IP activation required for REST Call Response?

Meloper · ‎09-23-2024

Hello, this question is more in the general network direction.
I am calling the API of a third-party endpoint.
This endpoint has entered the IP of the ServiceNow instance and this is the only way we can get the data.

If we now get the response from the API call.
Do we have to enter the IP of the endpoint in our whitelist?

So do we need a reciprocal activation for the response or do we only need this if the service behind the endpoint actively wants to request something from us?

Or is it generally the case that if you can read yourself, the answer always comes back the same way, because the source is you yourself, i.e. the initial call?

Rajesh Chopade1 · ‎09-23-2024

hi @Meloper

Since your ServiceNow instance is initiating the outbound request to the third-party endpoint, the third-party service needs to whitelist your ServiceNow instance’s IP to allow communication. This ensures that the third-party endpoint accepts requests coming from the IP address of your ServiceNow instance.

Once the request is made to the third-party endpoint, the response comes back through the same channel (the HTTP or HTTPS connection initiated by ServiceNow). You do not need to explicitly whitelist the third-party's IP for the response, as the response is part of the already established connection. The response follows the path of the initial outbound request, which was initiated by your instance.

Reciprocal whitelisting is only necessary if the third-party endpoint also wants to initiate requests or make a call back to your ServiceNow instance. In such cases, you'd need to whitelist the third-party's IP in your instance’s firewall settings, as the third-party service will be acting as a client to your ServiceNow instance.

i hope my answer helps you to resolve your issue, if yes please mark my answer helpful and correct.

thank you

rajesh

View solution in original post

Rajesh Chopade1 · ‎09-23-2024

support dashboard:

This IP is important for whitelisting purposes when your ServiceNow instance needs to communicate with external APIs or services.

It is used for outgoing REST, SOAP, or other HTTP requests from the instance directly.

STATS :

The IPs shown here could represent the backend infrastructure IP addresses of the ServiceNow platform itself, which are not necessarily used for external communication.

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If you are using the MID Server to make the REST call, the external system needs to whitelist the IP address of the MID Server.

If the call is being made directly from the instance without a MID Server, the external system needs to whitelist the ServiceNow instance's outbound IP (shown in the Support Dashboard).

Thank you

Meloper · ‎09-23-2024

Thanks again 🙂
maybe on more, for the Mid Server ist it really the IP of the MID Server or Proxy?

Rajesh Chopade1 · ‎09-23-2024

For a REST message using a MID Server in ServiceNow, the IP that needs to be whitelisted is typically the IP of the MID Server itself, not the proxy. The MID Server is the component that communicates with external systems and executes REST calls, so its IP is the one that external systems will see.

However, if a proxy is used between the MID Server and the external endpoint, you may need to provide the proxy’s IP instead. This depends on your network setup and how traffic is routed through your environment.