Synchronizing custom Foundation data changes to BMC Helix Platform

To ensure that Foundation data from Remedy IT Service Management (Remedy ITSM) is synchronized to BMC Helix Platform, you must configure Remedy ITSM for synchronization. You must add filters to track creation, update, and deletion of custom Foundation data for the following situations:

• Changes to existing custom Foundation data
• Newly-added custom Foundation data

Changes to out-of-the-box Foundation data are automatically synchronized. You are not required to perform any additional configurations. 

By default, the synchronization plug-in is scheduled to run at 12 AM daily so that Foundation data is synchronized every 24 hours. You can modify the synchronization schedule. For more information, see To modify the Foundation data synchronization schedule.

Before you begin

For custom Foundation data, ensure that you have completed the following tasks:

• Extended the Foundation definitions in BMC Helix Innovation Studio to include the custom Foundation data fields in Remedy ITSM.
• Created a Pentaho job and transformations for loading custom Foundation data from Remedy ITSM.

Task 1: To create filters for tracking changes to custom Foundation data

Create filters for the AR System form that you customized, so that any creation, modifications, and deletions to custom Foundation data is tracked. The filters track the newly-added custom Foundation data as well as changes to existing Foundation data in Remedy ITSM. 

For example, if you customized CTM:People form to add Passport number and SSN for employees, you must create filters for the CTM:People form. 

1. Log in to BMC Remedy Developer Studio from BMC Remedy AR System server.
2. Select your local repository > All Objects.
3. Right-click Filters > New Filter.
4. In the associated form, select the Foundation data form that you customized for additional data. For example, CTM: People form.
5. Add the filters for tracking creation, updates, and deletions of custom Foundation data.
   The following image shows an example of filters created for CTM:People form:
   

6. Specify the following information:

   UI field	Description
   Execution Option	Specify when the filter must be executed. For example, to execute the filter when user saves the custom Foundation data, select Submit.
   Run If Qualification	Specify the condition for executing the filter. A change log is created only when the conditions are met. For example, to execute the create filter when user provides a value in Passport Number or SSN fields, specify the following string: 'Passport Number' != $NULL$ OR 'SSN'!= $NULL$ A change log is created only when the Passport Number or SSN value is entered.To execute the update filter when user modifies the Passport Number or SSN fields, specify the following string: 'DB.Passport Number' != 'Passport Number' OR 'DB.SSN' != 'SSN'  A change log is created only when the Passport Number or SSN value is modified.
   Push Fields	Reads the data that is created in the record instances and populates the data in BMC Helix Innovation Studio Foundation-Sync form. Additionally, this field identifies the custom Foundation data as a specific type of Foundation data. For example, when the Passport Number and SSN fields are loaded to BMC Helix Innovation Studio, they are identified as Other Foundation data type and Person Additional Information category.

   The following image is an example of filter configuration for CTM:People form:

   

Task 2: To create Remedy ITSM Sync Extension Process

If there are any changes to the custom Foundation data, you must create a process in BMC Helix Innovation Studio Process designer with actions to create, update, or delete a record. This ensures that after custom Foundation data is synchronized, the data is added to relevant record definition in BMC Helix Platform and then becomes available for use in the business logic.

For example, if the Passport Number is added for an Employee In Remedy ITSM, create a process to upload this newly-added data to the Person record definition in BMC Helix Innovation Studio.

For the steps to create a customer extension process, see Creating-or-modifying-record-instances-using-Record-Service-Tasks. 

Consider the following points before creating Remedy ITSM Sync extension processes:

• When adding variables in the process, ensure that you enter the following variable IDs of the fields that you want to synchronize:

• 
  
  • When adding or removing fields for an element in the process, ensure that you select the GUID field so that it matches with the GUID in Remedy ITSM. If you do not select the GUID field, a new GUID is generated automatically and data is not synchronized correctly.

Task 3: To specify the Remedy ITSM Sync extension process for appropriate custom data

If there are any changes to the custom Foundation data, specify the process that must be triggered to load the updates to BMC Helix Innovation Studio. For example, if the Passport Number is added for an Employee In Remedy ITSM, create a process to upload this newly-added data to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and specify Passport Number as Other type of Foundation data.

Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio as an administrator. 

1. Click Administration> Foundation Data > ITSM Foundation Data SYNC > Extension Processes.
2. On the Add Customer Extension Process, provide the following information:

The following image is an example of specifying the extension process created for Person Additional Information type of Foundation data:

After the changes to custom Foundation data are loaded from Remedy ITSM, you can view the synchronized Foundation data.

Where to go from here

Connecting-the-Foundation-data-repositories