VAR case forwarding via SAP Cloud ALM ITSM API

[SAPSupport]

Hello,

We saw in the new PCOE agreement that for the case forwarding, we can use an alternative solution than SAP Solution Manager (SolMan).

I saw that there is an SAP Cloud ALM ITSM API now, but it seems that we have to connect our SAP Cloud ALM tenant to SAP. My question is: how is it done? I don't see an example of Case forwarding from another ITSM to the SAP Backbone.

Do you have any information that you can share with us? We'd like to anticipate the end of SolMan and move forward with a alternative way of case forwarding. And can we use it as we are a VAR partner for all our customer?

Regards

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[FlorentTardivon]

Hello,

Could you please check my comment on the answer below because it's not cleared how to consume the api, if it's directly from our calm or our third party itsm.

Regards

[SAPSupport · Accepted solution]

The SAP Cloud ALM ITSM API is documented in:

• API Guide for SAP Cloud ALM > ITSM API
• SAP Business Accelerator Hub > SAP Cloud ALM REST ITSM API 

Any software that can execute REST API requests can use the ITSM API. E.G. a REST API client (Postman, Bruno, etc.) can be used to manually execute requests for testing purposes.

Your external ticketing software may be able to execute REST API requests. Refer to the external ticketing software documentation to check if it offers this functionality, and how to configure it.

On the SAP side, the configuration steps for "normal" (non-VAR) Customers and VAR Customers are the same. The values provided in the JSON Request Body are the only difference. Let's examine an example of the request POST /supportcases/cases.

The Request has several mandatory Body properties. These include:

• customerNumber
• installationNumber
• customer
• reporter

A "normal" (non-VAR) Customer uses only their own data in these properties. (E.G. both "customer" and "reporter" are an S-user ID from their own company authorized to create a Case, etc.)

A VAR Customer uses their End Customer's data in most of these properties. (E.G. "customer" is an S-user ID from the End Customer, "installationNumber" is the End Customer's installation number, etc.) The "reporter" property must be an S-user ID from the VAR itself. The resulting Case will be marked as a VAR Case in the Support Backbone. 

[FlorentTardivon · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Thanks for the provided solution but in the configuration steps, we need to create connection in our subaccount CALM to the apps.support.sap.com and document url. How will they be used in a var configuration with for example JIRA and the support backbone ?

As you said, you can go through postman to post cases directly if needed, so why we need to create these connection in the calm subaccount ?

Regards

[john_p_grimes · Accepted solution]

Hi,

[john_p_grimes · Accepted solution]

Hello Florent,

Can JIRA make REST API requests? If yes, then you will need to configure it to make calls to the SAP Cloud ALM ITSM API. This information was mentioned in the original response:
"Your external ticketing software may be able to execute REST API requests. Refer to the external ticketing software documentation to check if it offers this functionality, and how to configure it."

The BTP destinations are required because the SAP Cloud ALM tenant will use them to perform the actual communication with the SAP Support Backbone. SAP Cloud ALM acts as a facilitator, of sorts. In the context of VARs, the only special considerations are the contents of the JSON included in the API requests. This is again also mentioned in the original response:
"A VAR Customer uses their End Customer's data in most of these properties. (E.G. "customer" is an S-user ID from the End Customer, "installationNumber" is the End Customer's installation number, etc.) The "reporter" property must be an S-user ID from the VAR itself. The resulting Case will be marked as a VAR Case in the Support Backbone."

Here is the flow of events when the SAP Cloud ALM ITSM API is called. They are the same for both normal Customers and for VARs. The only difference is the content of the JSON body.

1. An external software submits a request to the SAP Cloud ALM ITSM API, using the URL pointing to a specific SAP Cloud ALM tenant. If the request is of method "POST", it must include JSON body content also.
   • The external software can be
     • A REST API client (e.g. Postman, Insomnia, Bruno, cURL).
     • A third party ticketing system with the ability to make REST API requests.
     • Middleware or other external software that can make REST API requests.
   • The JSON body content will be different depending on the Customer type.
     • A "normal" (non-VAR) Customer uses only their own data in these properties. (E.G. both "customer" and "reporter" are an S-user ID from their own company authorized to create a Case, etc.)
     • A VAR Customer uses their End Customer's data in most of these properties. (E.G. "customer" is an S-user ID from the End Customer, "installationNumber" is the End Customer's installation number, etc.) The "reporter" property must be an S-user ID from the VAR itself. The resulting Case will be marked as a VAR Case in the Support Backbone.
2. The SAP Cloud ALM tenant receives the request.
3. The SAP Cloud ALM tenant checks for the presence of the prerequisite BTP destinations ("calm_itsm_support", "calm_itsm_documents_services") in the "SAP Cloud ALM" Subaccount.
4. If the destinations exist, the SAP Cloud ALM tenant internally routes the data from the request to the SAP Support Backbone via those destinations. When the Backbone request has completed, a Response is returned with an HTTP status code to indicate the success, as well as a relevant JSON payload.
5. If the destinations do not exist then the API request will fail, return an appropriate HTTP status code, and possibly a JSON payload.

I hope that this clarifies the use of the API further.

Thanks and regards,
John

[FlorentTardivon · Accepted solution]

Hello @john_p_grimes,

Yes, now I understand how the message go through our CALM to yours, thanks for the process, I was not sure how the fact that we create a call from our third party to our CALM with btp destinations will do the work.

Regards 

[Mildred · Accepted solution]

Hello! I have a question about the PCoE (SAP Partner Center of Expertise) certification, to obtain it, we're required to provide several documents and certain VAR configurations in ITSM. How would it work with ALM? We use a third-party software instead of ITSM and only create the SAP connection. Would that be sufficient?

[john_p_grimes · Accepted solution]

Hi Mildred,

My contributions above have been limited to the SAP Cloud ALM technical aspects (configuration, workflow, etc.).

I'm afraid that I can't speak to the details of the PCoE certification, I'm not involved in that process. It would probably be best if you contact your Partner touchpoint at SAP for more information. They should be able to clarify further your options.

Speaking again from the SAP Cloud ALM perspective, the Transition to SAP Cloud ALM page outlines that ITSM functionality is provided as built-in with SAP Solution Manager only. SAP Cloud ALM does not come with a built-in ITSM functionality, so Customers must rely on a third party ticketing software to work in concert with SAP Cloud ALM (via the APIs offered by the third party ticketing software). The instructions I have provided in my previous responses detail how to use SAP Cloud ALM as a kind of "middleware" for connecting your third party ITSM software to the SAP Support Backbone.

Thanks and regards,
John

[tamasholics]

Hi,

For ServiceNow, there will be an out-of-the-box solution from STA Technologies (https://sta-technologies.com/). It is scheduled to be published in February, it will be certified by ServiceNow and will be available on the ServiceNow Store.

If you want to be notified about it, I'd suggest subscribing to our LinkedIn newsletter (https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/innovative-add-ons-for-sap-6927585443106430977/) and following me (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamasholics/).

Here is a screenshot as a teaser:

Cheers,

Tamás