How to do Inbound Integration?

[Akki1]

Hi,

I'm new to the integration. I have to inbound integration for all the fields of a table called 'accounts'. There are approximately 160 fields. How do I start? Do I create scripted rest Api message or anything with import set? Can anyone help with it?

[Daniel Borkowi1]

Hi Akki,

with a little more information it would be easier to help. What are the parameters of the integration? Following parameters needs to be defined:

Data flow	Trigger	# Records	Timing	Execution	Protocol	Message	Translator	Security
Bidirectional	Manual	Single	Real time	Synchronous	REST	JSON	ServiceNow	None
Unidirectional (Inbound)	Schedule	Batch	Near real time	Asynchronous	SOAP	XML	Middleware	Basic
Unidirectional (Outbound)	Process driven	Delta	Scheduled		SFTP	File	Endpoint	OAuth2
	Event	Full			JDBC	GraphQL		Token
					Other	Other		SAML 2.0
								Mutual

This source can help with planing integrations: https://www.servicenow.com/content/dam/servicenow-assets/public/en-us/doc-type/success/enablement/in...

Under the assumption you need a inbound REST interface to which an other system can push the data I recommend to use the Import Set API. That means create a staging table for pushing data to your ServiceNow instance in same format like the target table. Then simply create a Transform Map (maybe with some data correction and referential integrity checks). The other system can push the data using the OOTB ImportSet API :https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do#!/reference/api/rome/rest/c_ImportSetAPI.

Hope that helps.

Greets

Daniel

[Daniel Borkowi1]

Hi Akki,

I assume you're talking about an Inbound Rest API. If the other site of this integration is flexible to use any ServiceNow API, I always prefer to build write interfaces always with the ImportSet API.

Means:

1. Create staging table for your table account (you can use excel export/import to speedup building an ImportSet table)

2. Build Transform Map (if it's a CMDB target table - user Robust Transform Engine by utilizing IntegrationHub ETL ) --> auto field mapping could help to speed up, include mapping scripts wherever data transformation is needed

3. Provide user and access (roles) for allowing to write in ImportSet Table

4. Source System can write with utilizing ImportSet API into account Importset table

For sure the other system can also use Table API to write in account directly, BUT:

Advantage ImportSet API: you have the control which data is written in your account table (including data transformation and validation). 

Disadvantage: Lot's of effort building staging tables and transformations. Different field names with u_ and table name for write and read operation(for this Table API is sufficient). 

Last point can be cushioned by utilizing Application Scope, here you don't need to use u_ infront of custom fields, but you still have different table names. 

These are only my thoughts, an mustn't be common practice.

Greets

Daniel