SCOPED CERTIFIED APPLICATION INSTALLATION AND

CONFIGURATION GUIDE
SolarWinds Alert Integration

Version: 1.0

Published date: March 24th, 2016

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Table of Contents
1.

Overview ....................................................................................................................... 3

1.1

Integration overview ................................................................................................................ 3

1.2

References................................................................................................................................ 3

2.

Application Dependencies .............................................................................................. 4

2.1

Package dependencies ............................................................................................................. 4

2.2

Table permissions .................................................................................................................... 4

3.

Configuration Instructions .............................................................................................. 4

3.1

Install the SolarWinds Alert Integration application in ServiceNow ........................................ 4

3.2

Create a ServiceNow integration user with limited access (recommended)........................... 5

3.3

Configure the ServiceNow integration in Orion....................................................................... 6

3.4

Uninstall the SolarWinds Integration application from ServiceNow ..................................... 10

4.

Testing the configuration .............................................................................................. 10

5.

Demo Data ................................................................................................................... 10

6.

Support and Troubleshooting ....................................................................................... 11

6.1

Service Level Agreement Definition ....................................................................................... 11

6.2

Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................................... 11

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1. Overview
This Application Installation and Configuration Guide will assist with the preparation of the
customers instance in order to enable the application components to function properly.

1.1 Integration overview

The integration between a SolarWinds Orion Platform product and a ServiceNow instance consists
of two components:

SolarWinds Integration Application

SolarWinds Orion server

The integration application is an export of a regular ServiceNow application. The SolarWinds Orion
server is a standalone on premise installer. The installation of both components is covered in the
following sections.

Integration constraints and prerequisites

The current solution only supports cloud-based ServiceNow instances.

The communication between the SolarWinds server and the ServiceNow instance uses
HTTPS port 443. Open this port for outbound communication.

For minimum hardware and software requirements, see the

SolarWinds NPM Onboarding Guide.

1.2 References

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Document Identifier

Document Title

SolarWinds NPM Onboarding Guide Minimal hardware and software requirements.

How alerts work

Documentation about alerts.

Create and manage alerts

Documentation about managing alerts.

2. Application Dependencies
2.1 Package dependencies

System Import Sets (com.glide.system_import_set) v1.0.0

System (glidesoft)

2.2 Table permissions

Table

Read Create Write Delete

x_sow_intapp_incident_integration

x_sow_intapp_incident_event

incident

sys_choice

sys_dictionary

sys_user_group

sys_scope

The mentioned rights are provided by our integration_user role.

3. Configuration Instructions
3.1 Install the SolarWinds Alert Integration application in ServiceNow
The SolarWinds Integration Application facilitates the communication between the SolarWinds
server and the ServiceNow instance.
Deployment Steps
1. Visit the ServiceNow app store at https://store.servicenow.com and get the SolarWinds
Integration application.
2. In ServiceNow, navigate to System Applications > Applications > Downloads.
3. Locate the SolarWinds Alert Integration application and click Install. Wait until the
installation process is finished. The caption of the button will change to Installed.

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3.2 Create a ServiceNow integration user with limited access (recommended)

1. Navigate to User Administration > Users, and click New.
2. Provide a user ID, password, and other required information.
3. Select Web service access only, and click Submit.

4. Click the User ID link of the newly created user in the Users grid to edit the user.
5. Click Roles > Edit, add the x_sow_intapp.integration_user role to the role list,
and click Save.

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3.3 Configure the ServiceNow integration in Orion

This section provides a guide covering basic ServiceNow integration setup. First you must establish
a connection between the SolarWinds server and the ServiceNow instance. Then you specify what
type of alerts will raise an incident in your ServiceNow environment. The current version supports
multiple ServiceNow instances.

Configure the ServiceNow Instance Connection

1. In the Orion Web Console, click Settings > All Settings.
2. In the Alerts & Reports section, click ServiceNow Instances.

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3. In the Manage ServiceNow instances, click Add Instance.

4. Provide the connection details for the ServiceNow instance

Name
A custom name for the ServiceNow instance.

URL
The ServiceNow instance specific URL running the REST API. This is often the URL
you use to log in to ServiceNow.

Login
The user name of an account that has a SolarWinds integration role
(recommended). You can use the "Admin" ServiceNow account if any issue occurs.

Password
The password for the given user name.

HTTP Proxy Settings

Complete only if you use a Proxy.

5. Click Test Connection to verify the specified details with a connection check.
6. Click Save.

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Configure alert action

If you are new to SolarWinds alerting, you can find information in the following resources:

How alerts work

Create and manage alerts

The integration with ServiceNow is managed through an alert trigger action. The only thing you
must add to your alert in order to raise and resolve tickets with alerts is the
Manage ServiceNow Incident alert action.
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In the alert action configuration screen, configure the following details:

1. Select ServiceNow Instance
Specify the ServiceNow instance that will be used specifically with this action.
2. Incident Detail
Define the properties of an incident template that will be used for new incidents. For
example, here you can define the urgency, impact, and other properties of incidents. Text
areas can hold macro variables to add information about alerts and alert objects. If the
property you want is not visible in the Incident Detail section, click Select Properties at the
bottom of the section, and select the property from the list.
3. State Management
Define the status of the incident when the alert is reset. The incident usually goes to
resolved state with a specific close note and close code.

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After you assigned an action to your alert and the alert is triggered, you will be able to see an
incident created in ServiceNow. You can deactivate the integrated behavior by removing the action
from the alert definition.

3.4 Uninstall the SolarWinds Integration application from ServiceNow

1. In ServiceNow, navigate to System Applications > Applications > Downloads.
2. Locate the SolarWinds Alert Integration application, and go to details page by clicking the
app name link.
3. Click Uninstall.

4. Testing the configuration

The external application (any Orion based product) can verify a successful integration with
ServiceNow and can identify issues with communication.
To verify the integration:
1. In the Orion Web Console, click Settings > All Settings > ServiceNow Instances.
2. Select the ServiceNow instance, and click Edit Instance.
3. Click Test Connection.

5. Demo Data
There are no demo data along with the application.
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6. Support and Troubleshooting

Technical Support Team
Our Technical Support Team is here to assist with your technical product issues. Each member of
our Technical Support Team specializes in a number of SolarWinds products and can be contacted
by telephone or online using our online Support Case Submission. SolarWinds is available to assist
you with technical product issues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. For more
information, please visit SolarWinds Support Information.

6.1 Service Level Agreement Definition

Support Hours of Operation: 24/7

Support Days of Operation: 24/7 (limited product coverage during weekend)

Promised Call Response Time: N/A

Promised Call Resolution Time: N/A

Contact Method: phone, website (case submission)

Contact Details:
http://www.solarwinds.com/company/contact.aspx
https://customerportal.solarwinds.com/support/submit-a-ticket

Contact Numbers:
Americas: 866-530-8040
EMEA: +353-21-5002900
APAC: +61-2-8412-4900

6.2 Troubleshooting
Issue
The connection
with ServiceNow
is broken

Incidents are not

created

Steps to identify the issue

A notification is displayed in
our product.

The instance status is

changed to Not connected.

An alert about dropping the

connection to ServiceNow
can be created.

In the Alert Details page, you

will see that the creation of
the ServiceNow incident
failed.

Troubleshooting steps

Check the Configuration

page of the broken
instance, and test the
connection.

Check our logs in the

SolarWinds product.

If proxy settings are used,

check the proxy.

Check the log in ServiceNow

(SolarWinds Alert
integration)

Check the Configuration

page of the broken
instance, and test the
connection.

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The event log will contain

information about the failing
action.
You can test the alert action
which should create the
incident.

Check our logs in the

SolarWinds product.

If proxy settings are used,

check the proxy.

Check the log in ServiceNow

(SolarWinds Alert
integration)

END OF DOCUMENT

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