CSM Integration Options

CSM provides built-in integration tools to help you import, export, or link information between two systems. There are also options for performing actions that are triggered by an external tool or by CSM.

The integration option you use depends on:

Where the data you need to import to CSM is stored.
Whether you need access to real-time data or if a one-time static import will suffice.
How imports or events are triggered. Do these originate in CSM or an external tool?
Your programming experience with REST APIs.

Import Static Data

If you do not need to import real-time data into your CSM system, you can import data from a .csv file as needed or schedule periodic imports. You can import Business Object or user data from .csv files.

For example:

To import data from a legacy Service Management tool, export that data to a .csv file, and then run a one-time import. For more information, see Run a One-time Import of Business Object Data.
To periodically import new and updated user information from LDAP or another data store, export data to a .csv file on a scheduled basis and use a Stored Import Definition to schedule imports into CSM. For more information, see Importing Users with .csv Files.

Effort level: This is the simplest way to get data into CSM since it does not require ongoing access to an external database or programming experience.

Import Real-time Data

To access real-time data in an external database to import or update Business Object records, use external database connections. This mapping between two database creates a one-to-one relationship with the external data and a CSM Business Object.

You can use this method to import data into existing Business Objects or to link new Business Objects to an external database.

The option to link new Business Objects to an external database is only available for Cherwell on-premises customers.

For example:

To import physical assets, such as computers or vehicles, consider using the import process since the data may not change often. For more information, see Import External Data in an Existing Business Object and Import External Data into a New External Business Object.
For more fluid assets, such as software assigned to physical assets, create a new Business Object and link it to your external database. This ensures that real-time data is consistent in CSM and the external database. For more information, see Link External Data to a New External Business Object.

Both approaches have pros and cons that you should consider. For more information, see About Imported Data and Linked Data.

Effort level: This method is more complex that .csv imports because it requires access to an external database, but you do not need programming experience. If you choose to import data rather than link databases, you may need to schedule periodic imports to refresh data.

Trigger External Events from One-Step™ Actions

One-Step Actions provide a powerful mechanism for automating tasks in external tools based on events that occur in CSM.

Use the following Actions to integrate with external tools:

You can use these Actions with Trusted Agents to perform tasks across different networks or in a Cherwell SaaS environment.

Effort level: This method can be simple or complex depending on the One-Step Action you create. For most Actions, you do not need programming experience.

Trigger CSM Actions from an External Tool

Use one of these two methods for triggering actions in CSM based on events that occur in an external tool:

Webhooks: Use HTTP POST methods to send data to a CSM webhook endpoint. Assign a One-Step Action to each endpoint determines how the data is consumed by CSM.
For example, use a webhook to update a CSM Incident with information from a Jira issue based on a defined event in Jira. Once the Jira event is triggered, data is sent to CSM, which fires a One-Step Action to update mapped fields in the Incident.
For more information, see About Webhooks.
Effort level: This method can be simple or complex depending on the requirements of the external tool and the One-Step Action you create. Some programming experience may be required.
Cherwell® REST API
The Cherwell REST API provides programmatic access to many CSM functions, such as finding, creating, and updating Business Objects, finding and running Search queries, and running existing One-Step Actions.

The Cherwell REST API is more powerful and performs faster than other integration options, but is more complex and requires programming experience.

For more information, see About Cherwell REST APIs.

Effort level: This is the most complex integration option because programming experience is required. If you do not have this experience, consider using one of the alternative methods described in this topic.