Deploying Software from a Request Offering
If you have Ivanti Automation and Ivanti Endpoint Manager (EPM), you can configure a Request Offering that automatically installs software on an end user's computer. The end user can log in to the Self Service portal and request the required item from the Software category of the Service Catalog. After the required approvals occur that are set for the Request Offering, the software is automatically installed on the end user's computer.
To set up this feature, you first need to:
- Download the Software Deployment from Service Request package from the Ivanti Marketplace.
Next, follow the procedures in the following sections.
Setting up Ivanti Automation
- Windows PowerShell: The Ivanti Automation environment needs PowerShell 5.1 or later installed on your computer.
- Ivanti Automation Tool: You need to have Ivanti Automation installed on your computer and have the following components in it:
- The Automation console.
- At least one dispatcher and an agent.
For more information about installing and using Ivanti Automation, refer to the Automation help on https://www.ivanti.com/support/product-documentation.
The Dispatcher API is disabled by default; you need to enable it from the Ivanti Automation console by either:
- Enabling it globally: Click Setup > Global Settings, then under Dispatcher WebAPI double-click WebAPI state to display the Edit Setting dialog box.
or
- Enabling at the dispatcher level: From Topology > Dispatchers, then from the Action menu, select Dispatchers > Change settings of selected Dispatchers to display the Change settings of selected Dispatchers dialog box, then double-click WebAPI state under Dispatcher WebAPI.
You can also enable secure communication using HTTPS.
Before creating the Ivanti Automation run books, you need to add the following Global Variables at Library > Variables with the values set to match your environment.
Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
General | | |
IvantiServiceManager_API_Key | Text | API Key used by the Administrator. Can be found the Neurons for ITSM Configuration console > Security Control > API Key. |
IvantiServiceManager_Tenant_Url | Text | Neurons for ITSM tenant URL. |
EPM | | |
EPM_ClientId | Text | Client ID created to communicate with EPM server (roclient) |
EPM_ClientSecret | Text | EPM client secret key for the above client ID. |
EPM_Host | Text | IP address of EPM client. |
EPM_PackageCategoryId | Text | EPM PackageCategoryId (refer to the next section to learn how to determine the value for this field). |
EPM_Password | Password | EPM server password. |
EPM_Username | Text | EPM server user name. |
Neurons for ITSM | | |
ISM_APIKey | Text | API Key used by the Administrator. Can be found the Neurons for ITSM Configuration console > Security Control > API Key. |
ISM_Password | Password | Neurons for ITSM tenant password. |
ISM_TenantID | Text | Neurons for ITSM tenant ID. |
ISM_TenantURL | Text | Neurons for ITSM tenant URL. |
ISM_Username | Text | Neurons for ITSM tenant user name. |
Ivanti Automation | | |
IA_Password | Password | Ivanti Automation client password. |
IA_Username | Text | Ivanti Automation client user name. |
Ivanti Neurons for ITSM | | |
Ivanti Service Manager Password | Password | |
Ivanti Service Manager Tenant | Text | |
Ivanti Service Manager Tenant URL | Text | |
Ivanti Service Manager UserName | Text | |
- From Ivanti Automation Console, under Library. click Run Books. The Run Books appear.
- Expand Software Installation.
- Right-click Get Category Id for Package, then click Schedule job. The New Job dialog box appears.
- On the Job Parameters tab, enter the required PackageName, then click OK to execute the job.
- When the job has run, click Job History under Jobs and open the Get EPM Package Category record. The Job dialog opens.
- On the Tasks tab, select the task and click Details.
- Click the Console Output tab. The CategoryId for the specified package is reported at the top of the output. Use this value for the EPM_PackageCategoryId Global Variable.
To import the building blocks, you should have downloaded the Software Deployment from Service Request package from the Ivanti Marketplace.
- After downloading the Software Deployment from Service Request package, right-click the package file and click Extract files.
The files get extracted in a folder.
- Open the folder and navigate to content > EPM Prebuild > building blocks. The following building block files are available.
- For a single software installation:
- runbook_epm connector software install - this module is used to send request to EPM with the software package details and send status to Neurons for ITSM upon completion.
- runbook_get category id for package - this module is used to get the category ID of the EPM server which is required in the variables.
- runbook_send packages to ism - this module is used to send the EPM packages from EPM server to Neurons for ITSM.
- runbook_send runbooks to ism - this module is used to sync the Ivanti Automation runbooks to Neurons for ITSM.
- For multiple software installations:
- runbook_multiple software install - this module is used to send request to EPM with the software package details and send the status to Neurons for ITSM upon completion.
- runbook_get category id for package - this module is used to get the category ID of the EPM server which is required in the variables.
- runbook_send packages to ism - this module is used to send the EPM packages from EPM server to Neurons for ITSM.
- runbook_send runbooks to ism - this module is used to sync the Ivanti Automation runbooks to Neurons for ITSM.
For each of the building block files, a passkey file is available, which is required to import the building blocks.
- From the Ivanti Automation console, under Library, click Modules > Building Blocks > Import Building Blocks and import the above mentioned building blocks one at a time.
- Enter the passkey. Get the passkey from the respective file's passkey file. For example, while importing the runbook_epm connector software install building block, get the passkey from the passkey_epm connector software install file. While importing the runbook_multiple software install building block, get the passkey from the passkey_multiple software install file.
- Repeat step 3 and 4 and import all the four building blocks.
To sync the packages to Neurons for ITSM, you need to schedule these two runbooks - Send Packages to ISM and Send Runbooks to ISM.
- From the Ivanti Automation console, under Library, select Runbooks.
A list of runbooks is displayed.
- Right-click the Send Packages to ISM, select Schedule job.
- Click Ok in the New Job - Send Packages to ISM dialog box.
- Repeat step 2 and 3 for Send Runbooks to ISM.
- To confirm if the above jobs are schedules, go to Jobs > Job History. You should see the entries for Send Packages to ISM and Send Runbooks to ISM in the list.
The Ivanti Automation setup is complete.
Setting up Neurons for ITSM
Once you have finished setting up Ivanti Automation, you need to set up the connection between Automation and Neurons for ITSM, and then set up the required approvals for the software packages. Finally, set up the Request Offering.
The Ivanti Automation Configuration business object in Neurons for ITSM is used to setup the connection details of Ivanti Automation.
- Log in to Neurons for ITSM as Administrator.
- From the workspace menu, click More and select Ivanti Automation Configuration.
- Enter information into the fields:
- Host: IP address of the EPM client.
- Username: Name of the user as in Ivanti Automation.
- Password: Login credentials of the user for Ivanti Automation.
- Authentication Type: Select Basic.
- Primary Host: Select this check box.
After you have set up Ivanti Automation and Endpoint Manager, the list of packages is displayed in the EPM Automation workspace. You can set a display name and approvals for the software packages.
- Log in to Neurons for ITSM as Administrator.
- From the workspace menu, click More and select EPM Automation Package.
A list of software packages is displayed.
- Click the software package you want to set the display name and approvals for. The package page is displayed.
- Enter a contextual name.
- Select the Approval Required and License Approval Required check boxes as appropriate.
- Selecting Approval Required means that the manager of the self service user has to approve the software installation.
- Selecting License Approval Required means that a member of the License Approver contact group has to approve the software installation. See License Approval for adding or removing users from the License Approval group. For more information about contact groups, see Using Contact Groups.
- Click Save to save the software package.
- Repeat the steps 3 - 5 for all the software packages.
License Approval
- Log in to Neurons for ITSM as Administrator.
- Open the Configuration console.
- Under Users and Permission, select Groups and double-click License Approval.
- To add users, click Link and select the user to be added.
- To remove users, select the user from the list and click Unlink.
When you have set up the approvals for the software packages, you can configure the Request Offerings for the EPM Automation Packages.
The software packages imported after the Ivanti Automation and EPM setup is the basis for creating Request Offerings which can be used by end users to deploy software through Request Offering.
- Log in to Neurons for ITSM with any role having access to Request Offering workspace.
- From the workspace menu, select Request Offering.
- In the Browse by Category panel, click Software. The different Software Request Offerings provided as part of the out-of-the-box installation are displayed. You can now either update or copy these request offerings to match your EPM software packages.
- To copy and reconfigure an existing request offering, click the Duplicate Template icon
in the Actions column. The Copy Template dialog box is displayed.
- Enter a New Template Name, then click Copy. you can now update the new Request Offering to match your requirements.
- Click the Design request form tab, and edit the Available Software field.
- Click the Publish Action Access tab to publish the offering, then click Save & Exit.
- Repeat for your other Request Offerings.
Requesting a Software Deployment
When you have completed all of the above settings, end-users can request a software deployment using the Request Offering.
- Log in as a Self Service User or Self Service Mobile user and open the Service Catalog.
- In the Browse by Category panel, expand Software then click the required sub-category. The software packages you have configured are displayed.
- Click the software package you want to request. The Service Request page opens for the requested software.
- In the Computer drop-down, select the computer you want the software to be installed on. The drop-down lists only those computers associated with the current user. If the required computer does not appear in the list, type the computer name in the box under the Computer list to log a manual service request.
- Click Review & Submit. The Review page appears.
- Click Submit. The request is submitted and sent for the specified approvals. When the Service Request has been approved, Ivanti Automation fulfills the software deployment.