Synchronizing BMC Helix ITSM incidents with ServiceNow incidents via BMC Helix iPaaS, powered by Jitterbit

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

This integration provides the following capabilities:

The following image is an example of the ServiceNow ITSM incident details displayed in the corresponding BMC Helix ITSM incident:

BMC Helix ITSM to ServiceNow ITSM data flow

The following image gives an overview of the data flow for creating and updating a ServiceNow ITSM incident from a BMC Helix ITSM incident:

ServiceNow ITSM to BMC Helix ITSM data flows

The following image gives an overview of the data flow for creating a BMC Helix ITSM incident from a ServiceNow ITSM incident:

The following image gives an overview of the data flow for updating a BMC Helix ITSM incident from a ServiceNow ITSM incident:

Before you begin

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

Task 1: To configure the integration

1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio.
2. On Workspace, click Multi-Cloud Broker.

3. 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.

4. Click Settings .
5. Select Start Here > Quick Configuration Guide.
   The Quick Configuration Guide page is displayed.
6. In the Step 1: Choose configuration tab, and perform the following steps:
   1. From the Choose configuration list, select the Helix iPaaS (powered by Jitterbit).
   2.  Under Ticket Brokering, select ITSM incident and ServiceNow incident.
      
   3. Click Next.
7. In the Step 2: Perform configurations tab, perform the following steps:
   1. Add an operating organization, if you have not already done so.
   2. Add ServiceNow as the vendor organization, if you have not already done so.
   3. To add vendor metadata for ServiceNow, click Map vendors, and perform the following steps:
      1. On the Map Vendors page, click Map Vendor.

      2. Complete the fields as described in the following table:

         Field	Action
         Description	Enter a description for the ServiceNow vendor metadata configuration.
         Ticketing Technology Provider	From the list, select ServiceNow.
         (Optional) Instance Name	If you are using multiple instances of ServiceNow, 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 Display Field Mapping section.
         Instance URL	If you have clicked Add Mapping, this field is auto-populated.  Update the URL and replace the ServiceNow server with the correct host name.
         Vendor Field Mapping	You must not update the default mappings.
         Display Field Mapping	By default, the basic ServiceNow fields are mapped in this section. If you want to map additional fields to display 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 Jitterbit.

      3. Click Save.
   4. To fetch incidents from BMC Helix ITSM, click Define filter criteria to fetch records from ITSM to Helix Multi-Cloud Broker for incident, and perform the following steps:
      1. To select the filter criteria, click Advanced filter.
         
         
      2. 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.

      3. 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.

         

      4. Click Close. 
         When an incident matches the operation and filter that you have selected, the system fetches that incident to BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker.
   5. In the Configure ServiceNow integration section, refer to the configuration steps listed and select the check boxes as you complete each step.
   6. Click Save.

Task 2: To download and import the integration template project file

1. Download the Sync BMC Helix ITSM incident and ServiceNow incident Update 2023-03-01 file.

   This file contains the BMC Helix iPaaS Integration Studio project Sync BMC Helix ITSM incident and ServiceNow ITSM incident.

   Important

   Your ability to access product pages on the EPD website is determined by the license your company purchased.

2. Log in to BMC Helix iPaaS and navigate to the Integration Studio.
3. Select your organization.
4. On the projects page, click Import.
5. Click Browse and then select the Sync BMC Helix ITSM incident and ServiceNow ITSM incident.json file that you downloaded.
   The Project Name and Organization fields are automatically populated. The default project name is displayed. You can change the project name.
6. From the Environment list, select the environment to which you want to import this integration template, and click Import.
   The project opens after the integration template is imported. 
7. To open the project file at a later time, select the environment where the integration templates are available, select the project name, and click View/Edit.

Task 3: To update the project variables for the integration template

1. Next to the Environment name, click the ellipsis ... and select Project Variables.
   
2. Update the project variables as described in the following tables:

   • BMC Helix iPaaS variables:
     

     Project variable	Action
     BHIP_API_NAME	Enter a name for the webhook API created in the BMC Helix iPaaS API Manager to receive BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker or ServiceNow ITSM requests.
     BHIP_API_User_Roles	Enter comma-separated values of the organization roles assigned for the BMC Helix iPaaS API; for example: Admin, User. API. Only a user with these roles can access the APIs. Important: If you do not specify any value, all the organization roles get access to the new API.
     BHIP_MCB_API_Profile_User_Name	The integration template creates the API in the BMC Helix iPaaS API Manager API to handle requests from BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker. Enter a user name to create and access the BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker API security profile.
     BHIP_MCB_API_Profile_User_Password	Enter a password for the BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker security profile.
     BHIP_Vendor_API_Profile_Type	The security profile type defines the authentication type used by the ServiceNow webhook API to access the BMC Helix iPaaS API, and is added in the BMC Helix iPaaS API Manager.  Enter one of the following security profile types: BASIC ANONYMOUS APIKEY The default value is APIKEY. Important: For profile types supported by the application, the integration template automatically creates the security profiles when you enable the integration.
     BHIP_Vendor_API_Profile_User_Name	You need not provide any value for this variable.
     BHIP_Vendor_API_Profile_User_Password	You need not provide any value for this variable.
     BHIP_Vendor_API_Profile_ApiKey_Name	For the security profile type APIKEY, enter a name for the API key to create the ServiceNow security profile. The default value is apiKey. Important: Provide a value for this variable, only if you select the APIKEY option in BHIP_Vendor_API_Profile_Type.
     BHIP_Host	Enter the BMC Helix iPaaS instance URL where you want to run this project. Important: Make sure that you do not enter any leading and trailing spaces in the URL.
     BHIP_User_Name	Enter the login ID for the BMC Helix iPaaS instance. Important: The BMC Helix iPaaS login credentials are required to create the API in BMC Helix iPaaS by using RestAPI. The credentials are required because BMC Helix iPaaS does not provide a method to retrieve the login status of a user.
     BHIP_User_Password	Enter the password for the login ID.
     Enable_BMC_Helix_To_Vendor_Integration	Enable the creation of ServiceNow ITSM incidents from BMC Helix ITSM incidents and synchronization of updates and comments. By default, this variable is set to true. If you want to disable the creation of ServiceNow ITSM incidents and synchronization of updates and comments, set the default value to false.
     Enable_Vendor_To_BMC_Helix_Integration	Enable the creation of BMC Helix ITSM incidents from ServiceNow ITSM incidents and synchronization of updates and comments. By default, this variable is set to true. If you want to disable the creation of BMC Helix ITSM incidents from ServiceNow ITSM incidents and synchronization of updates and comments, set the default value to false.

   • ServiceNow variables:

     Project variable	Action
     ServiceNow_Host_URL	Enter the ServiceNow instance URL in the following format: [http/https]://[host name]:[port] Important: Make sure that you do not enter any leading and trailing spaces in the URL.
     ServiceNow_User_Name	Enter the user name to access ServiceNow. Important: This must be a valid user defined in ServiceNow.
     ServiceNow_User_Password	Enter the password for the user name provided.
     ServiceNow_Client_Id	Enter the ServiceNow API client ID that is used for the integration template. Get the client ID from ServiceNow and enter it in this variable.
     ServiceNow_Client_Secret	Enter the ServiceNow API client secret. Get the client secret from ServiceNow and enter it in this variable.
     ServiceNow_Incident_Filter_Condition	Enter the filter condition based on which you want to broker ServiceNow ITSM incidents to BMC Helix ITSM. For example, enter short_descriptionSTARTSWITHSnowITSMIncident^priority=2^EQ.

   • BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker project variables:

     Project variable	Action
     MCB_Host	Enter the BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker host URL with which ServiceNow ITSM incidents should be synchronized in the following format:  [http/https]://[hostname]:[port] Important: Make sure that you do not enter any leading and trailing spaces in the URL.
     MCB_User_Name	Enter the user name to access BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker.
     MCB_User_Password	Enter the password for the provided user name.
     MCB_Vendor_Name	Enter the value in the following format for multiple instances of ServiceNow: ServiceNow.<Instance name> The instance name in the format is the name you entered in the Instance Name field while configuring vendor metadata.
     MCB_Assigned_Group	Enter the name of the support group to which you want to assign the incident.
     MCB_Assigned_Support_Organization	Enter the name of the support organization to which you want to assign the incident.
     MCB_Assigned_Support_Company	Enter the name of the support company to which you want to assign the incident.
     MCB_Assigned_Company	Enter the name of the company for which you want to create the incident.
     MCB_Assigned_Company_Id	Enter the ID of the company for which you want to create the incident.
     MCB_Assigned_Business_Unit	Enter the name of the business unit to which you want to assign the incident.

     The following variables are inputs from BMC Helix ITSM. Either enter values for these variables or map the appropriate ServiceNow fields if the data is available:

     Project variable	Action
     ITSM_Company	Enter the company name for which the integration template needs to be run; for example, Apex Global.
     ITSM_Customer_First_name	Enter the first name of the BMC Helix ITSM customer.
     ITSM_Customer_Last_Name	Enter the last name of the BMC Helix ITSM customer.
     ITSM_Incident_Type	Enter any of the following incident types that you want to create in BMC Helix ITSM for a corresponding ServiceNow ITSM incident: User Service Restoration User Service Request Infrastructure Restoration Infrastructure Event Security Incident The default value of this variable is set to User Service Restoration.

Task 4: To deploy and enable the project

Deployment is a one-time activity that initializes the integration configurations. The UI displays a message for the deployment status.

To deploy the project and then enable the integration:

1. To deploy the project, next to the project name, click the ellipsis ..., and select Deploy Project.
2. To enable the integration, next to the Enable Integrations operation, under 2.0 Integrations workflow, click the ellipsis ..., and select Run.

The following image shows the steps to deploy the project and enable it by deploying the workflow:

After you enable the integration, when an incident is created in BMC Helix ITSM, a corresponding incident is created in ServiceNow ITSM, and the converse is true. Any updates made to the ServiceNow ITSM incident are synced with the BMC Helix ITSM incident, and the converse is true.

(Optional) Task 5: To set the time for API debug mode

By default, the debug mode is set to 2 hours after you run the integration. Debug logs are updated for the time set for the debug mode. To increase the debug mode for a longer period of time, perform the following steps:

1. In BMC Helix iPaaS, powered by Jitterbit, select API Manager > My APIs.
2. Open the any of the following APIs:
   • BMC_Helix_ITSM_And_ServiceNow_Incident_Vendor_To_MCB—This API creates a BMC Helix ITSM incident from a ServiceNow ITSM incident.
   • BMC_Helix_ITSM_And_ServiceNow_Incident_MCB_To_Vendor—This API creates a ServiceNow ITSM incident from a BMC Helix ITSM incident.
3. Select Enable Debug Mode Until: and set it for the required date and time.
4. Save and publish the API.

(Optional) Task 6: To map a custom field between BMC Helix ITSM and ServiceNow

You can map custom fields between BMC Helix ITSM and ServiceNow ITSM. To learn about the steps to map the custom fields, see Synchronizing-custom-field-values-for-integrations.

(Optional) Task 7: To synchronize worklogs before a ticket is brokered

1. Log in to Developer Studio.
2. Expand the server that you are using.
3. Select All Objects > Filters.
4. Open the HPD:INC:MCSM_Set_Share_WorkLog_With_Vendor filter.
5. In Execution Options, from the State list, select Enabled.
6. Save the changes.

To display worklogs in ascending order

1. Log in to Developer Studio.
2. Expand the server that you are using.
3. Select All Objects > Forms.
4. Open the HPD:WorkLog form.
5. Select Definitions > Sort.
6. In Sorted Fields, for Work Log Submit Date, in Sort Order, select Ascending.