Service Manager has the ability to integrate with an LDAP directory server. The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is an open industry standard that defines a method for accessing and updating this type of information. Storing data in one place and sharing it among other applications can save time and money by minimizing administrative effort and system resources. The ServiceManager LDAP interface allows customers to use their directory server data for ServiceManager user authentication.

 While it may be possible to configure LDAP Integration with other LDAP compatible directory servers only the following directory servers have been tested and are supported for integration:

• Sun ONE directory server
• Microsoft Active Directory
• IBM® Lotus® Domino® Server
• Novell® eDirectory™
• OpenLDAP directory server

 This article describes the steps needed to configure Service Manager Integration with Microsoft Active Directory. This example will follow the guidelines below. 

• The directory server will be used for authentication into ServiceManager
• Only authentication data will be mapped
• Service Manager will be the primary data source
• Only one directory server will be used
• This example only uses one directory server but a failover is recommended

 Two places will require changes while completing this implementation: 

• LDAP Mapping in Service Manager
• sm.ini file

 The LDAP Administrator will need to provide the following: 

• LDAP DN where all users will be located
• An LDAP Bind Username and Password with the ability to see above DN 

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There are a two primary ways to integrate and import data into Service manager:

Service Manager text delimited file import:

• Pros:
  • Can be run on a schedule
  • Swift import time
  • Data can be manipulated automatically using internal SM functionality
  • Easy to configure
  • Default configurations are available as templates
• Cons:
  • Requires that the delimited file be stored at a specific location accessible by the Service Manager server

Connect-It:

• Pros:
  • Can run on a schedule or continuously or ‘real time’
  • Swift import time
  • Data can be manipulated easily with the application
  • Easy to configure
  • Can read from many sources (XML files, text files, direct database or application direct)
• Cons:
  • Requires additional purchase of the Connect It application and access to required connector types (ODBC, Service Manager, Asset Manager, LDAP, etc)
  • Manual configuration is required; there are no OOB scenarios for contacts or operators 

Connect-It establishes a client connection to the Service Manager server through a listener and information is routed bi-directionally through it. Connect-It is specifically designed so inbound information must go through Event Services. The input event log file is called eventin. Data passes to Service Manager in a character string using a delimiter character to separate fields.

There are many ways that this application can access the data required. Connect-It can connect directly to an application such as LDAP (Active Directory), connect directly to the database tables holding this data using an ODBC driver or read in from a produced document (XML, CSV etc).

Configuring Event Services requires the creation of an Event Registration record along with a corresponding Event Map record. The Event Registration record identifies information about the event being processed, such as:

• Action to perform on this record (add or update)
• What file will this event act against when processing
• The event map associated with the fields to be updated
• Query to identify the unique record to be added or updated.

 The example below shows the Out of Box operator Event Registration record. This is an input event registration which receives operators from outside sources. $axces is a variable that exposes the event record details. $axces.fields is a variable to the field that contains the input mapped fields as a delimited array string.

ServiceManager Event Registration Record for Operators

In Part Two we’ll finish this process

The map identifies each individual field that will be moved from it position in the map to the identified field in the target file. Event Services is very flexible allowing data to be controlled before the data is mapped into the target file, after the data is mapped into the target file and even allows for the data to be mapped into multiple files as part of a single event. In the case of updating contacts and operators, the event can first map the information to the contact file, and subsequently add or update the operator there. Using Event Services in conjunction with a format control record, imported data may be manipulated to produce the result needed to complete the import of this data.

Service Manager Event Map for Operator

The import of operators becomes more complicated due to the need to associate these records with profiles and groups allowing access to Service Manager functionality. These groups and profiles can be imported with the data from the source if they are known, defaulted or determined based on other criteria coming into the system.

Once all these elements are created and configured, Connect-It will process the data on the defined schedule and add or update records into Service Manager. The scheduling of this data will depend on the amount of data that will be new or updated in the source or sources and the need for this data to be added or updating the Service manger database.

~Kim Euker, StrataCom