eG Administration
 

Integrating with ManageEngine's ServiceDesk

ManageEngine ServiceDesk is a comprehensive Help Desk and Asset Management software that provides help desk agents and IT managers an integrated console to monitor and maintain the assets and IT requests generated from the users of the IT resources in an organization.

  1. From the TT system drop-down, select MANAGE ENGINE as the TT system with which the eG manager should integrate.

  2. Then, against the URL, specify the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) URL via which the eG manager should connect to ServiceDesk’s web services interface.

  3. If the connection needs to be authenticated, then provide a valid user name and password against User and Password text boxes, respectively.

  4. ServiceDesk's web services API, known as REST API, is capable of interpreting problem inputs it receives and automatically generating/updating trouble tickets, only if the inputs are in XML format. This is why, by default, the eG manager sends its alarm output in XML format to ServiceDesk. The standard format, as displayed against Output format is as follows:

    <Operation>\n<Details>\n<requester>eG_manager</requester>\n<subject>$cname/$ctype/$pdesc/$prior</subject>\n<description>$pdesc</description>\n<callbackURL>CustomReportHandler.do</callbackURL>\n<requesttemplate>-</requesttemplate>\n<priority>$prior</priority>\n<layer>$layer</layer>\n<group>$user</group>\n<technician>eG_manager</technician>\n<level>1</level>\n<status>$status</status>\n<service>$Service</service>\n</Details>\n</Operation>

    The text enclosed within angular brackets - eg., <Operation> - are the XML tags that ServiceDesk's web services API recognizes. These tags cannot be changed. The text enclosed within an opening and a closing tag can either be static text or a variable. For more details on the tags and the values, refer to eG Integration with Trouble Ticketing Systems document.

  5. Then, specify the API key of the TT system. The eG manager will be able to communicate with ServiceDesk through this API key only. ManageEngine generates a unique key for the user, whose credentials are specified against User and Password parameters. The eG manager will not be able to use the ServiceDesk API, if this key is not specified or an invalid key is specified.

  6. The implementation of eG integration with ServiceDesk exists in a Java class file named ServiceDeskPlusHelper.java. Additionally, the API files and library files that support this class file are jarred in ServiceDesk.jar file. In eG, this jar file is referred to as the TT integration archive file. By default, the implementation class file and the jar file are bundled with the eG manager and are available in the <EG_INSTALL_DIR>\manager\lib directory on the eG manager host. However, if later, changes are made to these files, you will have to re-upload them to the eG manager. In such a case, set the Do you want to upload the supporting archives? flag to Yes, and click the Upload button alongside. This will invoke the UPLOAD FILES window.

  7. In the UPLOAD FILES window, specify the full path to the Wrapper class file - i.e., the ServiceDeskPlusHelper.java file - and the TT Integration Archive File - i.e., the ServiceDesk.jar file - to be uploaded. Use the Browse button for the path specification. Finally, click the Upload button.

  8. Finally, click the Update button to save the changes.