Getting Started with ServiceNow App Installation
This chapter describes the requirements and process for installing the Customer ServiceNow App for Smart Bonding.
Installation Overview
Installation of the Smart Bonding application can be divided into the following three phases:
- Installation: Install and configure the Smart Bonding application on the pre-production ServiceNow Instance. Cisco will provide the Username/Password. Cisco Smart Bonding engineers are available for questions.
- Testing: When the installation is complete, the customer development and case management teams will test the connection in coordination with the Cisco team.
- Go-Live: The Smart Bonding application will be installed and configured on the production ServiceNow Instance. Cisco Smart Bonding and customer engineers will coordinate a production launch date/time and perform a smoke test on production.
Scope
The scope of installing the Smart Bonding application includes:
- Connecting one customer ServiceNow ITSM system to Cisco TAC via Cisco Smart Bonding.
- Exchanging Cases via this connection.
- Sending attachments to Cisco.
Customer Responsibilities
Customers are responsible for completing the following tasks according to project phase:
- Installation:
- Review the Installation Guide and adhere to the details described in the document.
- Review the Smart Bonding test plan.
- Install the Smart Bonding application on the Customer ServiceNow test system.
- Testing:
- Prepare for, participate in, and contribute to testing meetings with Cisco.
- Provide acceptance for Go-Live readiness when testing with Cisco is successfully completed.
- Go-Live:
- Install the Smart Bonding application on the Customer ServiceNow production system.
- Coordinate and confirm Go-Live plan and date with Cisco.
- Ensure all necessary modifications to production environments/equipment are complete prior to the Go-Live date.
- Participate in a Go-Live meeting with Cisco.
- Provide customer support and operations contact information to Cisco.
ServiceNow App Installation
Application Dependencies
To install the Customer ServiceNow App for Smart Bonding, the customer must meet the following minimum requirements:
- ServiceNow ITSM Standard
- Username and Password (Provided by Cisco Smart Bonding team)
Obtaining the Application
Customers will use the following steps to obtain the Smart Bonding application so it can be installed on the ServiceNow Instance. ServiceNow provides the latest version of these directions on the ServiceNow Store knowledgebase at https://store.servicenow.com/$appstore.do#!/store/help?article=KB0010019.
Browse to the ServiceNow Store.
Locate the application by searching for "Cisco Customer Smart Bonding".
Click the app.
Click Get.
Review any notifications in the popup window and click Continue.
Accept the website's "Terms of Use".
Click Get.
Installing the Store Application
Applications purchased from the ServiceNow Store are automatically added to the Application Manager. To activate the Smart Bonding application in an Instance, you must install it from the Application Manager. ServiceNow provides the latest version of these directions on the ServiceNow Store knowledgebase at https://store.servicenow.com/$appstore.do#!/store/help?article=KB0010027.
WARNING: If the customer customizes the Cisco app between versions, future upgrades for app might fail. Cisco strongly recommends that customers do not modify any part of the Cisco app in their ServiceNow system.
Use the following steps to activate the Smart Bonding application.
Navigate to System Applications > All Available Applications > All.
Use the filter criteria and search bar to find the application.
Search for the application by its name or ID.
Note: If you cannot find an application, you might have to request it from the ServiceNow Store. Visit the ServiceNow Store to view all available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store.
- Click Install.
- In the Application Installation dialog box, review the application dependencies. If dependent plugins and applications will be installed, are currently installed, or need to be installed, they will be listed in this dialog box.
Note: Any necessary plugins or applications must be installed before the ServiceNow App can be installed.
- Click Install, if any dependent plugins and/or applications need to be installed.
Upgrading the ServiceNow App
Cisco will inform customers when new versions of the Cisco app are released. Customers will need to use the following steps to install the latest version.
- Log in to the Instance.
- Navigate to System Application > Application.
- Click on the Update tab.
- Locate the Cisco Customer Smart Bonding application from the list.
- Click Update.
Note: Existing workflow activity will not be affected by the Upgrade process.
WARNING: If the customer customizes the Cisco app between versions, future upgrades for the app might fail. Cisco strongly recommends that customers do not modify any part of the Cisco app in their ServiceNow system.
Roles and Access
Customers must have someone assigned to the following roles for ServiceNow installation, configuration, and use of app's features. These roles should be assigned to groups of people (preferred, so there is continual coverage) or individual users (generally avoided) to optimize the use of the Cisco application.
- System Administrator (admin): Install application; Maintain application logs; Assign roles to groups/individuals; Configure system properties
- Cisco App Maintenance (x_caci_cisco_custo.cms_maint): Allow access to Scripted Rest APIs
- Cisco App Administrator (x_caci_cisco_custo.cms_admin): Full read and write access to all Cisco app tables
- Cisco App-Write (x_caci_cisco_custo.cms_write): Write access to all Cisco app tables
- Cisco App-Read (x_caci_cisco_custo.cms_read): Read access to all Cisco app tables
- Cisco App Task-Write (x_caci_cisco_custo.cms_task_write): Write access to Cisco app tasks
- Cisco App Task-Read (x_caci_cisco_custo.cms_task_read): Read access to Cisco app tasks
- Cisco App Codes-Write (x_caci_cisco_custo.codes_write): Write access to the Cisco app codes table
- Cisco App Codes-Read (x_caci_cisco_custo.codes_read): Read access to the Cisco app codes table
System Properties
The following ServiceNow system properties must be configured according to the following criteria:
Connection Properties
| Backend Name | Properties Page Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| x_caci_cisco_custo.token.endpoint | Authentication Token Endpoint for Stage and Production | https://int-id.cisco.com/oauth2/default/v1/token |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.production.tac.endpoint | Production TAC Endpoint (PUSH) | https://ciscoprod.sb.xylem.cisco.com/sb-partner-oauth-proxy-api/http/v1/push/call |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.production.pull.tac.endpoint | Production Cisco TAC Endpoint (PULL) | https://ciscoprod.sb.xylem.cisco.com/sb-partner-oauth-proxy-api/rest/v1/pull/call |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.stage.tac.endpoint | Stage Cisco TAC Endpoint (PUSH) | https://ciscostage.sbnprd.xylem.cisco.com/sb-partner-oauth-proxy-api/http/v1/push/call |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.stage.pull.tac.endpoint | Stage Cisco TAC Endpoint (PULL) | https://ciscostage.sbnprd.xylem.cisco.com/sb-partner-oauth-proxy-api/rest/v1/pull/call |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.production.tsp.endpoint | Production Technology Codes Endpoint | https://ciscoprod.sb.xylem.cisco.com/sb-tspcodes-exp-api/api/v1/xylem/tspcodes |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.stage.tsp.endpoint | Stage Technology Codes Endpoint | https://ciscostage.sbnprd.xylem.cisco.com/sb-tspcodes-exp-api/api/v1/xylem/tspcodes |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.data.update.approach | Method for Transmitting Updates from Cisco (PUSH or PULL) | PUSH |
Stage Integration Properties
| Backend Name | Properties Page Description | Provided By |
|---|---|---|
| x_caci_cisco_custo.customer.stage.instance.name | Name of Customer's Stage Instance - must match gs.getProperty("instance_name") | Customer |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.stage.username | Cisco-provided username to access Cisco TAC in Stage | Cisco |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.stage.password | Cisco-provided password to access Cisco TAC in Stage | Cisco |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.stage.service.account.sysid | Sys ID for the Cisco Service Account in Customer's Stage Instance | Customer |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.stage.service.account.user.id | User ID for the Cisco Service Account in Customer's Stage Instance | Customer |
Production Integration Properties
| Backend Name | Properties Page Description | Provided By |
|---|---|---|
| x_caci_cisco_custo.customer.prod.instance.name | Name of Customer's Production Instance - must match gs.getProperty("instance_name") | Customer |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.production.username | Cisco-provided username to access Cisco TAC in Production | Cisco |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.production.password | Cisco-provided password to access Cisco TAC in Production | Cisco |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.production.service.account.sysid | Sys ID for the Cisco Service Account in Customer's Production Instance | Customer |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.production.service.account.user.id | User ID for the Cisco Service Account in Customer's Production Instance | Customer |
Incident Record Properties
| Backend Name | Properties Page Description | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
| x_caci_cisco_custo.table.incident | Enable Cisco Task functionality for the Incident table | Yes |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.ticket.state.table | Table Used to Derive Incident Ticket States (State or Incident State) | Incident State |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.incident.state.new | Number Value for state with Label "New" | 1 |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.incident.state.in.progress | Number Value for state with Label "In Progress" | 2 |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.incident.state.on.hold | Number Value for state with Label "On Hold" | 3 |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.incident.state.resolved | Number Value for state with Label "Resolved" | 6 |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.incident.state.closed | Number Value for state with Label "Closed" | 7 |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.incident.state.cancelled | Number Value for state with Label "Cancelled" | 8 |
Cisco Task Properties
| Backend Name | Properties Page Description | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
| x_caci_cisco_custo.display.third.party | Display the "3rd Party Information" tab in the Cisco Task form | No |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.copy.notes.cisco.task.to.parent | Work notes from the Cisco Task are copied to the work notes of the Parent Ticket | Yes |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.work.notes.parent.to.cisco.task | Work notes from the Parent Record are copied to the related Cisco Task | Yes |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.copy.attachment.to.parent | Attachments in the Cisco Task are copied to the Parent Ticket | |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.email.cisco.task | Disable Email Notifications for Cisco Tasks | |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.roles.ticket.response | Role(s) required for a user to view the Ticket Response field on the Cisco Task form (Comma Separated) | |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.schedule.sys_id | Sys ID of the schedule used to calculate Business Duration in the Cisco Task (optional) | |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.cisco.ccoid | Default CCOID/s to use for Entitlement in Cisco Tasks (optional) | |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.tac.queue | If set to FALSE, cases will route to Cisco's Global TAC teams. If local language support is required, select TRUE and users will be able to select their language preference on a case-by-case basis, allowing cases to route to the local language TAC | FALSE |
| x_caci_cisco_custo.launch.webex | Enable engineers to launch a Webex Virtual Room with Cisco TAC Engineer. Partners must already have Webex messenger capabilities to leverage this communication preference with Cisco TAC. | ENABLED |
Configuration Instructions
Use the steps in the following processes to configure the Cisco application.
WARNING: If the customer customizes the Cisco app between versions, future upgrades for the app might fail. Cisco strongly recommends that customers do not modify any part of the Cisco app in their ServiceNow system.
First, set the system properties for application on the Cisco Task Properties page. The Smart Bonding team will provide credentials.
Note: For each environment, Smart Bonding requires the URL of the instance and the Username/Password combination.
Fetch TSP Codes
When installing the ServiceNow app for the first time, execute a manual sync for reporting TSP codes. When this sync is complete, the ServiceNow app will poll for new codes regularly, by default. Use the following steps to execute a manual sync: 1. Browse to Cisco Customer Smart Bonding > Source Code and Scripts > Scheduled Job. 2. Search for Cisco - Update Choice of the Codes field. 3. Open the Record. 4. Click Execute Now. 5. Browse to Cisco Customer Smart Bonding > Administration > Technology Codes to observe the records as they are created / updated.
Note: This job pulls data from Smart Bonding and queries against existing ServiceNow “Technology Codes” data. It might take up to five (5) minutes to run, depending on ServiceNow, Smart Bonding, and Network performance.
Testing the ServiceNow App
Use the following procedures to test the Use Cases for the Cisco PLSS app.
Use Case 1 - Create Cisco TAC Case from ServiceNow Cisco Task
- Select an Incident that is already in a state of "In Progress".
- Click Create Cisco Task
Note: If the Create Cisco Task action does not appear, an existing Cisco Task already exists for this incident. In this case, a View Cisco Task button appears.
To proceed with testing this use case, select a different Incident without a Cisco Task, or create a new incident from scratch and move to In Progress.
- When prompted to create the Cisco case, click OK. You will automatically be redirected to the Cisco Task you created. The incident you were working on will also be updated as part of this process.
Note: Entitlement fields are required to create Cisco Tasks.
- Populate the appropriate fields for your request to Cisco.
Note: Not all fields are required for all Cisco requests. When you update the form, a list of minimum mandatory fields will be presented.
- Check Create new case with Cisco TAC box and Update.
Note: There are numerous mandatory fields, depending on the type of TAC case created. The list of mandatory fields will present in the alert and mandatory fields will be denoted with red asterisks.
When the TAC case is created, Smart Bonding will send a return payload with the TAC number to ServiceNow, which will be associated to the appropriate Cisco Task, via scripted REST API.
Note: If a TAC case is not created, it is likely due to one of the following reasons:
- Invalid Username/Password configured to connect ServiceNow to Smart Bonding (Sending the payload results in failure).
- Invalid Username/Password configured to connect Smart Bonding to ServiceNow (Receiving the return payload results in failure).
- Associated incident number already exists in the TAC environment (Consult Cisco contact to confirm).
- Invalid Entitlement data was used.
Use Case 2 - Update Cisco TAC Case from ServiceNow Cisco Task
- Browse to the desired Cisco Task.
- Add a new Work Note.
- Click Update button ot Post button.
Note: You can also right-click on the header to access the Context menu, and click Save.
- When the Cisco Task has been updated, a payload will be sent to Smart Bonding.
- When the Cisco TAC case has been updated, a response may be posted to the work notes with any response from Cisco TAC.
Note: If the TAC case is not updated, it is likely due to one of the following reasons:
- Invalid Username/Password configured to connect ServiceNow to Smart Bonding (Sending the payload results in failure).
- Invalid Username/Password configured ot connect Smart Bonding to ServiceNow (Receiving the return payload results in failure).
- Associated incident number already exists in the TAC environment (Consult Cisco contact to confirm).
Use Case 3 - Update ServiceNow Cisco Task from ServiceNow Parent Incident
- Open a parent Incident related to a Cisco Task.
- Update any of the following fields:
- Work notes
- Verify that the Cisco Task Work Notes are updated.
- Verify that the TAC Case is also updated.
- Updating the Parent Incident's work notes will update the Cisco Task and send an update to Smart Bonding.
Use Case 4 - Update ServiceNow Incident from ServiceNow Cisco Task
- Open a Cisco Task that is related to an Incident.
- Update the Work Notes with different values.
- Verify that the Incident Work Notes are also updated in the Parent Incident.
Use Case 5 - Update ServiceNow Cisco Task from Cisco TAC
Any updates made in the Cisco TAC ticket will reflect on the Cisco Task in ServiceNow, including state changes, notes, and Cisco Engineer contact information.
- This sends a payload directly to the scripted REST API.
- In the event of a failure, it is likely due to:
- No matching Cisco Task in Customer environment.
- Pointing to the wrong environment (e.g., prod vs. dev), thus the user/name password is incorrect.
- Incorrect service account username/password due to expiration or change.
- ServiceAccount does not have the appropriate roles as identified in the configuration document.
- Steps to update a Cisco TAC case are not in the scope of this document.