Importing data from Dell KACE

Dell KACE is a provider of systems management appliances. You can use the appliance-based approach to manage desktops, laptops, and servers. For more information, see https://software.dell.com/kace/. For information about enabling staff members to work with the Dell KACE Console, see Integrating-BMC-Helix-Remedyforce-with-Dell-KACE.

You can import data from Dell KACE into  CMDB 2.0 by using the Pentaho Data Integration tool. The Pentaho package for importing data from Dell KACE 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 Dell KACE into  CMDB:

• • Before you begin
  • To import data from Dell KACE
  • To schedule jobs to import data
  • User scenarios for importing data from Dell KACE
  • KJB and KTR files for importing data from Dell KACE
  • Troubleshooting
  • Related topics

Before you begin

Before you can import data from Dell KACE into  CMDB, you must perform the following tasks:

• Install Java Development Kit (JDK).
• 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.
• Add the MySQL connector file to the \data-integration\lib folder.
• (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.

• Ensure that the Enable database access option under Settings > Control Panel tab > Security Settings > General Security Settings section in the Dell KACE Management Centre (Dell KACE console) is selected.

  Warning

  Note

  The database name is present in Settings > Control Panel tab > General Settings > Update Reporting User Password section in the Dell KACE Management Centre (Dell KACE console).

• Download the Pentaho package from the BMC Communities website ( https://community.bmc.com/s/news/aA33n000000TPB7CAO/integrating-bmc-helix-remedyforce-with-dell-kace).
  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 Dell KACE.

  Success

  Best practice
  We recommend 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.

To import data from Dell KACE

1. To launch the Pentaho Data Integration tool, perform the following actions:
   1. Navigate to the location where you downloaded and unzipped the Pentaho Data Integration tool.
   2. Navigate to the data-integration folder and double-click the Spoon.bat file.
2. In Pentaho Spoon, select File > Open, navigate to the folder where you downloaded the Pentaho package, and open the appropriate KJB file.
3. To import data into CMDB classes, open the file TransferDELLKACEinfotoCMDB.kjb or TransferDELLKACEComputerSystemAndSoftwareServerinfotoCMDB.kjb in the CombinedJobs folder.

4. In the Combined Job Properties window, perform the following actions:

   1. Right-click on the screen.
   2. Select Properties.
   3. Click the Parameters tab.
   4. Enter the values for the required parameters.
      
      
       

   Warning

   Note

   After you enter the credentials for the combined job (top-most parent), the credentials are inherited by all the subsequent jobs or transformations.

   Warning

   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.

5. (Optional) Update the predefined mapping between Dell KACE fields and  CMDB.

   Click here to see the detailed steps.

   1. Double-click the Upsert into class <CI type name> step.
   2. In the Salesforce Upsert window, click Edit Mapping.
   3. In the Enter Mapping window, update mappings for fields based on your requirements.
      For information about updating the out-of-the-box mapping, see Field mapping in CMDB 2.0.
   4. To save your settings and close the Enter Mapping window, click OK.
      
   5. To save your changes and close the Salesforce Upsert window, click OK.
6. To save the KTR and KJB files, click Save .
7. In the KJB file tab, click Run this job .

8. 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.

   Data is imported into the appropriate CMDB class.
   
   Transformation status is depicted by using the following icons:

   • — Complete
   • — Running
   •  — Unsuccessful
9. Verify whether the entries are correct in the Relationships Editor of the appropriate CMDB class.

10. (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 KACE. You can use the Source field to generate reports and also when you enable and configure reconciliation. 

    Error

    Warning

    If you are using two different computers, two records are imported from the Person package in CMDB for the same user.

    You can launch the Dell KACE console to view the details of the records that have been imported from Dell KACE.

To schedule jobs to import data

On the BMC Communities website, the Pentaho packages for importing data from external data sources into Scheduling jobs to import data page contain a SchedulingFiles folder. This folder contains a sample batch file that you can use as a base to create your batch files for scheduling data import. For more information about scheduling a job, see http://wiki.Pentaho.com/display/EAI/Kitchen+User+Documentation.

To schedule the Remedyforce LDAP Pentaho package to import users, perform the following steps:

(For all other required packages, perform these steps by using the respective batch files.)

1. Navigate to the Remedyforce Package folder.
2. Rename your extracted package folder to SchedulingFiles.
3. Open the folder where you have installed the Pentaho Data Integration tool and minimize this folder.
4. Open the SchedulingFiles folder. 
   The folder contains two .bat files.
5. To create a copy of the batch file, copy SchedulingTransferLDAPInfo.bat file and paste it in the same folder.
6. Right-click the SchedulingTransferLDAPInfo.bat file and click Edit. 
   The SchedulingTransferLDAPInfo.bat notepad opens.
7. Minimize the notepad and open the Pentaho data-integration folder as mentioned in Step 3.

8. Copy the data-integration folder address and navigate to the notepad as mentioned in Step 6.

   The following figure shows an example of the updated SchedulingTransferLDAPInfo.bat file.

   

9. Before the first line of the notepad, type cd and paste the copied data-integration folder address . (Make sure to add a space betweeen cd and the folder address).
10. Paste the data-integration folder address in the Kettle Home folder address and remove the double quotes ("").
11. Paste the data-integration folder address in the kitchen.bat file address by replacing only the part before \kitchen.bat.
12. Navigate to the Remedyforce Package folder and copy the address for TransferLDAPInfo.kjb.
13. Paste the TransferLDAPInfo.kjb address in between \kitchen.bat /file: and /level:Detailed. Remove the double quotes ("") and any additional spaces between the address.
14. Save the notepad.
     

To prepare for scheduling

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Type cd and then paste the SchedulingFiles folder address with a space in between the two. 
3. Copy and paste the .bat file name (SchedulingTransferLDAPInfo.bat).
   The job starts running.

To schedule the job

1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler.
2. In the Actions section, click Create Task.
3. In the General tab, enter the name and description.
4. Select the Run with highest privileges check box, and click OK.
5. On the Triggers tab, click New, select the appropriate option for starting the task, and click OK.
   For example, you can select Daily or When the computer starts as the option for starting the task.
6. On the Actions tab, click New.
7. Click Browse, select SchedulingTransferLDAPInfo.bat, and click OK.

User scenarios for importing data from Dell KACE

David is a member of the Infrastructure team for Downtown Bank, responsible for managing the laptops for ABC project.He signs up for  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.

Data to be imported	Steps to follow
Operating System Processor Person LAN Endpoint	Run the \CombinedJobs\TransferDELLKACEinfotoCMDB.kjb file. Go to Remedyforce CMDB and verify whether the entries are correct in the Relationships Editor of the following classes: Operating System Processor Person LAN Endpoint
Operating system details of the laptops	Run the \ComputerSystem\TransferDELLKACE ComputerSystemInfotoCMDB.kjb file. Run the \OS\TransferDELLKACEOSInfotoCMDB.kjb file. Go to Remedyforce CMDB and open the Operating System class. Verify whether the entries are correct in the Relationships section in the Instance Editor of the Operating System class.
Processor details of the laptops	Run the \ComputerSystem\TransferDELLKACE ComputerSystemInfotoCMDB.kjb file. Run the \Processor\TransferDELLKACEProcessor InfotoCMDB.kjb file. Go to Remedyforce CMDB and open the Processor class. Verify whether the entries are correct in the Relationships Editor of the Processor class.
Software server details of the laptops	Run the \CombinedJobs\TransferDELLKACEComputerSystem AndSoftwareServerinfotoCMDB.kjb file. Go to Remedyforce CMDB and open the Software Server class. Verify whether the entries are correct in the Relationships Editor of the Software Server class.

KJB and KTR files for importing data from Dell KACE

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  CMDB.

For information about the KJB and KTR files in the Pentaho packages for Dell KACE , 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 Dell KACE. These job files are bundled with related files and provided to you in folders. The folder names correspond to CI types in  CMDB.

The following table provides information about the job files that you must run to import specific CI types to  CMDB:

Folder name (CI type)	Job file	Description
Computer System	TransferDELLKACEComputer SystemInfotoCMDB.kjb	Transfers information about the BMC_ComputerSystem CI type
LANEndPoints	TransferDELLKACELANEnd PointInfotoCMDB.kjb	Transfers information about the BMC_LANEndpoint CI type
OS	TransferDELLKACEOS InfotoCMDB.kjb	Transfers information about the BMC_OperatingSystem CI type
Person	TransferDELLKACEPerson InfotoCMDB.kjb	Transfers information about the BMC_Person CI type
Processor	TransferDELLKACEProcessor InfotoCMDB.kjb	Transfers information about the BMC_Processor CI type
Software Server	TransferDELLKACESoftwareServer InfotoCMDB.kjb	Transfers information about the BMC_SoftwareServer CI type 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	TransferDELLKACEinfotoCMDB.kjb TransferDELLKACEComputerSystem AndSoftwareServerinfotoCMDB.kjb	TransferDELLKACEinfotoCMDB.kjb This job file transfers information related to the BMC_Computer System, BMC_OperatingSystem, BMC_Processor, BMC_Person, and BMC_LANEndpoint CI types. TransferDELLKACEComputerSystem AndSoftwareServerinfotoCMDB.kjb This job file transfers information related to the BMC_ComputerSystem and BMC_SoftwareServer CI types.

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 Timestamp 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 time stamp file step is run; otherwise, the Update BE table with Dell KACE <CI type name> Information step.
CreateInitialTimeStampedFile.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 deleted the existing time stamp file.
TransferDELLKACE<CI Type>InfotoCMDB.ktr	Update BE table with Dell KACE <CI type name> Information	Transfers data from Dell KACE to the Base Element object of the BMC Remedyforce CMDB.
Store<CI Type>InfoTimestamp.ktr	Store the current time stamp	If the importing of data is successful, the time stamp file is updated with the current time of import.

For example, the ComputerSystem job file (TransferDELLKACEComputerSystemInfotoCMDB.kjb) contains the CreateInitialTimeStampedFile.ktr, TransferDELLKACEComputerSystemInfotoCMDB.ktr, and StoreComputerSystemInfoTimestamp.ktr files.

The following table provides information about the steps that are included in the TransferDELLKACE<CIType>infotoCMDB.ktr file (Update BE Table With DELL KACE <CI type name> information transformation). The Pentaho package runs these steps to transfer data from Dell KACE into  CMDB. You can view these steps only when you open the KTR file in the Pentaho Data Integration tool.

Step	Description
Delta timestamp	Reads the saved time stamp.
Dell KACE input	An SQL query that fetches information from Dell KACE based on stored time stamp.
Transform Dell KACE variables	Facilitates JavaScript transformations, such as appending or trimming fields.
Update BE table with Dell KACE_<CI type name>_ information	Accepts the destination of the data, the for the Salesforce organization where you want to save the imported data.credentials
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.

Troubleshooting

The following table describes the troubleshooting tips that you can use to resolve common issues that you might face when importing data.

Related topics

Applying-models-while-importing-CIs-and-assets

Scheduling-jobs-to-import-data

Troubleshooting-common-issues-when-importing-data

Starting-the-Dell-KACE-console

Known-and-corrected-issues-for-Pentaho-packages