Sending broadcasts to individual users

The following diagram shows the configuration required in four BMC products in scenario 1 (described above) for sending broadcasts to user IDs and emails:

Before you begin

• Before sending a broadcast for individual users or emails, the administrator must first configure BMC Helix Single Sign-On and then BMC Helix Innovation Studio.
• Learn about the REST API for broadcasts.
• To send broadcasts via BMC Helix Virtual Agent, enable the Helix Virtual Agent displays broadcast-type notifications feature.

Task 1: Configure OAuth 2.0 in BMC Helix SSO

1. Create a non-native OAuth 2.0 client by adding a client name, enabling the client, and adding a redirect URI; see Configuring OAuth 2.0.

2. When saving the client, copy and paste the client ID and client secret to any text editor.
3. Edit the newly created client, and then copy and paste the certificate to any text editor.

4. Edit a realm to which the administrator who sends broadcasts belongs to; see Adding and configuring realms.

5. Add the preauthentication authentication type to the realm's existing authentication chain by specifying a user ID claim name and client certificate; see Configuring preauthentication.

6. Save the changes.

Task 2: Create a Web API connection in BMC Helix Innovation Studio

After OAuth 2.0 is configured, create a Web API connection so that REST API web services of BMC Helix Digital Workplace can be exchanged with BMC Helix Innovation Studio in a codeless way:

1. Create a new Web API connection; see Configuring the authentication credentials of REST API web services.

2. On the General tab, specify the parameters as follows:
   • Name—Title of the connection; for example, DWP
   • Host name—Host name of the BMC Helix Digital Workplace server; for example, https://localhost.bmc.com
   • Port name—Port number; for example, 8080
   • Protocol—HTTPS (recommended).
   • Authentication— RSSO.
3. On the Authentication tab, specify the parameters as follows:
   • Login—Name of the broadcast sender. This user must have the MyIT Admin or MyIT Super Admin permission.
   • Access token URL—Resource of the URL from which access tokens are generated; for example, /rsso/oauth2/token
   • Client ID—Value that you saved while creating an OAuth 2.0 client.
   • Client secret—Value that you saved while creating an OAuth 2.0 client.
   • RSSO server endpoint—Only if the BMC Helix SSO server is different from the one specified as the host name on the General tab; for example, https://servername:port
4. Save the changes.

Task 3: Create a web service request definition in BMC Helix Innovation Studio

1. Create a web service request definition for BMC Helix Digital Workplace; see Creating a REST API web service request definition.

2. On the Settings tab, specify the parameters as follows:

1. 
   
   • Name—Web request name; for example, Send a broadcast
   • Request method—POST
   • Path—URL path on which the method is invoked; for example, dwp/rest/sendbroadcast
   • Scope/Customization Options—Public.

       3. Save the changes.

Task 4: Create documents in BMC Helix Innovation Studio

1. Create the first document titled Broadcast DTO with the following schema:

        2. Create the second document titled Broadcast Target DTO with the following schema:

       3. In the Scope/Customization Options field, set the scope to Public.

For information about how to create a document, see Defining a document schema.

Task 5: Create processes in BMC Helix Innovation Studio

1. Create a process to send broadcasts to individual user IDs; see Defining processes to accomplish business goals.

       2. On the General tab, add a process name (for example, Send broadcasts to user IDs) and the following variables:

    3. Add the first Create Document element and add the following parameters: 

• Label—Create Target
• Input map—Broadcast Target DTO
• Add a document node—MYIT_BROADCAST_USER_IDS

     4. Add the second Create Document element and add the following parameters:

• Label—Create Broadcast
• Input map—Broadcast DTO
• Add a document node—Select all the parameters.

     5. Add a Web Request element and add the following parameters:

• Label—Broadcast
• Connection—Select the Web API connection (DWP)
• Web API—Select the service request definition (DWP Web API)
• Request—Select the web request name (Send a broadcast)
• Output—Select input of Create Broadcast 

     6. On the General tab, set the Scope/Customization Options field to Public, and in Permissions, add Public.

Task 6: Perform Web API mapping in BMC Helix Innovation Studio

After the process is added, map the DWP Web API alias with DWP connection; see Mapping the REST API web service request alias to an appropriate connection.

Task 7: Add the process to a service in BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog

After the mapping is set up, navigate to BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog, and use the process in the workflow of the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog service that will send a broadcast. 

For an example workflow of such a service, see Calling-external-workflows.

Troubleshooting

A general troubleshooting rule for broadcasts is to check BMC Helix Digital Workplace, BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog, BMC Helix Innovation Studio, and BMC Helix SSO logs. However, the following table describes the workaround for specific issues:

Where to go from here