The System Center 2012 Service Manager (SCSM) Exchange Connector is a vital bridge between your IT service desk and your email infrastructure. It allows SCSM to process incoming emails, automatically creating or updating incidents and change requests without manual analyst intervention. This guide delivers a comprehensive overview of how the connector works, its core benefits, and the steps required to implement it effectively. Key Benefits of the Exchange Connector
Integrating your email system with SCSM transforms standard communication into structured IT service management data.
Automated Ticket Creation: Converts incoming emails directly into SCSM incidents or service requests.
Effortless Updates: Appends user email replies directly to the action log of existing work items.
Status Approval via Email: Allows managers to approve or reject change requests by simply replying to a notification.
Reduced Analyst Workload: Eliminates the need for manual data entry for email-based submissions. How the Connector Works
The Exchange Connector operates by monitoring a designated central mailbox (such as [email protected]) using Exchange Web Services (EWS).
Inbound Email: A user sends an email to the helpdesk mailbox.
Polling: The connector polls the mailbox at configured intervals.
Parsing: The connector processes the email subject line and body.
Matching: It searches for a unique work item ID (e.g., “IR1234”) in the subject line.
Action: If a match is found, it updates that specific work item. If no match exists, it generates a new incident using a predefined template. Step-by-Step Deployment Strategy
Setting up the connector requires precise configuration across both Microsoft Exchange and System Center. 1. Prerequisites and Account Setup
Before installing the connector, you must configure a dedicated Active Directory account and mailbox. Create a dedicated domain account (e.g., svc-scsmexchange). Create a corresponding Exchange mailbox for this account. Grant the account full access permissions to the mailbox.
Ensure the account has “Log on as a service” rights on the SCSM management server. 2. Installing the Connector
The Exchange Connector is not built directly into the base SCSM installation media and must be downloaded separately from Microsoft.
Download the System Center 2012 Service Manager Exchange Connector package.
Extract the files to your Service Manager installation directory.
Register the connector DLL files using the PowerShell scripts or instructions provided in the package. 3. Configuring the Connection in SCSM
Once registered, the connector must be configured within the Service Manager console. Navigate to Administration > Connectors. Create a new Exchange Connector.
Enter the EWS URL (typically https://office365.com for cloud environments or your internal Exchange server URL). Input the credentials for your dedicated service account.
Set the polling interval frequency based on your organization’s volume. 4. Defining Routing and Templates
To ensure incoming emails are categorized correctly, you must map them to SCSM templates.
Select a default Incident Template for completely new emails.
Configure keyword routing (e.g., if the email body contains “Approval,” map it to an activity update).
Set up user validation rules to determine if the connector should process emails from external or unrecognized senders. Troubleshooting Common Issues
Maintaining a healthy connection requires monitoring a few common failure points.
Authentication Failures: Ensure the service account password has not expired and that the account is not locked out in Active Directory.
EWS Connectivity: Verify that the SCSM management server can successfully communicate with the Exchange Web Services URL over HTTPS (Port 443).
Impersonation Rights: If configuration requires the service account to process multiple mailboxes, ensure Exchange Impersonation rights are accurately assigned.
Unprocessed Emails: Check the “Inbox” of your helpdesk mailbox. If emails are piling up, the connector service may be stopped or encountering parsing errors.
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