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Adding Microsoft Direct Line API as a communication channel

Microsoft Direct Line enables administrators to connect BMC HelixGPT to custom applications by using the Microsoft Bot Framework Direct Line API. Direct Line is suitable when you want to build a custom chat interface and control how bot messages and cards are displayed.

Direct Line uses the same Bot Framework channel integration as Microsoft Teams. However, it does not provide feature parity with the Microsoft Teams.

Information
Scenario

Apex Global, a financial services company, operates an internal HR and IT self‑service portal for contract staff who do not have access to Microsoft Teams. To provide conversational access to HR and IT services, administrators enable the Microsoft Direct Line channel in BMC HelixGPT and integrate it with the portal by using a custom chat interface.

Contract staff use the embedded chat experience to reset passwords, check ticket status, and access HR policies directly from the portal. By enabling access through Direct Line, Apex Global reduces reliance on email communication and service desk calls while providing consistent self‑service support to users who are not part of the Microsoft Teams environment.

Best practice for adding Direct Line in the Azure portal

If your Azure Bot Service uses different Direct Line configurations for different sites or environments, use separate Direct Line secrets for each environment.

Limitations

When you use Direct Line, the following limitations apply:

  • Streaming responses are not supported. Bot replies are delivered as complete messages.
  • Activity updates are limited. Updated cards or messages appear as new messages.
  • Typing indicators are not supported.
    Chat interface does not show real‑time typing status (for example, “Agent is typing…” or “User is typing…”).
  • You must implement the identity, authentication, and user mapping.
  • Adaptive Card behavior and styling differ from Microsoft Teams.
  • Supports only polling-based implementation, which means the bot has to constantly check for new messages rather than receiving them real-time.

Process overview

To embed BMC HelixGPT in a custom application, administrators must perform the following tasks:

Process overview

Before you begin

Make sure that you meet the following requirements:

  • You have access to the Azure portal.
  • An Azure Bot Service resource is already configured for BMC HelixGPT.
  • The bot is configured with the same Microsoft Bot ID and app password used for Microsoft Teams.
  • The Direct Line channel is enabled in Azure Bot Service.

To obtain the Direct Line secret key from the Azure portal

  1. Log in to the Azure portal.
  2. Search for and select your Azure bot service resource.
  3. From the navigation pane, select Settings > Channels.
  4. Click Direct Line in the channels list.

    Channels list for your Azure bot resource
     
  5. In the Secret keys section, locate Key 1 and Key 2.
  6. Click Show next to the key that you want to use.
  7. Copy the secret value.
    The secret is typically a long string (around 170 characters).

    The following image shows the secret keys for the Direct Line channel:

    Secret keys for your Direct Line channel

To configure the channel in HelixGPT Agent Studio

  1. In HelixGPT Agent Studio, select an application from the Applications drop-down list.
  2. Select the skill.
  3. Click the Channels tab.
  4. Click Add Channel.
    The Add Channel dialog box is displayed.
  5. From the Channel drop-down list, select Microsoft Teams.
  6. Click Add and set the following values in the Add Channel dialog box:
    Field nameDescription
    NameCustom channel name.
    DescriptionCustom channel description.
    Name of the custom channelA unique name for the bot registered in Microsoft Azure. This name enables integration between BMC HelixGPT and the custom bot, enabling seamless communication and automated interactions within the bot.
    Microsoft Bot IDThe bot’s unique App ID, created during Azure Bot registration.
    Microsoft App PasswordThe bot's secret key to authenticate the bot with Azure and the Bot Framework Service.
    Direct Line Secret

    A master key that authenticates a client to your bot through the Direct Line API, granting access to any bot conversation. Paste the Direct Line secret that you copied from the Azure portal.

  7. Click Save.

To connect BMC HelixGPT by using Direct Line

  1. Open directline-channel-sample.html.
  2. Enter the values for the following fields:
    Field nameDescription
    Direct Line secret

    The secret key that is used to authenticate requests when starting a conversation and sending activities to the bot through the Direct Line REST API.

    Paste the Direct Line secret that you copied from the Azure portal.

    API base URL

    The base URL for the Direct Line service endpoint.

    Default value: https://directline.botframework.com

    User ID

    A unique identifier for the end user interacting with BMC HelixGPT.
    This ID is included in Bot Framework activities and is used by BMC HelixGPT to authenticate the user.

    Use a stable, unique value (for example, a GUID) to ensure consistent behavior across messages.

    Result

  3. Click Start conversation.
  4. Send user messages (text or attachments).

After sending a message, the client periodically checks Direct Line for new bot responses. When responses are available, the text messages are shown in the chat interface and adaptive cards are rendered using the Adaptive Cards JavaScript SDK.

Result

After you complete the configuration, BMC HelixGPT can accept messages from Direct Line–based clients. Developers can build a custom user interface that sends and receives messages by using the Direct Line API.

Chat interface

Related topic

Adding Microsoft Web Chat as a communication channel

 

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BMC HelixGPT 26.2