Automating Identity & Access Management Approvals for Managed Service Providers (MSPs)

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) play a critical role in delivering outsourced IT support and services to businesses, helping them manage everything from infrastructure to software and security. MSPs handle a wide range of tasks, including network monitoring, help desk support, and most importantly, managing user access and system permissions. In this blog, we cover how MSPs can efficiently manage identity and access requests—such as granting new employees access to systems or revoking permissions when someone leaves.

Role of MSPs in IT Access Management

At a given time, MSPs manage multiple clients, managing IT requests such as access provisioning, software licensing, and hardware maintenance.

Let’s take a fictional scenario.

An MSP like ManageCo provides IT support to companies like Company ABC and Company XYZ. Employees at these companies submit service requests through JSM for various tasks such as software access, hardware issues, or system permissions.

For example, some common tickets that come through could be: –

• Provide John Smith access to Zoom.
• Terminate Jim Doe’s Google Workspace access.

Automating these requests can significantly reduce manual workload and improve service delivery.

Jira Service Management as the Foundation

Jira Service Management (JSM) serves as the backbone for managing service requests in an IT environment. It offers a platform for ticketing, issue assignment, and workflow automation. In this case, we’ll focus on IT access management automation within JSM. ManageCo has set up its JSM portal for handling IT requests, including queue management, issue assignment, and resolution workflows.

First Things First: Centralizing IT Assets

To make the automation process more efficient, it is important to first load all relevant data into Assets. This includes user information, software access, and hardware assignments. By creating a clear hierarchy of assets, MSPs can centralize all data and streamline the automation process.

Sample Schema Hierarchy: –

Organization

• Employee Users
  • Hardware Assignments
  • Software Assignments

Example: ManageCo Assets

Company ABC

• John Smith
  • Apple Mac Pro
  • Zoom
  • Google Workspace

Company XYZ

• Jim Doe
  • Dell PC
  • Zoom
  • Docusign
  • Google Workspace

This structure ensures that when an access request is made, it’s easy to locate the relevant details for automation.

IT Access Approvals: A High Volume Use Case

A frequent request MSPs handle is provisioning IT access, such as licenses for Zoom or Google Workspace. Traditionally, a support agent might review the request, manually approve it, and assign the license. While effective, this approach is labor-intensive, especially as the number of requests grows. We showcase how OnLink AI can automate IT access provisioning. OnLink AI connects to various endpoints using APIs, automating workflows such as assigning licenses for Zoom, Google Workspace, and more.

Manage Multiple Connections

OnLink AI simplifies automation through seamless integrations within JSM. By setting up API connections, it becomes easy to manage access requests without manual intervention. Here’s how the process works:

1. Configure the Connection:

Go to the Connections tab, click Add Connection,” and select the authentication method for the API you’re connecting to (e.g., Zoom). Enter necessary credentials like usernames and passwords.

2. Set Up Jira Post Functions: Once the connection is in place, set up post functions in the JSM workflow to trigger the automation process. Post functions ensure that the appropriate actions are taken after a request is submitted.

API Field Mapping for Automations

OnLink AI comes with pre-built function templates that make it easy to set up API connections. Users can map the fields in their JSM issues to the relevant fields in the API request. This includes: –

1. Selecting an API connection.
2. Choosing an HTTP method (e.g., GET or POST).
3. Mapping Jira custom fields (e.g., {customfield_12345}) to API parameters. For example, you can map JSON response fields like `jsonResponse.id` or `jsonResponse.name` directly to Jira custom fields, automating the entire process of updating the status of a service request.

Post Function Integration

OnLink AI is tightly integrated with post functions in JSM, giving users flexibility in how and when to automate actions. This allows MSPs to automate IT access provisioning without the need for manual intervention at every step.

Demo: Zoom Integration Using OnLink AI

For a detailed walkthrough, check out our demo that shows how to integrate Zoom with OnLink AI, automating license provisioning in Jira Service Management.

Summary: Streamlining IT Access for MSPs

By using OnLink AI, MSPs can centralize and automate IT access requests in JSM, cutting down on manual processes and saving time and costs. With its easy integration and configurable templates, OnLink AI empowers MSPs to efficiently manage identity and access management across multiple clients.