Best practices for ServiceNow integration with Site24x7

Integrating Site24x7 with ServiceNow enables automatic incident creation and streamlines ITSM workflows. Follow these best practices for a seamless and effective integration:

Set up the integration

• Ensure you have admin access in both Site24x7 and ServiceNow.
• Authenticate using the ServiceNow instance URL along with your instance login credentials (username and password).
• Confirm that the Site24x7 instances are properly created in ServiceNow with the given username and password from ServiceNow.
• Clearly name each integration in Site24x7 to distinguish between multiple instances or business units.
• Leverage Site24x7 tags and attribute groups to route specific alerts to relevant ServiceNow assignment groups.

Map fields appropriately

• Customize the mapping between Site24x7 alert fields and ServiceNow incident fields to align with your ITSM workflows.
• Key fields to map include:
  • Monitor Name
  • Outage Time
  • Severity
  • Root Cause
  • Monitor Type

Control alert routing

• Choose appropriate alert types (Incident/Events/Do Not Notify).
  • An Incident is an unplanned disruption that needs resolution to restore normal service.
  • An Event is a signal from monitoring tools that may trigger an incident.
  • The Do Not Notify option disables all alert notifications. It is mainly used for configuring CMDB integration.
• Align Site24x7 monitor statuses (Down, Trouble, Critical) to ServiceNow incident priority and status logic.
• Configure an Alternate Notification medium in Site24x7 to ensure critical alerts are delivered even if the primary ServiceNow channel is unavailable.

Avoid duplicate incident creation

• Enable the Trigger Alerts for Monitor Status Change option to ensure each outage and resolution is tracked.

Test the integration

• Once you've finished configuring the integration, use the Test Integration button in Site24x7 to validate the setup.
• Periodically check the integration in both platforms to ensure messages are flowing and issues are identified quickly.

Monitor integration health

• Regularly review logs and statuses under Site24x7 > Admin > Third-party Integration > ServiceNow.
• Check for failed deliveries or misconfigured credentials.

CMDB integration

• Enable the Event Management plugin in ServiceNow to visualize and respond to events effectively.
• Ensure that the CMDB option is enabled during the integration setup in Site24x7 to sync resource data with ServiceNow.
• Turn on CMDB sync in Site24x7 only if your organization relies on ServiceNow’s asset and topology views.
• Use the JSON mapper file to define mappings accurately. Customize it if your CMDB schema differs from the default.
• Regularly review and validate configuration item (CI) entries created via the integration to maintain CMDB integrity.
• Keep the ServiceNow instance clean and properly classified, so incoming Site24x7 resources are mapped to the correct CI categories.
• CMDB sync runs every 10 minutes. Ensure this frequency suits your infrastructure changes without overloading ServiceNow APIs.
• Avoid circular or redundant relationships in the Site24x7 configuration to prevent CMDB clutters.

Document and review periodically

• Maintain internal documentation of your integration settings and field mappings.
• Review integration settings periodically to accommodate changes in business needs or updates in the integration.