Set up incident generation in Service Manager

This article provides an example that shows how to inventory all computers that might require an upgrade to Microsoft Exchange Server 2016. To do this, first define the appropriate configuration baseline in Configuration Manager.

In Service Manager, you must create a Configuration Manager connector to import the baseline and configure incident management to automatically generate incidents based on desired configuration management. For information about how to create a Configuration Manager connector, see About Importing Data from System Center Configuration Manager.

You can use desired configuration management in Configuration Manager to monitor software to ensure that it's compliant with defined values. For example, you can monitor software versions, security settings, and software updates. The configurations that you want to monitor are added as Configuration Manager configuration items to configuration baselines so that they can be evaluated for compliance as a group.

In Service Manager, you can import configuration baselines from Configuration Manager by using a Configuration Manager Connector. You can then configure Service Manager to create incidents for each Service Manager configuration item that reports as noncompliant against the defined values.

Use the following procedure to configure incident management to automatically generate incidents based on desired configuration management.

In Service Manager, you can import configuration baselines from Configuration Manager by using a Configuration Manager connector. Then, you can configure Service Manager to create incidents for each Service Manager configuration item that is reported as noncompliant against the defined values.

You can use the following procedures to configure incident management to automatically generate desired configuration management-based incidents and validate that the desired configuration management is configured.

Automatically generate management-based incidents

1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.

2. In the Administration pane, expand Workflows, and select Configuration.

3. In the Configuration pane, double-click Desired Configuration Management Event Workflow Configuration.

4. In the Configure Desired Configuration Management Workflows dialog, select Add.

5. In the Add Desired Configuration Management Workflow Wizard, complete these steps:

   1. On the Before You Begin page, select Next.

      Note

      The Next button will be unavailable if a Configuration Manager connector hasn't been created.

   2. On the Workflow Information page, enter a name and a description for the rule. Ensure that the Enabled checkbox is selected, and select Next.

   3. On the Select System Center Configuration Manager Configuration Items page, expand all the configuration baselines that are listed, select the Configuration Manager configuration items that you want to include in the rule, and select Next.

   4. On the Select Incident Template page, select Apply the following template, select a template for the new incidents that will be created by this rule, and select Next.

   5. On the Select People to Notify page, select the Enable notification checkbox. Select the users who should be notified when an incident is created by this rule. For each user, specify the notification method and a template, and select Add. Select Next.

   6. On the Summary page, ensure that the settings contain the information you expect, and select Create.

   7. On the Completion page, ensure that you receive the following confirmation message, and select Close:

      Desired Configuration Management Workflow Created Successfully

Validate that desired configuration management is configured

1. Import an out-of-compliance Service Manager configuration item that would match one of the desired configuration management rules. Then, locate the desired configuration management-based incident in Service Manager.

2. In the Service Manager console, select Work Items

3. In the Work Items pane, expand Incident Management, and select All Open DCM Incidents.

4. In the All Open Desired Configuration Management Incidents pane, double-click an incident.

5. In the Incident form, select the Compliance Errors tab.

6. Verify that the correct configuration baseline and Configuration Manager configuration items are listed.

You can use Windows PowerShell commands to complete these and other related tasks, as follows:

• For information about how to use Windows PowerShell to create a desired configuration management workflow in Service Manager, see New-SCSMDCMWorkflow.

• For information about how to use Windows PowerShell to retrieve the list of all DCM workflows that are defined in Service Manager, see Get-SCSMDCMWorkflow.

• For information about how to use Windows PowerShell to update properties of a desired configuration management workflow, see Update-SCSMDCMWorkflow.

• For information about how to use Windows PowerShell to remove a desired configuration management workflow from Service Manager, see Remove-SCSMDCMWorkflow.

Next steps

• To create notifications in Service Manager when incidents or changes occur, see Configure notifications.