BMC Helix ITSM connection

Introduction

A BMC Helix ITSM connection, created using the BMC Helix ITSM connector, establishes access to BMC Helix ITSM. Once a connection is configured, you can create instances of BMC Helix ITSM activities associated with that connection to be used either as sources (to provide data in an operation) or as targets (to consume data in an operation).

Create or edit a BMC Helix ITSM connection

A new BMC Helix ITSM connection is created using the BMC Helix ITSM connector from one of these locations:

The design component palette's Project endpoints and connectors tab (see Design component palette).
The Global Connections page (see Create a global endpoint in Global Connections).

An existing BMC Helix ITSM connection can be edited from these locations:

The design component palette's Project endpoints and connectors tab (see Design component palette).
The project pane's Components tab (see Component actions menu in Project pane Components tab).
The Global Connections page (see Edit a global endpoint in Global Connections).

Configure a BMC Helix ITSM connection

Each user interface element of the BMC Helix ITSM connection configuration screen is described below.

The interface used in the BMC Helix ITSM connection configuration depends on the Authentication Mechanism option selected, either Credential-based Auth or OAuth:

Credential-based Auth: For this option, the connection is authenticated using a username and password or 2-legged OAuth 2.0 authentication.
OAuth: For this option, the connection is authenticated through BMC Helix ITSM in a separate browser tab (3-legged OAuth). Once authenticated, you provide consent for Harmony to access the BMC Helix ITSM app. This option requires the use of a private agent version 10.83 / 11.21 or later.

Note

Credential-based Auth must be used for a global endpoint.

Credential-based Auth

When Credential-based Auth is selected as the Authentication mechanism, this interface is presented:

BMC Helix ITSM connection configuration

Tip

Fields with a variable icon support using global variables, project variables, and Jitterbit variables. Begin either by typing an open square bracket [ into the field or by clicking the variable icon to display a list of the existing variables to choose from.

Connection name: Enter a name to use to identify the connection. The name must be unique for each BMC Helix ITSM connection and must not contain forward slashes / or colons :. This name is also used to identify the BMC Helix ITSM endpoint, which refers to both a specific connection and its activities.
Authentication mechanism: Select Credential-based Auth to authenticate using a username and password or 2-legged OAuth 2.0 authentication (described below).
Host URL: Enter the BMC Helix ITSM host URL.
Use proxy per endpoint: When using a private agent, this setting can be selected to use private agent proxy settings.
OAuth authentication: Select to use OAuth 2.0 authentication. When this setting is unselected, only the Username and Password are used.
Username: Enter the BMC Helix ITSM username.
Password: Enter the BMC Helix ITSM password.
RSSO host: Enter your BMC Helix single sign-on URL (provided by the BMC SaaS Operations team).
Client ID: Enter the client ID for the BMC Helix single sign-on URL (provided by the BMC SaaS Operations team).
Client Secret: Enter the client secret for the BMC Helix single sign-on URL (provided by the BMC SaaS Operations team).
Refresh token: Enter the refresh token obtained during token generation, as described in BMC Helix ITSM prerequisites.
Bearer token: Enter the bearer token obtained during token generation, as described in BMC Helix ITSM prerequisites.
Bearer created time (milliseconds): Enter the bearer created time obtained during token generation, as described in BMC Helix ITSM prerequisites.
Expires in (seconds): Enter the expires_in value obtained during token generation, as described in BMC Helix ITSM prerequisites.

Important

Contact the BMC SaaS Operations team to extend the expiration time of the bearer token.
Test: Click to verify the connection using the provided configuration. When the connection is tested, the latest version of the connector is downloaded by the agent(s) in the agent group associated with the current environment. This connector supports suspending the download of the latest connector version by using the Disable Auto Connector Update organization policy.
Save Changes: Click to save and close the connection configuration.
Discard Changes: After making changes to a new or existing configuration, click to close the configuration without saving. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.
Delete: After opening an existing connection configuration, click to permanently delete the connection from the project and close the configuration (see Component dependencies, deletion, and removal). A message asks you to confirm that you want to delete the connection.

OAuth

When OAuth is selected as the Authentication mechanism, this interface is presented:

BMC Helix ITSM connection configuration

Tip

Fields with a variable icon support using global variables, project variables, and Jitterbit variables. Begin either by typing an open square bracket [ into the field or by clicking the variable icon to display a list of the existing variables to choose from.

Connection name: Enter a name to use to identify the connection. The name must be unique for each BMC Helix ITSM connection and must not contain forward slashes / or colons :. This name is also used to identify the BMC Helix ITSM endpoint, which refers to both a specific connection and its activities.
Authentication mechanism: Select OAuth to authenticate by providing consent through BMC Helix ITSM in a separate browser tab (3-legged OAuth). This option requires the use of a private agent version 10.83 / 11.21 or later.
Host URL: Enter the BMC Helix ITSM host URL.
Use proxy per endpoint: When using a private agent, this setting can be selected to use private agent proxy settings.
OAuth application: Visible only when more than one private application for this connector is registered on the App Registrations page. Use the menu to select a BMC Helix ITSM connector private application configured in the Management Console App Registrations page.

If the menu is empty, then a private application has not been registered for this connector. For more information on configuring a BMC Helix ITSM private application, see Configure 3-legged OAuth in Prerequisites.
Log in with ITSM: Click to authenticate through BMC Helix ITSM in a separate browser tab and provide consent for Jitterbit to access the BMC Helix ITSM app.
Test: Click to verify the connection using the provided configuration. When the connection is tested, the latest version of the connector is downloaded by the agent(s) in the agent group associated with the current environment. This connector supports suspending the download of the latest connector version by using the Disable Auto Connector Update organization policy.
Save Changes: Click to save and close the connection configuration.
Discard Changes: After making changes to a new or existing configuration, click to close the configuration without saving. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.
Delete: After opening an existing connection configuration, click to permanently delete the connection from the project and close the configuration (see Component dependencies, deletion, and removal). A message asks you to confirm that you want to delete the connection.

Next steps

After a BMC Helix ITSM connection has been created, you place an activity type on the design canvas to create activity instances to be used either as sources (to provide data in an operation) or as targets (to consume data in an operation).

Menu actions for a connection and its activity types are accessible from the project pane and design component palette. For details, see Actions menus in Connector basics.

These activity types are available:

Work Order: Creates, queries, or updates work order data in BMC Helix ITSM and can be used as a source or target in an operation.
Query: Queries forms in BMC Helix ITSM and is intended to be used as a source in an operation.
Merge: Merges form data in BMC Helix ITSM and is intended to be used as a target in an operation.
Create: Creates a BMC form (including attachments) in BMC Helix ITSM and is intended to be used as a target in an operation.
Update: Updates forms in BMC Helix ITSM and is intended to be used as a target in an operation.
Incident Management: Creates, queries, or updates incident data in BMC Helix ITSM and can be used as a source or target in an operation.
Delete: Deletes forms from BMC Helix ITSM and is intended to be used as a target in an operation.
Change Management: Creates, queries, or updates change record data in BMC Helix ITSM and can be used as a source or target in an operation.
Known Error: Creates, queries, or updates known error data in BMC Helix ITSM and can be used as a source or target in an operation.
Problem Management: Creates, queries, or updates problem data in BMC Helix ITSM and can be used as a target in an operation.