Managing SyncPacks

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This section describes how to use the SyncPacks page () of the PowerFlow user interface to import, install, and view SyncPacks, which are also called "SyncPacks".

PowerFlow and SyncPacks content not created by ScienceLogic is not supported by ScienceLogic. This includes custom steps, PowerFlow applications, and SyncPacks.

What is a SyncPack?

A SyncPack contains all of the code and logic needed to perform integrations on the PowerFlow platform. A SyncPack is saved as a Python .whl file, and it typically includes Python steps that are listed in PowerFlow applications and shipped with one or configuration objects:

You can access the latest steps, applications, and configurations for PowerFlow or a third-party integration, such as ServiceNow, by downloading the most recent SyncPack for that integration. You can download SyncPacks from the PowerPacks page at the ScienceLogic Support Site at https://support.sciencelogic.com/s/.

You can access all SyncPacks that have been uploaded to your PowerFlow system on the SyncPacks page.

A SyncPack is highly customizable, and you can modify the contents of a SyncPack to meet your business needs, instead of changing your SL1 configuration. You can categorize and segment your business integration solutions using a SyncPack.

SyncPacks let you distribute content to simplify installations, upgrades, and maintenance of integration solutions. Just like PowerPacks, you can also share SyncPacks. In addition, SyncPacks protect a company's intellectual property using licensing and encryption technologies.

Viewing the List of Synchronization PowerPacks

The SyncPacks page provides a list of the SyncPacks on your PowerFlow system. From this page you can search for and view SyncPacks, and you can also install and uninstall SyncPacks.

Searching for a SyncPack

You can search for a specific SyncPack by typing the name of that SyncPack in the Search field at the top of the SyncPacks page. The user interface filters the list as you type. You can also filter the list by typing in the text box above a column header, and sort by clicking most column headers.

If you have more than one version of a SyncPack the active version of the SyncPack is highlighted in green in the Versions column.

Click the Filter icon () at the top right of the SyncPacks page and select Toggle Inactive SyncPacks to show all SyncPacks on the PowerFlow system. 

Viewing a Detail Page for a SyncPack

Click the name of a SyncPack from the list to view the detail page for the SyncPack.

At the top of this page you can view additional metadata, including the active version, the minimum PowerFlow platform version, and other details.:

In the Package Contents section, you can view more details about the steps, applications, and configuration objects include with that SyncPack:

  • The Applications tab includes a link to the detail page for each application, along with a list of steps in the application (with the option of clicking the step name to view the code for that step), and a thumbnail image of the workflow for the application.
  • The Steps tab includes a link to the Step Code dialog for each step, along with a list of any applications that are using that step. You can also click the name of the application from the list to go to the detail page for that application.
  • The Configurations tab includes a link to the detail page for each configuration object, along with a list of any PowerFlow applications that are aligned with that configuration object (with the option of clicking the application name to view the detail page for that application).

Using the Actions Button to Manage SyncPacks

On the SyncPacks page of the PowerFlow user interface, you can access the following SyncPack options by clicking the Actions button () next to a SyncPack:

  • Activate & Install. Before you can use a SyncPack, you will need to activate and install it. An activated SyncPack has been installed and is ready to be used. For more information, see Activating and Installing a Synchronization PowerPack.

    If you try to activate and install a SyncPack that is already activated and installed, you can choose to "force" installation across all the nodes in the PowerFlow system.

  • Change active version. If you have more than one SyncPack installed, select this option to specify a new active version (other than the version that is currently running).

  • Uninstall. Select this option if you want to completely remove all versions of a SyncPack, instead of deleting one or more versions using the Delete option, below.

  • Delete. Remove one or more versions of a SyncPack from PowerFlow. You cannot delete the active version of a SyncPack (the version that is currently running).

Click the Filter icon () at the top right of the SyncPacks page and select Toggle Inactive SyncPacks to show all SyncPacks on the PowerFlow system. 

Importing and Installing a SyncPack

The SyncPacks page in the PowerFlow user interface lets you import and install the latest version of a SyncPack. After you install a SyncPack, PowerFlow considers that SyncPack to be activated and ready to be used.

By default, the SyncPacks page displays all activated and installed SyncPacks. If you do not see the PowerPack that you want to install, click the Filter icon () on the SyncPacks page and select Toggle Inactive SyncPacks to see a list of the imported PowerPacks.

After you install a SyncPack, that SyncPack is available on the SyncPacks page of the PowerFlow user interface. The PowerFlow applications from that SyncPack are added to the Applications page of the user interface. You can click the name of that SyncPack to view the detail page for that SyncPack.

If you want to upload and install multiple ServiceNow SyncPacks at the same time, you should upload all of the SyncPacks first, and then install them to address any dependencies between the SyncPacks.

Also, you can click the dropdown arrow next to the Import SyncPack button to import or view dependencies for PowerFlow SyncPacks. For more information, see Locating and Importing Dependencies for a SyncPack.

If a SyncPack has a dependency on another specific SyncPack version, you will need to install that SyncPack version on the PowerFlow system before you can install the SyncPack with the dependency. For more information, see the SL1 PowerFlow Dependency Matrix page at https://docs.sciencelogic.com/latest/Content/Web_General_Information/Doc_Archive/powerflow_release_matrix.htm.

You must have the Develop or Administrator role to install a SyncPack. For more information, see Managing Users in PowerFlow.

If your PowerFlow system uses self-signed certificates, you will need to manually accept the certificate before you can upload SyncPacks. Go to https://<IP address of PowerFlow>:3141/isadmin, accept the certificate, and then exit out of the tab. When you log into PowerFlow again, you will be able to upload SyncPacks.

Locating and Downloading a SyncPack

A SyncPack file has the .whl file extension type. You can download the SyncPack file from the ScienceLogic Support site.

If you are upgrading to this version of the SyncPack from a previous version, make a note of any settings you made on the Configuration pane of the various PowerFlow applications in this SyncPack, as these settings are not retained when you upgrade.

To locate and download the SyncPack:

  1. Go to the ScienceLogic Support Site at https://support.sciencelogic.com/s/.
  2. Click the Product Downloads tab and select PowerPack.
  3. In the Search PowerPacks field, search for the SyncPack and select it from the search results. The Release Version page appears.
  4. On the PowerPack Versions tab, click the name of the SyncPack version that you want to install. The Release File Details page appears.
  5. Click the Download File button or click the name of the .zip file containing the .whl file for this SyncPack to start downloading the file.

After you download a SyncPack, you can import it to your PowerFlow system using the PowerFlow user interface.

If you are installing or upgrading to the latest version of this SyncPack in an offline deployment, see "Installing or Upgrading in an Offline Environment" in the SyncPack release notes to ensure you install any external dependencies.

Importing a SyncPack

To import a SyncPack in the PowerFlow user interface:

  1. On the SyncPacks page () of the PowerFlow user interface, click Import SyncPack. The Import SyncPack page appears.
  2. Click Browse and select the .whl file for the SyncPack you want to install. You can also drag and drop a .whl file to the Import SyncPack page.
  3. Click Import. PowerFlow registers and uploads the SyncPack. The SyncPack is added to the SyncPacks page.
  4. You will need to activate and install the SyncPack in PowerFlow. For more information, see Activating and Installing a Synchronization PowerPack.

You cannot edit the content package in a SyncPack published by ScienceLogic. You must make a copy of a ScienceLogic SyncPack and save your changes to the new SyncPack to prevent overwriting any information in the original SyncPack when upgrading.

Activating and Installing a SyncPack

To activate and install a SyncPack in the PowerFlow user interface:

  1. On the SyncPacks page of the PowerFlow user interface, click the Actions button () for the SyncPack you want to install and select Activate & Install. The Activate & Install SyncPack modal appears.

    If you try to activate and install a SyncPack that is already activated and installed, you can choose to "force" installation across all the nodes in the PowerFlow system.

    If you do not see the PowerPack that you want to install, click the Filter icon () on the SyncPacks page and select Toggle Inactive SyncPacks to see a list of the imported PowerPacks.

  1. Click Yes to confirm the activation and installation. When the SyncPack is activated, the SyncPacks page displays a green check mark icon () for that SyncPack. If the activation or installation failed, then a red exclamation mark icon () appears.
  2. For more information about the activation and installation process, click the check mark icon () or the exclamation mark icon () in the Activated column for that SyncPack. For a successful installation, the "Activate & Install SyncPack" application appears, and you can view the Step Log for the steps. For a failed installation, the Error Logs window appears.
  3. If you have other versions of the same SyncPack on your PowerFlow system, you can click the Actions button () for that SyncPack and select Change active version to activate a different version other than the version that is currently running.

Locating and Importing Dependencies for a Synchronization PowerPack

The most common error that occurs when installing a SyncPack is that the SyncPack dependencies are not installed. If a SyncPack has a dependency on another specific SyncPack version, you will need to import and install that SyncPack version on the PowerFlow system before you can install the SyncPack with the dependency.

Review the "System Requirements" section of the release notes for that SyncPack to ensure that you have installed all of the required applications for that SyncPack.

To view a list of additional PowerFlow and SL1 products that are required by the various Synchronization PowerPacks, see the SL1 PowerFlow Dependency Matrix page at https://docs.sciencelogic.com/latest/Content/Web_General_Information/Doc_Archive/powerflow_release_matrix.htm.

In addition, you can click the dropdown arrow next to the Import SyncPack button to import or view dependencies for PowerFlowSyncPacks.

To view a list of available dependency files:

  1. Click the down arrow icon () next to the Import SyncPack button and select View Dependencies. A devpi dependencies page appears.
  2. To view more information about a dependency, click the link in the Info page column.
  3. To download a dependency file, click the link in the Releases column.

To import a dependency:

  1. Click the down arrow icon () next to the Import SyncPack button and select Import Dependency.

  2. Click Browse and select the relevant dependency file from the previous step.

    You can also drag and drop a file onto the Import SyncPacks page.

  3. Click Import. The dependency file is added to the PowerFlow system .

Default SyncPacks

When you install PowerFlow, the following SyncPacks are added to the SyncPacks page by default:

If you need to install these SyncPacks, click the Actions button () and select Activate & Install for each SyncPack.

Base Steps SyncPack

The "Base Steps" SyncPack contains a default set of steps that are used in a variety of different SyncPacks. You must install and activate this SyncPack before you can run any of the other SyncPacks.

This SyncPack is included with the most recent release of the PowerFlow Platform. You can also download newer versions of this SyncPack, if available, from the PowerPacks page of the ScienceLogic Support Site at https://support.sciencelogic.com/s/.

Starting with version 1.5.0 of the "Base Steps" SyncPack, the "QueryREST" has been deprecated. You can continue to use this step, but the step will be removed from future versions of the SyncPack. ScienceLogic recommends that you use REST steps included in version 1.5.0 instead: "GetREST", "PostREST", "DeleteREST", and "PutREST".

For more information about the latest releases of this SyncPack, see the SL1 PowerFlow Synchronization PowerPack Release Notes.

Contents of the SyncPack

Flow Control SyncPack

The "Flow Control" SyncPack contains just one item: the "IfStep" step that enables the logical branching used by the PowerFlow builder. The most recent version of this SyncPack is version 1.0.1, and it is included in the PowerFlow Platform release.

System Utils SyncPack

The "System Utils" SyncPack is a Standard SyncPack that contains applications, a configuration object, and steps. Version 1.1.5 of this SyncPack is included with PowerFlow version 2.6.0.

You must install the "Base Steps" SyncPack before you can install this SyncPack. For the latest release notes with a list of System Requirements, see SL1 PowerFlow Synchronization PowerPack Release Notes.

You can download newer versions of this SyncPack (when available) from the PowerPacks page of the ScienceLogic Support Site.

Contents of the SyncPack