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Lab guide for IT Service Manager

Overview

In this lab, you will configure and deploy a pre-built IT Service Manager agent that integrates with ServiceNow to handle incident management, ticket creation, task assignment, and knowledge base access. This agent enables employees to interact with IT services through natural language, streamlining support operations and improving response times.

Pre-requisites

Make sure you've already setup the environment:

  • Lab Environment setup
  • Access to watsonx Orchestrate
  • ServiceNow instance with ITSM module enabled
  • ServiceNow credentials with appropriate permissions
  • Basic understanding of ITSM concepts

Reference Architecture

The IT Service Manager follows an integrated architecture:

  1. User Interface Layer: Chat interface where employees submit IT requests and check ticket status
  2. Agent Layer: watsonx Orchestrate agent that processes requests and orchestrates ServiceNow operations
  3. Integration Layer: ServiceNow REST API connections for ITSM operations
  4. ServiceNow Platform: Backend ITSM system managing incidents, tasks, and knowledge base

Key Components:

  • IT Service Manager Agent: Pre-built agent from watsonx Orchestrate catalog
  • ServiceNow Connector: Authenticated connection to ServiceNow instance
  • ServiceNow Tools: Create, update, retrieve, and close incidents

ServiceNow OAuth 2.0 Setup Guide

Quick Reference — All Fields

Field Value
Base URL / Server URL https://<your-instance>.service-now.com
Authorization URL https://<your-instance>.service-now.com/oauth_auth.do
Token URL https://<your-instance>.service-now.com/oauth_token.do
Client ID From ServiceNow Application Registry
Client Secret From ServiceNow Application Registry
Scopes useraccount
Callback URL https://{{region}}.watson-orchestrate.cloud.ibm.com/mfe_connectors/api/v1/agentic/oauth/_callback

Steps

  1. Log in to Your ServiceNow Instance
    Instance URL https://<your-instance>.service-now.com
    Login with Your ServiceNow admin credentials

    Note: You need admin privileges to create OAuth application registry entries.

  2. Navigate to Machine Identity Console
    Go to All → Machine Identity Console (or search in navigator)
    Click Inbound Integrations tab
    Click 'New Integration' button (top right)

    Note: Alternatively, search for 'Application Registry' in the navigator for the classic view.

  3. Select Connection Type
    Select OAuth - Authorization code grant
    Description Used for interactive user authorization to obtain consent for accessing the application with user context
    Do NOT select Client credentials grant (machine-to-machine, no user context)

    Note: Authorization code grant is required because watsonx Orchestrate connects on behalf of a user (3-legged OAuth).

  4. Fill in the New Record Form
    Name watsonx Orchestrate (or any descriptive name)
    Redirect URL https://{{region}}.watson-orchestrate.cloud.ibm.com/mfe_connectors/api/v1/agentic/oauth/_callback
    Active Checked (true)
    This is a public client Leave unchecked

    Note: The Redirect URL must be exact. This is the watsonx Orchestrate callback URL that ServiceNow will redirect to after user authorization.

  5. Configure Auth Scope
    Scroll to Auth scope section
    Scope to use useraccount
    Description Grants access to all resources available to the signed-in user
    Click 'Save' to create the record

    Note: The useraccount scope is the standard scope for ServiceNow OAuth integrations. Use with caution as it grants broad access.

  6. Copy Client ID & Client Secret
    After saving, find Client ID field — auto-generated
    Your Client ID Copy from the Application Registry record
    Client Secret Click the copy icon next to the masked secret field
    Store securely Keep the Client Secret safe — it cannot be retrieved again

  7. Now you should have the following fields

    Field Value
    Base URL https://<your-instance>.service-now.com
    Authorization URL https://<your-instance>.service-now.com/oauth_auth.do
    Token URL https://<your-instance>.service-now.com/oauth_token.do
    Client ID (copied from Step 6)
    Client Secret (copied from Step 6)
    Scopes useraccount

Build, Deploy and Monitor Asset Manager Agent in watsonx Orchestrate

Build

  1. Click on the hamburger menu, and select Discover. build-deploy-1

  2. This is the agent and tools catalog where you can find pre-built agents and tools. There are over 300 pre-built agent and over 1130 pre-built tools. Also over 10 pre-built MCP servers. Under category, click on IT. build-deploy-2

  3. You will see the Asset Manager agent, we'll be using this pre-built agent. Click on it. build-deploy-3

  4. Review the Service Now tools being used for this agent and click on use as template. build-deploy-4

  5. You will see the Asset Manager agent initialized, with tools, behavior and description. build-deploy-5

  6. Click on Toolset > Tools and click on the three dot menu on any one of the tool and click on edit details. build-deploy-6

  7. Go to Connectors tab, and you will see the OAuth2 connection variable. build-deploy-7

  8. Click on the pencil icon to edit. build-deploy-9

  9. Select OAuth2 Authorization Code. build-deploy-10

  10. Enter the credentials that you generated in the ServiceNow OAuth 2.0 step. build-deploy-11

  11. Do the similar configuration in Live environment and save the changes. build-deploy-12

  12. In the Preview panel, type the following prompt: 

    List all the assets
    build-deploy-13

  13. You will get a Connect app button to connect to Oauth2 server. Click on Connect and you will be redirected to ServiceNow page to authorize the user. Click on allow. build-deploy-14

  14. The Oauth2 connection is successfully established the agent will have access to invoke the ServiceNow tools and will show you the results. build-deploy-16

  15. Lets now list the available users: 

    List all the users
    build-deploy-17

  16. Lets create a new asset and assign it to the user. Enter the prompt: 

    Create a new laptop asset. 
Asset type: Hardware
Model name: Apple MacBook Pro 17"
Model category: Computer
Quantity: 1
serial number: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Asset tag: dev_machine

  17. Once the asset is created we can assign it to the user: 

    Assign the dev_machine to son.marschke

  18. You can now list the assets assigned to the user using the prompt: 

    list all the assets assigned to son.marschke
    build-deploy-18

  19. You will see that the assets assigned to this perticular user is being displayed.

Deploy

  1. Once you have tested the agent, you can click on Deploy to view the pre-deploy panel. build-deploy-19

  2. Finally click on Deploy. build-deploy-20

Test deployed agent

  1. Click on the hamburger menu and select Chat. build-deploy-21

  2. You will see the Orchestrate chat panel, select the Asset Manager agent from the drop down and try the prompt: 

    List the users

  3. You will be prompted to allow the connection to ServiceNow via Oauth2. Go ahead and allow it. build-deploy-22

  4. You can see the response. build-deploy-23

  5. If the answer is wrong, you can select the thumbs down and enter the feedback and submit it. build-deploy-24

Monitoring & Observability

  1. Click on the hamburger menu and select Analyze. build-deploy-25

  2. Select the Asset Manager from the agents list. build-deploy-26

  3. You will see all the metrics for this agent, the feedback that was given previously will also be displayed. Click on the donught chart to view the conversation where the feedback was provided. build-deploy-27

  4. You can now trace the entire coversation that received a positive/negative feedback. build-deploy-28

Integration with Other Systems

The IT Service Manager can be extended to integrate with:

  • Email Systems: Auto-create incidents from support emails
  • Monitoring Tools: Create incidents from system alerts
  • HR Systems: Link to employee records for asset assignment
  • Procurement Systems: Automate equipment ordering
  • Communication Platforms: Send notifications via Slack/Teams

Security Considerations

  • Use secure authentication for ServiceNow connection
  • Implement role-based access control
  • Encrypt sensitive data in transit
  • Audit all agent actions
  • Comply with data privacy regulations
  • Regular security reviews and updates

Summary

You have successfully configured and deployed an IT Service Manager agent that:

  • Creates and manages IT incidents through natural language
  • Provides access to knowledge base articles
  • Handles task assignment and routing
  • Manages IT assets and equipment requests
  • Integrates seamlessly with ServiceNow ITSM
  • Improves IT service delivery and user satisfaction
  • Tried the feedback loop in watsonx Orchestrate
  • Enabled monitoring and observability for the agent

This agent significantly reduces the burden on IT support teams while providing employees with faster, more convenient access to IT services.

Conclusion

👏 Congratulations on completing the lab! 🎉