Setting Up the Third-Party Integration
This section discusses how to set up the integration between the third-party inventory software and PeopleSoft IT Asset Management.
PeopleSoft IT Asset Management supports the Data Discovery integration point (GET_DISCOVERYDATA), an application message that is used to request information about discovered IT hardware and IT software in an organization's network.
When implemented, the GET_DISCOVERYDATA application messages send IT Subtypes and Software Titles to the third-party software when the Request Discovery Data process is submitted. IT subtypes are synonymous with the network devices, and represent items such as laptops, desktops, and servers. The Subtypes are mapped to values that exist in the third-party inventory database. For example, depending on the manufacturer of the device, the inventory information may indicate that the laptop is officially a "notebook". Therefore a laptop subtype could be defined to have third-party values of laptop, notebook, or portable.
PeopleSoft IT Asset Management supports the Discovery Data Status integration point (GET_DISCOVERYDATA_STATUS_ACK), an application message that is used to monitor and display the status of the discovery request. The status can be viewed in the View Request Status page.
This table illustrates the steps in the process and the status displayed:
|
Steps |
Status |
|---|---|
|
Request is sent to the third-party system. |
When the request is sent to the third-party system, the discovery request monitor displays the request with a status of Request Sent. |
|
The third-party system returns a status acknowledgement of the request. |
Once the acknowledgement is received, the request status is updated to Request received or Third party error. If the error code is returned, the error is displayed. |
|
The third-party system processes the request and returns inventory data. |
The file size is specified in the sending request (the file size can be changed in People Tools Options page. The Navigation is: PeopleTools > Utilities > Administration > PeopleTools Options). If the size of the xml response is greater than the value of the file size node in the xml Request, the inventory data is to be chunked and returned in one or more files. The FILE_CNT Node in the Response contains information regarding the total file count that is to be received for the request. While the files are being returned, the discovery request monitor displays a status of Receiving. The monitor updates the date and time to reflect when the last file was received. If the files are not transmitted, the status is updated to Error in Transmission after a user specified time period has elapsed. If the last file is received before all the other files are received, the request errors out. The monitor shows the status of Error in Transmission and the stage table is cleared. If the last file is received successfully, the status is updated to Success. |
PeopleSoft IT Asset Management supports the Discovery Data Acknowledgement integration point (GET_DISCOVERYDATA_ACK), an application message that is used to receive the inventory data that you requested. The message consists of IT Hardware and IT Software data elements that are stored in the third-party database.