Cmdlets for ServiceNow

Build 24.0.9060

Establishing a Connection

With the CData Cmdlets users can install a data module, set the connection properties, and start scripting. This section provides examples of using our ServiceNow Cmdlets with native PowerShell cmdlets, like the CSV import and export cmdlets.

Installing and Connecting

If you have PSGet, installing the cmdlets can be accomplished from the PowerShell Gallery with the following command. You can also obtain a setup from the CData site. 

Install-Module ServiceNowCmdlets

The following line is then added to your profile, loading the cmdlets on the next session: 

Import-Module ServiceNowCmdlets;

You can then use the Connect-ServiceNow cmdlet to create a connection object that can be passed to other cmdlets: 

$conn = Connect-ServiceNow -OAuthClientId "MyClientId" -OAuthClientSecret "MyClientSecret" -Password "MyPassword" -User "MyUser" -Url "https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/"

Connecting to ServiceNow

For an authenticating user to connect to ServiceNow they need at least Read permissions to access listing metadata such as:

  • sys_db_object (required for all data)
  • sys_glide_object (required for certain ServiceNow table metadata)
  • sys_dictionary (required to retrieve ServiceNow schema information)

To enable this, you must elevate the user's role as follows:

  1. In the Admin console, navagate to user menu > Elevate Roles
  2. At check the security _admin box, click OK.

The user also needs at least row-level permissions for accessing tables. Also, all connections require the Url property.

READ sys_db_object

Requires row-level and field-level permissions. To enable access to sys_db_object:

  1. Navigate to System Security > Access Controls (ACL).
  2. To create a new access control (ACL) object, select New.
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Table [sys_db_object] in the first drop-down and --None-- in the second drop-down.
    • In the Requires role section, double-click the Insert a new row... text box. Search for and select your desired role.
  3. Click Submit to create the ACL object.
  4. Navigate to User Administration > Users > Select authenticating user > Roles > Edit... >.
  5. In the page that opens, add the role you just noted as required for the new ACL.
  6. Assign the role you just specified as being required for the new ACL, to the authenticating user.

READ sys_glide_object

Requires row-level and field-level permissions. To enable access to sys_glide_object:

  1. Navigate to System Security > Access Controls (ACL).
  2. To create a new access control (ACL) object, select New.
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Field class [sys_glide_object] in the first drop-down and --None-- in the second drop-down.
    • In the Requires role section, double-click the Insert a new row... text box. Search for and select your desired role.
  3. Click Submit to create the ACL object.
  4. Navigate to User Administration > Users > Select authenticating user > Roles > Edit... >.
  5. In the page that opens, add the role you just noted as required for the new ACL.
  6. Assign the role you just specified as being required for the new ACL, to the authenticating user.

READ sys_dictionary

To enable access to sys_dictionary:

  1. Navigate to User Administration > Users > Select authenticating user > Roles > Edit...
  2. Add the "personalize_dictionary" role from your collection.

Authenticating to ServiceNow

ServiceNow supports Basic authentication, authentication via the OAuth standard, authentication via the PASSWORD grant type, and authentication via an SSO provider.

Basic

To use Basic authentication, you must provide your ServiceNow User and Password.

After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

  1. AuthScheme: BASIC.
  2. User: The BASIC user.
  3. Password: The BASIC user's password.
  4. Url: The base URL of the ServiceNow instance site. For example: https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/.

OAuth

ServiceNow supports OAuth authentication for all situations where the user is not logging in via SSO and not using Basic authentication. To enable this authentication from all OAuth flows, you must set AuthScheme to OAuth, and you must create a custom OAuth application. In addition to these OAuth values, you must also specify the Url, User, and Password.

The following subsections describe how to authenticate to ServiceNow from three common authentication flows. For information about how to create a custom OAuth application, see Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

For a complete list of connection string properties available in ServiceNow, see Connection.

Desktop Applications

To authenticate with the credentials for a custom OAuth application, you must get and refresh the OAuth access token. After you do that, you are ready to connect.

Get and refresh the OAuth access token:

  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. Used to automatically get and refresh the OAuthAccessToken.
  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret that was assigned when you registered your application.
  • CallbackURL: The redirect URI that was defined when you registered your application.

When you connect, the cmdlet opens ServiceNow's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

When the access token expires, the cmdlet refreshes it automatically.

Automatic refresh of the OAuth access token:

To have the cmdlet automatically refresh the OAuth access token, do the following:

  1. Before connecting to data for the first time, set the following connection parameters:
    • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id in your application settings.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret in your application settings.
    • OAuthAccessToken: The access token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
    • OAuthSettingsLocation: The path where you want the cmdlet to save the OAuth values, which persist across connections.
  2. On subsequent data connections, set the following:
    • InitiateOAuth
    • OAuthSettingsLocation

Manual refresh of the OAuth access token:

The only value needed to manually refresh the OAuth access token is the OAuth refresh token.

  1. To manually refresh the OAuthAccessToken after the ExpiresIn period (returned by GetOAuthAccessToken) has elapsed, call the RefreshOAuthAccessToken stored procedure.
  2. Set the following connection properties:

    • OAuthClientId: The Client Id in your application settings.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The Client Secret in your application settings.

  3. Call RefreshOAuthAccessToken with OAuthRefreshToken set to the OAuth refresh token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
  4. After the new tokens have been retrieved, set the OAuthAccessToken property to the value returned by RefreshOAuthAccessToken. This opens a new connection.

Store the OAuth refresh token so that you can use it to manually refresh the OAuth access token after it has expired.

Headless Machines

If you need to log in to a resource that resides on a headless machine, you must authenticate on another device that has an internet browser. You can do this in either of the following ways:

  • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value.
  • Option 2: Install the cmdlet on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow.

After you execute either Option 1 or Option 2, configure the driver to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtaining and Exchanging a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL. Do the following:

  1. Authenticate from the machine with an internet browser, and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.

    Set the following properties:

    • InitiateOAuth: OFF.
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.

  2. Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. The stored procedure returns the CallbackURL established when the custom OAuth application was registered. (See Creating a Custom OAuth Application.)

    Copy this URL and paste it into a new browser tab.

  3. Log in and grant permissions to the cmdlet. The OAuth application redirects you the redirect URI, with a parameter called code appended. Note the value of this parameter; you will need it later, to configure the OAuthVerifier connection property.

  4. Exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens. On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuth authentication values:

    • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
    • OAuthVerifier: The noted verifier code (the value of the code parameter in the redirect URI).
    • OAuthSettingsLocation: Persist the encrypted OAuth authentication values to the specified file.
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id in your custom OAuth application settings.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret in the custom OAuth application settings.

  5. Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file.

  6. After you re-set the following properties, you are ready to connect:

    • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
    • OAuthSettingsLocation: The file containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. To enable the automatic refreshing of the access token, be sure that this file gives read and write permissions to the cmdlet.
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.

Option 2: Transferring OAuth Settings

Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you must install and create a connection with the driver on a device that supports an internet browser. Set the connection properties as described above in "Desktop Applications".

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the path specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is OAuthSettings.txt.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.

To connect to data via the headless machine, set the following connection properties:

  • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: The path to the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. To enable automatic refreshing of the access token, ensure that this file gives read and write permissions to the cmdlet.
  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

PASSWORD Grant Type

When there is a trust relationship between the user and the application, the user can authenticate from the Desktop of Web via the PASSWORD grant type.

To authenticate via the PASSWORD grant type, set these properties:

  • AuthScheme: OAuthPassword.
  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. This avoids repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken connection property.
  • OAuthClientId: The clientId.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The clientSecret.
  • Username: The user's username.
  • Password: The user's password.
  • Url: The base URL of your ServiceNow instance site.
When you connect, the cmdlet completes the OAuth process:

  1. Extracts the access token from the CallbackURL.
  2. Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
  3. Saves OAuth values along with geolocation in OAuthSettingsLocation, which persists across connections.

Single Sign-On Identity Providers

ServiceNow supports single sign-on (SSO) authentication through ADFS, Okta, OneLogin, and PingFederate.

ADFS

To connect to ADFS, set the AuthScheme to ADFS, and set these properties:

  • User: The ADFS user.
  • Password: The ADFS user's password.
  • SSOLoginURL: The SSO provider's login url.

To authenticate to ADFS, set these SSOProperties:

  • RelyingParty: The value of the ADFS server's Relying Party Identifier.

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=ADFS;User=username;Password=password;SSOLoginURL='https://sts.company.com';SSOProperties='RelyingParty=https://saml.service-now.com';Url=https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/;

ADFS Integrated

The ADFS Integrated flow indicates you are connecting with the currently logged in Windows user credentials. To use the ADFS Integrated flow, do not specify the User and Password, but otherwise follow the same steps in the ADFS guide above.

Okta

To connect to Okta, set the AuthScheme to Okta, and set these properties:

  • User: The Okta user.
  • Password: The Okta user's password.
  • SSOLoginURL: The SSO provider's login URL.

If you are using a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request OR configuring MFA, you must use combinations of SSOProperties to authenticate using Okta. Set any of the following, as applicable:

  • APIToken: When authenticating a user via a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request context, set this to the API Token the customer created from the Okta organization.
  • MFAType: If you have configured the MFA flow, set this to one of the following supported types: OktaVerify, Email, or SMS.
  • MFAPassCode: If you have configured the MFA flow, set this to a valid passcode.
    If you set this to empty or an invalid value, the cmdlet issues a one-time password challenge to your device or email. After the passcode is received, reopen the connection where the retrieved one-time password value is set to the MFAPassCode connection property.
  • MFARememberDevice: True by default. Okta supports remembering devices when MFA is required. If remembering devices is allowed according to the configured authentication policies, the cmdlet sends a device token to extend MFA authentication lifetime. If you do not want MFA to be remembered, set this variable to False.

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=Okta;SSOLoginURL='https://example.okta.com/home/appType/0bg4ivz6cJRZgCz5d6/46';User=oktaUserName;Password=oktaPassword;Url=https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/;

OneLogin

To connect to OneLogin, set the AuthScheme to OneLogin, and set these properties:

  • User: The OneLogin user.
  • Password: The OneLogin user's password.

To authenticate to OneLogin, set these SSOProperties:

  • OAuthClientId: The OAuthClientId, which can be obtained by selecting Developers > API Credentials > Credential > ClientId.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The OAuthClientSecret, which can be obtained by selecting Developers > API Credentials > Credential > ClientSecret.
  • Subdomain: The subdomain of the OneLogin user accessing the SSO application. For example, if your OneLogin URL is splinkly.onelogin.com, splinkly is the subdomain value.
  • AppId: The Id of the SSO application.
  • Region (optional): The region your OneLogin account resides in. Legal values are US (default) or EU.

The following example connection string uses an API key to connect to OneLogin: 

AuthScheme=OneLogin;User=OneLoginUserName;Password=OneLoginPassword;SSOProperties='OAuthClientID=3fc8394584f153ce3b7924d9cd4f686443a52b;OAuthClientSecret=ca9257fd5cc3277abb5818cea28c06fe9b3b285d73d06;Subdomain=OneLoginSubDomain;AppId=1433920';Url=https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/;

PingFederate

To connect to PingFederate, set AuthScheme to PingFederate, and set these properties:

  • User: The PingFederate user.
  • Password: The PingFederate user's password.
  • SSOLoginURL: The SSO provider's login url.
  • AWSRoleARN (optional): If you have multiple role ARNs, specify the one you want to use for authorization.
  • AWSPrincipalARN (optional): If you have multiple principal ARNs, specify the one you want to use for authorization.
  • SSOProperties (optional): Authscheme=Basic if you want to include your username and password as an authorization header in requests to Amazon S3.

To enable mutual SSL authentication for SSOLoginURL, the WS-Trust STS endpoint, configure these SSOProperties:

  • SSLClientCert
  • SSLClientCertType
  • SSLClientCertSubject
  • SSLClientCertPassword

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=PingFederate;URL='https://dev103586.service-now.com';SSOLoginUrl='https://mycustomserver.com:9033/idp/sts.wst';User=admin;Password=PassValue123;

Retrieving Data

The Select-ServiceNow cmdlet provides a native PowerShell interface for retrieving data: 

$results = Select-ServiceNow -Connection $conn -Table "incident" -Columns @("sys_id, priority") -Where "category='request'"
The Invoke-ServiceNow cmdlet provides an SQL interface. This cmdlet can be used to execute an SQL query via the Query parameter.

Piping Cmdlet Output

The cmdlets return row objects to the pipeline one row at a time. The following line exports results to a CSV file: 

Select-ServiceNow -Connection $conn -Table incident -Where "category = 'request'" | Select -Property * -ExcludeProperty Connection,Table,Columns | Export-Csv -Path c:\myincidentData.csv -NoTypeInformation

You will notice that we piped the results from Select-ServiceNow into a Select-Object cmdlet and excluded some properties before piping them into an Export-CSV cmdlet. We do this because the CData Cmdlets append Connection, Table, and Columns information onto each row object in the result set, and we do not necessarily want that information in our CSV file.

However, this makes it easy to pipe the output of one cmdlet to another. The following is an example of converting a result set to JSON: 

 
PS C:\> $conn  = Connect-ServiceNow -OAuthClientId "MyClientId" -OAuthClientSecret "MyClientSecret" -Password "MyPassword" -User "MyUser" -Url "https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/"
PS C:\> $row = Select-ServiceNow -Connection $conn -Table "incident" -Columns (sys_id, priority) -Where "category = 'request'" | select -first 1
PS C:\> $row | ConvertTo-Json
{
  "Connection":  {

  },
  "Table":  "incident",
  "Columns":  [

  ],
  "sys_id":  "Mysys_id",
  "priority":  "Mypriority"
}

Deleting Data

The following line deletes any records that match the criteria: 

Select-ServiceNow -Connection $conn -Table incident -Where "category = 'request'" | Remove-ServiceNow

Modifying Data

The cmdlets make data transformation easy as well as data cleansing. The following example loads data from a CSV file into ServiceNow, checking first whether a record already exists and needs to be updated instead of inserted. 

Import-Csv -Path C:\MyincidentUpdates.csv | %{
  $record = Select-ServiceNow -Connection $conn -Table incident -Where ("sys_id = `'"+$_.sys_id+"`'")
  if($record){
    Update-ServiceNow -Connection $conn -Table incident -Columns @("sys_id","priority") -Values @($_.sys_id, $_.priority) -Where "sys_id  = `'$_.sys_id`'"
  }else{
    Add-ServiceNow -Connection $conn -Table incident -Columns @("sys_id","priority") -Values @($_.sys_id, $_.priority)
  }
}

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Build 24.0.9060