BMC Helix Portal: How to Add a Service tile to the Helix Portal Landing page to Cross-Launch a Custom URL (e.g., Helix ITSM MidTier) for on-prem users?
 

This article describes the process for adding a Service tile to the Helix Portal Landing page to Cross-Launch a Custom URL, such as the Helix ITSM MidTier. The configuration is performed using the tctl command-line tool and requires access to a Linux system with GUI support for login authentication.

For OnPrem Users:

Follow the steps below to configure a custom panel using the tctl command-line tool:

Prerequisites:

• Access to a Linux system with GUI (for browser-based login)
• tctl utility downloaded and installed
• kubectl access to the appropriate namespace
• Required configuration files:
  • activate-service.json
  • custom-service.json
  • generate_tctl_config.sh script

Download the tctl utility - if intended to run the utility on a Linux system, a GUI interface is needed for the login stage, as it launches a browser to input credentials.  Later steps can be done with a simple terminal.

Steps below assume running on Linux.

Save these files to the Linux working directory where tctl is installed:

activate-service.json - replace CUSTOM_URL with the address of your service

{
   "license": "string",
   "metadata": {},
   "service_url": "CUSTOM_URL"
}

custom-service.json - update the MidTier-related fields, such as name and description with your own service values

{
   "name": "MIDTIER",
   "type": "EXTERNAL",
   "status": "ACTIVE",
   "version": "21.30.00",
   "metadata": {
      "oob_content": {
         "application": {
            "internal_object": false,
            "name": "MIDTIER",
            "system_object": true,
            "description": "MidTier Service",
            "application_id": "MIDTIER",
            "version": "21.30.00"
         }
      }
   },
   "config": {
      "ui_configurations": {
         "components": [
            {
               "icon_source_uri": "d-icon-user_star",
               "use_service_url": true,
               "image_source_uri": "/itsm/icon-helix-ITSM.svg",
               "name": "BMC Helix MidTier",
               "link_route_path": "/",
               "description": "MidTier access to BMC Helix ITSM",
               "product_services": true
            }
         ]
      }
   }
}

Save this text as generate_tctl_config.sh

---
#!/bin/bash
# Shell script to create a config file suitable for the tctl command line tool
# Should be run on a system with kubectl access to namespace being used
# Usage: ./generate_tctl_config.sh <ADE_NAMESPACE>
# Outputs config file contents to stdout suitable for copy/past or redirection
if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
  echo "Usage: ./generate_tctl_config.sh <ADE_NAMESPACE>"
  exit 1
fi

# Expect $1 to be the namespace where the Helix Platform services are running
NAMESPACE="$1"
if [ -t 1 ]; then
  echo "Checking for Helix Platform TMS pods in ${NAMESPACE} namespace..."
fi

TMSPODCOUNT=$(kubectl -n ${NAMESPACE} get pod -l app=tms | wc -l)
if [ $TMSPODCOUNT -eq 0 ]; then
  >&2 echo "ERROR - Helix Platform TMS pods not found in ${NAMESPACE} namespace."
  exit 1
fi

>&2 echo "Getting data from TMS..."
# Get the RSSO credentials
USER=$(kubectl get job -n ${NAMESPACE} tms-superuser-job -o=jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[*].env[?(@.name=="LOCAL_USER_NAME")].value}')
PASSWD=$(kubectl get job -n ${NAMESPACE} tms-superuser-job -o=jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[*].env[?(@.name=="LOCAL_USER_PASSWORD")].value}')

# Get the config file values
TMS_URL=$(kubectl -n ${NAMESPACE} get deployment tms -o=jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[?(@.name=="tms")].env[?(@.name=="ADE_PLATFORM_BASE_URL")].value}')
APPURL=${TMS_URL%/*}
CLIENTID=$(kubectl -n ${NAMESPACE} get secret tms-auth-proxy-secret -o jsonpath='{.data.clientid}' | base64 -d -w 0)
CLIENTSECRET=$(kubectl -n ${NAMESPACE} get secret tms-auth-proxy-secret -o jsonpath='{.data.clientsecret}' | base64 -d -w 0)
RSSOURL=$(kubectl -n ${NAMESPACE} get cm rsso-admin-tas -o jsonpath='{.data.rssourl}{"/rsso\n"}')

>&2 echo -e "tctl config file generated....\nRSSO credentials are ${USER}/${PASSWD}"
echo "
appurl: ${APPURL}
clientid: ${CLIENTID}
clientsecret: ${CLIENTSECRET}
enableauth: true
rssourl: ${RSSOURL}
"
# --- end of file ---

Run the generate_tctl_config.sh script to create the config file for tctl and note the credentials it reports.

$ bash generate_tctl_config.sh helix-platform-namespace > config
Getting data from TMS...
tctl config file generated....
RSSO credentials are admin/bmcAdm1n1#

Use the tctl tool to log in to your Helix Platform system -  a browser launches, and enter the credentials reported in the previous step.

$ ./tctl login

Edit the browser URL to refer to http rather than https, and you should get the "You were successfully authenticated" message

Get and note the tenant ID
$ ./tctl get tenant

Create the service
$ ./tctl create-service -f custom-service.json 

Check that the service was registered and note the service ID
$ ./tctl get service

Activate the service for your tenant
$ ./tctl activate service <TENANT_ID> -i <SERVICE_ID> -f activate-service.json 

Verify service is active
$ ./tctl get tenant-service <TENANT_ID>

Log in to the portal, and a user will see a new panel - it should cross-launch and log you straight in if RSSO is supported.

NOTEs:

1. Currently, there is no way for an external service to have an icon change if this use_service_url is true 
2. The following can help to mark the services as deactivated

Log in to tctl and then get tenant details [tctl login and then tctl get tenant]

Then follow the steps below:

1. Get the tenant service details

 ./tctl get tenant-service <ID1>

2. Create a json file called Inactive.json with the following contents:

{
       "status": "INACTIVE"
}

3. Using the ID of the service you want to deactivate <ID2>, update the tenant service

./tctl update tenant-service <ID1> -i <ID2> -f Inactive.json

4. Confirm relevant services are showing as INACTIVE

./tctl get tenant-service <ID1>

NOTE:  This functionality is not supported for SaaS customers at this time. Registering a service as a tile on the Helix Portal landing page must currently be done through backend pipelines.

An idea has been submitted to address this limitation. More details can be found here:
https://community.bmc.com/s/idea/087cx000004spL3AAI/detail