SWIM Closed Loop Automation

About SWIM Closed Loop Automation

This release supports closed loop automation for software image management (SWIM) between Cisco DNA Center and ServiceNow. Closed-loop automation consists of a user configuring the provisioning of software device images in Cisco DNA Center. This configuration information is then communicated directly from Cisco DNA Center to ServiceNow as an immediate or scheduled change request. The ServiceNow administrator reviews the change request and either approves or rejects it in ServiceNow. The change request acceptance or rejection is then communicated back to Cisco DNA Center.

After receipt of an approved change request from ServiceNow, Cisco DNA Center performs the software update at that time (immediately) or at its scheduled future time.

After Cisco DNA Center successfully performs the software update, a notification (task completed) is sent back to ServiceNow. If the software update fails, then this is also communicated back to ServiceNow (task fail), so that the user can then manually perform the software update in Cisco DNA Center.

Note

If the SWIM provisioning is stopped by the user in Cisco DNA Center during this process, then a task aborted notification is sent to ServiceNow.

Perform the following procedures to enable SWIM closed loop automation between Cisco DNA Center and ServiceNow:

Review the requirements to ensure that the prerequisites for this feature have been met. See SWIM Closed Loop Automation Requirements.
Review the SWIM closed loop automation workflow to ensure that the required Cisco DNA Center admin and ServiceNow admin tasks are performed for this feature. See SWIM Closed Loop Automation Workflow.

SWIM Closed Loop Automation Requirements

The following table lists the requirements for SWIM closed loop automation feature.

Table 1. SWIM Closed Loop Automation Requirements
Software Product, App, or Procedure	Requirement
Cisco DNA Center	Release 2.1.1.0
Service Now	The following ServiceNow release versions support this feature: Orlando New York Patch 1 Madrid Patch 8
Cisco DNA Center app	Cisco DNA app (version 1.1.1) This app is available through the ServiceNow website located at: https://store.servicenow.com/sn_appstore_store.do#!/store/application/03eb0f4ddbf6ba00f27978b5ae96197b/1.1.1 The Cisco DNA app is to be installed in your ServiceNow instance by a ServiceNow administrator.
Cisco DNA Center to ServiceNow ITSM integration	Review the Cisco DNA Center Integration with ServiceNow using the Cisco DNA App workflow and use it to set up the integration. See Cisco DNA Center Integration with ServiceNow using the Cisco DNA App.

SWIM Closed Loop Automation Workflow

The following table describes the SWIM closed loop automation workflow between Cisco DNA Center and ServiceNow.

Table 2. SWIM Closed Loop Automation Workflow

Step

Description

Step 1

The Cisco DNA Center admin configures the Image Repository to prepare for the provisioning of devices in the network.

Note

See Chapter 6, Manage Software Images, in the Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center User Guide for information about setting up the Image Repository, as well as to review the software image provisioning process.

Step 2

The Cisco DNA Center admin distributes the software image to a device or devices at the present time or schedules this activity for a later time.

Note

Before this step is done, ensure that the SWIM Events for ITSM (ServiceNow) bundle is configured and activated.

From the Cisco DNA Center home page, the admin clicks Provision.
From the Focus drop-down list, the admin chooses Software Images and selects the device with the image to upgrade.

From the Actions drop-down list, the admin chooses Software Images > Update Image and does the following:

Distribute: Clicks Now to start the distribution immediately or clicks Later to schedule the distribution at a specific time.
Clicks Next.
Activate: Clicks Now to start the activation immediately or clicks Later to schedule the activation at a specific time.
Confirm: Clicks Confirm to confirm the update.

Note

See Chapter 6, Manage Software Images, in the Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center User Guide for detailed information about this step.

Step 3

Once a software image distribution is created in Cisco DNA Center (software image update to be activated immediately or later), then a SWIM event is created and communicated directly to the ServiceNow ITSM as a change request ticket. This is done through the use of APIs from the DNA app. The change request ticket status is new.

The SWIM event appears in the ServiceNow GUI in the ServiceNow Change Requests table.

Step 4

In the Change Requests table, the ServiceNow admin clicks on the change request number (identifier) to open and review its status and data. In the ServiceNow GUI, the ServiceNow admin can edit the change request. For example, the admin can change the State from 'New' to 'Scheduled' and enter 'Change Management' for the Assignment group. The ServiceNow admin can also identify the SWIM change request with information in the Short Description field.

Step 5

The ServiceNow admin now clicks the Cisco DNA tab in the change request. Important additional data synchronized from Cisco DNA Center to ServiceNow can be viewed in this tab.

Step 6

The ServiceNow admin now either approves or rejects the change request ticket in the ServiceNow GUI.

In the Cisco DNA tab, the ServiceNow admin clicks the Approval Status field and clicks either Approved to approve the request or Rejected to reject the request.

Note

Before the change request is executed, it must be approved in ServiceNow. Only after an approval in ServiceNow will the change request be executed in Cisco DNA Center.

Figure 5. Cisco DNA Approval Status Field

Step 7

After the ServiceNow admin approves the ticket and the status of the change request is changed to 'Implement', a notification is sent to Cisco DNA Center. In case the ticket is rejected, then the update is sent to Cisco DNA Center in 'Scheduled' state itself and the ServiceNow ticket is automatically cancelled.

Step 8

After a successful software image update in Cisco DNA Center, a notification (task completed) is sent back to ServiceNow. ServiceNow then closes the change request ticket. The change request ticket closure is done through the use of APIs from the DNA app.

Note

For a failed software update, ServiceNow proceeds to report the failure so that the ServiceNow admin can manually take action on the change request ticket. For an aborted software update, the change request ticket is canceled in ServiceNow. The reporting of both a failed software image update and an aborted software image update are also done through the use of APIs from the DNA app.

Step 9

The Cisco DNA Center admin can review the SWIM event by clicking on Runtime Dashboard > Event Summary.

Note

By clicking the on individual events in the GUI window, the admin accesses additional GUI windows that permit direct access to the event in ServiceNow.