Task List
|
Task # |
Task |
Performed by |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Prepare ExtremeCloud IQ for use with CI Sync |
ExtremeCloud IQ Admin |
|
2 |
Understand the CI Sync RecVer Database |
SQL DBA
|
|
3
|
Create a Source System Connection using the CI Sync Agent Config Utility with a SQL RecVer DB |
Infrastructure SME
|
|
3
|
Or, Create a Source System Connection using the CI Sync Agent Config Utility with a MongoDB RecVer DB (if supported) |
Infrastructure SME
|
|
4 |
Finalise Settings in the CI Sync SaaS UI |
CI Sync Admin |
|
5 |
Perform Updates in ServiceNow (if required) |
ServiceNow Admin |
Task 1: Prepare ExtremeCloud IQ for use with CI Sync
The follow pre-requisites are required to prepare ExtremeCloud IQ for use with the CI Sync Agent.
-
You will need the URL of your ExtremeCloud IQ Instance.
-
You will need the Client Id of the Registered Client specifically setup in ExtremeCloud IQ for CI Sync.
-
You will need a Client secret generated from your CI Sync Registered Client to authenticate and enable communication with ExtremeCloud IQ Site Engine.
Consult these two ExtremeCloud IQ guides for information about adding an external Registered Client for CI Sync, generating the client secret and setting up the related permissions:
Please reach out to your Syncfish contact person for additional assistance with the source system setup/configuration.
Task 2: Understand the CI Sync RecVer Database
This “task” is solely about understanding the purpose of the CI Sync RecVer database and making decisions on where to host it and how the CI Sync Agent will authenticate to it.
You may also need to make a decision on which database technology to use for the RecVer Database. The CI Sync Agent supports both MS SQL and MongoDB for the RecVer database (however there are some restirctions on which database technology you can use depending on the source system itself).
Understanding the above topics and making the relevant decisions before you create the source system connection (via the CI Sync Agent Config Utility) will make it quicker/easier to execute the remaining tasks in this guide.
Task 3 (SQL): Create a Source System Connection using the CI Sync Agent Config Utility with a SQL RecVer DB
As explained in the preceding “task” there are two options to facilitate the creation of the RecVer database and assigning permissions to it for the CI Sync (Agent). The table below elaborates the two options.
|
Option |
Description |
Details |
|
MS SQL Setup Option 1 |
Automatically using the CI Sync Agent Config Utility |
|
|
MS SQL Setup Option 2 |
Manually via a SQL Database Administrator (DBA) |
|
Expand the instructions below for either Option 1 or Option 2.
Option 1: Use the Config Utility to automatically create the RecVer database
Expand the instructions below to let the CI Sync Config Utility automatically create the CI Sync RecVer database (and set the required permissions to both the RecVer and Lansweeper SQL DBs).
Option 2: Use your SQL Database Administrator (DBA) to manually create the RecVer database in advance
Expand the instructions below if your SQL DBA will manually setup the RecVer database (and set the required permissions to both the RecVer and Lansweeper SQL DBs).
Task 3 (Mongo): Or, Create a Source System Connection using the CI Sync Agent Config Utility with a MongoDB RecVer DB (if supported)
Task 4: Finalise Settings in the CI Sync SaaS UI
-
Login to your CI Sync SaaS instance at https://YourCo.syncfish.app
-
In the CI Sync UI, navigate to Settings > Connections.
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Find the new source system connection you just added in the list of Source Connections (the screen shot above is a sample only).
-
Find your specific Source System Connection in the list and click the Update hyperlink (on the right hand side of the screen).
-
The connection Settings Form is presented. Update as follows:
-
Enter an Alias (optional) - the alias is only used in the CI Sync SaaS UI to show a friendly name in various UI forms.
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Set the Environment/s the new source connection can be used for.
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In most cases a Source System Connection is used for both Test and Production sync jobs (as distinct from the Destination Connections which can only be either Test or Production).
-
The Environment value is used to filter the connections dropdown list when you are creating a sync job.
-
-
-
While you are on this page you can/should check whether there are any connection specific settings you may want to adjust either now or at some point in the future. Connection specific settings (or just Connection Settings) allow you to override the default data sync rules for your CI Sync instance.
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Read the following details to understand more about CI Sync Connection Settings:
-
Scroll further down to the Additional Settings section on the page to see any available Connection Settings. Below is an example of the sorts of settings you might notice.
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The settings are specific to each source connection so the screen shot is an example only.
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Syncfish recommend you read the following documentation before overriding any of the default settings:
-
Read the CI SyncDefault Configuration Guides. The pages in that tree provide comprehensive information about the default behaviour of the CI Sync data sync rules, the options available for overriding those rules and typical reasons why you might want to do this.
-
Read Understanding the use of CI Sync Connection Settings. This page explains how the Connection Settings should be used, how to modify settings via the CI Sync UI and how to test any setting changes in non-production prior to production.
-
-
Finally, if you are ready to modify any of the Connection Settings, visit Connection Setting Guides and locate the specific Source System page/s in that tree. The individual pages in that tree provide detailed information about each setting.
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-
After making any changes on this page, scroll to the bottom of the page, Check the consent checkbox and Click the Save connection button.
You have now completed all tasks to add your new Source Connection in the CI Sync Agent.
Please do one of the following:
-
Either add any additional source connections (using the relevant pages under Add Source Systems to On-Prem Agent)
-
Or if you haven’t do so already, then follow the instructions inS6 - Configure your ServiceNow for CI Sync.
Task 5: Perform Updates in ServiceNow (if required)
In this section your ServiceNow SME will assess various updates to ServiceNow to support this CI Sync connector:
-
Task 5a: Assess if the CMDB CI Class Models plug-in is required
-
Task 5b: Assess if additional permissions are required
-
Task 5c: (Optional though recommended) Assess your ServiceNow CI forms and update to include additional Related Lists
Guidance Note
Syncfish recommend the person setting up the source system described in this guide discusses this particular task with their ServiceNow system administrator.
A ServiceNow administrator will need to perform these steps.
Syncfish recommend following these instructions in your non-production ServiceNow environment for testing synchronization jobs.
Only once exhaustive testing in non-production is complete, repeat this process in your ServiceNow production environment.
Task 5a: Assess if the CMDB CI Class Models plug-in is required
The recordsets available to the CI Sync ExtremeCloud IQ connector do not require the ServiceNow CMDB CI Class Models plug-in. Therefore you can ignore/skip this task.
Task 5b: Assess if additional permissions are required
No additional permissions are required in ServiceNow to support the CI Sync ExtremeCloud IQ connector. Therefore you can ignore/skip this task.
Task 5c: (Optional though recommended) Assess your ServiceNow CI forms and update to include additional Related Lists
Context
CI Sync populates various child tables (related lists) associated with parent CIs. The following table shows the Related Lists (per CI Class) populated by the CI Sync ExtremeCloud IQ Connector.
|
CI Class |
Related List
|
Related List Name as it appears in the ServiceNow UI when adding it to a CI Form |
|
IP Switch |
Switch Ports |
Switch Port -> CMDB CI |
Instructions
Below are the steps to modify a ServiceNow CI form to expose a new Related List.
-
Login to your ServiceNow instance with Admin permissions.
-
Navigate to any CI in the relevant CI Class (i.e. one/all of those listed in the table in the Context section above). For example, navigate to a Windows Server CI).
-
Right-click in the heading area of the form, then click Configure and then Related Lists from the sub-menus.
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Identify the Related List you want to expose on the CI form using the table in the Context section above.
-
Find the Related List in the left hand column which lists all Available Related Lists.
-
Click the Related List and then click add (the selection arrow) to move the item to the Selected column and then click Save.
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Repeat for each additional CI Class listed in the table in the Context section above.