ITSM EPM Remote Control Integration

This feature is only available for on-premises customers.

About Endpoint Manager Remote Control

The Ivanti Neurons for ITSM remote control feature allows the Mobile Analyst role to access and control the machines of end users who need help. With the additional configuration mentioned in this topic, the remote control functionality can be extended to the Service Desk Analyst role.

The remote control feature allows Service Desk Analysts to:

  • Control the machine of the end user/customer and see what they are doing.

  • Launch a remote control session directly from the CI record if remote control has been enabled for the CI-type.

  • Copy and paste between the analyst and end user's browser.

  • Create or resolve an incident from the window.

  • Use an EPM or Endpoint Manager console to view the history of the remote control sessions.

System Requirements for the Remote Control Feature

  • The Endpoint Manager Core Server and Neurons for ITSM must be connected with a dedicated network between the two applications using a VPN.

  • The EPM server should have valid external certificate that is trusted by browsers.

  • Latest version of Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

  • You can launch EPM remote control from a browser before configuring it in ITSM.

Configuring Endpoint Manager Remote Control in Neurons for ITSM

  1. In the Configuration Console, set the Enable Remote Control Integration global constant to true.
  2. Create EPM Core details by providing the following values:
    1. EPM Core Server Name: EPM Core Server Hostname or Full Qualified Name. Verify to confirm this server is accessible over the network from ISM servers. Update the etc\hosts file to resolve DNS on the server where remote control is being launched, if required.
    2. Remote Control URL: Ensure formatting https://{EPM Core Server Name}/remotecontrol/#?rcauth={EPM Core Server Name}&token=
    3. Token URL: https://{EPM Core Server Name}/remotecontrolauth/api/jwt

      If the information above does not work (for example when using an old version), you can try using this instead: https://{EPM Core Server Name}/remotecontrol/#/login/{EPM Core Server Name}

  3. Configure the EPM remote control configuration business objects:
    1. User Name: Login for EPM core administrator.
    2. Password: Password for EPM core administrator.
    3. Timeout: Time to keep the remote control session alive. The ISM session timeout overrides this configuration.
    4. Maximum Concurrent Sessions: Max number of remote control sessions that can be launched by the ITSM logged-in user.
    5. Send Encrypted Credentials: This setting must be unchecked.
    6. EPM Core Server: The field name where the EPM core name is populated in the CI. While importing a CI, any specific field can be mapped and the exact field name should be added here.

Configuring Endpoint Manager Remote Control for a Service Desk Analyst

Follow these procedures to add Endpoint Manager Remote Control to the CI business object.

Add RCUrl Field to the CI Business Object

1.From the Configuration Console, select Configure Application.

2.From the Settings pane, click Build > Business Objects and use Find: to search for the CI (CI) Configuration Item business object.

3.Click Fields in the toolbar to open the list, then click Add new...

4.From the list of field types that can be added, select Text.

5.In the Add New Field page, enter the following configurations:

Option Setting/Description
Field Name

Enter RCUrl as a name for this field

Display Name RCUrl
Description

URL to remote control this CI
Field Type Select Text > HTML
Text Length Unlimited (the system should automatically make this selection when HTML is selected).
Field Attributes Select Nullable

6.Click Save to add the field. The system may take while to save this change.

Add a RCToken field to the CI Business Object

Return to the Business Objects page in the Configuration Console.

1.From the Settings pane, click Build > Business Objects and use Find: to search for the CI (CI) Configuration Item business object.

2.Click Fields in the toolbar to open the Business Rules page, then click Add New.

3.Select Text from the list of field types.

4.In the Add New Field page, complete the following:

Option Setting/Description
Field Name

Enter RCToken
Display Name Enter RCToken
Description

"Enter RCToken field" stores the JWT token generated from a Quick Action
Field Type Text
Text Length

Unlimited

Field Attributes

Select Nullable

5.Click Save.

Add Remote_link to the CI Business Object

Return to the Business Objects page in the Configuration Console.

  1. From the Settings pane, click Build > Business Objects and use Find: to search for the CI (CI) Configuration Item business object.
  2. Click Fields in the toolbar to open the Business Rules page, then click Add New.
  3. Select Link from the list of field types.
  4. In the Add New Field page, complete the following:
    OptionSetting/Description
    Field Name

    Enter Remote_link

    Display NameEnter Remote_link
    Description

    "Enter Remote_link" is used to create a relationship between the CI and EPM Core Server Details business objects.

    Field TypeLink

  5. Save the changes.

Add the relationship between the CI and RemoteControl.EPMCoreDetails business objects

Return to the Business Objects page in the Configuration Console.

  1. In the CI (CI) Configuration Item business object, add a relationship to the RemoteControl.EPMCoreDetails business object with the following details:
    Designer Name

    CIAssocRemoteControlEPMCoreDetails

    Display NameCIAssocRemoteControlEPMCoreDetails
    Internal Reference Name

    CIAssocRemoteControlEPMCoreDetails

    Relation toRemoteControl.EPMCoreDetails

    Relationship Key

    RemoteControl#EPMCoreDetails.CIAssocRemoteControlEPMCoreDetails

    Reverse Relationship Key

    CI#.CIAssocRemoteControlEPMCoreDetails

    Direction

    Reversed

    Relationship is Audited

    blank

    Full Text Search is Enabled

    blank

    Prevent Delete when Linked Objects Exist

    blank

    This Business Object cardinality

    Zero or many

    Binding Type

    Associates with

    Related Business Object cardinality

    Zero or one

  2. Save the changes.
  3. Select Fields > Remote_link, and update the Linked Object Type BO to RemoteControl.EPMCoreDetails.
  4. Save the changes.

Add a child panel for the CI Business Object layout

Return to the Business Objects page in the Configuration Console.

  1. In the CI (CI) Configuration Item business object, select Layout, then select AMC.CI.
  2. Open the Computer form view, then select Add child panel and add the following details:
    OptionSetting/Description
    Display Name

    EPM Core Server

    ObjectRemoteControl.EPMCoreDetails
    Relationship

    CIAssocRemoteControlEPMCoreDetails

    FormEPMCoreDetails

  3. Save the changes.

Add the RCUrl field to a CI Computer form

  1. Open the Computer Details form (AMC.Asset.Administrator.Details) of the CI business object.

  2. Edit the page as follows.

    1. To add an icon for the Remote Control button: From the left pane, click the Other directory icon to expand the folder, then scroll to find Picture. Drag Picture to the top of the Asset Detail layout on the right of the page. A new row is created, and a gear icon appears. Select the gear icon you added to the form to enable the Control Properties tab.

    2. Replace the icon: From the Control Properties tab, Click in the Value section of the Image field, then click the expression editor symbol to open the Edit Expression dialog. Click the Image Manager link at the bottom of the form to open the dialog and scroll to find and select the Start Remote Control icon. Click Select to close the dialog and click Save in the Edit Expression dialog.

    3. From the Control Properties tab, click in the Value column for the Visible Expression field then click the expression editor. In the Expression Editor dialog enter $(RCUrl !=null) and click Save.

  3. Add the Start Remote Control field:

    1. From the left pane, scroll to and expand the CI > Fields folder.

    2. Select RCUrl and drag to the right pane next to the Image icon you added earlier.

    3. Select the RCUrl field you dragged to the right pane and make the following changes in the Control Properties tab. You may need to scroll to see all the settings.

      Option Setting/Description
      Control Type

      HTML Viewer
      Height 1 dm
      Label

      Do not set a label (clear this field)
      Visible expression $(RCUrl!=null)

      Width

      12 em (any setting you prefer)
    4. Select Save.
  4. When you return to Neurons for ITSM, refresh the browser then open a CI of type Workstation. The Remote Control option should be displayed at the top of the form.

Create a business rule for CI and CI.Computer business objects

  1. Open the CI business object.

  2. Click Business Rules.

  3. Click Editing and Calculation Rules.

  4. Click Add Calculation Rule and enter the following configurations:

    Option Setting/Description
    Field Name

    RCUrl

    Condition Always
    Also Recalculate on Load

    Select
    Name RCUrl

    Expression Editor

    Enter the following expression to allow a Remote Control session:

    Copy 
    $(if Name != null
      then "<a href=" + "#" + " onclick=" + "window.open('" +
           [RemoteControl#EPMCoreDetails.CIAssocRemoteControlEPMCoreDetails]RemoteControlURL1
              +
           RCToken + "','_blank','noopener'); return false;" +
           ">Start Remote Control</a>"
      else "")
  5. Select Save.

  6. Add an Editing Rule:

    Option Setting/Description
    Set

    RCToken
    Name Editing Rule for CI#Computer.RCToken on update of RCToken

    Expression Editor

    		 $(Replace(RCToken, "", ""))
  7. Select Save.

Create a web service script to generate an authentication token

  1. From the Configuration Console, select Extend > Integration Tools > Web Service Connections.

  2. Add a new Integration named EPMRemoteControlAuth and click Next.

  3. Add this script in the Scripts field:

  4. Copy 
    //This script will generate the JWT token for EPM Core server and appends to EPM Remote Control URL.

    var CookiesSites = null;
    var SessionInfoSites = null;
    var computerRecID= Get("CI#", "$(RecId)"); //To get the CI Name from CI BO
    console.error("ComputerRecID "+computerRecID);
    var EPMRecID=computerRecID.Fields["Remote_link_RecID"]; // To get the RecID  of the linked RemoteControl.EPMCoreDetails BO.
    console.error("EPMRecID "+EPMRecID);
    //To get the JWT token URL
    var remote=Search('RemoteControl#EPMCoreDetails', {

    RecId: EPMRecID
    }).First();

    //var EPMRemoteControlServer=remote;
    //remote.Close();
    console.error("EPMRemoteControlServer "+ remote);

    var getJsonRequestSettingsSites = function ()

    {

    return {

    Headers: { 'Content-Type': "application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=utf-8" },

    Cookies: CookiesSites,

    SkipServerCertificateValidation: true,
    //EPM core login credentials
    UserName: "EPMadmin", 

    Password: "Ivanti@12345",

    AllowAutoRedirect: false

    };

    };


    var jwttoken;

    //To store the JWT token URL into variable 
    //var RCtoken="https://epm2021/remotecontrolauth/api/jwt";
      var RCtoken=remote.Fields["JWTTokenURL"];
      console.error("RCToken " +RCtoken);
    //var responsePages= ExecuteWebRequest('POST', urlPages, "=##SVC1#", getJsonRequestSettingsSites());
    //Build API call to get the JWT token.
    var response= ExecuteWebRequest('POST', RCtoken, "=##"+computerRecID.Fields["Name"] +"#", getJsonRequestSettingsSites());
    console.error("responsePages "+response);

    jwttoken=(response.Data);
    console.error("parseDataPages " + jwttoken);
    //Updating to JWT token to RCToken field in the CI 
    computerRecID.UpdateField("RCToken", jwttoken);

  5. Click Next and Publish .

Create a Quick Action to run the web service script

  1. Open the CI business object.

  2. Click Quick Actions.

  3. Add a new Quick Action type named Web Service Script.

  4. Select EPMRemoteControlAuth as the connection name to load the above created web service script.

  5. Click Save.

Link the CI to EPMCoreServer details

  1. Login as Administrator and open the CI workspace.

  2. Link the EPM Core Server details record for the selected CI computer.

Validate Remote Control Access for a Service Desk Analyst

A user can allow a Service Desk Analyst with remote control rights to EPM.

To open a remote control session:

  1. Open a CI of any type that has the Remote Control function configured.

  2. Run the quick action “RCtoken_update” to generate the token.

  3. From the Details tab, click the Start Remote button.

  4. The remote control session will open in new browser tab with authentication token appended to the URL.

  5. Copy the URL and paste in a new browser tab to open the remote control session seamlessly.

Troubleshooting

  • The RCtoken_update Quick Action generates an authentication token which is valid up to 5 minutes. We recommend you run the Quick Action before selecting the Start Remote button.

  • If EPM Remote control is not accepted by your browser, you can execute the below URL and accept it first time for testing purpose only:

    https://<EPMAgent>:44343/attr

  • Currently, launching a remote control session from ITSM-created browser tabs can take a long time. This issue is being investigated further, As workaround, you can copy the URL of the ITSM-launched browser tab into a new tab on a same browser. This will open the remote control session quickly.

  • Each CI should have the EPMCore Server details linked. This can be done importing this metadata patch by editing the EPM Core server name in the patch.

    Copy 
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <Metadata ClientSchemaVersion="1.1" Name="Link_EPM_CORE_CI.sql">
    	<Differences>
    		<Updates>
    			<Sql>
    				<Statements>

    					UPDATE CI SET Remote_link_RecID=(Select Top 1 RecId from RemoteControl where EPMCore='EPM2021') where CIType='Computer'

    					GO
    			</Statements>
    			</Sql>
    		</Updates>
    	</Differences>
    	<Notes/>
    </Metadata>

  • Service Desk Analysts are always allowed to manually log in to EPM core and remote control using RCViewer. This helps to log in to remote control in case authentication from ITSM fails.

Configuring Endpoint Manager Remote Control for Responsive Analyst

Refer to Working with Mobile Analyst for information on setting up Mobile Analyst roles.

To configure EPM for the Mobile Analyst portal:

  1. Apply the Mobile Analyst Configuration Item Asset Content package.

  2. While logged in as a Mobile Analyst, launch a remote control session from a configuration item:

    1. Open a CI record.

    2. Select More > Asset Manger > RCtoken_Update.

    3. In the RCViewer window, select the OS session you want to connect to.