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BMC Helix ITSM Query Activity

Introduction

A BMC Helix ITSM Query activity, using its BMC Helix ITSM connection, finds BMC Helix ITSM records at BMC Helix ITSM, and is intended to be used as a source to provide data in an operation.

Create a BMC Helix ITSM Query Activity

An instance of a BMC Helix ITSM Query activity is created from a BMC Helix ITSM connection using its Query activity type.

To create an instance of a BMC Helix ITSM Query activity, drag the Query activity type to the design canvas or copy the Query activity type and paste it on the design canvas. For details, see Creating an Activity Instance in Component Reuse.

An existing BMC Helix ITSM Query activity can be edited from these locations:

Configure a BMC Helix ITSM Query Activity

Follow these steps to configure a BMC Helix ITSM Query activity:

Step 1: Enter a Name and Specify Settings

BMC Helix ITSM Query Activity Configuration Step 1

  • Name: Enter a name to identify the BMC Helix ITSM Query activity. The name must be unique for each BMC Helix ITSM Query activity and must not contain forward slashes (/) or colons (:).

  • Forms Options: Specify the forms options to be used, one of Select From List or Input Manually.

    • Select From List: If selected, you specify a form by selecting it from the list.

    • Input Manually: If selected, you enter a form name manually instead of selecting it from the list.

      • Form Name: Enter the name of the BMC Helix ITSM form to be queried. (This field is not displayed in the above illustration. The field will appear if Input Manually is selected.)

  • Save & Exit: If enabled, click to save the configuration for this step and close the activity configuration.

  • Next: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and continue to the next step. The configuration will not be saved until you click the Finished button on the last step.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Step 2: Review the Data Schemas

BMC Helix ITSM Query Activity Configuration Step 2

  • Data Schema: The request and response data schemas for BMC Helix ITSM are displayed. If the operation uses a transformation, the data schemas are displayed again later during the transformation mapping process, where you can map to target fields using source objects, scripts, variables, custom values, and more.

    The BMC Helix ITSM connector uses the BMC Helix ITSM/Remedy ITSM REST API v20.08. Refer to the API documentation for information on the schema fields.

    The connector supports these BMC Helix ITSM versions:

    • 9.1.04 (OnPremises)
    • 18.08 P1 (OnPremises)
    • 19.02 (OnPremises)
    • 19.08 (OnPremises)
    • 19.11 and later (OnPremises and SaaS)

    Important

    Data provided through the request must be in the format required by the API. For example:

    • The fields to be returned should be a string containing a comma-separated list of field names, such as 'Full Name,Request ID,Login Name'.
    • The query should be a string that specifies the field name in single quotes set to its value in double quotes, such as '\'Incident Number\' = "INC000000001602"'.

    Adding an Attachment to an Activity

    The BMC Helix ITSM Connector provides the functionality of adding an attachment to your activity. To add an attachment to your activity:

    1. When using the activity in an operation, open the request transformation that precedes the activity.

    2. In the target schema, map the following fields for the attachment:

  • Refresh: Click the refresh icon Refresh icon or the word Refresh to regenerate schemas from the BMC Helix ITSM endpoint. This action also regenerates the schema in other locations throughout the project where the same schema is referenced, such as in an adjacent transformation.

  • Back: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and return to the previous step.

  • Finished: Click to save the configuration for all steps and close the activity configuration.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Next Steps

After configuring a BMC Helix ITSM Query activity, complete the configuration of the operation by adding and configuring other activities, transformations, or scripts as operation steps. You can also configure the operation settings, which include the ability to chain operations together that are in the same or different workflows.

Menu actions for an activity are accessible from the project pane and the design canvas. For details, see Activity Actions Menu in Connector Basics.

BMC Helix ITSM Query activities can be used as a source with these operation patterns:

Other patterns are not valid using BMC Helix ITSM Query activities. See the validation patterns on the Operation Validity page.

A typical use case is to use a BMC Helix ITSM Query activity in the Two-transformation Pattern. In this example, the first transformation (Query Request) creates a request structure that is passed to the BMC Helix ITSM Query activity. The second transformation (Query Response) receives the response structure, which is then written to a variable by a Variable Write activity (Write Query Response) and a message is then logged by the Write to Operation Log script:

BMC Helix ITSM Query operation

To use the activity with scripting functions, write the data to a temporary location and then use that temporary location in the scripting function.

When ready, deploy and run the operation and validate behavior by checking the operation logs.