Troubleshooting

This section is designed to assist members of implementation and support teams who are either installing or supporting the ServiceNow integration with Remote Support. The items listed here cover potential issues you may encounter when working with the integration, along with steps to take to investigate and alleviate those issues.

Throughout this section you'll see a reference to ServiceNow application logs. This refers to the application logs in ServiceNow, which can be found in System Logs > System Log > Application Logs.

ServiceNow has other logs that are also helpful. Those include:

  • Transaction Logs, found at System Logs > Transactions
  • All Logs, found at System Logs > System Log > All
  • Warning Logs, found at System Logs > System Log > Warnings
  • Error Logs, found at System Logs > System Log > Errors

Using this troubleshooting guide requires knowledge of both ServiceNow and Remote Support.

Support Sessions Are Not Written to ServiceNow

If support sessions aren't written in ServiceNow, there could be a communication issue. First check to ensure communication is open from Remote Support to ServiceNow.

  1. Log in to the Remote Support /login interface and ensure the Support Session End option is checked on the HTTP Recipient for the Outbound Event. If Support Session End is not checked, check the box, save the HTTP recipient, then run another support session and see if the record is written to ServiceNow.
  2. If the Outbound Event looks good, log in to the /appliance interface and run a TCP test to the hostname of the customer's ServiceNow instance on port 443. If the TCP test yields a non-200 response, involve your network team to determine if there is a network block in place, such as a firewall or network rule.
  3. If the TCP test yields a 200 response, then start another session from ServiceNow, end the session, then open the ServiceNow transaction logs and filter by records that are Created on Today (or Last 15 minutes for fewer results) AND URL starts with /api/x_bmgr_support_ent/outbound_event/session_end. If you don't see a record for the session you just ran, then there is a communication issue from Remote Support to ServiceNow and you should recommend the customer involve their network team to determine if there is a network block in place such as a firewall or network rule.
  4. If you see the transaction record in the Transaction Logs, then double-check and reset the OAuth Client ID and OAuth Client Secret fields on the appliance configuration record in ServiceNow. It's very common that this OAuth Client Secret value is copied to the clipboard, but the API Account record is never saved in Remote Support/login. We recommend that you copy the value and immediately save the API Account, then paste the value in the appliance configuration record in ServiceNow. Run another support session. If the Support Session record still does not show up in ServiceNow, check the ServiceNow application log to see if there are any errors that may explain why the record isn't being written.

Session Key Button is not Showing on the Case Form

If the Session Key button is not showing on the case form, there are few things that can be checked.

  1. Check to see if there were any adjustments or customizations made to any of the integration's UI actions. Because these UI actions render the buttons, we recommend that these not be edited.
  2. If no customizations to the UI actions were made, ensure the appliance configuration record is named Default, with matching case and no white space. Any name other than Default causes the Session Key button to be hidden.
  3. If the name of the appliance configuration record is Default, view the customer's case states and ensure that the Condition field in the UI Action displays the button for the proper case states.

For more information, please see Configure Case States.

Session Key Button Gives an "Unknown Host" Message

If you get an Unknown host error, there is essentially a communication issue from ServiceNow to the Remote Support deployment, unless the hostname is set incorrectly on the appliance configuration record.

Double-check the hostname on the appliance configuration record in ServiceNow. If it looks correct, contact your network team to determine if there is a network block in place, such as a firewall or network rule.

"Invalid Custom Field Code Name" Message

An invalid custom field code name error can occur when there is an attempt to generate a session key, but a custom attribute with that code name doesn't exist in the system. This can happen if a step is missed in the initial integration configuration.

Create the missing custom field and try to start another support session from ServiceNow.

"Error Validating Parameter 'snow_case_id': The Session Attribute is Invalid" Message

An error validating parameter 'snow_case_id': The session attribute is invalid message can occur when there is an attempt to generate a session key, but a custom attribute with that code name doesn't exist in the system. This can happen if a step is missed in the initial integration configuration.

Create the missing custom field and try to start another support session from ServiceNow.