SMLets Exchange Connector v1.8

SMLets Exchange Connector v1.8

General
Microsoft has moved the Basic Authentication deadline for connecting to Office 365. However it still doesn't change the need to address it in the connector! If you're running your SCSM Mailbox in 365 and open to testing, then we're looking for your help. Help shape the final state of this integration and try it out for yourself here.

Next - the bounty board is open for anyone able who is able (or unable) to repro either this or that.

Finally - we're looking for your thoughts on Submitting Requests on Behalf of others. A feature that that almost made it into this release. Comment over here.

• Diff from v1.7

New Features

• It's now possible to predict the Impacted Configuration Item (i.e. the Asset in your environment) the email is about using Azure Machine Learning. This works regardless if you're using the stock Service Manager classes, imported Operations Manager classes, any 3rd party management pack classes, or even your own custom in house developed classes. You can get started with AML deployment and the required SQL queries over here.

Bugs

• When using the Multi-Mailbox feature, the Get-TemplatesByMailbox function defaulted on an incorrect variable
• If Multi-Mailbox wasn't used and the connector was run manually, PowerShell would produce visual only bugs around "items in the array cannot be null"
• The Merge Replies feature as seen through the Verify-WorkItem function has now been updated to handle a scenario where Attachment results return null

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.1

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.1

General
The management pack (2.0.2016.8) introduces two new fields on the Keywords pane for defining the new Watchlist values. After upgrading the MP and opening it up, you are required to set these values even if you aren't using the Watchlist. In the future these may move to the Cireson pane with conditional validation.

• Diff from v2.0.1

New Features

• Support for Cireson SCSM Portal Watchlist via new configurable [watch] and [stopwatch] keywords can be used against Incidents, Service Requests, Problems, and Changes. Examples of how to include these new keywords in HTML notifications can be found here on the wiki

Bugs

• Attempting to use Suggest KA or Suggest RO by themselves would fail
• The function for sending email as the workflow account has been reworked to be more explicit/verbose in how it interacts with Exchange Web Services thereby preventing this seemingly environment based issue

SMLets Exchange Connector v1.7

SMLets Exchange Connector v1.7

General
First - did you know SMLets was updated? v1.0 is available on the PowerShell Gallery. Thank you @antonGritsenko! Second - going forward, the diff between the connector's current release and the last version will be linked below.

• Diff from v1.6.1

New Features

• Support for Cireson SCSM Portal Watchlist via new configurable [watch] and [stopwatch] keywords can be used against Incidents, Service Requests, Problems, and Changes. Examples of how to include these new keywords in HTML notifications can be found here on the wiki

Bugs

• Attempting to use Suggest KA or Suggest RO by themselves would fail
• The function for sending email as the workflow account has been reworked to be more explicit/verbose in how it interacts with Exchange Web Services thereby preventing this seemingly environment based issue

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0.1

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0.1

General
The only change in the management pack is new version number (2.0.2016.7)

Enhancements

• The [take] action was refactored across all Work Items so that the Enforce Support Group on Take check is only performed if you have the feature enabled
• Manual Activity actions more closely align with the stock connector in that people other than the Implementer can perform actions. From a code perspective, the MA actions now look like the other Work Item types respective action blocks. In doing so, there is still a clear separation between Activity Implementer and other actions in the event customization is required.

Bugs

• Schedule Outlook Meeting task doesn't work in Internet Explorer
• KA and RO Suggestions are attempted (but fail) to be sent even when the feature is disabled
• Custom Support Groups (CR, MA, and PR) were pulled from the Settings MP incorrectly. This would have impacted those leveraging Enforce Support Group on Take for those respective classes

SMLets Exchange Connector v1.6.1

SMLets Exchange Connector v1.6.1

Enhancements

• The [take] action was refactored across all Work Items so that the Enforcing Support Group check is only performed if you have the feature enabled
• Manual Activity actions more closely align with the stock connector in that people other than the Implementer can perform actions. From a code perspective, the MA actions now look like the other Work Item types respective action blocks. In doing so, there is still a clear separation between Activity Implementer and other actions in the event customization is required.

Bugs

• Schedule Outlook Meeting task doesn't work in Internet Explorer
• KA and RO Suggestions are attempted (but fail) to be sent even when the feature is disabled

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0

Summary
The first major upgrade to the SMLets Exchange Connector that features a Management Pack with a fully fledged UI to preserve administrative settings through upgrades.

General
The new MP for the SMLets Exchange Connector requires SCSM 2016+. As such, while it can be imported into a 2012 environment the Settings UI will fail to load due to the change from .NET 3.5 to .NET 4.5.1. Secondly, it's important to note that importing the Management Pack alone will do nothing without also configuring the PowerShell in Task Scheduler, SMA, or Azure Automation. The MP and the PowerShell must both be configured in order to consider the solution fully deployed.

If credentials are being supplied to the PowerShell (impersonation, forms authentication) those are still entirely within your control as to how to get them into the PowerShell e.g. SMA or Azure Automation Assets.

New Features

• Management Pack for SCSM that introduces a Settings pane within the Administrative section of the console. This new MP allows the PowerShell to retrieve its settings from SCSM rather than from within itself.

Recommended Upgrade Path from v1.6+
Since this is a significant upgrade, I would recommend testing this in your development environment first to ensure all of your respective customizations continue to work. When ready - Import the Management Pack and configure the settings as you have defined in the PowerShell for v1.6. Then when you're ready, replace v1.6's PowerShell with the PowerShell for v2.0.

Known Issues

• Settings MP: Some fields lack validation for text patterns (comma separated)
  • Announcement and SCOM features that use individual users must be separated by a comma - ,
• Settings MP: To enable ACS keywords for Cireson RO/KA you need to turn the Cireson feature on, save, re-open and then check off ACS features.

SMLets Exchange Connector v1.6

SMLets Exchange Connector v1.6

New Features

• Integration to Azure Translation Services so as to accept emails in over 60+ languages but have them converted to a single default language. When deployed and enabled, the translated message will be entered as the First Comment on the Action Log of the newly created Work Item and be entered by "Azure Translate/AffectedDisplayName" where AffectedDisplayName is the Display Name of the Affected User. This can be used in conjunction with the new SCSM Translate Management Pack.

Enhancements

• When using Azure Machine Learning to predict Work Item Type (IR/SR), Support Group, and Classification. Those confidence scores can now be written to their own distinct Class Extensions on IR/SR. In doing so, you can report and better plan where to set your own values.

Bugs

• Dynamic Analyst Assignment didn't work due to the context of $_ within the original switch pipelines. These have been moved to if/else statements to get around how PowerShell syntax works
• If custom Type Projections had been created within an environment that followed a near identical naming pattern as those used in the Add-ActionLogEntry, then Comments were failed to be added as the function would identify 2 possible Type Projections to be used instead of just 1.

Documentation

• The notes around how whole Emails were to be attached to a Work Item were misleading

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0-RC2

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0-RC2

Summary
Release Candidate 2 for v2.0 connector that is based off of v1.5 that shifts configuration from the script to a central Management Pack.

New Features

• Introduction of a Settings based Management Pack to persist values between upgrades

GENERAL
Identified an issue around Template selection that would vary from environment to environment. As such, the logic for how Templates are retrieved was altered while still preserving any current Template selections that have been made. This single change cascades into other areas that require Template selection (e.g. Multiple Mailbox Configuration).

Barring significant issues, the tentative plans for the final release of v2.0 are to align RC2 with the completion of v1.6 near the end of the month. As such, this version's Management Pack is the most representative of the final release.

FIXED ISSUES FROM ALPHA1, ALPHA2, BETA 1, and RC1

• Settings MP: If an Incident, Service Request, Change Request, or Problem Form's appearance were customized via the Authoring Tool. Then Templates created after the import of that form customization MP within the SCSM Console produce Templates that aren't available for selection in the SMLets Exchange Connector
• Settings MP: Some WPF controls appear cut off
• Settings MP: The title of the Settings window reads "beta 3"
• Settings MP: The Private keyword can't be defined
• PowerShell: SCOM AD Group doesn't pull from the MP
• Settings MP: Decimal values on text boxes requires some finesse in that if you want to enter 25.4, you must type 254, and then place the decimal
• Settings MP: Multiple mailboxes can only be deleted one at a time e.g. remove, save, open, remove, save, and so on and so on.
• Settings MP: ACS Priority Scoring feature still requires editing of Get-ACSWorkItemPriority
• Settings MP: Some fields lack validation for text patterns (ends with "/", prevent special characters)
  • Keywords should not include brackets [] or # or : symbols. Just type the word and the word alone
  • Cireson Portal URL must end with a forward slash - /
• Settings MP: Problem Support Group can't be set. This is intentional and will remain until Cireson releases their own support for the feature. This functionality requires at least Portal v9.3.1
• PowerShell: Custom events path isn't referenced from the MP

KNOWN ISSUES

• Settings MP: Some fields lack validation for text patterns (comma separated)
  • Announcement and SCOM features that use individual users must be separated by a comma - ,
• Settings MP: To enable ACS keywords for Cireson RO/KA you need to turn the Cireson feature on, save, re-open and then check off ACS features.

KNOWN THINGS

• Settings MP: Primary Work Item Template and Multi-Mailbox Template require all Templates to be defined to pass validation

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0-RC1

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0-RC1

Summary
Release Candidate 1 for v2.0 connector that is based off of v1.5 that shifts configuration from the script to a central Management Pack.

New Features

• Introduction of a Settings based Management Pack to persist values between upgrades

GENERAL
To the best of my ability - I believe all known bugs have been accounted for, known issues described in full, and that the PowerShell now references the 100+ configurable settings as defined per the MP. For these reasons, this release makes its way to the community for consideration to production deployments.

FIXED ISSUES FROM ALPHA1, ALPHA2, and BETA 1

• Settings MP: Some WPF controls appear cut off
• Settings MP: The title of the Settings window reads "beta 3"
• Settings MP: The Private keyword can't be defined
• PowerShell: SCOM AD Group doesn't pull from the MP
• Settings MP: Decimal values on text boxes requires some finesse in that if you want to enter 25.4, you must type 254, and then place the decimal
• Settings MP: Multiple mailboxes can only be deleted one at a time e.g. remove, save, open, remove, save, and so on and so on.
• Settings MP: ACS Priority Scoring feature still requires editing of Get-ACSWorkItemPriority
• Settings MP: Some fields lack validation for text patterns (ends with "/", prevent special characters)
  • Keywords should not include brackets [] or # or : symbols. Just type the word and the word alone
  • Cireson Portal URL must end with a forward slash - /
• Settings MP: Problem Support Group can't be set. This is intentional and will remain until Cireson releases their own support for the feature. This functionality requires at least Portal v9.3.1
• PowerShell: Custom events path isn't referenced from the MP

KNOWN ISSUES

• Settings MP: Some fields lack validation for text patterns (comma separated)
  • Announcement and SCOM features that use individual users must be separated by a comma - ,
• Settings MP: To enable ACS keywords for Cireson RO/KA you need to turn the Cireson feature on, save, re-open and then check off ACS features.

KNOWN THINGS

• Settings MP: Primary Work Item Template and Multi-Mailbox Template require all Templates to be defined to pass validation

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0-Beta1

SMLets Exchange Connector v2.0-Beta1

Summary
First beta release of the connector that is based off of v1.5 that shifts configuration from the script to a central Management Pack.

New Features

• Introduction of a Settings based Management Pack to persist values between upgrades

GENERAL
I've broken out the known issues into slightly more relevant groupings. Validation issues remain whose known instances I've documented below. While more stable and integrated then the previous two alpha builds, this should still be treated as in development release.

FIXED ISSUES FROM ALPHA1 AND ALPHA2

• Settings MP: Some WPF controls appear cut off
• Settings MP: The title of the Settings window reads "beta 3"
• Settings MP: The Private keyword can't be defined
• PowerShell: SCOM AD Group doesn't pull from the MP
• Settings MP: Decimal values on text boxes requires some finesse in that if you want to enter 25.4, you must type 254, and then place the decimal
• Settings MP: Multiple mailboxes can only be deleted one at a time e.g. remove, save, open, remove, save, and so on and so on.
• Settings MP: ACS Priority Scoring feature still requires editing of Get-ACSWorkItemPriority

KNOWN ISSUES

• Settings MP: Some fields lack validation for text patterns (comma separated, ends with "/", prevent special characters)
  • Cireson Portal URL must end with a forward slash - /
  • Announcement and SCOM features that use individual users must be seperated by a comma - ,
  • Keywords should not include brackets [] or # or : symbols. Just type the word and the word alone

KNOWN THINGS

• Settings MP: To enable ACS keywords for Cireson RO/KA you need to turn the Cireson feature on, save, re-open and then check off ACS features.
• Settings MP: Problem Support Group can't be set. This is intentional and will remain until Cireson releases their own support for the feature
• Settings MP: Primary Work Item Template and Multi-Mailbox Template require all Templates to be defined to pass validation