Preparing ServiceNow CMDB for synchronization

Add BMC Discovery to cmdb_ci discovery_source choice list

The BMC Helix Discovery integration uses a Discovery Source choice list on the base cmdb_ci class. Discovery Source is a choice list meaning that it is not a free text field and that the values allowed are restricted to a predefined list. The Discovery Source text used in theBMC Helix Discovery CMDB integration is BMC Discovery and this must exist in the choice list. For more information on choice lists, see Add missing items to the choice list.

1. Login to the ServiceNow CMDB with a system administrator privileged account and navigate to System Definition > Choice Lists

2. Click on New to add a choice list record and complete the following fields:

   Field	Value
   Table	"Configuration Item [cmdb_ci]"
   Element	discovery_source
   Language	English (mandatory)
   Label	"BMC Discovery"
   Value	The default value is, "BMC Discovery". This must match the "Source Name" used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery, and be unique in your ServiceNow CMDB instance.

3. Click Submit.
   
   

Create the bmc.integration user

A ServiceNow user must be created to allow the BMC Helix Discovery CMDB integration to create / update and manage CIs within the ServiceNow CMDB.

This procedure assumes that the roles have not been modified from their default configuration.

1. Login to the ServiceNow CMDB with a system administrator privileged account and navigate to User Administration > Users

2. Click on New to add a User record and complete the following fields:

   Field	Value
   User ID	This must match the Username used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery.
   First Name	Integration user first name
   Last Name	Integration user last name
   Password	This must match the Password used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery.
   Active	Set to "Active"
   Locked Out	Ensure this is not selected
   Password needs reset	Ensure this is not selected
   Web service access only	Ensure this is selected.
   Language	English (mandatory)

3. Click Submit.

4. Locate the created user and open the User record, select Roles and Edit. The following roles must be added to the user:

   Role	Purpose
   itil	The itil role is required to give access to the cmdb_ci tables
   model_manager	The model_manager role is required so that any missing products (models) can be created when a CI is added to ServiceNow. The products (models) are stored in the table cmdb_model. The role model_manager gives write access to the cmdb_model table.
   user_admin	Optional - The user_admin role is to allow write permissions to the core_company table to create / add missing "manufacturers" to the system. If not provided, manufacturers unknown by ServiceNow will be empty on CIs.
   personalize_choices	The system needs to read the sys_choice records to check that the discovery source exists in the choice list of the cmdb_ci table.

   This procedure assumes that the above roles have not been modified from the default configuration.

5. Click Save.
   
   

Setting the OAuth API Endpoint

Create an OAuth application endpoint to allow the BMC Helix Discovery CMDB integration to access system resources in the ServiceNow CMDB.

1. Login to the ServiceNow CMDB with a system administrator privileged account and navigate to System OAuth > Application Registry
2. Click New
3. On the interceptor page, click Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients.

4. Complete the following fields:

   Field	Value
   Name	A unique name.
   Client ID	This is created by default. This must match the Client ID used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery.
   Client Secret	If no value supplied the system automatically generates this. This must match the Client Secret used in the configuration in BMC Helix Discovery.

5. Click Submit.
   
   

Class configuration summary

The following table shows a summary of the configuration changes that you need to make to ServiceNow CMDB classes. 

Metadata Editor

Some IRE rules require a type of "Containment" rather than "Hosting". To set up these rules, use the Metadata Editor.

The following example shows how to set up the Containment rules between Environment and Resource Group:

1. Navigate to the Metadata Editor in the Service Now UI.
2. Under the Containment Rules tab, click Add New Rule .
3. In the "Add Top-Level Containment Rule select "Environment".
4. For the newly create rule for environment select "Add Containment Rule".
5. Select "Resource Group" for the configuration Item type and "Contains::Contained by" for the relationship type.

System Property Modification

Some classes in ServiceNow are configured to require specific attributes to be defined at the time of creation, for example, it_application_owner and cmdb_software_product_model in the cmdb_ci_business_app class.

To enable successful creation of CIs with these mandatory attributes, disable the following system property in ServiceNow:

1. Open the ServiceNow menu, in the All search field, enter sys_properties.list and press Enter.
2. On the resulting table view, filter the Name column by using the term glide.required.attribute.enabled, and open the system property.
3. Change the value from true to false. The term false must be in lowercase.

You should consult your ServiceNow product documentation for full details on its configuration.

Network device types require additions to default mappings in ServiceNow

Network device types cannot be correctly mapped as they are not included in the default mappings in ServiceNow. For example, the following types are not mapped:

• "Load Balancer / Web Caching"

• "Firewall / Load Balancer"

When synchronized to ServiceNow CMDB, the "device Type" attribute is not set and remains empty. You should consult your ServiceNow product documentation for full details adding to the default mappings.
  

Add missing relationships

Complete synchronization of some CIs requires additional relationships in ServiceNow. For example, some database tables require the Allocated_from__Allocated_to class, which requires the Allocated from::Allocated to relationship.

To determine whether this relationship is present:

1. Check the CMDB table cmdb_rel_type for an Allocated_from__Allocated_to record.

2. If it does not exist, add the relationship with the following details:

   Display name	Parent descriptor	Child descriptor
   Allocated_from__Allocated_to	Allocated from	Allocated to

Add missing items to a choice list

When the CMDB sync connection is created, the ServiceNow CMDB reads the permitted choices for choice lists. If CMDB sync sends an unknown value, for example, an OS type of GNU /Linux, it is discarded by the ServiceNow CMDB.

To add an item to a choice list

The following procedure extends the GNU/Linux example:

1. Open a CI which contains the choice list. For example, a Linux server.
2. Select and right-click the field name, in this example, Operating System. Select Show Choice List.
   The existing choice list values are displayed.
3. Click the column header with the label corresponding to the CI class.
4. Right-click the first table name in the list. In this example, cmdb_ci_computer.
5. Click Show Matching in the pop-up menu.
6. To create a new choice list item, click New.
7. Enter the new value in the label and value fields, for example, GNU/Linux.
8. Click Submit.
9. Confirm that the new value shows in the choice list.