In this video, you’ll see how to execute AWS Systems Manager Change
Manager templates from ServiceNow.
With the AWS Service Management Connector for ServiceNow, you can
synchronize approved change templates from Change Manager into ServiceNow,
execute the templates as change requests, and view the change execution within ServiceNow.
We’ll start in Systems Manager.
Let’s take a look at our Change Manager templates.
For this example, we’ll be synchronizing the “RestartingEC2instances” template into ServiceNow.
As a prerequisite, the template needs to have an automation runbook
associated with it, and its AWS status needs to be “Approved.”
This template already fulfills these requirements.
Notice that auto-approval is enabled for this template’s workflow.
Next, we’ll switch to ServiceNow to synchronize this template.
Let’s find the AWS account we’ve set up in ServiceNow for this demonstration.
We’ve already configured this account for the synchronization.
Notice that integration with AWS Systems Manager Automation,
OpsCenter, and Change Manager are all enabled.
Next, we’ll run a scheduled job that syncs the templates from AWS
Systems Manager Change Manager into ServiceNow.
Let’s execute this scheduled job.
Next, let’s check our change templates in ServiceNow to make
sure they’ve been synchronized.
The change templates we saw in Change Manager have been
synchronized into ServiceNow.
Next, we’ll create a change request in ServiceNow in order to execute
this change template in AWS.
Let’s select the option to make changes to AWS resources using
Change Manager templates.
Here are all the templates that are available for executing a change request.
Let’s select the template for restarting EC2 instances, which is already auto approved.
This is the runbook configuration we saw associated with this
template in Change Manager.
We have the option here to specify the role that allows Automation to
perform the actions on our behalf.
In this case, however, we’ve already associated this role by default.
We can confirm this by looking at our Change Manager properties in ServiceNow.
We can see that a default role is already specified with the required permissions.
Returning to the runbook configuration,
we need to specify the Instance ID for the EC2 instance we want to restart.
Let’s go to the EC2 Management Console and copy the ID for our stopped instance.
Let’s submit the change request.
The change request has been created.
Let’s request approval for this change request.
We are now required to specify an assignment group.
The change request is now waiting for approval.
Let’s approve it ourselves.
Now our change request is now in a “scheduled” state.
Let’s go ahead and implement it.
Now that the change request has been implemented,
let’s scroll down and look at the change task that has been created.
This change task will execute the automation document for us in AWS
Systems Manager Change Manager.
Let's take a closer look at the Configuration item.
Here we can view the record of the automation execution.
The automation execution is still pending at the moment.
Let’s go back into Change Manager to confirm that the change request
has been received from ServiceNow.
The most recent change request is the one we made from ServiceNow.
Notice that the runbook is currently in progress.
Let’s look into the task for this change request.
We can view a timeline.
Once the execution at Change Manager is successful,
the automation execution will sync back and close the change task in ServiceNow,
which will ultimately close the change request in ServiceNow.
Here is the Instance ID we entered.
Next, we’ll check to see whether the EC2 instance has been restarted.
Let’s refresh the page.
In Change Manager, the change request is also showing as successful.
Let’s check ServiceNow as well.
The automation execution is also showing as successful.
Let’s check the change task.
The change task has been closed automatically since the execution
was successful for our change request.
Finally, let’s check the change request.
The change request is now in “closed” state.
You’ve just seen how to execute AWS Systems Manager Change
Manager templates from ServiceNow.
You can learn more about this topic in the description and links for this video.
Thanks for watching. Now it’s your turn to try.