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Overview of how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce

BMC Remedyforce provides Pentaho packages for importing data from various external sources,such as BMC Atrium Configuration Management Database (BMC Atrium CMDB), BMC Discovery (known before version 11.0 as BMC Atrium Discovery and Dependency Mapping), Dell KACE, and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager. 

The following topics provide an overview of how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0:

Note

BMC Software recommends you to use the appropriate Pentaho packages to import data from the external data sources. However, in BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0, you can also import data from the external data sources using data import tools other than the Pentaho packages (for example, Data Loader). For more information, see Importing-data-into-BMC-Remedyforce-using-data-import-tools-other-than-Pentaho-packages. 

Overview of Pentaho packages

You can download the Pentaho packages for BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0 from the BMC Communities website (https://communities.bmc.com). To import data into BMC Remedyforce by using Pentaho packages, you must also download the Pentaho Data Integration tool, which is an open source solution.

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 job files retrieve data from external sources by using an SQL query (for example, to import data from Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager and BMC BladeLogic Client Automation), an HTTP request (for example, to import data from BMC Discovery), or a web API request (for example, to import data from BMC Client Management).

For more information about Remedyforce CMDB 2.0, see BMC-Helix-Remedyforce-CMDB-2-0-architecture.

Overview of how CIs are imported in CMDB 2.0

CIs from various external sources are imported directly into BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0. In BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0, all data is stored in the Base Element object. For more information, see BMC-Helix-Remedyforce-CMDB-2-0-architecture. 

Field mapping in CMDB 2.0

The job files in Pentaho packages provide out-of-the-box mappings between data from external sources and BMC Remedyforce CMDB (fields in the Base Element object). Before importing data, you can change the out-of-the-box mapping in the job files. However, you must map the external fields to only one CI type and its hierarchy at a time.  

If you change the mapping, you must ensure that the updated mapping includes the mandatory fields listed in the following table.

Creation of relationships in BMC Remedyforce CMDB

The BMCServiceDesk__AssemblyId__c field is required to create a relationship between the computer system and various CIs. A relationship helps you to identify the source and destination of data. The source is the computer system, and the destination can be an operating system, processor, IP endpoint, LAN endpoint, software server, product, or person.

For example, if the value of the BMCServiceDesk__AssemblyId__c field is 1 for a computer system record and a processor record has an Assembly ID value of 1, a relationship is automatically created between the computer system (source) and processor (destination).

The relationship between the computer system as a source and the product or software server as a destination is not shown in the Configuration Items Explorer, which can show only a limited number of relationships (due to limitations of the Salesforce platform). Displaying relationships between a computer system and product or software server might hide other important relationships between the computer system and other CIs.

Note

Do not map the BMCServiceDesk_AssemblyId__c field for BMC Atrium CMDB because you must import relationships from BMC Atrium CMDB by using the Pentaho packages available on the BMC Communities website.

Pentaho packages for importing data into BMC Remedyforce

To import data from the following products into BMC Remedyforce, you can download Pentaho packages for BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0 that are available on the BMC Communities website:

  • BMC Atrium CMDB
  • BMC Discovery (known before version 11.0 as BMC Atrium Discovery and Dependency Mapping)
  • BMC BladeLogic Client Automation
  • BMC Client Management (known before version 12.0 as BMC FootPrints Asset Core)
  • Dell KACE
  • Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager

For more information, see Pentaho packages to import data into CMDB 2.0.

Note

You can import BMC Remedyforce configuration data from one Salesforce organization to another. The Salesforce organization can be a sandbox or a production organization. For more information, see Pentaho-packages-for-importing-data-and-users-into-BMC-Remedyforce.

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