Automating Device Discovery Population in BackBox Through API enabled CMDB and Ticketing Systems

Organizations are using multiple, ever growing in complexity, workflow tools and network management databases. Managing the inventory of devices across multiple management interfaces and applications is getting more and more difficult.

The ability to automate the discovery and addition of new devices into Backbox by integrating with existing tools and applications can allow the administrators to add or remove devices from the existing organizational inventory in one focal point and focus their effort on other tasks.

Challenge

Managing the inventory of multiple devices within an organization (which can be in the thousands, or tens of thousands of devices) in an organization is a difficult task, and in many cases requires the system administrator to register the devices in multiple platforms separately.

Objectives

  1. Consolidate the list of devices in one location.
  2. Import new devices to BackBox automatically.
  3. Remove decommissioned devices from BackBox automatically.

BackBox Solution (Use Case)

Utilizing BackBox’s API, BackBox’s Intelligent Automation enables security and network administrators to eliminate the concern to have to manage this inventory within BackBox as-well.

How BackBox Executes this Solution

BackBox can log in to the organizational inventory database, collect information on newly added devices or decommissioned devices and update BackBox’s devices list accordingly and in a fully automated manner.

Use Case 1:
BackBox Integration with ServiceNow

Service Now can be used in an organization to manage multiple aspects in the IT space including asset management and IT ticketing.

Requirements:

  1. Every new security or network asset added to ServiceNow should be automatically added to BackBox and scheduled for backup.
  2. Every decommissioned device in ServiceNow should be removed from BackBox.
  3. Every decommissioned device removed from BackBox should have its last good backup file exported to an external storage system before it is deleted.

Operational Flow:

  1. A new device is added to ServiceNow with the following parameters:
    1. Device Name
    2. IP Address
    3. Customer Name
    4. Product Vendor
    5. Device Model
  2. BackBox polls the ServiceNow database on a pre-configured interval and looks for added devices.
  3. Once a new device is found, BackBox performs the following tasks based on the appropriate Customer input:
    1. Creates a new device in the BackBox database.
    2. Assigns the device to the appropriate site.
    3. Assigns the device to the appropriate authentication scheme.
    4. Assigns the device to the appropriate schedule.
    5. Assigns the appropriate notification to the device status.
  4. Once a device is marked as decommissioned in ServiceNow, the following process is executed:
    1. BackBox tags the last good backup for that device.
    2. BackBox exports the last good backup to an external storage system (NFS, CIFS, SCP, FTP etc.).
    3. BackBox removes the device from its own database.
    4. BackBox notifies the administrator that the device was removed and that the last good backup was exported successfully

All communication is done through the ServiceNow API over HTTPS.

Use Case 2:
BackBox Integration with SolarWinds NCM

SolarWinds NCM retain an organizations central database of network assets.

In order to enable automatic backups for these devices, integration with BackBox can be enabled to reduce operational tasks in creating devices in multiple management interfaces.

Requirements:

Every new security or network asset added to NCM should be automatically added to BackBox and scheduled for backup.

Operational Flow:

  1. A new device is added to NCM with the following parameters:
    1. Device Name
    2. IP Address
    3. Site Name
    4. Product Vendor
    5. Device Model
  2. BackBox polls the NCM database on a pre-configured interval and looks for added devices.
  3. Once a new device is found, BackBox performs the following tasks based on the appropriate Customer input.:
    1. Creates a new device in the BackBox database.
    2. Assigns the device to the appropriate site.
    3. Assigns the device to the appropriate authentication scheme.
    4. Assigns the device to the appropriate schedule.
    5. Assigns the device to the appropriate device group.
    6. Assigns the appropriate notification to the device status.
  4. A daily report of added devices is sent to the administrator

All communication is done through the MSSQL protocol.

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