Synchronizing change requests with Jira issues via BMC Helix iPaaS, powered by MuleSoft

As an administrator, you can integrate BMC Helix ITSM with Atlassian Jira Software to synchronize the BMC Helix ITSM change requests with Jira issues.

BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker, along with BMC Helix iPaaS, powered by MuleSoft provides an out-of-the-box integration template to integrate BMC Helix ITSM with Jira. You configure the integration in BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker and deploy the integration template to your BMC Helix iPaaS, powered by MuleSoft environment.

The following image gives an overview of the capabilities that this integration supports:

22.1_MS_Jira_ITSM_overview.png

This integration provides the following capabilities:

Use case	BMC Helix ITSM to Jira	Jira to BMC Helix ITSM
Create tickets	Creates an issue in Jira from a new BMC Helix ITSM change request	Creates a BMC Helix ITSM change request from a new Jira issue
Synchronize updates	Synchronizes updates from the change request with the issue	Synchronizes updates from the issue with the change request
Synchronize comments (with and without attachments)	Adds a comment to an issue from an activity note in the change request	Adds an activity note to the change request from a comment in the issue

BMC Helix ITSM to Jira data flow

The following image gives an overview of the data flow for creating or updating a Jira issue from a BMC Helix ITSM change request:

22.1 ITSM change to Jira.png

Jira to BMC Helix ITSM data flow

The following image gives an overview of the data flow for creating or updating a BMC Helix ITSM change request from a Jira issue:

22.1 Jira to ITSM change.png

Before you begin

You require the following items to successfully set up and use this integration:

Required versions	BMC Helix ITSM version 20.08 and later
Authentication and permissions	Administrator access to BMC Helix Innovation Studio, BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker, and BMC Helix ITSM to run this integration Administrator access to the Jira account and the Jira API token Write access for Jira users to create and update an issue
MuleSoft Anypoint platform subscription	A valid MuleSoft Anypoint platform license Important: BMC provides pre-build integration templates for the MuleSoft platform, targeting common integration use cases for BMC products. To obtain a MuleSoft platform license, contact MuleSoft support.

Task 1: To configure the integration

Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio.
On Workspace, click Multi-Cloud Broker.
To launch BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker, click Visit Deployed Application.
Tip
You can access BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker directly by entering the URL https://hostName:portNumber/helix/index.html#/com.bmc.dsm.mcsm/login and logging in as a tenant administrator.
Click Settings .
Select Start Here > Quick Configuration Guide.
The Quick Configuration Guide page is displayed.
On the Step 1: Choose configuration tab, perform the following steps:
1. From the Choose configuration list, select Helix iPaaS (powered by MuleSoft).
2. Under DevOps integration, select Between ITSM Change and Jira Issue.

On the Step 2: Perform configurations tab, perform the following steps:

Add an operating organization, if you have not already done so.
Add Atlassian as the vendor organization, if you have not already done so.

To add vendor metadata for Service Cloud, click Map vendors, and perform the following steps:

On the Map Vendors page, click Map Vendor.

Complete the fields as described in the following table:

Field	Action
Description	Enter a description for the vendor metadata configuration.
Ticketing Technology Provider	From the list, select JIRA.
(Optional) Instance Name	If you are using multiple instances of Jira, enter the instance name that you are using to identify it.
Add Mapping	After you select the ticketing technology provider, click Add Mapping. BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker displays the default values in the Instance URL field, and the Vendor Field Mapping and Display Field Mapping sections.
InstanceURL	Update the Jira server name and port in the default URL. The default value of this variable is https://[jira server name]:[port]/browse/{key}.
Vendor Field Mapping	To perform a direct data synchronization between BMC Helix ITSM and Jira, only update the mappings in the Remedy to Vendor Sync Fields and Vendor to Remedy Sync Fields sections. You must not update any other sections.
Display Field Mapping	By default, the basic Jira fields are mapped in this section. If you want to map additional fields to be displayed in the BMC Helix ITSM UI, add the relevant mappings by clicking .
Enable Local ITSM Communication	By default, this toggle key is enabled. If you want to use BMC Helix Integration Service as the underlying integration platform, disable this toggle key.
Integration Platform	Select MuleSoft.

Click Save.

To fetch change requests from BMC Helix ITSM, click Define filter criteria to fetch records from ITSM to Helix Multi-Cloud Broker for change, and perform the following steps:
1. From the Select trigger event for change list, select the operation for which you want to fetch the change requests.
2. In Advanced filter, select any of the available filters.
3. Select the filters from the available fields, and click Next.
  The query filter expression is displayed. By default, the AND qualifier is applied when you select multiple filter criteria.
4. To change the qualifier for your filters, update the query, and then click Save.
  Important
  Make sure that you enter a valid query with available fields and values.
5. Click Close.
  When a change request matches the operation and filter that you have selected, the system fetches that change request to BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker.
In the Configure JIRA integration section, refer to the configuration steps listed and select the check boxes as you complete each step.
Click Save.

Task 2: To download and deploy the integration template project

Download the Sync BMC Helix ITSM change and Jira issue 2022-03-01 file.
Log in to MuleSoft Anypoint Platform and select Runtime Manager.
On the Applications tab, click Deploy application.

To select the .jar file that you downloaded, and enter project details, on the Runtime tab of the Deploy Application page, select the following values in the fields displayed:

Field name	Action
Application Name	Enter a unique name for your application.
Deployment Target	Select the space for deploying the application; for example, CloudHub.
Application File	Select Choose File > Upload file, and select the Integration template .jar file.
Runtime tab
Runtime version	Select the MuleSoft runtime version used to develop the application.
Worker size	Select a core size for your application. The core size defines resource allocation for your application and impacts performance. For more information about worker size, see Cloudhub workers.
Workers	Select the number of dedicated instances of Mule for the application. Deploying your application with more than one worker balances incoming load across allocated worker nodes. It also provides a backup if any of the worker nodes is not responding.

21.3_Deploy application page_MuleSoft.png

To add the template configuration values, on the Properties tab of the Deploy Application page, add the following values:
21.3_Properties tab_MuleSoft.png

Key	Action
Kafka properties (Mandatory only if you are using Kafka)
kafka.use	To enable the Kafka queuing mechanism for incoming Webhook requests for fault tolerance, set the value to true. By default this value is set to false.
kafka.bootstrap.server	Enter the Kafka server URL in the following format: <hostname>:<port> Important: If the Kafka messaging system is disabled, enter localhost:9092 in this key.
MuleSoft API Webhook properties
api.integrations.name	Enter the name of the API that is created in BMC Helix iPaaS, powered by MuleSoft to receive BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker webhook requests. Use the following syntax to enter the API name: BHIP_<APIName> For example, BHIP_CreateChange.
api.integrations.profile.username	Enter the user name for the Basic type of authentication to configure the webhook.
api.integrations.profile.password	Enter the password for the user name that you provided.
Jira properties
vendor.connector.url	Enter the host URL of the Jira instance in the following format: [http/https]://[hostname]:[port]
vendor.connector.username	Enter the user name to enable access to Jira.
vendor.connector.password	Enter the Jira API token that you had created earlier.
vendor.connector.protocol	Enter HTTP or HTTPS.
vendor.property.webhook.name	Enter the webhook name that you want to use to create and update the issues.
vendor.property.webhook.create.jql	Enter the JQL query to specify the Jira issues for which BMC Helix ITSM change requests should be created; for example, enter project in (MC) AND summary ~ 'MCB Issue%'.
vendor.property.webhook.update.jql	Enter the JQL query to specify the Jira issues for which BMC Helix ITSM change requests should be updated; for example, enter project in (MC) AND labels is not EMPTY.
vendor.property.project.key	Enter the Jira project key under which you want to create a Jira issue from a BMC Helix ITSM change request. For example, if you specify MC as the project key, when a change request is created in BMC Helix ITSM, a corresponding Jira issue is created under the Jira project with the specified key.
BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker properties
mcb.connector.protocol	Enter HTTP or HTTPS.
mcb.connector.url	Enter the BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker host URL to which Jira issues should be synchronized.
mcb.connector.username	Enter the user name that enables users to interact with BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker.
mcb.connector.password	Enter the password for the user name that you provided.
mcb.property.vendor	Enter the name of the vendor with which you are integrating BMC Helix ITSM; for example, enter JIRA.
BMC Helix ITSM properties
itsm.property.company.name	Enter the company name for which the integration template needs to be run; for example, Apex Global.
itsm.property.first.name	Enter the first name of the BMC Helix ITSM customer.
itsm.property.last.name	Enter the last name of the BMC Helix ITSM customer.

Click Deploy Application.
While the application is being deployed, the log updates are displayed. After the application is successfully deployed, a green circle is displayed next to the template name.

(Optional) Task 3: To verify and update field mappings defined for the template

After you deploy the application in MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, export the project.
Log in to MuleSoft Anypoint Studio and import the project.
Select projectName > src/main/resources > config.
Double-click the mule-mappings.yaml file, update the <app>Field value to modify the mapping for the field, and then save the file.
Select the project name and then select File > Export.
On the Select dialog box, select Mule > Anypoint Studio Project to Mule Deployable Archive (includes Studio metadata), and click Next.
On the Export Mule Project dialog box, click the ellipses (...) and select the location and name for the file.
Select the following options:
- Attach project sources
- Include project modules and dependencies
Click Finish.
Deploy the application on the MuleSoft Anypoint platform.

Task 4: To enable the integration

To enable the integrations, you need to run the webhook creation scripts from your MuleSoft Anypoint Platform. These scripts automatically create the required webhooks for the integration.

Log in to the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform and select Runtime Manager.
On the Applications tab, click the project name.
On the application details page, click Schedules.

From the following list, select an appropriate schedule and click Run Now:

Important

At a time, run all the Jira schedules to create all the webhooks together or run one Jira schedule to create one webhook.
At a time, run all the BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker schedules to create all the webhooks together or run one BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker schedule to create one webhook.

Schedule	Actions performed
Schedules for create operations from BMC Helix ITSM to Jira
MCB-Create-Integration-Create-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Creates an issue in Jira when a change request is created in BMC Helix ITSM
MCB-Create-Integration-Tag-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Tags a Jira issue with the corresponding change request number
MCB-Create-Integration-Create-VendorWorklog_Manual Trigger	Creates a comment in a Jira issue when an activity note is created in the corresponding change request
MCB-Create-Integration-Update-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Updates a Jira issue when the corresponding change request is updated
Schedules for pause operations from BMC Helix ITSM to Jira
MCB-Pause-Integration-Create-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Pauses creation of a Jira issue when a change request is created in BMC Helix ITSM
MCB-Pause-Integration-Tag-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Pauses tagging of a Jira issue with the corresponding change request number
MCB-Pause-Integration-Create-VendorWorklog_Manual Trigger	Pauses creation of a comment in a Jira issue from an activity note in the corresponding change request
MCB-Pause-Integration-Update-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Pauses updation of a Jira issue when a change request is updated
Schedules for resume operations from BMC Helix ITSM to Jira
MCB-Resume-Integration-Create-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Resumes creation of a Jira issue when a change request is created in BMC Helix ITSM
MCB-Resume-Integration-Tag-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Resumes tagging of a Jira issue with the corresponding change request number
MCB-Resume-Integration-Create-VendorWorklog_Manual Trigger	Resumes creation of a comment in a Jira issue from an activity note in the corresponding change request
MCB-Resume-Integration-Update-VendorTicket_Manual Trigger	Resumes updation of a Jira issue when the corresponding change request is updated
Schedules for create operations from Jira to BMC Helix ITSM
Jira-Create-Integration-Create-Issue_Manual Trigger	Creates a BMC Helix ITSM change request when an issue is created in Jira
Jira-Create-Integration-Update-Issue-And-Comment-Create_Manual Trigger	Performs the following actions: Updates a change request when the corresponding issue is updated Creates an activity note in a change request when a comment is added to the corresponding issue
Schedules for purge operations from Jira to BMC Helix ITSM
Jira-Purge-Integration-Create-Issue_Manual Trigger	Removes the webhook that creates a change request when an issue is created in Jira
Jira-Purge-Integration-Update-Issue-And-Comment-Create_Manual Trigger	Removes the webhook that updates a change request and adds an activity note to it from a Jira issue

After you run the integration, when a change request is created in BMC Helix ITSM, the corresponding Jira issue is also created, and the converse is true. Any updates made to the BMC Helix ITSM change request are synced with the Jira issue, and the converse is true.

(Optional) Task 5: To map a custom field between BMC Helix ITSM and Jira

You can map custom fields between BMC Helix ITSM and Jira. To learn about the steps to map the custom fields, see Mapping-custom-fields-for-integrations-by-using-BMC-Helix-iPaaS-powered-by-MuleSoft.