How do I connect to ServiceNow as an inventory source?

Learn how to connect to your ServiceNow asset inventory to audit your protected and unprotected resources

The Bocada Cloud Inventory CMDB (Configuration Management Database) connector collects asset data from a variety of different inventory sources, including ServiceNow. By adding your asset inventory to Bocada Cloud, you can take advantage of Unprotected Resource Audit reporting. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to connect Bocada Cloud to your ServiceNow inventory. 

1. ServiceNow User Credentials 

Bocada Cloud supports connectivity to the ServiceNow CMDB schema through a direct REST API integration. You will need to create a new user, or identify an existing user, in ServiceNow to use for the Bocada Cloud connection. Once you have done so, add the ODBC role to that user account. This will be a read-only user and you may use the ServiceNow security features to limit the access of this user to only the tables that you want to access such as cmdb_ci_server and/or cmdb_ci_computer tables. 

2. Create the Connection in Bocada Cloud

Log into Bocada Cloud and on the left navigation menu, select Connections > +Add to add a new connection. Then, click the Inventory (CMDB) tile.

Note: In Bocada Cloud, the configuration interface is unified across all CMDB connector types. All integration methods use the same configuration fields, with relevant fields displayed based on the selected connector type. 

3. Download and Install the Bocada Cloud Data Collection Agent

Next, you will need to download and install the Bocada Cloud Data Collection Agent in the private network where your ServiceNow instance resides. The agent will connect to it to collect data locally and send it to Bocada Cloud for Resource Audit reporting.

Follow the prompts on the screen to: (1) give the agent a name, (2) download and install it,
(3-4) copy a unique Authentication key and paste it into the agent to register it, and then (5) test that the connection between the agent and Bocada Cloud is working correctly. 

4. Add Connection Details

After you have successfully installed the Bocada Cloud Data Collection agent, the next screen will ask you add configuration details for the connection. 

a. Organization

Select which Organization you want to associate the data from the ServiceNow inventory connection. If you have not set up more than one Organization, it will default to your main Organization (Billing Entity for your Bocada Cloud account).

b. Connection Name

Enter the name of the ServiceNow CMDB instance as the connector name. The name does not need to be an exact match to the instance, but we recommend naming the connector so that it is clear which instance the data belongs in the UI and reports. 

c. Product 

Select ServiceNow (REST API) from the product dropdown menu. 

d. Username & Password

Enter the credentials for the user you set up in step 1 that can access the ServiceNow CMDB instance through REST API. 

e. CMDB Instance Name (or full instance URL)

Enter the name of the ServiceNow instance. For example, if your instance URL is: https://dev12345.service-now.com/ then the instance name will be 'dev12345'. Only this short name is needed, but you can also enter the full instance URL. 

f. CMDB Table (Class) 

Enter the CMDB table name from ServiceNow. The table (Class) name can be retrieved from the ServiceNow CMDB Workspace UI. Common tables include: cmdb_ci_computer, cmdb_ci_server. 

g. Query Params 

Enter the query param string that will be used to filter the CMDB when gathering data. Note: you don't need to include sysparam_query= in the field value since Bocada Cloud already adds it. 

For more information, you can check the ServiceNow official API reference: Table API | ServiceNow Developers.

h. Field List 

Enter the fields that will be retrieved through the REST API, with matching fields in Bocada. The Bocada fields are:

Syntax: 

<ServiceNow Field 1> AS [<Bocada Field 1>], <ServiceNow Field 2> AS [<Bocada Field 2>], ... 

Example: 

sys_id AS [clientrecordid] 

, name AS [clientfqname] 

, sys_created_on AS [commissioneddate] 

, u_decommissioning_date AS [decommissioneddate] 

, it_application_owner.display_value AS [contact] 

i. Use OAuth 2.0 

Select Yes from the drop-down menu if your ServiceNow account has OAuth 2.0 authentication enabled. Otherwise, it will default to No.

• OAuth Client Id: Enter your OAuth 2.0 Client Id defined in ServiceNow (if OAuth is enabled). 
• OAuth Client Secret: Enter your OAuth 2.0 Client Secret bound to your Client Id (if OAuth is enabled). 

 j. Security Protocol

Select the TLS/security protocol to use for the HTTPS connection. Use the most secure option supported by your environment (TLS 1.3, 1.2 or 1.1). This field will default to TLS 1.2. 

k. Use Proxy Server 

Select whether your environment uses a Proxy Server to communicate to HTTP/S resources.

• No: Will not use a proxy server to communicate to the ServiceNow REST API. This is the default selection.

• Yes: It will display additional fields for the Proxy Server Host and Proxy Server Port for manual proxy configuration.

l. Time Zone

Enter the time zone where the ServiceNow instance resides. 

Test the Connection

Click the Next button to test the connection. 

If the connection is successful, Bocada Cloud will begin collecting asset data from ServiceNow to populate the Resource Audit report.  

If the connection is unsuccessful, you will be able to click the “Previous” button to edit your connection details and try again.