DX NetOps Spectrum to ServiceNow integration - Can Alarm Notifier / SDNotifier be used?

Products

• Spectrum
• Network Observability

Issue/Introduction

Integrating CA Spectrum with ServiceNow for auto ticketing is it possible to use SDNotifier and SANM Policy?

The OneClick Administration -> Service Desk Configuration page allow you to specify the Service Desk servers to interface. Is it possible to have more than one ServiceNow server?

Resolution

Using SDNotifier and SANM Policy with ServiceNow for auto ticketing:

1. Copy the $SPECROOT/Notifier/AlarmNotifier.exe file to the $SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/ directory, renaming the file as $SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/SDNotifier.exe.

Note: The executable files that are referenced in this procedure (for example, SDNotifier) please remove .exe off the file name for Linux Systems.

 

2. Copy the $SPECROOT/Notifier/.alarmrc file to the $SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/directory as .alarmrc.

3. In the $SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/.alarmrc file, modify the Set script, Clear script, and Update script entries to point to the CA Service Desk-specific scripts found in $SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier. The actual scripts are named ServiceDeskSetScript, ServiceDeskClearScript, and ServiceDeskUpdateScript. Also, Update Application to SDNotifier.

Example script. Required changes marked in Bold:

VNM_MAIL_TIMEOUT=600000
VNM_CONNECT_TIME_LIMIT=60000
KEEP_ALIVE_TIMEOUT=30000
KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL=60000
GET_GRAY_INITIAL_ALARMS=false
GET_EXISTING_ALARMS=true
UPDATE_EXISTING_ALARMS=false
USE_DEVICE_NETWORK_ADDRESS=true
SEND_EVENT_UPDATES=true
USE_NEW_INTERFACE=true
EXTRA_ATTRS_AS_ENVVARS=0x11f4e,0x1321a
EXTRA_ATTRS_AS_ARGS=0x0023000e,0x23000d
UPDATE_ATTRS=
GET_PROBABLE_CAUSES=true
GET_EVENTS=true
SHOW_ALL_EVENTS=false
SHOW_ONLY_ORIGINATING_EVENT=false
ENABLE_CORRELATION=false
SHOW_SYMPTOM_ALARMS=false
MSG_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT=%X %x
LANDSCAPE=128
SEND_ALARM_DELAY=1000
SET_SCRIPT=$SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/SetScript
CLEAR_SCRIPT=$SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/ClearScript
UPDATE_SCRIPT=$SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/UpdateScript
APPLICATION=SDNotifier
GET_LOCATIONS=true
GET_FLASH_GREEN=true
POLICY_LANDSCAPE=

Note: Use caution and look for relative pathnames to these scripts. Verify that the pathnames point to the correct directory.

4. Copy the $SPECROOT/lib/SDPM/partslist/ALARMNOTIFIER.idb file to the the same folder, renaming the file to SDNOTIFIER.idb

Example script. Required changes marked in Bold:

PARTNAME;SDNOTIFIER;
APPNAME;SDNotifier;
WORKPATH;$SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier;
LOGNAMEPATH;$WORKPATH/SD_NOTIFIER.OUT;
#ADMINPRIVS;N;
AUTORESTART;y;
AUTOBOOTSTART;y;
#STATEBASED;N;
NUMPROCS;1; // one per host
RETRYTIMEOUT;600; // 10 minutes
#TICKETUSER;$USER;
RETRYMAX;3;     // 3 retries allowed
STARTPRIORITY;30;
SERVERPROCESS;Y;
#ENV;<var>=<value>;
ARGV;$SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/SDNotifier<CSEXE>;

5. Run $SPECROOT/Notifier/sd_notifier/ServiceDeskIntegrationSetup.exe.

6. cd to the $SPECROOT/lib/SDPM directory and enter the following command to restart processd:

sudo systemctl stop processd
sudo systemctl start processd

7. Verify processd has started:

ps -ef | grep -i processd

8. Once Processd has started, verify SDNotifier has started as well:

ps -ef | grep -i sdnotifier

8. Navigte to Locator -> SANM -> All Application - > Double click> OK > select SDNotifier (right side) > Information tab -> General Information 

1. Create a policy that uses your preferred filters.
2. Apply the policy to your application named "SDNotifier"

9. Done, now tickets will be created automatically in ServiceNow for Alarms which Matches the Policy and filters criteria. 

 

Important! When using SANM to generate trouble tickets, first set the Selected Alarm Types parameter on the Service Desk Configuration Administration page to NONE. Be sure to save the change.

Additional Information

Q) is it possible to have more than one ServiceNow server integrated with Spectrum OneClick server?

A) No.

On the Service Desk Integration page you can see the following Note:

that states you can add CA Service Desk type more than once (so you can interface with more than one CA Service Desk server) but for the other service desk types (like ServiceNow, BMC Remedy etc.) only once can be added. In other words you cannot have two SNOW integrated with the same OneClick server, this because Spectrum is using common component ( NIM) to integrate Service Now and BMC Remedy. NIM allows only one instance for each type but not multiple instances for same type. Spectrum to CA SDM is direct integration which allows multiple CA SDM to configure.


Additional KBs for reference:
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?articleId=237142
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?articleId=199948