Example: Monitoring Server Health Using Run for Collection (GAD)

4 min

Scenario

A company has a number of production servers which they use to host their internal applications. They want to use Ivanti Neurons for ITSM to monitor the health of these servers. The company has an external application which monitors the servers and can send a web request containing the latest information.

By leveraging the Run for Collection Quick Action, Go to Record Quick Action, and webhooks, the company can easily set up a way to take this data and record it in Neurons for ITSM.

Values are shown in this example for both JSON and XML.

Prerequisites

To use these Quick Actions, set the global constant EnableActionService to True.

This example assumes you have administrator-level access to ITSM and are familiar with creating both business objects and Quick Actions. If you do not have administrator-level access, see Notes on roles and permissions and Open the Graphical Action Designer. You also need a business object called Production Server in ITSM.

Two Quick Actions need to be created: Incoming Server Status Update and Go To and Update Server Status.

To create the Incoming Server Status Update Quick Action, open the Graphical Action Designer.

See: Open the Graphical Action Designer.

Tip: You can use the Classic Action Designer if you prefer.

Drag action blocks on to the Designer Board for the Update Stored Values and Variables Quick Action and the Run for Collection Quick Action. Link the two blocks as shown.

Example for monitoring server health using Run for Collection; creation of 2 action blocks for Update Variables and Stored Values linked to Run for Collection

Name the Composite Action as Incoming Server Status Update.

Select the Update Stored Values and Variables Quick Action block. This block updates the stored values and variables used in your action.

For more help see: Update Stored Values and Variables Quick Action

Configure the action to store the JSON or XML in the required variable WebhookBody. Enter the values as follows:

Field	Value
Variable Type	Variable
Name	WebhookBody
Data Type	JSON or XML
Value (JSON)	{}
Value (XML)	<xml></xml>

Select the Run for Collection block and then create an expression using the Simplified Expression Editor. For help, see: Using the Simplified Expression Editor

The collection to step through is taken directly from the incoming data sent to the webhook. Once per item in the collection, the Go To and Update Server Status Quick Action is run.

Field	Parameter
Collection to step through	$(Variable("WebhookBody"))
Action to Run for each item	Go To and Update Server Status
Stop on Error	Not selected

Block settings for Run for Collection in server monitoring example

To create the Go To and Update Server Status Quick Action, drag blocks on to the Designer Board for the Go to Record Quick Action and Update a Record Quick Action and link together as shown.

2 blocks for Go To and Update Server Status composite action

Once per item in the collection, the Go to Record Quick Action, is used to go to a record where the ServerName field is equal to the value taken from the current collection item. Select the Go to Record block and enter the values:

Field	Value
Field Name	ServerName (Name)
Field Value (JSON)	$(JSONPathValue(CurrentCollectionItem(), "$.ServerName"))
Field Value (XML)	$(XPathValue(CurrentCollectionItem(), "ServerName"))

Top of Block settings for Go to Record as part of Go To and Update server Status Composite Action

If the action doesn't find a record with that name, select the Create a new Record if not found option to create a new record, again taking the name from the current collection item.

Field	Value
Create a new Record if not found	Selected
Field Name	ServerName (Name)
Field Value (XML)	$(JSONPathValue(CurrentCollectionItem(), "$.ServerName"))
Field Value (XML)	$(XPathValue(CurrentCollectionItem(), "ServerName"))

New fields that go in new record if one is not present

Finally, the LastStatus data is taken out of the current collection item, and used to update the corresponding field on the current record. Select the Update a Record Quick Action block and select or enter the values:

Field	Value
Field Name	LastStatus (Last Known Status)
Field Value (JSON)	$(JSONPathValue(CurrentCollectionItem(), "$.LastStatus"))
Field Value (XML)	$(XPathValue(CurrentCollectionItem(), "LastStatus"))

Create a webhook to trigger the Incoming Server Status Update Quick Action when data is sent to the appropriate endpoint. In the Settings menu, click on Webhooks Manager in the Build section.

The Webhooks Manager opens.

Click Add a Webhook.

Enter information into the fields:

Field	Value
Name	Update Server Status
Description	Webhook for sending external server status info to ITSM
Endpoint Extension	UpdateServerStatus Note: The endpoint extension is case-sensitive.
Full Endpoint	https://{tenant url}/api/rest/Webhooks/Execute?extension=UpdateServerStatus
Select Business Object	ProductionServer
Select Action	Incoming Server Status Update (Composite Action)

Webhook created for the update server status example

Click Save.

A confirmation message appears saying Webhook successfully created. Your webhook appears in the list and is enabled by default.

Example: Monitoring Server Health Using Run for Collection (GAD)

Scenario

Prerequisites

Setting up Quick Actions in ITSM

Create the Webhook

Run the Scenario