Use the BMC Sample Create Virtual Machine 21.05 sample service in the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog application to automate service requests for creating virtual machines in Microsoft Azure.

Scenario

Ajay, an application business analyst wants to create a service to automate the task of creating virtual machines in Azure. He uses the BMC Sample Create Virtual Machine 21.05 sample service content package. Ajay first creates an Azure connector configuration. He updates the service in the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog application and publishes the service to make it available to users.

The following video (2:26) explains how to automate a user request for virtual machine creation:

Task 1: To create an Azure connector

1. Log in to BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog.
2. On the Services tab, click Connectors.
3. Select Azure, click Actions, and click Open.

4. Update the following fields:

   Field	Description
   Subscription Id	ID obtained while creating the Azure account.
   Tenant Id	Value of the Directory ID corresponding to Active Directory in Azure.
   Client Id	Value of the Application ID obtained after creating an application in Azure Active Directory.
   Client Key	Password that you specified during creation of the Active Directory account.
   Region

5. Click Save.
   

Task 2: To define Create Azure VM service

1. Log in to BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog.
2. On the Services tab, click Services.
   The service BMC Sample Create Virtual Machine 21.05 is displayed in the Service Management console.
   
3. Select the service, click Actions, and click Edit Service Name.
   
   
4. Update the service name, and click Save.
   For example, Create Azure VM.
   

Task 3: To define Create Azure VM service workflow

1. In the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog application, in the Service Management console, select the Create Azure VMservice.
2. Click Actions, and click Open.
3. In the Service Options pane, click Edit corresponding to the Workflow option.
   
   
4. In the Workflow and Questions pane, in the Workflow section, click Edit.
   
   The following workflow is displayed in the Workflow designer:
   

   The following elements are used in the workflow:

   • Create Vm—Creates a virtual machine in Azure based on the input variables provided to the workflow. 
   • Send User Message—Uses the Create Vm output and sends an email to the service requester with details of the virtual machine that is created.
     
5. If required, update the workflow input variables.
   The following input variables are available:
    
   Map these input variables to the service questionnaire so that the user responses to service questions are used as variable values.
6. Select the Send User Message element in the workflow and update the Outgoing Profile Source and Outgoing Email Profile properties.
   
7. Save the changes.

Task 4: To define Create Azure VM service questionnaire

1. In the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog application, in the Service Management console, select the Create Azure VM service.
2. Click Actions, and click Open.
3. In the Service Options pane, click Edit corresponding to the Workflow option.
   
   

4. In the Workflow and Questions pane, in the Questions section, click Edit.
   
   The following questions are displayed in the Questions Designer:

   Question	Description
   vnName	Value specifies the name of the virtual machine. Users can specify any name.
   subscriptionID	Values are populated by using the Subscription Azure Resource Graph. Users can select any one of the values.
   region	Values are populated based on the selected subscriptionID. Users can select any one of the values.
   imagePublisher	Values are populated based on the selected region. Users can select any one of the values.
   imageOffer	Values are populated based on the selected imagePublisher. Users can select any one of the values.
   imageSKU	Values are populated based on the selected imageOffer. Users can select any one of the values.
   imageVersion	Values are populated based on the selected imageSKU. Users can select any one of the values.
   imageURL	Values are populated based on the selected imageVersion. Users can select any one of the values.
   customImageID	Values are populated based on the selected imageURL. Users can select any one of the values.
   osType	Values are populated based on the selected subscriptionID. Users can select any one of the values.
   IsExistingResourceGroup	Value specifies whether the virtual machine belongs to an existing resource group. Users can specify the value as True or False.
   ResourceGroupName	Values are populated by using Resource Group Name Azure Resource Graph. Users can select any one of the values.
   networkName	Values are populated based on the selected ResourceGroupName. Users can select any one of the values.
   subnet	Values are populated based on the selected networkName. Users can select any one of the values.

5. If you have added additional input variables in the workflow to receive inputs from the service requester, add questions corresponding to the variables.
6. Save the changes.

Task 5: To publish the Create Azure VM service

1. In the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog application, in the Service Management console, select the Create Azure VMservice.
2. In the Service Options pane, click , and click Publish.
   
   

After you publish the service, the service is available to users.

Task 6: To test the Create Azure VM service

1. Log in to BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced application.
2. Submit a virtual machine creation request by using the Create Azure VM service.
   
   
3. Verify that you receive an email about virtual machine creation.
   

Result

The Create Azure VM service is available to users. Users can submit Azure virtual machine creation requests by using this service and their requests are processed automatically.

Related topic

Automating the creation of virtual machines and storage accounts