Setting Up the ConnectWise API Integration with CloudRadial

A new bug discovered in ConnectWise's API permissions on May 9th, 2022 is causing some CloudRadial Partners to experience errors when editing the status of tickets, typically via approvals and status workflows.

In ConnectWise, navigate to System > Security Roles and select the role used for CloudRadial. Under Service Desk, find the Service Ticket - Dependencies and set the permissions to All for all four categories (Add, Edit, Delete, Inquire).

Ensure your security role matches the updated table as listed in Step 1 below.

Connecting your ConnectWise instance to your CloudRadial tenant allows you to pull in users and set up your configuration of PSA options for ticketing and various other features.

We'll follow five main steps:

• Creating an Adequate Security Role in ConnectWise
• Creating an API Member  
• Creating API Keys and Entering Them Into CloudRadial
• Setting Up Additional ConnectWise Configuration Options
• Tying ConnectWise to Specific Companies in CloudRadial

Step 1: Creating an Adequate Security Role in ConnectWise

Why are we doing this? The first thing to do is to create a security role in which we give CloudRadial the minimum necessary permissions to CloudRadial so that it may transfer data as securely as possible. Because of the nature and sync dependence, there are many dependencies that may change over time. 

Come back and check this article after major releases as the security roles needs may change.

1. In either the cloud-based instance or on the Windows client for ConnectWise Manage, navigate to System on the left-hand navigation menu, then to Security Roles
   
                                                      
   
   
2. Click + to create a new security role
3. For Role ID, create an entry called CloudRadial and click Save
4. Match the security policies exactly as shown in the charts below:

1. Press Save And Close to finalize the CloudRadial Security Role settings
   
                                                          

Step 2: Creating an API Member

Why are we doing this? Getting an API Member setup, along with the keys, will set us up to establish a link between CloudRadial and ConnectWise so that they can share information back and forth.

1. In either the cloud-based instance or on the Windows client for ConnectWise Manage, navigate to System on the left-hand navigation menu, then to Members
   
                                                               
   
   
2. Select the tab for API Members 
3. Click + to create a new API member
   
   
4. In the Profile section, look for the Member ID and Member Name fields
   • Enter what you like for both. We recommend Client Portal, as this will show in the portal's name syncing back and forth.
5. Under the System section, give CloudRadial the highest permissions to prevent sync errors later 
   • Set the Role ID to the previously created CloudRadial security role
   • Set the Level to Corporate or customized equivalent
   • Set the Name to Corporate or customized equivalent
   • Set the Location to your main office
   • Set the Business Unit to Admin or customized equivalent
   • Set the Default Territory to your main territory
     
6. Hit Save

Step 3: Creating an API Key and Tying it to CloudRadial

Why are we doing this? Now that the member and keys are created, we need to set the information in CloudRadial so the syncing and sharing can begin.

1. Select the API Keys tab on the new API Member
2. Click + to create a new API key
3. For description enter CloudRadial, then click Save
4. Copy both the Public Key and Private Key
   
   
   
   
5. Navigate to your CloudRadial tenant and go to Partner > Settings and click on "PSA" under Setup in the right-hand column 
6. Select ConnectWise for the PSA
7. Fill out the first Connection Information section
   • Choose your specific endpoint site location
     • If you have an on-premise/custom site, enter your URL without the http prefix
   • Set your ConnectWise Company Identifier
   • Enter your Public Key and Private Key in the next two fields

Important -> Once everything is entered, click on the Test Credentials text to ensure the connection is successful.

Step 4: Setting up Additional ConnectWise Configuration Options

Why are we doing this? This is where you can fine-tune the connections between CloudRadial and ConnectWise, helping you customize the link between the two to be exactly the way you want it.

Once you establish the connection to ConnectWise, you'll have access to the Lookup button(s) next to certain fields that will pull in available options directly from the PSA.

Setting up the Ticket Settings section

• For Ticket Display Boards:
  Determine what tickets your users will be able to see - multiple boards can be selected one at a time. The first board you select, should be the board where tickets go initially such as Triage or Level I Support.
  
• For Statuses for "Ticket Waiting":  
  

  Ensure that CloudRadial will flag the status(es) listed here as needing attention. Typically, this is used for approval workflows to let people know there is an action to be taken (such as approve, deny, escalate, etc). These statuses must already exist in the PSA. This will do the following:

  • Make the status appear orange in the Support > Support Tickets area for better visibility
  • Allow the ticket with the waiting status to show up under the Waiting tab for better visibility
    
    
• For "Client Comments":
  Sets the status to whatever is filled in this field, should a client comment on a ticket from within the portal.
• For Exclude Ticket Statuses:
  Select any statuses to be invisible within the portal and therefore NOT display in the ticket view area.
  
  
• For Priority for "User Priority":
  Set the default priority level for users marked as "priority". More information on this can be found in this article. 
  
  
• For Ticket Update Broadcast Allowed Statuses:
  CloudRadial's broadcast functionality can send push notifications to users upon certain status triggers. By default, all statuses will trigger the notification. Listing statuses here will keep the push notifications limited to just those status changes.

(Optional) Setting Up Approval Workflows

An option that isn't listed in the initial setup - but is absolutely related to it - is to build our your approval workflows.

If you're planning on setting up ticket workflows that require any sort of approval or escalation, be sure to read the article on setting those up.

Read more about Status Workflows and their use cases here. 

REQUIRED: Setting Up Communication Types

In certain sync processes, ConnectWise's Communication Types are used to match the right information to be pulled/pushed to/from users. 

• Email is used to write and disable users to your PSA from Office sync when certain settings are enabled
• Phone is used to update direct contact info from Office
• Mobile is used to update mobile contact info from Office as well

Within ConnectWise, go to System > Setup Tables > Communication Type to find the list of all of your established communication types.

Enter the exact Description that you've got for each type accordingly. An example can be found below:

As seen in the example above, you may have multiple phone and email fields. CloudRadial needs to match at least one of them - or else, you may start seeing duplicate entries created if CloudRadial can't find the correct type to map to.

Setting up Invoice Options

This area allows you to configure the invoice syncing options if using invoicing capabilities in ConnectWise. The fields are self-explanatory within CloudRadial, so no instructions are posted here.

Leave blank if you don't want to sync invoices.

Setting up Agreement Selections

This area allows you to configure the agreement syncing options if using agreement capabilities in ConnectWise. The fields are self-explanatory within CloudRadial, so no instructions are posted here.

Leave blank to sync all agreements.

Setting up Configuration Updates (From Data Agent)

This area is primarily used for those with ConnectWise, but without an RMM.

Since the CloudRadial data gathering agent can pull in data on machines like a lite RMM, it can define and upload configuration types of desktops and servers into ConnectWise. 

Leave blank if you've already got an RMM defining these for you.

Setting up Other Settings

This area offers you three optional options:

1. The ability to swap over from the ConnectWise client portal to CloudRadial seamlessly so that users can use their same credentials to access the portal
2. The ability to show users time entries in the ticket notes shown to users.
3. Send email advisories on failed ticket submissions?
   • As a best practice, we recommend having these go to an individual or distribution group. Sending advisories to a catch-all PSA email address, like a support email, can work - however, be advised that advisory emails will not be attributed to the submitting user and will need to be manually attributed.

     Please note: Advisory emails are not intended to fix errors in submission. They are there as stopgaps to ensure that a user's ticket makes it to the Partner while giving the Partner ample time to fix the routing issue(s) in CloudRadial.

     
                        
     
     

Step 5: Tying ConnectWise to Specific Companies in CloudRadial

Why are we doing this? We need to use identifiers to help CloudRadial link specific companies in the portal to companies in ConnectWise.

1. Navigate to Partner > Clients in CloudRadial
2. Click on the 3 blue dots on an existing client
3. Click Edit
   
                            
                               
   
4. Once in the Company editing panel, look for the PSA Company Identifier field
   
   • Note:  Steps 4-8 apply both when editing an existing client in CloudRadial or when adding a brand new one
5. Use the Lookup button to find their company identifier in ConnectWise
6. Press enter on the blank field to load entries, or type the first few letters of the company you're trying to find and then press enter
   
7. Click on the corresponding company 
8. The ID will now be in place. Click Submit at the bottom of the panel 

The data from ConnectWise will now be flowing into the relevant areas of CloudRadial. Depending on your board setup, their tickets will now work out of CloudRadial and their ticket data will now populate.

Setup is complete - simply repeat the ID entry steps for any loaded up clients or for new clients added to the portal.