Importing data from BMC Client Management by using the REST Web API

You can import data from BMC Client Management (known before version 12.0 as BMC FootPrints Asset Core) into BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0 by using the Pentaho Data Integration tool. The Pentaho packages for importing data from BMC Client Management are available on the BMC Communities website. For information about how configuration items (CIs) are imported and relationships are created in BMC Remedyforce CMDB 2.0, see Overview of how data is imported into BMC Remedyforce.

The following topics provide information about the Pentaho package for importing data by using the Representational State Transfer (REST) web API. For information about the REST web API, see the BMC Client Management Help.

• • Before you begin
  • To import data from BMC Client Management
  • KJB files for importing data from BMC Client Management
  • Related topics

For information about importing data by accessing the BMC Client Management database, see Importing-data-from-BMC-Client-Management-by-accessing-the-database.

Before you begin

Before you can import data from BMC Client Management by using the REST web API, you must perform the following tasks:

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 KJB (job) file for the CI type that you want to import.
   For example, to import computer system CIs, open the TransferAssetCoreCSinfotoCMDB.kjb file.
3. From the Edit menu, select Settings.
4. In the Job properties window, click the Parameters tab.

5. Modify the Default value column for the different parameters.

   Click here to see the parameters.

   The various transformations and steps in the job use the values that you specify on the Parameters tab. If you do not specify values for the SFDC_USER and SFDC_PASSWORD parameters, you must provide the user name and password of your Salesforce organization in the Salesforce Input[CMDB_Class] and Upsert Into Class <CI type name> steps.
   
   To access these steps, in the job (KJB) file, right-click the Import Records in Remedyforce CMDB step, and select Open Referenced Object> Transformation.

   Note

   If you are running a combined job, you can specify the parameter values only in the combined job (for example, TransferAssetCoreComputerSystemAndProductinfotoCMDB.kjb). Each job that is included in the combined job uses the parameter values that you specify in the combined job. However, if you specify parameter values in the combined and individual jobs, values specified in the individual jobs take precedence.

6. (Optional) Update the mapping between the data from BMC Client Management and BMC Remedyforce CMDB (fields in the Base Element object).

   Click here to see the detailed steps.

   1. Double-click the Upsert Into Class <CI type name> step.
   2. (Optional) In the Salesforce Upsert window, enter the user name and password of your Salesforce organization.
      Based on your requirements, you can replace the Salesforce user name and password with the SFDC_USER and SFDC_PASSWORD parameters.
   3. In the Fields area, click Edit Mapping.
   4. 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.
   5. To save your settings and close the Enter Mapping window, click OK.
   6. To save your changes and close the Salesforce Upsert window, click OK.
7. To save the KTR and KJB files, click Save.
8. In the KJB file tab, click Run this job.

9. 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. The first time you run the job, all CIs are imported into the appropriate CMDB class. When you rerun the job, only the new and modified CIs are imported into the CMDB class.
   
   Transformation status is depicted by using the following icons:

   • — Complete
   • — Running
   •  — Unsuccessful
10. (Optional) To view logs, in the Execution results section, click the Logging tab.
    All the errors are displayed in red.

KJB files for importing data from BMC Client Management

The Pentaho package contains 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 BMC Remedyforce CMDB.

For more information, see KJB files in the Pentaho package and Steps in the KJB files for importing data from BMC Client Management.

KJB files in the Pentaho package

Each Pentaho package includes different KJB (job) files for importing different types of configuration items (CIs), such as computer systems and LAN endpoints. These job files are bundled with related files and provided to you in folders. The folder names correspond to CI types in BMC Remedyforce CMDB.

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

Steps in the KJB files for importing data from BMC Client Management

All job (KJB) files for importing data from specific CI types include the series of steps and transformations that are listed in the following table.

Related topics

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

Scheduling-jobs-to-import-data

Troubleshooting-common-issues-when-importing-data

Troubleshooting-issues-when-importing-data-from-BMC-Client-Management