OpenText uCMDB Integration with ServiceNow CMDB

[amolpunekotwal]

Hello Experts,

Has anyone done OpenText uCMDB Integration with ServiceNow to populate CMDB recently?

I found the below documentation from MicroFocus site but does not answers some of the queries such as:-

https://docs.microfocus.com/UCMDB/11.0/cp-docs/docs/eng/doc_lib/Content/srvcnow2_push_intro.htm

1. Does it requires MID Server in between uCMDB & ServiceNow to facilitate the communication? If yes, what ports/protocols are needed?

2. MicroFocus documentation list down some of the limitations of this integration as below, but I'm not sure what is the impact of these?

Push integration

• Limitation: The integration mapping file only allows mapping concrete CITs and relationships to the CITs and relationships in ServiceNow. That is, a parent CIT cannot be used to map its children CIs.

• Limitation: Since this adapter uses the ServiceNow Direct Web Services API, which does not support CI coalescing (reconciliation), if some CIs being pushed from UCMDB are already present in the ServiceNow CMDB, before the integration with UCMDB is installed, and if those CIs are (a) also in UCMDB; and (b) pushed into ServiceNow by the integration, those CIs are duplicated. (This is because UCMDB does not know these CIs are already in the ServiceNow CMDB.) After the adapter is installed, UCMDB keeps track of the CIs it pushes to ServiceNow, to prevent duplication.

• Limitation: ServiceNow Web Service Import Sets are currently not supported.

3. I do not see any documentation from ServiceNow side. so bit confused regarding sustainability of this integration and what approach to use from below?

a. ServiceNow Integration Using Enhanced Generic Adapter

b. Push Integration with ServiceNow

Would be great help if someone could share their experience and advise regarding this integration.

Thanks & Regards,
Amol Kotwal

[maroon_byte]

About 4 years ago, I had worked with Microfocus SME to setup integration in ServiceNow for my client at that time.

The data ingest was via web services which is direct from uCMDB without any MID Server in between.

The uCMDB SME had provided an update set (part of their package/adapter) which I had committed in ServiceNow instance and then had worked with that SME to fine tune the integration to get more data.

The update set had the required web services, import set tables & transform maps. There were firewall connectivity and authentication to allow uCMDB send data to ServiceNow.

Regards,

Sharad

[amolpunekotwal]

Thank you Sharad for sharing information across. This is really helpful.

I believe you have used "ServiceNow Integration Using Enhanced Generic Adapter" mechanism for your integration. Could you please confirm?

Any issues on limitations or in general you faced in your implementation? 

[maroon_byte]

Sorry for the delay in response... That's correct. I recall using something like that provided by the UCMDB SME.

Limitations: None that I can recall... its been a while But test first with small subset. I think I had to spend time on the transform maps and with the SME to setup integration for specific Database CIs that client was asking about.

I would suggest that you get read access to uCMDB so that you can compare the integrated data in SN with the CI topology in uCMDB, 

Regards,

Sharad

[amolpunekotwal]

Thank you Sharad for all the shared information. This gives good idea regarding basic building blocks for this integration.

Thanks & Regards,
Amol Kotwal