Endpoint Central Integration

Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) is a web-based Windows Server and Desktop Management Software from ManageEngine. And, with Endpoint Central Integration with ServiceDesk Plus (SDP), you can configure and manage your Windows environment from a single point. Endpoint Central automates regular desktop management activities like installing software, patches and service packs in the windows workstations and servers available on your network. You can also execute scripts for a user or workstation.

Endpoint Central Integration Requirement:

1. You should have installed both Endpoint Central and ServiceDesk Plus products.

2. Endpoint Central version should be 70211 and above. All versions of ServiceDesk Plus support this integration.

Topics discussed in this section:

• Prerequisites for performing Endpoint Central activities
  
  Lists the prerequisites for performing Endpoint Central activities.

• Getting Started with Endpoint Central Integration
  
  Step by step configuration to establish the integration and perform desktop management activities.

• Authentication Mechanism between the two applications
  
  Authentication between SDP and Endpoint Central application is through an application level key. This section explains about generating this authentication key.

• Handling Desktop Management activities from ServiceDesk Plus
  
  Procedure for handling Endpoint Central operations like install/uninstall software, resolve requests using templates, remote control, tools, and executing scripts from ServiceDesk Plus.

• Enabling Notification to Technician
  
  Send notification to the concerned technician when the task is updated in Endpoint Central.

• Integration when Endpoint Central is running in HTTPS mode
  
  Steps to establish a connection when Endpoint Central is running in HTTPS mode.

Prerequisites for performing Endpoint Central activities

Endpoint Central activities are performed only if,

• The Workstations and Servers are part of a Windows domain.

• The domain should be managed by Endpoint Central, and

• A Endpoint Central Agent should be installed in the workstations/servers.

Getting Started with Endpoint Central Integration

To get started with Endpoint Central Integration, the following tasks should be performed to establish the Integration and perform desktop management activities:-

1. Endpoint Central Server Settings

2. Enabling access to Desktop Management Functionality

3. Enabling Template Actions in the Service Item form

Step 1: Endpoint Central Server Configuration

If you have installed both ServiceDesk Plus and Endpoint Central servers, you just have to provide the details of the computer where Endpoint Central is installed, along with its port number. On entering these details and saving, ServiceDesk Plus will try to establish a connection with the Endpoint Central server. Once the connection is established, the configured software details and scripts from the Endpoint Central server are fetched.

1. Go to Admin > Apps & Add-ons > Integrations > ManageEngine > UEM Products > Settings and select Endpoint Central.
2. Select Enable UEM add-on menu to display the menu in the application's header. After integration, technicians can use this menu to access the integrated UEM product in just a click from the application header. This is applicable only for Endpoint Central build number #70242 and above.
3. Enter the URL where the application is currently hosted.
4. Click Change API Key. Enter your admin API Key from the Endpoint Central or click Generate to create a new API key.
5. Click Test Connection and Save. The settings are saved and ServiceDesk Plus tries to establish a connection with the Endpoint Central server. When the connection is established, ServiceDesk Plus fetches the software details and scripts from Endpoint Central.

ServiceDesk Plus automatically syncs with Endpoint Central server for configured software packages day-to-day. So, if you need to fetch the configured software packages instantly, click the click here link.

Step 2: Enabling access to Desktop Management Functionality

While enabling login permission to a technician, you can also provide the technician with Endpoint Central login access and Endpoint Central Role. The two Endpoint Central Roles are Endpoint Central Admin and Endpoint Central Guest. Select the check box Enable to access UEM Product Plugin Functionality and provide either of the roles for the technician. When the technician logs into ServiceDesk Plus using his/her credentials, the technician can view the Endpoint Central drop-down menu, from where the technician can perform Desktop Management functions within the ServiceDesk Plus web console.

NOTE:

1. Selecting the check box Enable to access UEM Product Plugin Functionality and a Endpoint Central Role will create a user with the same login credentials in the Endpoint Central  application.

2. You will be able to select Enable to access UEM Product Plugin Functionality check box only when the connection between Endpoint Central and ServiceDesk Plus is established successfully. If the integration is not successful, then this option will be greyed out.

Step 3: Enabling Template Actions for a Service Request

Apart from providing technicians with the privilege to perform Endpoint Central operations, you need to associate templates and roles to the actions. Templates and roles can be associated with actions by editing an action under Admin > Apps & Add-ons > Integrations > ManageEngine > UEM Products > Settings > UEM Product Actions.

This functionality is available only when Endpoint Central 70211 and above is integrated with ServiceDesk Plus. If the integration is not established, then this option will be greyed out.

 Authentication mechanism between the two applications

The authentication between ServiceDesk Plus and Endpoint Central is through an application level key that functions as a handshake mechanism between the two applications. A unique key is generated by a technician in the ServiceDesk Plus application.

1. Click Admin > Users & Permission > Technicians.

2. Click the  icon beside the technician to generate the API key. Please note that the technician should be enabled with login permission.

3. Click Generate. Choose an expiry date for the key or choose Never Expires. If a key is already generated for the technician, a Regenerate link appears.
    

The generated key can be found in Admin > API Key Generation in Endpoint Central application. So, whenever Endpoint Central contacts ServiceDesk Plus, the authentication key is passed. This key is validated against the ServiceDesk Plus database and if found valid, the process continues, else an error is thrown.  

Handling desktop management activities from ServiceDesk Plus

Since the whole idea of this integration is to perform regular desktop management activities from ServiceDesk Plus application, the list of software and scripts are fetched from Endpoint Central periodically and populated in ServiceDesk Plus database.

So when an end-user raise a service request for "installing software", the technician with Endpoint Central role can log into ServiceDesk Plus application and perform the installation operation.

Performing desktop management activities

From the request details page of the service request, click the Actions drop-down menu. The options Install/Uninstall software, Resolve requests using templates, Run Script, Remote Control, and Tools are listed based on the template associated with these actions as shown below,
 

To learn about the Remote Control option, check this video:

 

Install/Uninstall software

Click Install/Uninstall Software option. The Install/Uninstall Software window pops up.

Package Settings

1. Select the Installer Type, whether the software to be installed is of the format MSI or EXE.

2. The list of software under the selected Installer Type is listed under Package Name. Choose the software from the dropdown

3. Specify the name of the user for which the installation should run in Run As field.

4. Enter the Password of the specified user.

5. The type of operation, say Install or Uninstall is listed in Operation Type drop down. If the Installer Type is MSI, the operation type consists of  Install, Advertise and Uninstall. For EXE, the operation type consists of Install and Uninstall.

6. If the execution file is in a network share, then the file or folder can be copied to the client machine by selecting the option from Copy Option drop down.   

Deployment Settings

1. The domains available in ServiceDesk Plus are listed under the Domain drop down. Select the domain of the user/workstation.

2. The installation can be for a user or a workstation. Select the option from Install for drop down.

3. You can set and schedule the installation operation. If the Install for is selected as User, the installation can occur During or after Login into the machine, during login or after login. Similarly, for a workstation, the installation can occur During Startup, After Startup, During or After Startup.

4. You can also schedule a time for the deployment operation by enabling the checkbox beside Schedule Operation check box. Select the Schedule Date and Time using the calendar icon.

5. Set the Reboot Policy from the drop-down. You can either force a reboot when the user logs into the machine, force a shut down when the user has logged in or allow the user to skip the reboot/shut down.

Selecting Users/Workstations

You can select the Users/Workstations for the installation from the   icon. The Users/Workstations under the selected domain is listed in a pop-up window.

NOTE: Selecting Users/Workstations depends on the Install for option under Deployment Settings. If you have selected Users, Select Users appears and vice versa.

1. Enable the checkbox beside the user/workstation.

2. Click Select User/Workstation button. The users/workstations are listed under Selected Users/Workstation. Click Select Users/Workstation and Close button to add the users/workstations to the list and close the pop-up window.

3. Save the details. 

Resolve requests using templates

Click Resolve requests using templates option. Configuration template details window pops up.

1. Choose the Endpoint Central template.
2. Search/enter the computer name.
3. Click Deploy Configuration to execute the configuration.

Note: This feature is supported only for customers, who use Endpoint Central (100139) integrated with ServiceDesk Plus (9325).

Executing scripts

To execute scripts on a computer account/user account,

1. Click Run Script option.

2. In the Run Script popup window, select the Script Name from the drop-down box. The scripts files are uploaded in Endpoint Central and ServiceDesk Plus will store these script files in the SDP database. These script files are periodically updated in SDP database.

3. If required, specify the Script Arguments.

4. Select the Domain to which the user account/computer account belongs.

5. You can execute the script either for a computer account or user account. If you want to install the script for a computer account, select Workstation from the Install for drop-down box. The Select Workstation block is displayed. Click the  icon to select workstations.

6. To execute the script for user accounts, select Users from the Install for drop-down box. The Select Users window is displayed. Click Select user link. The list of users belonging to the selected domain is displayed. Select the check box beside the user(s). Click Select User button. Click Select user and close button to add the selected users and close the pop-up window.

7. Click the Save button. On saving the Run Script Configuration, a task is created in Endpoint Central. 

Remote control

To initiate a connection with a remote system,

Click Remote Control option. Initiate Remote Control using Endpoint Central window pops up.

1. Enter/search the 'computer name'.
2. Type the 'reason message' to initiate a remote session.
3. Click the initiate button.

Tools 

Click Tools option. A window pops up with Lock, ShutDown, Restart, Hibernate, Chat, System Manager, StandBy, and Wake on LAN actions.

Lock: Select the computer to be locked. It will automatically lock the system using the Endpoint Central agent. After this process, a note will be added to that particular request.

Shutdown: Select the computer for a shutdown. Use this option to close all the applications forcibly, before shutting down the computers. You can also use this option when applications are running in the background and you want to shut down the computer immediately.

Restart: To restart a computer.

Hibernate: To set a remote computer in Hibernate mode.

System Manager: As networks grow, IT departments need to efficiently manage remote computers. Endpoint Central's System Manager enables administrators to perform various system management tasks without user interactions. You could monitor the processes, services, software, users and other details about the systems you manage. To get started with System Manager, go to Tools --> System manager --> Computer Name --> Manage.

To learn more on System Manager, click here.

StandBy: To set a remote computer in Standby mode.

Wake on LAN: To wake up a computer within the same/different subnets. Endpoint Central agent should be live to perform the wake-up task.

Enabling Notification to Technician

Once the software installation/uninstallation task is performed and the status is updated by Endpoint Central, you can enable notification to the concerned technician regarding the update under Notification Rules.

1. Click Admin -> Notification Rules icon under Helpdesk block.

2. In the Request section, Enable "Notify Technician when a software Installation/Uninstallation task is updated" checkbox.

3. Save the details. 

Announcements

Use the Announcements in ServiceDesk Plus to send out crucial announcements in Endpoint Central.