Integrate EmpowerID Business Requests with ServiceNow Request Ticketing

If your organization has successfully integrated EmpowerID with ServiceNow, you have the ability to automate the creation of Request tickets in ServiceNow whenever a Business Request is initiated in EmpowerID. This allows organizations utilizing ServiceNow for their IT Service Management (ITSM) to maintain a comprehensive record of all EmpowerID-originated requests within ServiceNow. This record includes essential details such as the request's status, the requester's identity, the request's timestamp, information on approvals or rejections, and any associated comments.

The screenshots below show the correlation between a request for group membership initiated in EmpowerID and the request record in ServiceNow.

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The My Tasks application showing the status of a request for group membership initiated in EmpowerID

 

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Request for group membership ticket in ServiceNow generated from request initiated in EmpowerID

 

Architectural Overview

Understanding the architecture is crucial for effective implementation and ongoing management. The primary components involved in this integration are:

• Business Request Type: Defines the approval processes.

• ITShop Business Request Type: Specific type for EmpowerID's IAM Shop.

• Workflow Triggers: Decide what happens when a Business Request reaches a particular state.

• Pre-Approval Step Workflow Job: Scheduled task to initiate workflow.

• Specialized Workflows: Such as CreateSnowRequestForBR and UpdateSNOWRequestStatus.

Business Request Type

The Business Request Type is a core element of EmpowerID's Approval Flow engine. It allows organizations to specify the approval processes required when users request access to resources. Business Request Types have several configurable settings that can be used to direct how the system processes requests belonging to that type. For Business Requests originating from EmpowerID's IAM Shop, the relevant Business Request Type is known as the "ITShop Business Request Type." In the case of integrating with ServiceNow ticketing, it is the specific workflows selected in these general Business Request Type settings that enable the integration:

• Workflow to Run on Step Ready: This setting within the Business Request Type determines the workflow that will be initiated when a step in the Approval Flow policy is ready for an approval decision. For seamless integration with ServiceNow, the workflow typically selected here is CreateSnowRequestForBR.

• Workflow to Run on Fulfillment: This setting within the Business Request Type outlines the workflow that will be triggered when a Business Request is approved. In the context of ServiceNow integration, the workflow commonly selected for this setting is also CreateSnowRequestForBR.

Pre Approval Step Workflow Job

This is a scheduled task in EmpowerID that is responsible for claiming open Business Requests associated with the ITShop Business Request Type and starting the designated workflow.

• Claiming Conditions: Business Requests that share the same PreStepRequestWorkflowID are grouped together.

• Triggered Workflow: For ServiceNow integration, CreateSnowRequestForBR is initiated.

Specialized Workflows

CreateSnowRequestForBR Workflow

This workflow interfaces with the ServiceNow API to generate the corresponding Request and Request Item records in ServiceNow based on Business Requests in EmpowerID.

UpdateSNOWRequestStatus Workflow

Operating continuously, this workflow syncs the status and metadata between EmpowerID and ServiceNow, ensuring up-to-date records in both systems.

Process Flow

The below illustration depicts the process flow for this. A description follows the illustration.

1. Initiation: Users request access to resources via EmpowerID’s IAM Shop.

2. Claiming Business Requests: The Pre-Approval Step Workflow Job claims open Business Requests meeting certain conditions:

   • Yet to be processed.

   • PreStepRequestWorkflowID is not null.

3. Validation and Processing: The CreateSnowRequestForBR workflow validates Business Requests and sets the processing status accordingly.

   • Successful: Status set to 2.

   • Failed: Status set to 3, with retries scheduled.

4. ServiceNow Ticket Creation: On successful validation, ServiceNow Request and Request Items are created.

5. Approval Tasks: Routed to EmpowerID’s My Tasks Microservice for further action.

Data Mapping and Synchronization

Business Requests

Business Request Items

ServiceNow Ticket Integration Procedure