SWIM Closed Loop Automation
About SWIM Closed Loop Automation
This release supports closed loop automation for software image management (SWIM) between Catalyst Center and ServiceNow. Closed-loop automation involves a user configuring the provisioning of software device images in Catalyst Center. This configuration information is then communicated directly from Catalyst 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 Catalyst Center.
After receipt of an approved change request from ServiceNow, Catalyst Center performs the software update at the scheduled time. If the software update is successful, a notification (task completed) is sent back to ServiceNow. If the software update fails, this is also communicated back to ServiceNow (task fail), allowing the user to manually perform the software update in Catalyst Center.
Note: If SWIM provisioning is stopped by the user in Catalyst Center during this process, a task termination notification is sent to ServiceNow.
To enable SWIM closed loop automation between Catalyst Center and ServiceNow, ensure that the Cisco Catalyst app (version 2.2.0) is installed within the ServiceNow instance and follow these procedures:
- 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 Catalyst Center admin and ServiceNow admin tasks are completed for this feature. See SWIM Closed Loop Automation Workflow.
SWIM Closed Loop Automation Requirements
This table lists the requirements for SWIM closed loop automation.
| Software product, app, or procedure | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Catalyst Center | The latest Catalyst Center release. |
| Service Now | Any compatible version of ServiceNow mentioned on the ServiceNow Store website. Access the ServiceNow Store website: ServiceNow Store |
| Cisco Catalyst app | Cisco Catalyst app (version 2.2.0). Available through the ServiceNow website: ServiceNow Store. The Cisco Catalyst app must be installed in your ServiceNow instance by a ServiceNow administrator. Cisco Catalyst app versions 2.1.1 and 2.0.1 are compatible with the Tokyo and Utah releases of ServiceNow. For the Vancouver release, upgrade the Cisco Catalyst app to the latest version, 2.2.0. |
| Catalyst Center-to-ServiceNow ITSM integration | See Catalyst Center integration with ServiceNow using the Cisco Catalyst app. |
SWIM Closed Loop Automation Workflow
This table describes the SWIM closed loop automation workflow between Catalyst Center and ServiceNow.
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | The Catalyst Center admin configures the Image Repository to prepare for the provisioning of devices in the network. Note: See the "Manage Software Images" chapter in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide for information about setting up the Image Repository and reviewing the software image provisioning process. |
| Step 2 | The Catalyst Center admin distributes the software image to a device or devices, either immediately or scheduled for a later time. Note: Ensure the Automation Events for ITSM (ServiceNow) bundle is configured and activated before this step.
|
| Step 3 | After a software image distribution is created in Catalyst Center, a SWIM event is generated and communicated directly to ServiceNow ITSM as a change request ticket. This is done via APIs from the Cisco Catalyst app. The change request ticket status is 'New'. The SWIM event appears in the ServiceNow GUI in the ServiceNow Change Requests table. Figure 2: ServiceNow Change Requests [Table showing ServiceNow Change Requests with columns like Number, Short description, Type, State, Planned start date, Planned end date, Assigned to, Updated.] |
| Step 4 | In the Change Requests table, the ServiceNow admin clicks the change request number to open and review its status and data. The ServiceNow admin can edit the change request, for example, changing the State from 'New' to 'Scheduled' and setting the Assignment group to 'Change Management'. The SWIM change request can also be identified by information in the Short Description field. Figure 3: Change Request [Screenshot of a ServiceNow Change Request form showing fields like Number, State, Short description, Description, Assignment group, etc.] |
| Step 5 | The ServiceNow admin clicks the Cisco Catalyst tab within the change request to view additional data synchronized from Catalyst Center. Figure 4: Cisco Catalyst tab [Screenshot of the Cisco Catalyst tab within a ServiceNow Change Request, showing device details, image information, and event data.] |
| Step 6 | The ServiceNow admin approves or rejects the change request ticket in the ServiceNow GUI. In the Cisco Catalyst tab, the admin clicks the Approval Status field and selects 'Approved' or 'Rejected'. Note: The change request must be approved in ServiceNow before it can be executed in Catalyst Center. Figure 5: Cisco Catalyst Approval Status field [Screenshot highlighting the Approval Status field in the Cisco Catalyst tab, showing 'Approved' and 'Rejected' options.] |
| Step 7 | After the ServiceNow admin approves the ticket, the change request status changes to 'Implement', and a notification is sent to Catalyst Center. If the ticket is rejected, the update is sent to Catalyst Center in a 'Scheduled' state, and the ServiceNow ticket is automatically canceled. |
| Step 8 | Upon a successful software image update in Catalyst Center, a notification (task completed) is sent back to ServiceNow, which then closes the change request ticket using APIs from the Cisco Catalyst app. Note: For failed or terminated software updates, ServiceNow reports the failure, allowing the ServiceNow admin to manually take action. These events are also reported via APIs from the Cisco Catalyst app. |
| Step 9 | The Catalyst Center admin can review the SWIM event by navigating to Runtime Dashboard > Event Summary. Figure 6: Event Summary [Screenshot of the Runtime Dashboard Event Summary in Cisco Catalyst Center, showing event details and counts.] Note: Clicking individual events in the GUI window provides direct access to the event in ServiceNow. |
| Step 10 | The Catalyst Center admin clicks an event name (link) to view additional detailed data. Figure 7: Event history [Screenshot of the Event History in Cisco Catalyst Center, showing a table with event details, ITSM status, and links.] |
| Step 11 | The Catalyst Center admin clicks an event ID number (link) to view data associated with that specific event. Figure 8: Event ID data [Screenshot of Event ID data in Cisco Catalyst Center, showing detailed information for a specific event.] |
| Step 12 | The Catalyst Center admin clicks the ITSM Link to return to the ServiceNow Service Management GUI and the specific incident. Figure 9: ServiceNow Incident [Screenshot of a ServiceNow Incident form, showing details of a specific incident related to the SWIM process.] |
