SolarWinds Service Desk Setup

Configure SolarWinds for Cynteo Alert Bridge integration.

Prerequisites

• SolarWinds Service Desk (Samanage) account
• Administrator access to generate API tokens

Generating API Token

Step 1: Log in to SolarWinds

1. Go to your SolarWinds Service Desk portal
2. Log in with administrator credentials

Step 2: Navigate to API Settings

1. Click your profile icon (top right)
2. Select “Account Settings” or “Setup”
3. Navigate to “API & Integrations” or “Developer” section

Step 3: Generate Token

1. Click “Generate New Token” or “Create API Token”
2. Name: Cynteo Alert Bridge
3. Permissions: Ensure the following are enabled:
   • ✅ Read Incidents
   • ✅ Create Incidents
   • ✅ Update Incidents
   • ✅ Add Comments
4. Click “Generate” or “Create”

Step 4: Save Token

IMPORTANT: Copy the token immediately - you won’t be able to see it again!

Token format:

xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

Store securely - This token will be entered during Azure deployment.

Verifying API Access

Test Your Token (Optional)

You can verify your token works using curl:

curl -X GET "https://api.samanage.com/incidents.json" \
  -H "X-Samanage-Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN_HERE" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

Expected response: JSON list of incidents (or empty array if no incidents)

Error response: Check token and permissions

SolarWinds Configuration

Recommended Settings

1. Create Dedicated Category (Optional)

1. Go to Setup → Incidents → Categories
2. Click "+ Add Category"
3. Name: Azure Monitor
4. Save

You can reference this during Cynteo Alert Bridge deployment.

2. Create Dedicated Subcategory (Optional)

1. Under the category created above
2. Click "+ Add Subcategory"
3. Name: Alerts
4. Save

3. Configure Priority Levels

Verify your SolarWinds has these priority levels:

• High
• Medium
• Low

These will be mapped from Azure alert severities (Sev0-Sev3).

4. Set Up Requester Email

Create a system user email that will be the “requester” for auto-created incidents:

1. Option A: Create dedicated service account

   • Email: azure-monitor@yourcompany.com
   • Name: Azure Monitor Service

2. Option B: Use existing IT service account

   • Use your existing automation/monitoring email

Permissions Required

Minimum API Token Permissions

Your token must have:

Security Best Practices

1. Token Rotation

• Rotate API tokens every 90 days
• Update token in Azure Key Vault when rotated
• See Update API Token Guide

2. IP Restrictions (if available)

If SolarWinds supports IP restrictions:

• Add Azure region IP ranges
• See Azure IP Ranges

3. Audit Logging

Enable audit logging in SolarWinds to track:

• Incident creations from API
• API token usage
• Unauthorized access attempts

Testing Your Setup

Create Test Incident via API

curl -X POST "https://api.samanage.com/incidents.json" \
  -H "X-Samanage-Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN_HERE" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "incident": {
      "name": "Test Incident from Cynteo Alert Bridge",
      "priority": "Low",
      "description": "This is a test to verify API access",
      "requester": {
        "email": "your-email@company.com"
      }
    }
  }'

Expected response: JSON with created incident details

If successful: Your token is configured correctly!

Common Issues

“Unauthorized” Error

Cause: Invalid token or expired

Fix:

1. Regenerate token in SolarWinds
2. Update token in Azure Key Vault
3. Verify token has correct permissions

“Forbidden” Error

Cause: Token lacks required permissions

Fix:

1. Go to SolarWinds API settings
2. Edit token permissions
3. Enable: Read/Create/Update Incidents, Add Comments

“Not Found” Error on Category

Cause: Category name doesn’t exist in SolarWinds

Fix:

1. Verify category name spelling
2. Create category in SolarWinds (see above)
3. Or use default “Infrastructure” category

Next Steps

Now that SolarWinds is configured:

1. Deploy Cynteo Alert Bridge from Azure Marketplace
2. Configure Alert Action Groups
3. Test the integration

API Documentation

For more details on SolarWinds API:

• Official SolarWinds API Docs
• Incident API Reference

Need help? Contact support@cynteocloud.com