Synchronizing incidents with Azure DevOps work items via BMC Helix Integration Service

BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker facilitates DevOps practices in organizations that use multiple tools. You can integrate BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker with Azure DevOps and manage tickets across multiple teams more effectively. When an incident is created in BMC Helix ITSM, a corresponding work item is created in Azure DevOps. Also, whenever a work item is created in Azure DevOps, a corresponding BMC Helix ITSM incident is created. The data between a BMC Helix ITSM incident and an Azure DevOps work item; for example, status change and a work log item, is also synchronized.

Azure DevOps to BMC Helix ITSM data flow

The following image illustrates how BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker creates an incident in BMC Helix ITSM from an Azure DevOps work item:

BMC Helix ITSM to Azure DevOps data flow

The following image illustrates how BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker creates an Azure DevOps work item from a BMC Helix ITSMincident:

Before you begin

Complete all Setting-up-and-going-live tasks before you configure the integration.

To select the integration option for DevOps between Azure DevOps and BMC Helix ITSM

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. To open the configuration page, click Settings .
5. Select Start Here > Quick Configuration Guide.
6. In the Step 1: Choose configuration tab, perform the following steps:
   1. From the Choose configuration list, select the Helix integration service.

  b. For the DevOps feature, under DevOps Integration, select any of the following features and click Next: 

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    • Remedy Incident to Azure DevOps
    • Azure DevOps to ITSM Incident

The Perform configurations tab displays a list of the common configurations, connectors, flows, and connector targets and processes that you need to configure as described in the next tasks. 

To map Azure DevOps vendor data to BMC Helix ITSM

To configure vendor data content, you must set up a vendor organization and define vendor mappings for the technology provider. The Configuration Links page provides links to both options.

1. On the Perform configurations tab, to create or modify a vendor organization, under Configure Azure DevOps, click Manage Vendor Organization.
2. On the Perform configurations tab, to add or update the vendor mapping, under Configure Azure DevOps, click Manage Vendor Metadata.
3. Configure the vendor data. 
   

   1. On the Map Vendors screen, click  to open the Map New Vendor page.

      

   2. Enter a Description that makes it easy for you to identify the vendor metadata configuration.
   3. Select Azure DevOps as the Ticketing Technology Provider.
      The Ticketing Technology Provider is the application the vendor uses to manage tickets. For example, the Ticketing Technology Provider for Microsoft is Azure DevOps.

   4. Click Add Mapping.

      BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker displays the default Instance URL and Display Field Mapping.

   5. In the Instance URL, replace the values of <organization> and <project> with the name of the Azure DevOps organization and the project within that organization that you want to integrate with. 

   6. Click  { }  to open the JSON editor, and modify Display Field Mapping to add or delete values.

      Display Field Mapping defines how vendor ticket fields map to the fields on the Smart IT console. 

      

   7. From the Integration Platform list, select Integration Service.

To configure connectors for integrating BMC Helix ITSM and Azure DevOps with BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker

For each feature you selected, complete the following procedure for the connectors listed on the Configuration Links page.

1. To navigate to BMC Helix Integration Service, on the Configuration Links page, click Configure connectors in Integration Studio under Required Common Configurations.
   You must configure the connectors listed for each feature, in addition to the connectors listed under Required Common Configuration.
2. To enter field values, select a connector, such as ITSM, and click Configuration.
   You might need to click the arrow on the ribbon in the lower section of the screen to open the Configuration pane.
3. To update the configuration defaults, enter the appropriate field values by referring to the list of connectors at the end of this procedure.
4. To add or update the user account that is used to access the vendor application, click Accounts.

List of connectors for integration with Azure DevOps

To configure flow triggers and field mappings between BMC Helix ITSM, BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker, and Azure DevOps

For each feature you selected, complete this procedure for the flows listed on the Configuration Links page.

1. To navigate to BMC Helix Integration Studio, on the Configuration Links page, click Configure flows in Integration Studio under Required Common Configurations.You need to configure the flows listed for each feature, in addition to the flows listed under Required Common Configuration.

2. To open the flow template page, on the Catalog tab in Integration Studio, click the flow you want to configure.

   

3. To create a copy of the flow template, click .
   
   
   
4. Select the appropriate accounts for the end-point connectors of the selected flow.
   You specify the connector accounts when configuring connectors.
5. To update the name of the flow that you have copied from the flow template, select My Flow, open the flow that you copied, and update the title.
6. Specify the trigger Conditions and Field mapping, and click OK.
   For more information about trigger conditions and field mappings, see the list of flows at the end of this procedure.
7. Click My Flows and select the flow that you created from the flow template.
8. To verify the target values for the trigger conditions and the field mappings, in the right pane, click Details.

List of flows for integration with Azure DevOps

To map a custom field in BMC Helix ITSM with Azure DevOps

You can create a custom field in BMC Helix ITSM and map it with a field in the Azure DevOps work item. To learn more, see Updating-configurations-to-send-and-receive-data-from-custom-BMC-Helix-ITSM-fields.

Mapping between BMC Helix ITSM fields and custom fields created in Azure DevOps

To create an BMC Helix ITSM incident based on an Azure work item that includes a custom field, you must map the custom field with an BMC Helix ITSM field. When the fields are mapped, changes made to the custom field in the Azure DevOps work item are updated in Vendor Ticket details section of the BMC Helix ITSM incident ticket.

The following table lists the types of Azure DevOps fields you can configure:

• Text (single line or multiple line)
• Picklist (string or integer)
• Integer
• Decimal
• Date/Time

The configuration of single line or multiple line text fields and a picklist string is the same. To use date/time, integers, decimal, picklist (integers) fields, you must separately configure these fields in Smart IT. In Mid-Tier, they will be transferred to the previously created (and configured) BMC Helix ITSM fields. 

To enable mapping custom Azure DevOps fields with BMC Helix ITSM fields

1. Create a custom field in your Azure DevOps project. For more information about creating a custom field in Azure DevOps see Add a custom field to a work item type in the Microsoft Azure documentation. 

2. Add a new field to the Ticket Brokering Library:
   1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studioand navigate to the Workspace tab.
   2. Select Ticket Brokering Library > Records > Incident.

   3. From the New field drop-down list, select the field type corresponding to the custom Azure DevOps field. 

      Azure DevOps field type	BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker field type
      Text (single line or multiple line)	Text
      Picklist (string or integer)	Selection
      Integer	Integer
      Decimal	Decimal
      Date/Time	Date/Time

   4.  Add the following properties to the new field:

      Field name	Value
      Name	Enter a name for the custom field
      Allow Anyone to Submit	Select .

      For example, if you created a custom Date/Time field in Azure DevOps, create a new Date/Type field.

3. Regenerate the schema for the Azure DevOps, ITSM, and Multi-Cloud connectors:
   1. Log in to BMC Helix Integration Studio.
   2. Click Catalog.
   3. Click Connectors, and then select the connector from the list. 
      You might need to click the arrow on the ribbon in the lower section of the screen to open the Configuration pane.
   4. Under Custom Fields, click Regenerate in the Actions column.
4. Refresh schema for the Create DevOps Incident and Create Azure DevOps Work Item flows, and then add a mapping for the custom field. 
   1. Log in to BMC Helix Integration Studio.
   2. Click My Flows.
   3. Search for the flow and click the flow to open it.
   4. From the Actions list, select Refresh Schema. 

   5. (Optional) To get the internal ID from Azure for your custom fields run the following commands: 

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      1. Run echo -n username:password| base64 to generate base64 encoded string for subsequent requests.

      2. Run wget --no-check-certificate --header='X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest' --header='Authorization: Basic [base64 encoded username:password]' --output-document applications.json 'https://[host]/api/v1.0/apps/search?lower_case_name=[connector name]'

         This command creates applications.json file that contains the response from the BMC Helix Integration Service. Copy the value from id field from the json file. This is application Id field that you can use in the next command. Find from the list of appConfig your configuration by name and copy value from the Id field. This is configuration Id value that you can use in the next command.

      3. Run wget --no-check-certificate --header='X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest' --header='Authorization: Basic [base64 encoded username:password]' --output-document app_triggers.json 'https://[host]/api/v1.0/apps/[application Id]/configs/[configuration Id]/triggers'

         This request creates  app_triggers.json file with available triggers. Each trigger object contains a fields field that is an array of available fields. Copy the value from systemName field. Use this value in step f.

      4. Run wget --no-check-certificate --header='X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest' --header='Authorization: Basic [base64 encoded username:password]' --output-document app_actions.json 'https://[host]/api/v1.0/apps/[application Id]/configs/[configuration Id]/actions'

         This request creates  app_actions.json  file with available actions. Each action object contains a fields field that is an array of available fields. Copy the value of systemName field. These fields can be used as Vendor field mapping properties.

      
      

   6. Navigate to My Flows and select the Sync Jira Issue flow. 
   7. On the Details tab, click . 

   8. Select the Edit Field Mapping tab. 

      Important

      For the Create Azure DevOps Work Item flow, select Multi-Cloud - Create Vendor Data Ticket.

   9. In the Vendor Ticket Properties, click Add Property for each custom field that you want to use. 
   10. Click Save and Close.
5. To display the custom field, update the Display Mapping in the Azure DevOps vendor mapping.
   1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Workspace tab.
   2. Select, and then click . 
   3. Click Settings. 
   4. Select Configure Vendors > Map Vendors > Azure DevOps.
   5. Click Edit.
   6. Click { } under Display Field Mapping

   7. Under the Vendor Specific section, click Add row and enter details of the custom field. 

      Field name	Value
      Name	Enter the name of the custom field.
      Type	Select the field type of the custom field.
      Label GUID	Enter the GUID as displayed in Azure DevOps.

   8. Click Save. 

When you complete the configuration for all the components, verify that the tickets are being brokered from BMC Helix ITSM to Azure DevOps and the converse.