Automatic software deployment via SCCM integration

[Robin Chytil]

We are looking for a solution to integrate our Software installation workflow (triggered from our Service Catalog in ServiceNow.

We already use the SCCM integration plugin to get data about PCs and software from SCCM to ServiceNow.

We now would like to trigger installations via SCCM from ServiceNow (after a potential approval in ServiceNow), and get a failure/success status from SCCM to ServiceNow.

We found a solution (DeployITNow | Blue Horizon Systems) which is now proposed by KPMG but we would like to compare to other solutions.

Has anybody any pointer to give?

Or did you do this yourself? How difficult is this?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

[shill]

We use Orchestration to add a user to a software entitlement group in Active Directory using the Run Powershell activity in the workflow.

User submits request and manager approves. If the catalog item record has an AD group populated (indicating we have the group setup for this software in AD), it triggers the Powershell activity adding the requested for to the specified group from the catalog item record.

The orchestration is handled though our mid server with a connection to our AD.

Any errors returned to SN creates an incident to our admin group to investigate.

Instead of auto installing, we direct the user (via a notification from SN that the is complete) to an internal website that displays the software they are entitled to (this is done with Microsoft System Center, which I did not setup.

Then they can self install at their leisure.

I will admit, I was not the one the created the mid server functionality (he as since left), but I am currently responsible.

[Robin Chytil]

HI Steve, thank you ver much for your reply. Seems very similar to the solution that DeployITnow proposes.

If I understand correctly, the addition of the user in the AD group and the Power shell is triggered by Service Now Orchestration. Correct? And the SCCM SDK is installed on the MID server, right?

Any idea how tough (effort-wise) it was to put it in place?

[noahstahl]

Hi Robin,

I put together an example similar to what Steve describes using System Center Orchestrator as the automation piece between SN and SCCM. The advantage here in is the validation aspects of making sure the various updates complete before giving the user the green light to install, since it takes a couple minutes. All the details and a demo are available here:

Self-Service Software Deployment - ServiceNow and System Center

If you have any questions on it, let me know.

Noah

[monika223115]

Hey @shill 

I have a similar requirement. Can you please explain the process in detail as I am a beginner on this.