Excel Add-In for ServiceNow

Build 25.0.9434

Establishing a Connection

Configure a Connection Profile

From the CData ribbon, click Get Data and select From ServiceNow connection/s to launch the CData Query window. To setup a new connection, you will have to click the New ServiceNow Connection button. Here you can set the connection settings, test the connection, and save the connection profile.

Connecting to ServiceNow

Prerequisite: All connections require the URL property. (ServiceNow instance URL).

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_dictionary (required to retrieve ServiceNow schema information)
  • sys_glide_object (required for certain ServiceNow table metadata)

Use a least-privilege pattern: create a dedicated read-only role (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader) and require it on the ACLs below.

To create these ACLs, an admin must temporarily elevate their own session:

  1. In the user menu, click Elevate role.
  2. Check security_admin and click Update.

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. (Table-level read)
    • In the Requires role section, double-click the Insert a new row... text box. Search for and select your custom role (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader).
  3. Click Submit to create the ACL object.
  4. Create a second ACL for field-level read on all fields of sys_db_object:
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Table [sys_db_object] in the first drop-down and * in the second drop-down (that is, sys_db_object.*).
    • In the Requires role section, add the same custom role.

READ sys_dictionary

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

  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_dictionary] in the first drop-down and --None-- in the second drop-down. (Table-level read)
    • In the Requires role section, double-click the Insert a new row... text box. Search for and select your custom role (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader).
  3. Click Submit to create the ACL object.
  4. Create a second ACL for field-level read on all fields of sys_dictionary:
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Table [sys_dictionary] in the first drop-down and * in the second drop-down (that is, sys_dictionary.*).
    • In the Requires role section, add the same custom role.

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. (Table-level read)
    • In the Requires role section, double-click the Insert a new row... text box. Search for and select your custom role (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader).
  3. Click Submit to create the ACL object.
  4. Create a second ACL for field-level read on all fields of sys_glide_object:
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Field class [sys_glide_object] in the first drop-down and * in the second drop-down (that is, sys_glide_object.*).
    • In the Requires role section, add the same custom role.

Notes:

  • If your configuration enables database views (for example, using an IncludeDatabaseViews property), create the same pair of read ACLs for sys_db_view, sys_db_view_table, and sys_db_view_table_field.
  • If you surface descriptions or display column names (for example, using ShowDescriptions or UseDisplayColumnNames), create the same pair of read ACLs for sys_documentation.
  • The API and the UI enforce the same security. Users must pass both table-level and field-level ACLs on each target business table to read or write records. If either ACL fails, access is denied.
  • Inherited tables: many application tables extend a parent (for example, incident extends task). Inherited fields are governed by the parent’s ACLs. Ensure the user’s roles satisfy ACLs on the child and any parents.
  • Business tables (e.g., incident) require their own roles/ACLs; metadata ACLs alone do not grant business data access.

Final step (perform once after creating all ACLs above):

  1. Navigate to User Administration > Users > Select authenticating user > Roles > Edit....
  2. Add the custom role you required on the ACLs (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader) to the authenticating user.

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:

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

When the access token expires, the add-in refreshes it automatically.

Automatic refresh of the OAuth access token:

To have the add-in automatically refresh the OAuth access token, do the following:

  1. Before connecting to data for the first time, set the following connection parameters:
  2. On subsequent data connections, set the following:

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:

  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.

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:

When you connect, the add-in 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:

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:

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 add-in 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 add-in 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:

Example connection string: 

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

Connection Properties

The Connection properties describe the various options that can be used to establish a connection.

Managing Connections

After successfully authenticating to ServiceNow you will be able to customize the data you are importing. To learn more about this, see Managing Connections.

See Also

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Build 25.0.9434