A key part of simple, hands-free data management is automation. That’s why Rubrik provides a suite of RESTful APIs for creating custom workflows. This post walks you through Rubrik’s integration with ServiceNow and some common use cases.

ServiceNow is a cloud-based IT service management platform designed to reduce costs and increase business agility across all ITIL processes. Their rich integration system is built into their platform and enables end users to connect with third-party systems that may be otherwise unavailable.

Rubrik’s integration with ServiceNow is a custom app that provides common backup and recovery workflows to the end user and helpdesk team through items presented in the ServiceNow Service Catalog. Ultimately, this functionality provides a higher level of self-service that is ITIL compliant and aligns with existing business rules.

 

What exactly can you do with the ServiceNow & Rubrik integration?

ServiceNow Service Catalog

The Service Catalog lists form-based requests for the help desk or end users who use ServiceNow as a central point of inquiry. Rubrik’s integration includes catalog items that are easily found within the Rubrik category. These items can also be moved into more user-friendly categories to align with the service desk standards. While it may seem small, this mobility is important in further enabling self-service.

img

VM Provisioning and Customized Auto-Protection Workflow

Many of our customers utilize the orchestration features within ServiceNow for virtual machine provisioning. One common question they ask is, “How do I incorporate a Rubrik SLA Domain assignment into my existing provisioning forms and workflows?”

The integration includes components within the Workflow Editor that can be utilized with present workflows. The example below shows a field that’s been added to a provisioning form–a simple clone script in this case. The field offers a choice of SLA Domains that the form pulls from the Rubrik cluster via a REST call.

img

Once the form is submitted, the values are passed to the actual modified workflow:

img

Here, we’ve appended Rubrik-specific components that take the necessary steps to assign the SLA Domain to the new VM. Our DevOps SE team can assist in customizing to very specific workflows in a similar fashion if needed.

Self-Service File-Level Recovery

While Rubrik offers RBAC for granular protection, some organizations have strict security standards that prevent widespread access to the internal IT management network. Users can leverage the ServiceNow Service Catalog to provide a self-service model for recovering files directly back into the VM via dynamic forms that interact with the Rubrik RESTful API. This eliminates the need to submit recovery requests into a help desk.

The help desk or end users can recover a file or directory inside of ServiceNow without having to depend on a backup administrator. Below is our dynamic form depicted in the Service Catalog:

img

Live Mount

Users can also leverage the Live Mount feature to instantly access virtual machines from a previous point in time.

Live Mount offers a number of use cases. In the event of a ransomware attack, it provides instant access to data since Rubrik’s snapshots are immutable. If a user is unsure which files need to be recovered, he or she can Live Mount a VM to investigate and tear it down when finished. In addition to recovery, Live Mount allows users to instantly spin up clones of VMs for test/dev.

img

ServiceNow Dashboard and Reporting

With ServiceNow’s built-in reporting features, you can create charts and graphs that pull data directly from Rubrik Envision reports via the Rubrik RESTful API in a format that ServiceNow understands. Envision delivers platform analytics on operational efficiencies, compliance, and capacity utilization across a user’s entire environment.

The data is presented visually and can easily be customized.

img

With the vast amount of custom reports that can be created with Rubrik Envision, the visual representations and combinations of data within ServiceNow are endless. These reports provide executive visibility into key performance indicators and SLA compliance that tie back to the business. The user has greater agility to react to trends based on these reports.

The Rubrik and ServiceNow integration showcases the power of RESTful APIs for creating automated, custom workflows. By leveraging third-party tools, our customers can further align with business needs and simplify data management.

Watch this video to learn more about leveraging the Rubrik API for flexible and powerful workflow automation.

By viewing this video, you are providing your express consent that your viewing history has been captured and may be shared with our affiliates or third-party providers that may also combine with other data they collect about you, e.g. your use of their services. We and our third-party providers may use this information to present you with offers, promotions, or other marketing that we think you'll find relevant.