Overview of how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce CMDB 1.0

BMC Remedyforce provides Pentaho packages for importing data from various external sources,such as BMC Atrium Configuration Management Database (BMC Atrium CMDB), 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, and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager. The following topics provide an overview of how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce 1.0. For information about how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce 2.0, see Overview of how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce in CMDB.

Overview of Pentaho packages

You can download the Pentaho packages 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 Atrium Discovery and Dependency Mapping), or a web API request (for example, to import data from BMC Client Management).

For more information about Remedyforce CMDB 1.0, see BMC-Remedyforce-CMDB-1-0-architecture.

Overview of how CIs are imported in CMDB 1.0

You can import configuration items (CIs) from external sources to your CMDB objects. CIs are first imported into a staging table. A staging table is a flat table that is required to map external data before saving it to the CMDB objects. In the staging table, all of the fields of the CMDB are used as columns. From the staging table, data is saved in the CMDB objects. 

Data is fetched by using an SQL query (such as to import data from SCCM and BMC BladeLogic Client Automation) or an HTTP request (such as to import data from BMC Atrium Discovery). While importing data, each time a row is saved in the CMDB staging object, a trigger is activated that transfers data to the CMDB objects.

Field mapping in CMDB 1.0

Mapping between SCCM, BMC Atrium Discovery, BMC BladeLogic Client Automation, BMC Client Management, and Dell KACE database fields and the Remedyforce CMDB fields is predefined in the corresponding job files. If required, you can change the mapping while importing data. You can also map the SCCM, BMC Atrium Discovery, BMC BladeLogic Client Automation, BMC Client Management, Dell KACE database fields to custom attributes of a CI. For more information, see Importing-data-to-custom-attributes. 

If you are changing mapping, the following fields are mandatory:

• BMCServiceDesk__ClassName__c: Stores the class of the CI to which data is imported.
  For example, if you import data into the BMC_computersystem class of the CMDB hierarchy, then the value of the BMCServiceDesk__ClassName__c field must be BMC_COMPUTERSYSTEM. You can find class names in the CI list in BMC Remedyforce.
• BMCServiceDesk__UniqueCISourceID__c: Stores the unique ID of the CI that you import from data source. BMC recommends that you do not change the value of this field.

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 operating system, processor, IP end points, LAN end points, software server, product, or persons. 

You must map the fields of the SCCM, BMC Atrium Discovery, BMC BladeLogic Client Automation, BMC Client Management, and Dell KACE database fields to only one CI type and its hierarchy at a time.

Pentaho packages for importing data and users into BMC Remedyforce

To import data from the following products into BMC Remedyforce, you can download Pentaho packages for Remedyforce CMDB 1.0 that are available on the BMC Communities website:

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

You can also use Pentaho packages to import users from the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) servers into BMC Remedyforce, and import configuration data from one Salesforce organization to another. For more information, see Pentaho packages to import users from LDAP servers.

Pentaho packages to import data into CMDB 1.0

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Overview of how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce in CMDB

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