Use case:
How is disaster recovery management managed in ServiceNow? Are there any specific modules that are supported, and will it be managed through out-of-the-box capabilities?
Solution:
There exists a module that facilitates the execution of this solution, known as 'Business Continuity Management'. Within this module, the capability of 'Threat and Alert Data Feeds' is instrumental in executing tasks within ServiceNow.
When discussing this solution, it is essential to focus on the two plugins that must be installed:
1. BCM 2. Google Map API
Once these plugins are enabled, our solution will be prepared; however, it is crucial to understand the step-by-step approach of its operation prior to that.
Scheduled Import & Alert Rule:
1. Navigate to 'Scheduled Import', where the out-of-the-box (OOB) setup provides two integrations in a ready-made format, connected to the weather API - 'https://api.weather.gov' and the Disaster API 'https://www.gdacs.org'. This setup supports the retrieval of up-to-date records across all geographical locations.
2. The flow designer and action capabilities allow for the extraction of necessary details from the specified URLs, which are then fed into the import set table in ServiceNow, connecting to the target table known as 'sn_fam_feed'.
3. The 'sn_fam_feed' table encompasses comprehensive data feeds; however, if filtering based on your business disaster location is required, this can be accomplished through the 'Alert Rule'. The OOB configuration permits all data feeding from points 1 and 2. Adjustments can be made according to business requirements, allowing for the configuration of alert rules.
4. The BCM Manager is responsible for monitoring and governing activities within the 'BCM Workspace'. The aforementioned points 1-3 will be reflected in the BCM Workspace. There exists a feature called 'Crisis Map' that displays alerts based on severity.
5. Depending on your business location, you can select and refer to the alerts. Appropriate proactive and reactive measures can be taken based on the alerts; if they are deemed irrelevant, they can be dismissed.
All the steps outlined above fall under the 'Scheduled Import' functionality derived from 'Threat and Alert Data Feeds'.
Resource Configuration:
When you access a 'Crisis Map', which pertains to location, data center, and company, it will be managed via logos. These logos will be defined here and will be displayed as output in the crisis map from the BCM Workspace.
Alert Action:
In accordance with the identification of alerts, we should prepare to 'Notify & Declare Crisis'.
The recipients of the notification will be specified here, and the declaration of the crisis will be overseen by the 'sn_recovery_event' table. The task will be assigned to the relevant technician, and it will encompass the entire ticket life cycle.
Regards,
Suresh.
