Best Practices for Integrating ServiceNow with Third-Party Tools for Efficient Incident Management?

[SciTechCon]

Hi ServiceNow Community,

We are working on improving our incident management process, and we’re looking for best practices for integrating ServiceNow with third-party monitoring tools and incident management systems. We’re aiming to automate the flow of incidents from these tools directly into ServiceNow and ensure seamless data synchronization across platforms.

Specifically, we are interested in:

1. The best approach for integrating monitoring tools like Nagios or SolarWinds with ServiceNow to automatically create incidents based on alerts.
2. Recommendations for using REST APIs or IntegrationHub to streamline these integrations.
3. Any lessons learned or common pitfalls to avoid when automating incident handling.
4. Tips for using Flow Designer or other ServiceNow tools to automate ticket creation and notification processes.

We’d love to hear your experiences and any advice you can share to help us make these integrations smooth and efficient!

Looking forward to your insights!
#ServiceNow #IncidentManagement #Integration #Automation #BestPractices #FlowDesigner #ITSM

[Viraj Hudlikar · Accepted solution]

Hello @SciTechCon 

Integrating ServiceNow with third-party monitoring tools like Nagios or SolarWinds can significantly enhance your incident management process.

Nagios: Use the ServiceNow Nagios integration plugin to automatically create incidents based on alerts. Configure the connector instance with the host IP and credentials provided by your monitoring team.

SolarWinds: Similarly, use the ServiceNow SolarWinds integration plugin. Ensure you configure the connector instance correctly and create event rules to manage the alerts

Check this thread

REST APIs: ServiceNow provides robust REST API capabilities. You can use Scripted REST APIs to create custom integrations. Start by exploring the API Explorer and creating new resources to handle specific incidents. LINK

IntegrationHub: This tool simplifies integrations with minimal coding. Use the IntegrationHub to create flows that automate incident creation and data synchronization across platforms. LINK

One common issue is not thoroughly testing the integration in a staging environment before deploying it to production. Ensure you have a comprehensive testing plan to avoid disruptions.

Regularly review and update your incident management processes based on feedback and incident data. This helps in identifying and mitigating recurring issues.

Flow Designer: Use Flow Designer to create automated workflows for ticket creation and notifications. You can set up triggers based on specific conditions and use actions to create incidents and send notifications. LINK

Notification Tips: Ensure your notifications are clear and actionable. Use the Flow Designer to customize notification templates and include relevant incident details.

If my response has helped you hit helpful button and if your concern is solved do mark my response as correct.

Thanks & Regards
Viraj Hudlikar.

[Viraj Hudlikar · Accepted solution]

Hello @SciTechCon 

Integrating ServiceNow with third-party monitoring tools like Nagios or SolarWinds can significantly enhance your incident management process.

Nagios: Use the ServiceNow Nagios integration plugin to automatically create incidents based on alerts. Configure the connector instance with the host IP and credentials provided by your monitoring team.

SolarWinds: Similarly, use the ServiceNow SolarWinds integration plugin. Ensure you configure the connector instance correctly and create event rules to manage the alerts

Check this thread

REST APIs: ServiceNow provides robust REST API capabilities. You can use Scripted REST APIs to create custom integrations. Start by exploring the API Explorer and creating new resources to handle specific incidents. LINK

IntegrationHub: This tool simplifies integrations with minimal coding. Use the IntegrationHub to create flows that automate incident creation and data synchronization across platforms. LINK

One common issue is not thoroughly testing the integration in a staging environment before deploying it to production. Ensure you have a comprehensive testing plan to avoid disruptions.

Regularly review and update your incident management processes based on feedback and incident data. This helps in identifying and mitigating recurring issues.

Flow Designer: Use Flow Designer to create automated workflows for ticket creation and notifications. You can set up triggers based on specific conditions and use actions to create incidents and send notifications. LINK

Notification Tips: Ensure your notifications are clear and actionable. Use the Flow Designer to customize notification templates and include relevant incident details.

If my response has helped you hit helpful button and if your concern is solved do mark my response as correct.

Thanks & Regards
Viraj Hudlikar.

[BillMartin · Accepted solution]

Hi @SciTechCon ,

Thank you for sharing your queries. As a ServiceNow best practice, we utilize first what is available out of the box before proceeding to a low code and finally to a custom script. I have responsded below marked in italicized maroon.

1. The best approach for integrating monitoring tools like Nagios or SolarWinds with ServiceNow to automatically create incidents based on alerts. :  Integration with Solarwinds  Nagios XI for ITOM Health
2. Recommendations for using REST APIs or IntegrationHub to streamline these integrations.: Depending on the use case, you can have a look at the ServiceNow store or using the Integration Hub spokes if it matches your need, similar to what has been provided at number one.
3. Any lessons learned or common pitfalls to avoid when automating incident handling. You can be bombarded with false positives. We recommend using ITOM Event Management to enrich the alerts and only attending to incidents that are significant. Allowing you to prioritise based on the criticality of the impacted business service. The auto-creation of problem ticket, giving you the ability to start a root cause analysis.
4. Tips for using Flow Designer or other ServiceNow tools to automate ticket creation and notification processes. Already mentioned one on the 1st paragraph and included at numbers 1 , 2 and 3.