servicenow management pack for - vmware

Management Pack for ServiceNow

VMware vRealize True Visibility Suite 1.0

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Contents

1 Management Pack for ServiceNow 4

2 System Requirements (ServiceNow) 5Creating a Least Privileged User (ServiceNow) 5

Adding an SSL Certificate to the vROps Truststore (ServiceNow) 6

3 Installing the Management Pack (ServiceNow) 8

4 Configuring the Management Pack (ServiceNow) 9Creating a Credential (ServiceNow) 9

Creating a Configuration File (ServiceNow) 10

Creating an Adapter Instance (ServiceNow) 34

Validating Data Collection (ServiceNow) 36

5 Using the Management Pack (ServiceNow) 37Dashboards (ServiceNow) 37

Views (ServiceNow) 38

CMDB Synced Metrics (ServiceNow) 38

Alert Sync (ServiceNow) 43

CMDB Synced Metrics (ServiceNow) 44

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Management Pack for ServiceNow 1The VMware vRealize® True Visibility™ Management Pack for ServiceNow is an embedded adapter for vRealize Operations (vROps) that contextualizes vRealize data by collecting ServiceNow CMDB configuration items (CIs) and mapping those vRealize objects based on a user-defined schema.

Notable Features

The Management Pack for ServiceNow provides the following notable features:

n User-defined CMDB visibility in vRealize Operations

n Automatically generated dashboards based on user-defined configuration

See also:

Chapter 2 System Requirements (ServiceNow)

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System Requirements (ServiceNow) 2

vRealize Operations Requirements ServiceNow Requirements

Version(s) vRealize Operations 7.x or 8.x

All ServiceNow supported versions (Kingston+)

Connection vROps hostname or IP address

A ServiceNow host address

A configuration file (see: Creating a Configuration File (ServiceNow)

Note ServiceNow calls are made to theTable APIandCMDB Meta API.

Credentials N/A A least privileged user with itil credentials is required (see: Creating a Least Privileged User (ServiceNow)

This chapter includes the following topics:

n Creating a Least Privileged User (ServiceNow)

n Adding an SSL Certificate to the vROps Truststore (ServiceNow)

Creating a Least Privileged User (ServiceNow)

A least privileged user account must have the following permissions:

All Configurations (required to validate the other ACLs)

n sys_user_has_role

n security_acl_detail

n sys_security_operation

Resource Grouping ACLs

n cmdb_metadata_hosting

n cmdb_metadata_reference

n cmdb_metadata_containment

n sys_dictionary

n sys_dictionary.*

n sys_glide_object

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n svc_ci_assoc (only if you are using the association table in any of the group configurations)

n each table that is in the configuration json (cmdb_ci_vmware_instance for example)

Alerting ACLs:

n sys_choice

n sys_choice.*

n sys_dictionary

n sys_dictionary.*

n sys_glide_object

n each table that is in the configuration json if CI mapping is used (cmdb_ci_vmware_instance for

example)

n One of the following depending on which option is specified in your configuration file:

n incident (read and write)

n em_alert (read and write)

n em_event (read and write)

CMDB Sync ACLs

n sys_db_object

n cmdb_reconciliation_definition

n sys_choice

n sys_choice.*

n cmdb_rel_type

n each table in Synced Resources (read and edit_ci_relations are always required, delete is

required if using a configuration which deletes CIs when they are removed from or are Not Existing in vROps )

Role

n itil

Note This is a requirement for getting metadata about the tables, which we need in order to determine data types, allowable columns, etc.

Adding an SSL Certificate to the vROps Truststore (ServiceNow)


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For added security, we recommend adding an SSL certificate to the vROps truststore for your ServiceNow CMDB.

Note Different levels of security can be configured in the Management Pack for ServiceNow. Theleast secure configuration is to leave the default selection ofFalsefor the ServiceNow SSL ConfigurationAdvanced Setting. In this configuration, the Management Pack will accept all SSL certificates.For added security,you can enable SSL by following the instructions below and selectingTruefor theSSL ConfigurationAdvanced Setting whenCreating an Adapter Instance (ServiceNow).

1 Obtain the SSL certificate for your Unity host server from your Internet browser. Export the certificate as an X.509 Certificate (PEM).

2 Copy the certificate to your vROps machine.

3 Use ‘ssh’ to log in to the vROps machine as the root user, then run the following command:

Linux:

$VCOPS_BASE/jre/bin/keytool -import -alias <product_alias> -file /tmp/<certfile> -keystore “$VCOPS_DATA_VCOPS/user/conf/ssl/tcserver.truststore” -storepass `grep ssltruststorePassword /storage/vcops/user/conf/ssl/storePass.properties | sed s/ssltruststorePassword=//` -trustcacerts

Windows:

%VCOPS_BASE%\jre\bin\keytool -import -alias <product_alias> C:\path\to\certfile -keystore “%VCOPS_DATA_VCOPS%\user\conf\ssl\tcserver.truststore” -storepass <truststore_password> -trustcacerts

Parameter Descriptions:

n -alias is a unique name for each key that you add (per host)

n certfile is the location where the cert file was saved

4 Run the reboot command to re-start the vROps machine for the changes to take effect.


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Installing the Management Pack (ServiceNow) 3Procedure

1 Log in to vRealize Operations as an admin user.

2 From the top navigation bar, select Administration. In the left panel, the default Solutions

view will be selected. In the right panel, click the Add icon.

Note If you are using vROps 7.5, Solutions will have two subcategories: Configuration and Repository. Select Repository and scroll down to Other Management Packs and select Add a Management Pack to install a new management pack. Refer to the second screenshot below if needed.

3 The Add Solution window will appear. Browse to the location of the saved .pak file, then click Upload.

4 Click Next when the upload has finished.

5 Read and accept the End User License Agreement (EULA), then click Next.

6 Click Finish when the installation process is complete.

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Configuring the Management Pack (ServiceNow) 4Configuring the Management Pack for ServiceNow in vRealize Operations includes the following required tasks:

n Creating a Credential (ServiceNow)

n Creating an Adapter Instance (ServiceNow)

Note In addition, you may want to perform one or more of the following optional tasks to further configure the Management Pack for your specific needs:

n Validating Data Collection (ServiceNow) (optional)



n Creating a Configuration File (ServiceNow)


n Validating Data Collection (ServiceNow)

Creating a Credential (ServiceNow)

One of the required configuration tasks for the Management Pack is to create a set of credentials in vROps.

Prerequisites

n Creating a Least Privileged User (ServiceNow)

n Chapter 3 Installing the Management Pack (ServiceNow)

Procedure

1 From the top navigation bar, select Administration . In the left panel, expand the Management category and select Credentials.

2 Click theAdd icon. In theManage Credentialwindow that appears, enter the following information, then clickOK:

n Adapter Type: ServiceNow

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n Credential name: A name for this set of Management Pack credentials

n User Name: The ServiceNow user name for your LPU

n Password: The ServiceNow password for your LPU

What to do next

Creating an Adapter Instance (ServiceNow)

Creating a Configuration File (ServiceNow)

By default, this product expects the user to supply a configuration file in the work directory; the work directory is $VCOPS_BASE/user/plugins/inbound/servicenow_adapter3/work

The configuration file consists of an array of resourceTypes. Each element is explained below in detail.

{ "cmdbSync": {}, "resourceTypes": [ { "vROps": {...}, "serviceNow": {...}, "identifierMapping": [], "groupTypes": [], "groupHierarchies": [[]] }, ... ], "alertingConfigs": [ {...}, ... ]}

Examples of Configuration Files

Below are two examples of functional configuration files:

Configuration File Example A

{ "resourceTypes": [ { "vROps": { "type": { "resourceKind": "VirtualMachine", "adapterKind": "VMWARE" }, "id": { "type": "IDENTIFIER", "field": "VMEntityName"


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} }, "serviceNow": { "type": { "cmdbCiClass": "cmdb_ci_vmware_instance" }, "id": { "column": "name" } }, "groupTypes": [ { "serviceNowColumn": "u_application", "vROpsGroupType": "Application" }, { "serviceNowColumn": "u_main_business_unit", "vROpsGroupType": "BusinessUnit", "booleanMapping": { "trueValue": "Main", "falseValue": "Other" } } ], "hierarchies": [ [ { "adapterKind": "Container", "resourceKind": "BusinessUnit" }, { "adapterKind":"Container", "resourceKind": "Application" } ] ] } ]}

Configuration File Example B

{ "resourceTypes": [ { "vROps": { "type": { "resourceKind": "VirtualMachine", "adapterKind": "VMWARE" }, "id": { "type": "PROPERTY", "field": "config|name" }


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}, "serviceNow": { "type": { "cmdbCiClass": "cmdb_ci_vmware_instance" }, "id": { "column": "name" } }, "groupTypes": [ { "serviceNowColumn": "u_application", "vROpsGroupType": "Application" }, { "serviceNowColumn": "u_main_business_unit", "vROpsGroupType": "BusinessUnit", "booleanMapping": { "trueValue": "Main", "falseValue": "Other" } } ], "hierarchies": [ [ { "adapterKind": "Container", "resourceKind": "BusinessUnit" }, { "adapterKind":"Container", "resourceKind": "Application" } ] ] } ]}

vROps

the vROps object in the resourceType defines the type of vROps resource that will be assigned

properties based on CMDB columns.

Example:

"vROps": { "type": {...}}

Type

This object describes the resource and adapter kinds. Both are required.

"type": { "resourceKind": "VirtualMachine", "adapterKind": "VMWARE"}


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ServiceNow

The serviceNow object in the resourceType defines the type of ServiceNow CI that should be

matched to the vROps resource.

"serviceNow": { "type": {...}}

Type

This object describes the CI Class of the CI that will be matched to the defined vROps ResourceKind.

"type": { "cmdbCiClass": "cmdb_ci_vmware_instance"}

Identifier Mapping

An array of mappings. Each mapping references one ServiceNow column which maps to a vROps Property, Identifier, Name, or vROps UUID. In most cases, using a unique identifier in combination with the vCenter UUID is preferred.

{ "identifierMapping": [ { "serviceNowId": { "column": "object_id" }, "vropsId": { "type": "IDENTIFIER", "field": "VMEntityObjectID" } }, { "serviceNowId": { "column": "vcenter_uuid" }, "vropsId": { "type": "IDENTIFIER", "field": "VMEntityVCID" } } ]}

ServiceNow ID

The column whose value will be matched to the id specified on the defined vROps ResourceKind.

"id": { "column": "vm_instance_uuid"}

VROps ID

This field describes the identification mechanism used to match with a ServiceNow CI. There are 3 different ways this can be defined.

n Identifier: This method matches based on the value of the specified resource identifier on the resource. Set type to IDENTIFIER and field to the name of the identifier on the

ResourceKind.

"id": { "type": "IDENTIFIER", "field": "VMEntityName"}

n PROPERTY: This method matches based on the latest value assigned to the specified property. Set type to PROPERTY and field to the name of the property on the ResourceKind.

"id": { "type": "PROPERTY", "field": "config|name"}

n Name: This method uses the name of the resource in vROps as the value matched by ServiceNow CI. Set type to NAME and do not specify a field in order to use this method.

"id": { "type": "NAME"}

n UUID: This method uses the unique ID generated by vROps as the value matched by ServiceNow CI. Set type to UUID and do not specify a field in order to use this method.


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"id": { "type": "UUID"}

Group Types

The groupTypes array contains a list of mappings from serviceNow columns to vROps groups.

"groupTypes": [ {...}, {...}],

There are two ways to assign these mappings.

n Standard: This is used for string-based properties in which the literal string value of the serviceNowColumn will be used to create a group named the value specified by

vROpsGroupType. All matched resources will be assigned to the group of type vROpsGroupType that matches the value of the column. In the example below, if a CI has u_application = myApp in the CMDB, the vROps resource will be assigned to a group of type Application named

myApp.

{ "serviceNowColumn": "u_application", "vROpsGroupType": "Application"}

n Boolean: This is used for boolean properties only. The serviceNowColumn and vROpsGroupType work as explained above, but instead of assigning the literal value of the column, the adapter will translate it to the values assigned in the booleanMapping. In the example below, if a CI

returns u_main_business_unit = true, the vROps resource will be assigned to a group of type

Business Unit named Main.

{ "serviceNowColumn": "u_main_business_unit", "vROpsGroupType": "Business Unit", "booleanMapping": { "trueValue": "Main", "falseValue": "Other" }}

Additionally, columns may be a reference to an object in another table. To do this, 'dot notation' is used.

{ "serviceNowColumn": "domain_manager.manager.name", "vROpsGroupType": "Domain Manager"}

Boolean mappings can be used (at the top level) as well. The value returned by the referenced table will use the boolean mapping in this case

{ "serviceNowColumn": "domain_manager.manager.active", "vROpsGroupType": "Domain Manager", "booleanMapping": { "trueValue": "Active", "falseValue": "Inactive" }}

Group Hierarchies

Group hierarchies organize the groups. Objects at the top of the hierarchy are considered parents of objects lower on the hierarchy. The resourceKind is the vROpsGroupType from the

groupTypes array.

"groupHierarchies": [ [ { "resourceKind": "Business Unit" }, { "resourceKind": "Application" } ]]

It is possible to have multiple hierarchies that reference different vROpsGroupTypes. It is also

possible for them to share some of their group types.


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"groupHierarchies": [ [ { "resourceKind": "Business Unit" }, { "resourceKind": "Application" } ], [ { "resourceKind": "Business Unit" }, { "resourceKind": "Other Group" } ]]

In the above scenario, Application and Other Group are both related to the Business Unit, but

are not considered directly related to one another.

Constraints:

n Hierarchies must not be cyclic (Business Unit cannot both be a parent and a child

of Application). This is for both individual resourceTypes and across all resourceTypes

(Business Unit cannot be a parent of Application for a VM, but a child of Application for a

Datastore). The hierarchy object can be assigned

"adapterKind": "Container"

, but this can also be omitted since it is the only allowable adapterKind.

n All groups must be present in at least one hierarchy on the resourceType where it is defined.

n Similarly, groups in a hierarchy must be defined as a vROpsGroupType on the resourceType where it is defined.

Alert Sync

Alerting configurations for the alert-sync feature define what alerts will be synced between vROps and ServiceNow, and how they will be represented in ServiceNow. The three supported representations are INCIDENT (default), ALERT, and EVENT. Once the vROps alert is present in ServiceNow, the ServiceNow Management Pack performs the following additional features:

n If an alert is cancelled in vROps, the corresponding incident or alert in ServiceNow is closed.

n If an incident or alert is closed in ServiceNow, the corresponding alert in vROps is suspended. Alerts in vROps are generally triggered automatically by breaching thresholds. Because we cannot control this, if an incident or alert is closed in ServiceNow it should be due to the underlying issue being resolved. Thus, we suspend the Alert in vROps (for a configurable length of time) to allow the alert to resolve. If the threshold(s) is still breached when the alert suspend time has ended, the alert will re-trigger and reopen the ServiceNow incident or alert.

n If a synced vROps alert is on a vROps ResourceKind that is present in one of the resourceTypes sections above, the ServiceNow Management Pack will create a reference

from the incident/alert/event cmdb_ci column to the CI representing the resource in

ServiceNow. Note: A resourceType section can be created with empty groupTypes and

hierarchies arrays for matching to a resource type, without creating any groupings and

hierarchies.

n The ServiceNow Management Pack can be configured to watch a predefined set of incident/alert/event columns and display the current values in the corresponding vROps alert as a series of notes.


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Configuration

If alert sync is not desired, alertingConfigs can be omitted entirely, or an empty list can be used:

"alertingConfigs": []

A typical incident config may look like this:

"alertingConfigs": [ { "callerId": "vROps Service User" "propagateAlertUpdates": true, "retrieveIncidentUpdates": true, "incidentElementsToRetrieve": ["assigned_to.name", "state", "cmdb_ci.sys_id"], "incidentReopenState": "In Progress", "incidentCloseState": "Closed", "vropsSuspendMinutes": 30 }]

Each config contains a callerId which identifies which config the ServiceNow incident/alert/

event comes from. The callerId does not need to be distinct between alerting configs, however

there are some performance benefits if each alertingConfig has a unique callerId. Note that

in the rare case where multiple vROps instances are monitoring the same vCenter and are pointing to the same ServiceNow instance, the callerIds should all be distinct between the

vROps instances. Note that this list is ordered

"alertingConfigs": [ { "callerId": "VM Admin", ... }, { "callerId": "Storage Admin", ... }]

In each alerting config, the following options are supported:

Parameter Type Description

callerId String The callerId is the ServiceNow caller assigned in vROps ServiceNow

plugin configuration. This is the only required field - defaults will be used for all other fields. All incidents in ServiceNow that have this caller id will be treated according to this configuration. Two incident configuration sections cannot have the same caller id.

serviceNowDestination Enum One of INCIDENT, ALERT, or EVENT. Specifies which type of Service now

alerting record will be created for vROps alerts in this alertingConfig.

serviceNowOpenState String Specifies the ServiceNow state an alerting record will be in when it is opened. The default is New. The value must be present in the sys_choice table for the alerting record's state column.

serviceNowReopenState String Specifies the ServiceNow state an alerting record will be in when it is reopened. The default is New for Incidents and Events and Reopen for

Alerts. The value must be present in the sys_choice table for the alerting

record's state column.

serviceNowCloseState String Specifies the ServiceNow state an alerting record will be in when it is closed. The default is Closed for Incidents and Alerts and Closing for

Events. The value must be present in the sys_choice table for the alerting

record's state column.

category String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow.

subcategory String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow.


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Parameter Type Description

businessService String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow.

contactType String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow.

state String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow. Defaults to the value of the corresponding vROps Alert, mapped using ServiceNowOpenState, ServiceNowReopenState, and

ServiceNowCloseState.

resolutionCode String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow.

resolutionNotes String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow.

onHoldReason String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow.

impact String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow. For Incident and Alert, defaults to the value of the vROps Alert's impact.

urgency String Optional additional metadata for incidents/alerts/events that are opened in ServiceNow.

filters Object Set of filters that determine which vROps Alerts will get processed in this alertingConfig. See detail below.

retrieveUpdates Boolean When set to true, vROps alerts will be suspended when an incident or alert is in a closed state. In addition, any elements specified in incidentElementsToRetrieve will be sent to the vROps alert as notes

when they change. Defaults to true.

vropsSuspendMinutes Int Defines how long (in whole minutes) an alert should be suspended when the corresponding ServiceNow alerting record is marked as closed.

serviceNowElementsToRetrieve Array A list of strings corresponding to table columns that are surfaced in vROps alerts as notes. Columns with dot notation are allowed. The default list is state, assigned_to.name, priority, and urgency for

Incidents; state, assigned_to.name, and priority for Alerts; and state and resolution_state for Events.

CMDB Sync

A cmdbSync configuration can be added to the configuration file in order to enable this adapter to populate the CMDB with resources. The configuration object can include the following, each of which will be described in greater detail.

"cmdbSync": { "cmdbSyncMethod": "IRE_API", "syncMode": "POPULATE_AND_DELETE_WHEN_NOT_EXISTING", "objectIdentifierSource": "MOID", "builtInTreeEnabled": true, "customTreesEnabled": false,


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"additionalColumns": {}, "nameFilter": {}}

Additionally, using CMDB sync requires the user to add a Data Source to the identification rule for each resource type, otherwise columns cannot be updated via IRE.

There are a few CI Class Identification Rules that must be addressed as well.

n cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter:

n Add a rule that uses object_id and vcenter_uuid together to uniquely identify the

datacenter

n If you have ever used the Discovery plugin, it adds a dependent relationship to cmdb_ci_cloud_service_account. Remove this dependency and allow the Datacenter to

be an Independent resource.

n cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastore

n Add a dependent containment relationship to the Datacenter (cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastoreContains::Contained by cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter)

n cmdb_ci_esx_server

n Add a rule that uses object_id and vcenter_uuid together to uniquely identify the

datacenter

n If Discovery is being used, you may also need to disable the correlation_id rule to avoid

duplicate objects.

n cmdb_ci_vcenter

n Add a rule that uses instance_uuid as the unique identifier

Custom Trees

By default, built-in trees are enabled and custom trees are disabled. If you need to change the identification of the built-in classes, or map these resources to different CIs, disable the built-in tree and create your own custom tree to represent vCenter resources.

Tip To add columns to a built-in tree, use additionalColumns rather than defining a custom

tree. See Additional Columns below.

To use custom trees, you must enable custom trees in the CMDB Sync Configuration. You must define each custom tree in its own json file under 'work/custom_trees'. When you make the directory 'custom_trees', make sure your vROps user has permission to read from that directory.

Format:

{ "treeName": "Sample Tree Name",


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"syncClasses": []}

Tree Name

This is a unique identifier for the tree. It cannot match the name of any other custom trees, or the built-in tree if the built-in tree is enabled.

Sync Classes

Sync classes defined what should be synced to the CMDB. For a tree to be valid, the chosen sync classes must include all identifiers required by the CMDB. Test connection will inform you if there are any issues with any of the sync classes.

{ "classIdentifier": "Sample Class ID", "vROps": {...}, "serviceNow": {...}, "identifierMapping: {...}, "dataColumns": [], "relationships": [], "propertyFilter": {}}

Class Identifier This is a unique identifier for the class. It cannot match the identifier of any

other custom class, or the built-in class if the built-in tree is enabled.

vROps Definition This is the same object required for ResourceType vROps Definitions

ServiceNow Definition This is the same object required for ResourceType ServiceNow

Definitions

Identifier Definition The identifier mapping is our way of linking our resources to

ServiceNow's CIs. This is a combination of identifiers which uniquely identify the resource. For example, vROps resources should use the vCenter UUID in combination with the MOID (which is what is shown in the example in the link below).

These do not have to be identifiers on either the CMDB side or the vROps side, though they often will be.

This is the same object required for ResourceType Identifier Mapping

Data Columns Data columns represent the columns that we sync to the CMDB that are not used

as part of the identification mapping. See vROps Types and Fields for available options for the vropsType and vropsField parameters.

{ "cmdbColumn": "cpu_name", "vropsType": "PROPERTY", "vropsField": "cpu|cpuModel"}


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Relationships Defines all relationships to children. The childClassIdentifier is the unique

Class Identifier assigned to the child class. The child class must be a part of this tree. The relationshipType is not required if the CI Class Definition defines only one possible relationship

type between the two CI Classes, but is required if there are multiple options.

"relationships": [ { "childClassIdentifier": "CustomDatastore", "relationshipType": "Contains::Contained By" }]

Property Filter This is used to filter resources based on properties. An example use-case would

be if you wanted to map VMWARE VirtualMachine resources to cmdb_ci_vmware_instance CIs

only when the property summary|config|isTemplate is set to false. You could make a second

Custom Class which maps to cmdb_ci_vmware_template when summary|config|isTemplate is set

to true from the same vROps ResourceType.

If this is not needed for your class, omit the block.

This sample filters only resources that are not templates.

"propertyFilter": { "conditions": [ { "vropsField": "summary|config|isTemplate", "value": "false", "filterOperation": "EQUALS", "default": false } ], "joiner": "AND or OR"}

Property Filter Value Set this to the value to search for in the string returned from the

vropsField. If your field is a boolean or an integer, set it to the string representation of that boolean or integer (such as "15" or "true")

Property Filter Operation This specifies how we determine whether the filter condition is met.

Available options:

Option Behavior

EQUALSThe condition is true if the property value returned by vROps exactly matches the provided value

DOES_NOT_EQUALThe condition is true if the property value returned by vROps does not match the provided value


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Option Behavior

CONTAINS The condition is true if the value returned from vROps contains the provided value

DOES_NOT_CONTAINThe condition is true if the value returned from vROps does not contain the provided value

Property Filter DefaultThis specifies how we should evaluate the condition if we cannot

retrieve the property in vROps. Since the most common reason this could occur is for vROps to discover a new resource but not complete a collection and thus assign properties yet, we recommend defaulting to false. Using false as default will cause the filter to exclude all resources that do not have this property assigned from the sync.

Property Filter Joiner This specifies whether we should include the resource if all of the

conditions are met (AND) or if at least one of the conditions are met (OR)

Available options:

Option Behavior

AND All property filters must resolve to true in order to include the resource

OR At least one of the property filters must resolve to true in order to include the resource

Tip To map a custom tree representing another technology that vROps can monitor, such as AWS, whilst simultaneously using the built-in tree, enable custom trees and leave the built-in tree also enabled.

Custom Tree Example

{ "instructions": "Copy this file to work/custom_trees before you begin to modify it. Remove all 'instructions' objects from this json before attempting to collect using the this custom tree.", "treeName": "Replace this with a unique string which describes what this tree represents (such as 'vCenter')", "syncClasses": [ { "classIdentifier": "Replace this with a unique string which describes what this class represents (such as 'Virtual Machine')", "vROps": { "type": { "resourceKind": "Replace this with the vROps Resource Kind (such as 'Datastore')", "adapterKind": "Replace this with the vROps Adapter Kind (such as 'VMWARE')" } }, "serviceNow": { "type": { "cmdbCiClass": "Replace this with the CI class in the ServiceNow CMDB (such as 'cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastore')" } }, "instructions": "identifierMapping can include any number of identifiers which, when


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taken together, uniquely identify the resource. If you are syncing vCenter resources, a combination of VMEntityObjectID and VMEntityVCID is generally recommended. These are for this adapter to map back and forth between ServiceNow and vROps. The columns and vROps fields referenced do not have to be identifiers for their platform, though they often are.", "identifierMapping": [ { "serviceNowId": { "column": "The CMDB column (such as 'object_id')" }, "vropsId": { "instructions": "See documentation for a full description of possible types and how to specify fields for them.", "type": "IDENTIFIER", "field": "VMEntityObjectID" } } ], "instructions": "dataColumns includes all other fields that you which to sync to the CMDB that are not used for our identification.", "dataColumns": [ { "instructions": "See documentation for a full description of possible types and how to specify fields for them.", "cmdbColumn": "sample_column", "vropsType": "METRIC", "vropsField": "sample|metric|key" } ], "instructions": "Use the relationships array to define children of the the class. You can only reference classes that are also members of this tree.", "relationships": [ { "childClassIdentifier": "Reference To Another Class In This Tree", "relationshipType": "This is only required if there are multiple possible relationship types between two CI Classes - if it is not defined, the adapter will read the relationship type from the CMDB. The format for this string is 'Contains::Contained by'" } ], "propertyFilter": { "instructions": "This is optional. Remove the propertyFilter object if you don't need it for your resource. If you do need the filter, you can define any number of conditions and whether we should join them all together with AND or OR. Conditions can only be made from vROps properties. Metrics, Identifiers, etc will not work.", "conditions": [ { "vropsField": "The property that we will used from the vROps resource to determine if the condition is met (formatted|like|this)", "value": "The expected value for the condition. Use a string representation even if this is an int or boolean property", "filterOperation": "Whether a resource's property should equal, not equal, contain, or not contain the value in order to be included for this class (acceptable values: EQUALS, DOES_NOT_EQUAL, CONTAINS, DOES_NOT_CONTAIN)", "default": "If the property is not present on the resource, the boolean default determines whether or not to include this resource. Our recommendation and the default for this field is false since it is safer to assume the property has not yet initialized for the


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resource and we should wait until it is before making the determination." } ], "joiner": "AND or OR" } }, { "instructions": "Define a sync class for every class you want to define and add it to this array." } ]}

Additional Columns

To add properties to the CMDB that are not defined by the built-in tree definition, use the 'additionalColumns' parameter.

This is a mapping from class identifier (See table in Name Filter) to a list of additional columns. An additional column has the following fields:

n cmdbColumn: The key of the column that the vROps field will be send to on the CMDB CI Class

n vropsType: Where to get this data from in vROps. See the type table below for a list of options

n vropsField: Represents the field to sync. See the type table below for a list of options

This example syncs the vROps property 'cpu|cpuModel' to the CMDB column 'cpu_name' on all Host System resources:

"additionalColumns": { "builtInHostSystem": [ { "cmdbColumn": "cpu_name", "vropsType": "PROPERTY", "vropsField": "cpu|cpuModel" } ] }

vROps Types and Fields

When defining a column, this describes available 'vropsType' enums and what should be provided as the 'vropsField' when that type is selected

Type Applicable Field

PROPERTY The key of the vROps property to sync such as 'cpu|cpuModel'

IDENTIFIER The key of the vROps Identifier to sync sync as 'VMEntityVCID'


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Type Applicable Field

METRIC The key of the vROps property to sync such as 'cpu|demand|stress'

NAME This should be left empty. The name of the resource will be used.

UUIDThis should be left empty. The UUID assigned by vROps for the resource will be used. This is unique to each vROps instances so if the same resource is monitored by multiple vROps instances, this is not an ideal metric to use

STATIC_STRINGThe value you want assigned to the column. For instance, you could set 'Synced From vROps' to a description column and the column would be set to that value for all resources of the CI Class that we sync.

Data Source

In order to sync data, the following must be done on ServiceNow:

n Add data_source VMwareTVS to the

Choice List

(you can search sys_choice.list in the UI or query sys_choice in the REST API) with the

Element (element in REST) attribute set to discovery_source and the Value (value) and Label (label) attributes set to VMwareTVS. The Table (table) must be set to cmdb_ci.

n Add a Reconciliation Rule for your new data_source (VMwareTVS) on each of the CI classes in

>Synced Resources

If this is not done, IRE will not be able to update the resource, but the API still returns a successful response so we are not able to alert/fail collection due to this.

Synced Resources

The following resources from the VMWARE adapter will be synced to the CMDB if CMDB Sync is enabled:

vROps Type CI Class

Datastore cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastore

Datacenter cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter

HostSystem cmdb_ci_esx_server

ClusterComputeResource cmdb_ci_vcenter_cluster

VMwareAdapter Instance cmdb_ci_vcenter

VirtualMachine cmdb_ci_vmware_instance

Additional information about what properties and relationships we sync can be found in CMDB Synced Metrics.


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https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vRealize-True-Visibility-Suite/1.0/servicenow/GUID-7105316C-DC67-4485-9F87-41FC0B07DB26.html

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vRealize-True-Visibility-Suite/1.0/servicenow/GUID-7105316C-DC67-4485-9F87-41FC0B07DB26.html

CMDB Sync Method

Currently, the only supported sync method is the IRE API (IRE_API). This is the default value and specifying it is not required. IRE_API uses ServiceNow's Identification and Reconciliation Engine to resolve vROps resources to the appropriate ServiceNow resources. For this to work properly, the identification rules for the ci classes this adapter populates should not be altered from what ServiceNow includes by default. If rules are edited or removed, we cannot guarantee how the IRE will resolve resources that this adapter sends it.

CMDB Sync using the IRE is not compatible with ServiceNow's Discovery plugin.

Note: The TableAPI is also used for methods the IRE API cannot accomplish such as adding/deleting relationships that have changed which would affect identification and deleting resources if the sync mode is set to allow deletion.

Sync Mode

This specifies how we should sync CIs to the CMDB.

There are 3 options for syncMode:

n POPULATE_ONLY: Populates the CMDB, but does not remove CIs. If a resource is Not Existing, it sets the operational status to '6' (retire).

n POPULATE_AND_DELETE_WHEN_NOT_EXISTING: Populates the CMDB and removes CIs that have been marked as Not Existing in vROps

n POPULATE_AND_DELETE_WHEN_REMOVED: Populates the CMDB and removes CIs that have been removed from vROps. If a resource is Not Existing, it sets the operational status to '6' (retire).

Object Identifier Source

This is used to select which identifier should be used for objects which have both a UUID and a MOID. Currently, this only applies to Virtual Machine resources. If you are populating your CMDB for the first time, we recommend using MOID. If you are using this adapter to add data to a CMDB that has already been populated, check the format of the identifier in the object_id column for a

cmdb_ci_vmware_instance object and choose the option below that matches it.

There are 2 options for Object Identifier Source:

n MOID (default): Also called MoRef ID, this is a required identifier in vROps and looks like vm-111. It includes a prefix and a number which is generated by a counter.

n UUID: This is an optional identifier in vROps and looks like a standard UUID. In most cases, this should be present, but there is a chance that it will not be. We have a few VMs in our test environment which are in bad states that don't have UUIDs, but they do have MOIDs.

For further info about identifiers in vCenter, see

n Identification Overview Part 1

n Identification Overview Part 2


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https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/paris-servicenow-platform/page/product/configuration-management/concept/ire.html

https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/02/uniquely-identifying-virtual-machines-in-vsphere-and-vcloud-part-1-overview.html

https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/02/uniquely-identifying-virtual-machines-in-vsphere-and-vcloud-part-2-technical.html

Name Filter

A map from ServiceNow CI Class to a regex filter. Every resource with a name that matches this regex will not be synced to the CMDB. This can be omitted if you intend to include all resources. It will look like this if you wish to ignore all VMs that end in the dev:

{ "cmdb_ci_vmware_instance": "^.*dev$"}

Note: VM templates are automatically filtered out so there is no need to add a name filter for VM templates.

Configuration Samples

Some sample configuration files are provided for you. They are pre-installed with the Management Pack and located at /usr/lib/vmware-vcops/user/plugins/inbound/servicenow_adapter3/conf/config_samples. You can use these out-of-the-box, or you can

modify the json as described in the (Configuration File)[#Configuration File] section. If you do modify any of the files, it is recommended that you move the modified file to the work directory.

Otherwise, the modified file will be overwritten if you update the Management Pack.

If you wish to use an un-modified configuration file, you will need to specify the path starting with the directory inside config_samples in the Adapter Configuration.

For example, if you wish to use moid_alerts.json, you can specify alert/moid_alerts.json. If

you copy it to the work directory so that you can modify it, you only need to specify the name of the file.

Since group configurations are custom to specific customer deployments, we do not include any out-of-the-box samples with group configurations

The following sample configurations are available:

Alerts No Mapping

Location in config_samples: alert/alerts_no_mapping.json

This is a basic configuration that will send all vROps alerts to ServiceNow as ServiceNow alerts. It does not apply any filters.

Alerts No Mapping

Location in config_samples: alert/events_no_mapping.json

This is a basic configuration that will send all vROps alerts to ServiceNow as ServiceNow events. It does not apply any filters.

Alerts No Mapping

Location in config_samples: alert/incidents_no_mapping.json

This is a basic configuration that will send all vROps alerts to ServiceNow as ServiceNow incidents. It does not apply any filters.


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MOID Alerts

Location in config_samples: alert/moid_alerts.json

This configuration filters vROps alerts to the following ResourceKinds: VirtualMachine, ClusterComputeResource, Datacenter, Datastore, HostSystem. It creates ServiceNow alerts for these vROps alerts and associates them with their CI if it is present in the CMDB. The mapping uses a combination of UUID and vCenter UUID as identifiers for all ResourceKinds except VirtualMachine, which uses MOID and vCenter UUID.

MOID Events

Location in config_samples: alert/moid_events.json

This configuration filters vROps alerts to the following ResourceKinds: VirtualMachine, ClusterComputeResource, Datacenter, Datastore, HostSystem. It creates ServiceNow events for these vROps alerts and associates them with their CI if it is present in the CMDB. The mapping uses a combination of UUID and vCenter UUID as identifiers for all ResourceKinds except VirtualMachine, which uses MOID and vCenter UUID.

MOID Incidents

Location in config_samples: alert/moid_incidents.json

This configuration filters vROps alerts to the following ResourceKinds: VirtualMachine, ClusterComputeResource, Datacenter, Datastore, HostSystem. It creates ServiceNow incidents for these vROps alerts and associates them with their CI if it is present in the CMDB. The mapping uses a combination of UUID and vCenter UUID as identifiers for all ResourceKinds except VirtualMachine, which uses MOID and vCenter UUID.

UUID Alerts

Location in config_samples: alert/uuid_alerts.json

This configuration filters vROps alerts to the following ResourceKinds: VirtualMachine, ClusterComputeResource, Datacenter, Datastore, HostSystem. It creates ServiceNow alerts for these vROps alerts and associates them with their CI if it is present in the CMDB. The mapping uses a combination of UUID and vCenter UUID as identifiers for all ResourceKinds.

UUID Events

Location in config_samples: alert/uuid_events.json

This configuration filters vROps alerts to the following ResourceKinds: VirtualMachine, ClusterComputeResource, Datacenter, Datastore, HostSystem. It creates ServiceNow events for these vROps alerts and associates them with their CI if it is present in the CMDB. The mapping uses a combination of UUID and vCenter UUID as identifiers for all ResourceKinds.


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UUID Incidents

Location in config_samples: alert/uuid_incidents.json

This configuration filters vROps alerts to the following ResourceKinds: VirtualMachine, ClusterComputeResource, Datacenter, Datastore, HostSystem. It creates ServiceNow incidents for these vROps alerts and associates them with their CI if it is present in the CMDB. The mapping uses a combination of UUID and vCenter UUID as identifiers for all ResourceKinds.

CMDB Sync MOID Populate Only

Location in config_samples: cmdb_sync/moid_populate_only.json

This configuration syncs vROps resources to the CMDB. The MOID is used as the object_id for

cmdb_ci_vmware_instance (Virtual Machine) CIs and the UUID is used as the object_id for all

other CI Classes. This configuration populates the CMDB, but it does not delete resources from the CMDB.

CMDB Sync MOID Populate and Delete When Not Existing

Location in config_samples: cmdb_sync/moid_populate_and_delete_when_not_existing.json



other CI Classes. This configuration populates the CMDB, and deletes resources from the CMDB when vROps marks them as Not Existing

CMDB Sync MOID Populate and Delete When Removed

Location in config_samples: cmdb_sync/moid_populate_and_delete_when_removed.json



other CI Classes. This configuration populates the CMDB, and deletes resources from the CMDB when they are deleted from vROps.

CMDB Sync UUID Populate Only

Location in config_samples: cmdb_sync/uuid_populate_only.json

This configuration syncs vROps resources to the CMDB. The MOID is used as the UUID is used as the object_id for all CI Classes. It populates the CMDB, but it does not delete resources from the

CMDB.

CMDB Sync UUID Populate and Delete When Not Existing

Location in config_samples: cmdb_sync/uuid_populate_and_delete_when_not_existing.json


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This configuration syncs vROps resources to the CMDB. The MOID is used as the UUID is used as the object_id for all CI Classes. It populates the CMDB, and deletes resources from the CMDB

when vROps marks them as

Not Existing

CMDB Sync UUID Populate and Delete When Removed

Location in config_samples: cmdb_sync/uuid_populate_and_delete_when_removed.json

This configuration syncs vROps resources to the CMDB. The MOID is used as the UUID is used as the object_id for all CI Classes. It populates the CMDB, and deletes resources from the CMDB

when they are deleted from vROps.

Combined: MOID Alerts and Populate Only

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_alerts_and_populate_only.json


Also, it syncs vROps resources to the CMDB. The MOID is used as the object_id for



Combined: MOID Alerts and Populate Delete When Not Existing

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_alerts_and_populate_when_not_existing.json





Combined: MOID Alerts and Populate When Removed

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_alerts_and_populate_when_removed.json


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Combined: MOID Events and Populate Only

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_events_and_populate_only.json





Combined: MOID Events and Populate Delete When Not Existing

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_events_and_populate_when_not_existing.json





Combined: MOID Events and Populate When Removed

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_events_and_populate_when_removed.json



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Combined: MOID Incidents and Populate Only

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_incidents_and_populate_only.json





Combined: MOID Incidents and Populate Delete When Not Existing

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_incidents_and_populate_when_not_existing.json





Combined: MOID Incidents and Populate When Removed

Location in config_samples: combined/moid_incidents_and_populate_when_removed.json






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Combined: UUID Alerts and Populate Only

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_alerts_and_populate_only.json


Also, it syncs vROps resources to the CMDB. The MOID is used as the UUID is used as the object_id for all CI Classes. It populates the CMDB, but it does not delete resources from the

CMDB.

Combined: UUID Alerts and Populate and Delete When Not Existing

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_alerts_and_populate_when_not_existing.json


Also, it syncs vROps resources to the CMDB. The MOID is used as the UUID is used as the object_id for all CI Classes. It populates the CMDB, and deletes resources from the CMDB when

vROps marks them as

Not Existing

Combined: UUID Alerts and Populate When Removed

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_alerts_and_populate_when_removed.json



they are deleted from vROps.

Combined: UUID Events and Populate Only

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_events_and_populate_only.json



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CMDB.

Combined: UUID Events and Populate and Delete When Not Existing

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_events_and_populate_when_not_existing.json



vROps marks them as

Not Existing

Combined: UUID Events and Populate When Removed

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_events_and_populate_when_removed.json




Combined: UUID Incidents and Populate Only

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_incidents_and_populate_only.json



CMDB.

Combined: UUID Incidents and Populate and Delete When Not Existing

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_incidents_and_populate_when_not_existing.json


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vROps marks them as

Not Existing

Combined: UUID Incidents and Populate When Removed

Location in config_samples: combined/uuid_incidents_and_populate_when_removed.json




Creating an Adapter Instance (ServiceNow)

Before you can begin using the Management Pack, you must create an adapter instance to identify the host from which the Management Pack will retrieve data.

Prerequisites

n Chapter 3 Installing the Management Pack (ServiceNow)


Procedure

1 From the top navigation bar, select Administration. In the right panel, the Solutions view will be displayed.

2 Select ServiceNow from the Solutions list on the right.

3 Click theConfigure icon. TheManage Solutionwindow will appear.

Note Click the Add icon above theInstance Namelist on the left to create multiple adapter instances.


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4 In the Manage Solution window, enter the following information:

a Instance Settings:

n Display Name: A name for this particular instance of the Management Pack.

n Description: Optional, but it can be helpful to describe multiple adapter instances of the Management Pack.

b Basic Settings:

n ServiceNow Host: The ServiceNow instance this product will pull CMDB data from.

n Configuration File: By default, this product expects the user to supply a configuration file in the work directory; the work directory is $VCOPS_BASE/user/plugins/inbound/servicenow_adapter3/work This can be overridden by including an absolute path to the file if it is in a different location. See: Creating a Configuration File (ServiceNow)

n Credential: Select the credential you created when Creating a Credential

(ServiceNow), or click the Add icon to create a credential set now.

c Advanced Settings:

n Collector(s)/Groups: Default Collector/Group is automatically selected. Click the drop-down menu if you want to run the collection on a different node.

n Maximum Concurrent vROps Requests: Maximum number of vROps requests that can occur simultaneously.

n Maximum Concurrent ServiceNow Requests: Maximum number of ServiceNow requests that can occur simultaneously.

n ServiceNow SSL Configuration: The SSL mode to use when connecting to the target. Can be configured to not use SSL (No SSL), use SSL but do not verify the target's certificate (No Verify), and use SSL and verify the target's certificate (Verify). See: Adding an SSL Certificate to the vROps Truststore (ServiceNow)

n Upload Dashboards: Whether or not this product should automatically upload dashboards based on the configuration file. If true, dashboards will also be cleaned up automatically if the user changes the configuration file. If false, the dashboards are still generated and available in the work directory to be manually installed.

n Upload Reports: Whether or not this product should automatically upload reports based on the configuration file. If true, reports will also be cleaned up automatically if the user changes the configuration file. If false, the reports are still generated available in the work directory to be manually installed.

5 Click Test Connection to ensure the Management Pack can connect to your cluster endpoint. Click Save Settings and Close to save your configuration.

What to do next

n To validate data collection, see: Validating Data Collection (ServiceNow)


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Validating Data Collection (ServiceNow)

After you add an adapter instance, you will most likely want to validate the data that it collects in vROps. Wait until one collection cycle is complete and the Collection Status for the adapter instance on the Solutions page shows as "Data Receiving".

Prerequisites


Procedure

1 From the top navigation bar, select Environment.

2 In the left panel, select All Objects, then expand the ServiceNow objects list.

3 Select a resource from the list, then click the All Metrics tab to select metrics and validate values against the data source.

What to do next

To learn more about using the Management Pack, see: Chapter 5 Using the Management Pack (ServiceNow)


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Using the Management Pack (ServiceNow) 5The Management Pack for ServiceNow includes the following out-of-the-box features, harnessing the power of the vRealize Operations user interface:

n Dashboards (ServiceNow)

n Views (ServiceNow)

n CMDB Synced Metrics (ServiceNow)

n Alert Sync (ServiceNow)


n Dashboards (ServiceNow)

n Views (ServiceNow)


n Alert Sync (ServiceNow)


Dashboards (ServiceNow)

Dashboards are the primary feature for monitoring and troubleshooting ServiceNow problems from within vRealize Operations.

The following dashboards are included in the Management Pack for ServiceNow:

ServiceNow Statistics provides a breakdown of all the relevant and important statistics from your monitored ServiceNow CMDB.

ServiceNow Group Overview provides an overview of different SNOW resources. Simply select a resource from the Environment Overview widget to populate the Alert List and KPI widgets with the relevant information for that resource.

ServiceNow Details provides status, relationships, health, alerts, and KPIs.

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ServiceNow Cost Analysis provides monthly cost data for operating virtual machines, host systems, or datastores. ServiceNow Cost Analysis requires the user to set a currency. To do this, go to Administration/Management/Global Settings; find the Currency setting and set it to the appropriate value. Caution: Currency cannot be changed after it has been set.

Note Additional Details dashboards are generated based on your configuration file and will be installed automatically if you set the Upload Dashboards setting to true in the adapter configuration (see: Creating an Adapter Instance (ServiceNow))

Views (ServiceNow)

The Management Pack for ServiceNow creates views that allow the user to view statistics of metrics for ServiceNow resources. The views help give a broad picture of the entire system, as opposed to a more in depth view.

The following views are available in the Management Pack:

View Type Description

Alerts that are currently active

List Show alerts for the selected object and its descendants that are currently active

Environment Top Critical Alerts Summary

List

Symptoms List This view provides a list of active symptoms for the selected object. It is useful for a dashboard that is focused on diagnosing problems that do not have an alert.

Datastore Cost Analysis Summary The total and average values of monthly cost metrics for Datastores related to the selected group.

Host System Cost Analysis Summary The total and average values of monthly cost metrics for Host Systems related to the selected group.

Virtual Machine Monthly Cost Analysis

Summary The total and average values of monthly cost metrics for Virtual Machines related to the selected group.

To access the Management Pack views:

1 Navigate to Environment > All Objects > ServiceNow.

2 Double-click on the desired object (resource).

3 Select the Details tab, then Views.

The available views for that resource are listed and can be selected.

CMDB Synced Metrics (ServiceNow)

CMDB Sync Properties


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The following cmdb columns will be populated for the given CI Classes. - ServiceNow Column: This is the column that will be populated in ServiceNow - vROps Type: This is indicates where the column value is taken from in vROps. The following options are available: - IDENTIFIER: an identifier on the vROps resource - PROPERTY: a property on the vROps resource - METRIC: a metric on the vROps resource - STATIC_STRING: a static string that will always return the same value (that value is shown in the vROps key column of the table) - vROps Key: The key for the attribute found in vROps - Conversion: A description of the conversion used on the vROps attribute before sending it to ServiceNow - Native Attribute: Returns true if this is an attribute that is present out-of-the-box on the ServiceNow CI Class. If this is false, it is added by the Discovery plugin. If you are not using the discovery plugin, but want to use the attribute, add the column to the CI Class definition.

cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastore (VMWARE::Datastore)

ServiceNow Column vROps Type vROps Key Conversion Native Attribute

name IDENTIFIER VMEntityName None true

discovery_source STATIC_STRING VMwareTVS None true

morid IDENTIFIER VMEntityObjectID None true

accessible PROPERTY summary|accessible None true

vcenter_ref PROPERTY summary|parentVcenter None true

type PROPERTY summary|type None true

capacity PROPERTY summary|diskCapacity None true

freespace METRIC diskspace|freespace None true

url PROPERTY summary|path None true

object_id IDENTIFIER VMEntityObjectID None true

vcenter_uuid IDENTIFIER VMEntityVCID None true

cmdb_ci_vmware_instance (VMWARE::VirtualMachine)


vm_instance_uuid IDENTIFIER VMEntityInstanceUUID None true

template PROPERTY summary|config|isTemplate None true


cpus PROPERTY config|hardware|numCpu None true

disks PROPERTY config|numVMDKs None true

disks_size PROPERTY config|hardware|diskSpace None true

memory PROPERTY config|hardware|memoryKB Convert KB to MB true


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nics PROPERTY summary|config|numEthernetCards None true

state PROPERTY summary|runtime|powerState None true


object_id IDENTIFIER VMEntityObjectID or VMEntityInstanceUUID

None true


cmdb_ci_esx_server (VMWARE::HostSystem)



asset PROPERTY hardware|vendorModel None true

connection_state PROPERTY runtime|connectionState None false

connection_id PROPERTY summary|hostuuid None false

cpu_core_count PROPERTY hardware|cpuInfo|numCpuCores None true

cpu_count PROPERTY hardware|cpuInfo|numCpuPackages None true

cpu_speed PROPERTY hardware|cpuInfo|hz None true

cpu_type PROPERTY cpu|cpuModel None true


disk_space METRIC diskspace|total_capacity None true

hyper_threading PROPERTY config|hyperThread|available None false

ip_address PROPERTY net|mgmt_address None true

manufacturer PROPERTY hardware|vendor None true

model_id PROPERTY hardware|vendorModel None true

os_version PROPERTY summary|version None true

power_state PROPERTY runtime|powerState None false

ram PROPERTY hardware|memorySize Convert KB to MB true

serial_number PROPERTY hardware|serialNumber None true




cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter (VMWARE::Datacenter)


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cmdb_ci_vcenter_cluster (VMWARE::ClusterComputeResource)





effectivehosts METRIC summary|number_running_hosts None true


numhosts METRIC summary|total_number_hosts None true

totalcpu METRIC cpu|haTotalCapacity_average None true

totalmemory METRIC mem|totalCapacity_average None true

numcpucores METRIC cpu|corecount_provisioned None true

drs_behavior PROPERTY configuration|drsConfig|defaultVmBehavior None true

drs_enabled PROPERTY configuration|drsconfig|enabled None true

drs_vmotion_rate PROPERTY configuration|drsConfig|vmotionRate None true



cmdb_ci_vcenter (VMWARE::VMwareAdapter Instance)


name IDENTIFIER VCURL None true

cmdb_ci_vcenter STATIC_STRING sys_class_name None true

fullName PROPERTY summary|vcfullname None true

url IDENTIFIER VCURL Builds SDK URL from hostname true


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instance_uuid IDENTIFIER VMEntityVCID None true

The following cmdb columns may be populated for the given Discovery CI Classes. Discovery classes can be either optional or required. Optional discovery classes are not required and if discovery has not been set up in the environment, they will not be included. If discovery is required, then then CI Class structure must include the required relation to the Cloud Service Account that discovery creates (even if you are not actively using discover).

Optional Discovery Class cmdb_ci_cloud_service_account (VMWARE::VMwareAdapter Instance)

ServiceNow Column vROps Type vROps Key Conversion

account_id IDENTIFIER account_id None

object_id IDENTIFIER object_id None

datacenter_url IDENTIFIER VCURL Convert hostname or IP to URL

datacenter_type STATIC_STRING cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter None

CMDB Sync Relationships

The following relationships are made between CMDB CI sync classes. Relationships are displayed from the perspective of the parent object.


Child CI Class CI Relationship Type

cmdb_ci_esx_server Used by::Uses

cmdb_ci_vmware_instance Provides storage for::Stored on



cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter Registered on::Has registered

cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter Hosted on::Hosts



cmdb_ci_vcenter_cluster Contains::Contained by

cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastore Contains::Contained by


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cmdb_ci_vmware_instance Contains::Contained by

cmdb_ci_esx_server Contains::Contained by



cmdb_ci_esx_server Members::Member of



cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter Contains::Contained by

cmdb_ci_esx_server Runs on::Runs

Discovery Resource cmdb_ci_cloud_service_account (VMWARE::VMwareAdapter Instance)

Parent CI Class CI Relationship Type


Alert Sync (ServiceNow)

Incident configurations are used for the alert-sync feature and define what types of alerts will be synced between vROps and ServiceNow. This feature only works on vROps 7.5+ using the built in ServiceNow plugin. It depends on this plugin filter to send initial alerts from vROps to ServiceNow. Once the vROps alert is present in ServiceNow, the ServiceNow Management Pack performs the following additional features:

n If an alert is cancelled in vROps, the corresponding incident in ServiceNow is closed.

n If an incident is closed in ServiceNow, the corresponding alert in vROps is suspended. Alerts in vROps are generally triggered automatically by breaching thresholds. Because we cannot control this, if an incident is closed in ServiceNow it should be due to the underlying issue being resolved. Thus, we suspend the Alert in vROps (for a configurable length of time) to allow the alert to resolve. If the threshold(s) is still breached when the alert suspend time has ended, the alert will re-trigger and reopen the ServiceNow Incident.

n If a vROps alert is triggered on a vROps ResourceKind that is present in one of the resourceTypes sections above, the ServiceNow Management Pack will create a

reference from the incident's cmdb_ci column to the CI representing the resource in

ServiceNow the alert was triggered on. A resourceType section can be created with empty groupTypes and hierarchies arrays for matching to a resource type, without creating

any groupings and hierarchies.


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n The ServiceNow Management Pack can be configured to watch a predefined set of incident columns and display the current values in the corresponding vROps alert as a series of notes.

Important vROps alerts cannot be closed based on incidents, only suspended.

For more information, see Creating a Configuration File (ServiceNow).

CMDB Synced Metrics (ServiceNow)

CMDB Sync Properties

The following cmdb columns will be populated for the given CI Classes. - ServiceNow Column: This is the column that will be populated in ServiceNow - vROps Type: This is indicates where the column value is taken from in vROps. The following options are available: - IDENTIFIER: an identifier on the vROps resource - PROPERTY: a property on the vROps resource - METRIC: a metric on the vROps resource - STATIC_STRING: a static string that will always return the same value (that value is shown in the vROps key column of the table) - vROps Key: The key for the attribute found in vROps - Conversion: A description of the conversion used on the vROps attribute before sending it to ServiceNow - Native Attribute: Returns true if this is an attribute that is present out-of-the-box on the ServiceNow CI Class. If this is false, it is added by the Discovery plugin. If you are not using the discovery plugin, but want to use the attribute, add the column to the CI Class definition.






accessible PROPERTY summary|accessible None true


type PROPERTY summary|type None true

capacity PROPERTY summary|diskCapacity None true

freespace METRIC diskspace|freespace None true

url PROPERTY summary|path None true





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os_version PROPERTY summary|version None true

power_state PROPERTY runtime|powerState None false

ram PROPERTY hardware|memorySize Convert KB to MB true

serial_number PROPERTY hardware|serialNumber None true

















effectivehosts METRIC summary|number_running_hosts None true


numhosts METRIC summary|total_number_hosts None true

totalcpu METRIC cpu|haTotalCapacity_average None true

totalmemory METRIC mem|totalCapacity_average None true

numcpucores METRIC cpu|corecount_provisioned None true

drs_behavior PROPERTY configuration|drsConfig|defaultVmBehavior None true

drs_enabled PROPERTY configuration|drsconfig|enabled None true

drs_vmotion_rate PROPERTY configuration|drsConfig|vmotionRate None true


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name IDENTIFIER VCURL None true

cmdb_ci_vcenter STATIC_STRING sys_class_name None true

fullName PROPERTY summary|vcfullname None true

url IDENTIFIER VCURL Builds SDK URL from hostname true


instance_uuid IDENTIFIER VMEntityVCID None true

The following cmdb columns may be populated for the given Discovery CI Classes. Discovery classes can be either optional or required. Optional discovery classes are not required and if discovery has not been set up in the environment, they will not be included. If discovery is required, then then CI Class structure must include the required relation to the Cloud Service Account that discovery creates (even if you are not actively using discover).

Optional Discovery Class cmdb_ci_cloud_service_account (VMWARE::VMwareAdapter Instance)

ServiceNow Column vROps Type vROps Key Conversion

account_id IDENTIFIER account_id None

object_id IDENTIFIER object_id None

datacenter_url IDENTIFIER VCURL Convert hostname or IP to URL

datacenter_type STATIC_STRING cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter None

CMDB Sync Relationships

The following relationships are made between CMDB CI sync classes. Relationships are displayed from the perspective of the parent object.



cmdb_ci_esx_server Used by::Uses

cmdb_ci_vmware_instance Provides storage for::Stored on



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cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter Registered on::Has registered




cmdb_ci_vcenter_cluster Contains::Contained by

cmdb_ci_vcenter_datastore Contains::Contained by

cmdb_ci_vmware_instance Contains::Contained by

cmdb_ci_esx_server Contains::Contained by



cmdb_ci_esx_server Members::Member of



cmdb_ci_vcenter_datacenter Contains::Contained by

cmdb_ci_esx_server Runs on::Runs

Discovery Resource cmdb_ci_cloud_service_account (VMWARE::VMwareAdapter Instance)

Parent CI Class CI Relationship Type



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servicenow management pack for - vmware

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