

Important:

For integrations that require client gateway (Support tickets)
Create a support ticket to configure the ports for your integrations. You can create single or multiple tickets depending on the integration information available. The BMC team configures the ports for your integrations.

3.

Request database backup with customizations and integrations

Create a change request to have Golden Backup 1: Customizations/Fixes No Data.

This backup is your Golden Backup #1 with the base data and customizations and integration information.

Stage 4: Data loading

In this stage, you can manually create or populate the DMT spreadsheet to create the following data:

  • Foundation data - Company, Organization, Support Groups, People
  • Template or Process data - Incident, Change, SLM, and task templates
  • CMDB data - The Configuration Items (CIs) that you need

You can either load the data manually by using the Application Administration Console, by using the Data Management Console (DMT), or a combination of both process.

4.1 To enable the system in full mode

After you activate your systems, create a ticket to enable the system in full mode.

The BMC team performs the following steps to enable the system in full mode: 

  1. Turn on any alerts and monitoring services that you are using in your environment.
  2. In the Server Group Configuration screen of the AR System Management Console, set the following global parameters:
  3. In the Server Group Configuration screen of the AR System Management Console, disable the Flashboard services.

  4. On the AR System Server Group Operation Ranking form, rank all processes as they were ranked earlier.
    See Setting failover rankings for servers and operations in Action Request System documentation.

  5. On the Service Failover form, turn on the following settings:
    1. Email
    2. Normalization

  6. Make sure that the Full text search (FTS) services are running.
    See Enabling and disabling full text search in Action Request System documentation.

  7. On the AR System Email Mailbox Configuration form, disable the status of the incoming mailbox and outgoing mailbox.
  8. Enable the Email services.

  1. Enable the Email Engine.
    See Stopping and starting the Email Engine in Action Request System documentation.

4.2 To load the data by using Application Administration Console:

Perform the following steps to load the data manually by using Application Administration Console:

  1. Load the Foundation data manually
  2. Load the Template or Process data manually
  3. Load the CI data manually
  4. Create a golden backup #2

4.2.1 To load Foundation data by using Application Administration Console

The common elements of foundation data are as follows:

  • Company
  • Organization
  • People
  • Support groups
  • Categorization

To load foundation data manually by using Application Administration Console, complete the following tasks:

No.

Task

Action

1.

Create foundation data by using Application Administration console.

The common elements of foundation data are as follows:

  • Company
  • Organization
  • People
  • Support groups
  • Categorization

See the following links for the overview and configuration of foundation data using Application administration console:

2

Create and configure companies:

The first step in standard configuration is to configure a company. Everything else that you configure belongs to this company. You can configure multiple companies if your company is made up of smaller companies that are separate entities. 

To create and configure a company, see Creating companies.


For each company that you create, you must configure the following data:


3

Organizational structure

4

Locations

See the section To add or modify a company location in the topic Creating companies.

5

Support groups

6

People


(Optional) For each company, you can configure other data, such as:


7

Product categories

8

Operational categories

9

Assignment routing

10

Approval processes

4.2.2 To load Template or Process data by using Application Administration Console

To load the Template or Process data manually, perform the following steps by using the Application Administration Console:

No.

Task

Action

1

Create Templates

2

Configure Change Templates

3

Configure Release Templates

4

Configure Activity Templates

5

Configure Incident Management Templates

6

Manage Knowledge Article Templates

4.2.3 To load CI data by using Application Administration Console 

Use one of the following methods to load your CI data manually:

  • Creating CI data in CMDB Explorer
  • Creating CI data by using Discovery
  • Creating CI data by using Atrium Integrator Interface 
To create CI data in CMDB Explorer

In a BMC Helix CMDB system, most configuration items (CIs) are created by discovery applications, such as BMC Helix Discovery.

However, you can create CIs manually and use those CIs to build a service model. In such scenarios, you can create a CI for any non production dataset.

Perform the following steps:

  • You can create a CI manually in an existing service model and add a relationship to that CI. This CI can belong to a production dataset (BMC.Asset) or to a non-production dataset.
    For more information, see Creating a CI for an existing service model.

  • You can create CIs in a non-production dataset, and build the service model for these CIs.
    For more information, see Creating a CI for a new service model.

To create CI data by using Discovery

To discover configuration (CI) data, you can use BMC Discovery products or third-party discovery products. This documentation assumes the use of BMC Discovery products.

If you have already discovered your configuration data with other tools, export that data in a database or flat files, and use Atrium Integrator to transfer that data to BMC Helix CMDB. 

No.

Task

Action

1.

Create CI data by using BMC Discovery products or third-party discovery products

To create CI data by using Atrium Integrator interface

You can use Atrium Integrator interface in the CMDB portal to create and load CI data into CMDB.

Important

If you have CI data to be created in Asset Management, do not use the Atrium Integrator interface for loading CI data.

Use the OOTB spreadsheets to populate and load the Asset data by using the Data Management Console (DMT).


No.

Task

Action

1.

Create CI data by using Atrium Integrator interface

4.2.4 To create a golden backup

After you successfully load your Foundation, Template or Process, and CI data, create a change request to create Golden Backup #2.

You are now ready to unit test your data.

4.3 To load the data by using Data Management Console (DMT)

You can load data in bulk by using a console in BMC Helix Innovation Suite known as the Data Management Console (DMT).

If you are using the Data Management Console (DMT) to perform data loading, we recommend that you review the documentation to understand the required configurations and process.

Perform the following tasks to load the data by using Data Management Console:

  1. Review the documentation of Data Management Console
  2. Load Foundation, Template or Process, and CI data into the spreadsheets
  3. Run the data load job by using the Data Management Console
  4. Create a golden backup #2

4.3.1 To review the documentation

Review the documentation of Data Management to get an overview and understand the required configurations and steps to perform the data loading.

See the following topics to learn about the overview and configuration of the Data Management console:

4.3.2 To load Foundation data into the spreadsheets

To populate and load Foundation data by using DMT, download and populate the data in relevant spreadsheets from the Spreadsheet Manager section of Data Management Console.

Refer to Foundation data mapping section in the topic Spreadsheets provided and target form mapping to understand the mapping of Foundation data from spreadsheets to target forms.

For Foundation data, download and load data into the following spreadsheets:

  • Company.xlsx
  • PeopleOrg.xlsx
  • Location.xlsx
  • Operational Catalog.xlsx
  • SupportGroup.xlsx
  • People.xlsx

4.3.3 To load Template or Process data into the spreadsheets

To populate and load the Template or Process data by using DMT, download and populate the data in relevant spreadsheets from the Spreadsheet Manager section of Data Management Console.

Refer to Process setup data mapping section in the topic Spreadsheets provided and target form mapping to understand the mapping of Template or Process data from spreadsheets to target forms.

For Process setup, download and load data into the following spreadsheets:

  • Change_Process_Setup.xlsx
  • Foundation_Process_Setup.xlsm
  • Incident_Process_Setup.xlsm
  • Request_Process_Setup.xlsm
  • ProcessSetup-Knowledge.xlsm
  • SLM_Agreement_Template.xlsx
  • SLM_Service_Target_Template.xlsx
  • SLM_Contract_Template.xlsx
  • Task_Process_Setup.xlsm

4.3.4 To load CI data into the spreadsheets

To populate and load the data by using DMT, download and populate the data in relevant spreadsheets from the Spreadsheet Manager section of Data Management Console.

Refer to Transactional data mapping section in the topic Spreadsheets provided and target form mapping to understand the mapping of CI data from spreadsheets to target forms.

For CMDB data, download and load data into the following spreadsheets:

  • Transactional_CI_Express.xlsx
  • Transactional_CI.xlsx  
  • Transactional_Asset.xlsx 

4.3.5 To create and run dataload jobs

No.

Task

Action

1.

Onboard and load data by using Data Management Console

Load data from the dataload spreadsheets into BMC Helix Innovation Suite Cloud system by using Data Management Console:

  1. Open the Data Management Console.
  2. Create a new job.
  3. Select the company.
  4. Select the OOTB templates.
  5. In the Load step, attach the dataload spreadsheets created in Stage 4.2.
  6. In the Validate step, enable the Create Only flag for all the Foundation, Template or Process, and CI data.
  7. Save the job.

  8. On the Promote step for dataload job, enable the Enable Wait option.

    Important

    • After you load all the Foundation data into the target forms, you can not modify the data.
    • You must enable the Enable Wait option on the Promote step of the data load job. This option loads the data into the load forms and not directly to the target forms. You can review and validate the data by using this option. After you modify and confirm the data, disable the Enable Wait option to promote the data to the target forms. 
    • If you want to modify the Foundation data and you have not enabled the Enable Wait option, and the data is pushed to target, and then you have to delete the data and run the dataload job again.
    • You can modify the People data in the People spreadsheets. However, to modify the people record, create a new spreadsheet with new details, and run the dataload job.

  9. Repeat step 4 to step 8 for each dataload spreadsheet.
  10. Run the job.

Using the Enable Wait option:

  • We recommend that you run a job with Enable Wait set on the promote step and to validate the data in the load form. This option helps you review the data in the load form so you can determine the data you want to promote to the target form.
  • If the data is not accurate, then you can simply fix the spreadsheets and run a new job to load data in the same way to the load form. In this process, the data is not duplicated as each data load has a job ID reference. Therefore, you can run multiple jobs to load corrected data to the same form multiple times without worrying about duplicate data and or or cleaning up the data. This option is only possible if you run the job with the Enable Wait set to Promote step.
  • After you perform a few revisions as needed and the data for that form in your spreadsheet is accurate, the spreadsheet is considered as your Golden Spreadsheet for that form. You can now create a new job to load that data to the target form without setting Enable Wait on the Promote step.
  • We recommend that you create a Golden Spreadsheet for all your forms.
  • Use the Golden Spreadsheets to run jobs and load data to the QA and or or production environments as needed. This is also helpful if you revert your database to an earlier state.


Important :

If you run a job without setting the Enable Wait parameter on the Promote step and the data is already in the target forms, then if you need to correct the data, revert back to Golden backup 1 described in the Step 3 of Stage 3.

For detailed steps about creating and running the dataload jobs, see Data creation and updates using a dataload job.

2.

(Optional) Modify your CMDB data

If you want to modify the CMDB data after you have already loaded data in CMDB forms, we recommend that you run a purge reconciliation job first to delete the data and run a new job to load the modified data.

For information about purging CIs that are not required in any dataset, see Deleting CIs from a dataset by using the Delete activity in BMC Helix CMDB documentation.

4.3.6 To create a golden backup

After you successfully load your Foundation, Template or Process, and CI data, create a change request to create Golden Backup #2.

Important

If you have loaded data manually and already created Golden Backup #2, and if you have also loaded additional data by using DMT, you can take a new Golden Backup #2 and overwrite the existing backup.

You are now ready to unit test your data.


Stage 5: Perform unit testing and fixes

Before you begin the unit testing, make sure that the following tasks are completed:

  • All development tasks including:
    • Creation of deployable data packages with issue fixes
  • Initial data load or onboarding.

Perform the following steps to complete unit testing:

  1. Disable the Quiet mode on the development server.
  2. Perform unit testing on the development server.

  3. Fix any functional issues.

    Important

    Make sure that you maintain a record of the fixes made during the unit testing.

  4. For Action Request System (AR System) objects, use the Deployment console to export and create the packages. 

  5. After you complete unit testing, create a support ticket to restore to Golden Backup #2 in Quiet mode.
  6. Apply the fixes found during unit testing.
  7. Create a change request to replace the existing Golden Backup #2 and restart the system in Quiet mode.
  8. After completing the unit testing, create a change request to restore Golden Backup #2 to your BMC Helix QA and production environments.


Stage 6: User Acceptance Tests (UAT)

No.

Task

Action

1.

Perform UAT

Create a change request to deploy Golden Backup #2 with the fixes to your BMC Helix QA and Production environment.
Important: Make sure you include this activity in your project plan. 
We recommend that you perform the following user acceptance tests:

  • QA environment
    • Functional UAT testing of all the applications, including all the key functional use cases for UAT sign-off.
    • Define planned UAT cycles with customers or partners.
  • Production environment
    • Functional UAT testing of all the applications.
    • Integration testing.
    • (Recommended ) Plan and execute load and performance tests.
    • Create support tickets to enable monitoring services and capture all the logs from the respective teams. Share the findings on performance, latency, spikes, and other issues during this activity with BMC.
      Important: Make sure you include this activity in your project plan. Complete the tests and fix the issues found. 

2.

Complete UAT cycles, fixes, and sign-off

Fixing issues
Use the following options to fix the issues that you find during your UAT cycles:

  • Fix the issues on the development server and create packages of the fixes by using the Deployment Management Console.

  • Import the packages to the BMC Helix QA and production environments to validate the fixes.
    For more information about using the Deployment Management Console to create a package, see Importing and exporting a package.

  • You might need to add multiple cycles to your project plan to complete all the testing, fix all blocker issues, and get a sign-off for exiting Stage 6: User Acceptance Tests (UAT).

UAT sign-off

  • Perform the required number of UAT cycles for the scenarios that apply to you, and make sure all blocker issues are resolved to get a successful UAT sign-off.

    Important:
  • Include the required number of UAT cycles in the project plan to complete testing and fixing all issues. Customers or partners must sign off on the UAT phase before moving to go-live preparation activities. 
  • We recommend that you start Stage 7: Go-live activities only after a sign-off with an understanding that pending open issues will only be worked on after go-live.
  • Create packages and deploy all application or environment changes found or fixes applied during any phase of the migration on all your environments. If you do not apply these changes to all environments, you must create requests to reapply these changes after every database restore. We recommend that you track these tasks so that data from existing requests can be used as a reference for the changes to be applied.
  • Create packages for all fixes developed by you or BMC.

3.

Restore the backup

After you complete the UAT sign-off successfully, perform the following steps on the production server:

  1. Create a change request to restore Golden Backup #2.
  2. Apply UAT fixes.
  3. Create a change request to replace the existing Golden Backup #2.
  4. Restart the system and make sure that the services are up and running.

Important

Do not create test data after you apply the UAT fixes and replace the existing Golden Backup #2.


Stage 7: Go-live

No.

Task

Action

1.

Go-live

Going Live tasks include the following:

  1. Internal communication with cutover details
  2. Health check assessment of the production database.
  3. Smoke tests of the environments and functionality validation
  4. Go-live

Seven to ten days before going live, create a Salesforce ticket for a Health check assessment of all the BMC Helix Innovation Suite of products.

 

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