Service Desk sync with Service Catalog

Products

• CA Service Catalog
• CA Service Management - Asset Portfolio Management
• CA Service Management - Service Desk Manager

Issue/Introduction

The documentation describes an OOTB synchronization between Service Desk Manager and Service Catalog: Using the Service Catalog Content Packs -> CA Service Catalog Default Content -> Report an Issue.

Should this also work from Service Desk to the Service Catalog or only in the other direction? 

Environment

Service Desk/Service Catalog 17.3 and up

Resolution

In the following explanation, I use SC, which stands for CA Service Catalog.

AA:
As taken from the above-named page, the 'Report an Issue' service offering will create both an SC-Request and a linked SDM-Incident.  In answer to your question, this is working from SC towards SDM.  There is no OOTB functionality available from SDM-Incident to create an SC request.

A way to test the functionality of an SC request to generate an SDM ticket is as follows.

1. Login to the SC-UI.
2. From the SC Home screen
   1. Navigate to requests and select from the catalog: IT Support Services -> Service Management -> Report an Issue.
   2. Enter a description text (Test for the case with CA) and click 'Submit.'
   3. A new request should then be created.
   4. After a short while and a 'refresh,' its status should change to 'Request Opened'.
3. From the SDM home screen
   1. And through internal processes, an Incident in the SDM environment.
   2. Login to SDM/Service Desk>Search>Incidents>Search
   3. The new incident should appear.
   4. As also shown in the request in the SC-UI, based on catalog/configuration:  -> Request Management Configuration (request)  ->Access Control: Show Related Ticket Column
   5. Open the newly created request
   6. Check content of the field: 'Related Ticket:'

BB:
The description of the same service offering says, "The incident IDs are attached to the request, and notes and attachments are synchronized between CA Service Catalog and CA Service Desk Manager."  This functionality works in both directions: From SC > SDM and from SDM > SC.

• Add an SC-Note showing in SDM-LogComment.
• Add an SDM-LogComment showing as an SC-Note.
• Adding an SC-Attachment and an SDM-Attachments showing as such.

The Note/LogComment and attachment synchronization is done through PAM processes.
To check this:

1. Login to SC/Admin/EventRuleAction(ERA).
2. Perform these actions using the previous step as a model: 
   1. Open the 'Attachment Create' Event Type. 
   2. Enable the rule named "When Attachment is Added to Service Catalog Request. 
   3. Enable the action named Launch PAM SRF to sync attachments.
      This action synchronizes attachments between service options and tickets after creating the ticket.
      If a catalog user adds an attachment to a service option after submitting the request, this action passes the attachment to the related ticket. 
3. Perform these actions: 
   1. Open the Notes Create Event Type. 
   2. Enable the rule named When Note is Added to Service Catalog request. 
   3. Enable the action named Launch PAM SRF to sync notes.
      This action synchronizes notes between service options and tickets after creating the ticket.
      If a catalog user adds a note to a service option after submitting the request, this action passes the note to the related ticket. 

In summary:

• The 'basic' SC-SDM sync is done through OOTB java code.
• The Note/LogComment and Attachment sync is done through PAM processes.