Skip to main content
Version: Next

Getting Your ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Data

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus (SDP) stores its data in a PostgreSQL database. How you get a copy depends on whether your instance is on-premise or ManageEngine's cloud-hosted (SaaS) offering. This page covers both getting the data and connecting it to Cortex.

Getting your data​

On-premise​

Cortex connects directly to your SDP PostgreSQL database with read-only access — no database backup needs to be sent to us. All you need to do is give us a SQL login with read-only access to the SDP database and make sure the PostgreSQL server is reachable from the Cortex server. See How Cortex Archives Work for the connection model.

If you would rather move a copy of the database to another location for Cortex to read, you can take a standard PostgreSQL backup of it instead:

pg_dump -U <db_user> -h <source_host> -F c -b -v -f sdp.dump <database_name>

If you are moving the database to a new location, you will also need the attachment files - see Including attachments below.

Cloud-hosted (SaaS)​

If your instance is hosted by ManageEngine, contact ManageEngine support to request a full backup of your ServiceDesk Plus database. Confirm you want the underlying PostgreSQL database itself, not a report or CSV export of individual modules, and ask for the stored attachment files as well - a database backup holds only attachment metadata (see Including attachments below).

Including attachments​

warning

A database backup on its own is not enough. ServiceDesk Plus stores attachment metadata in the database but the attachment files themselves on disk, so Cortex also needs a copy of the SDP FileAttachments folder.

ServiceDesk Plus splits attachments across two places:

  • Attachment metadata - file name, size, content type, upload date, and the record each file belongs to - is stored in the PostgreSQL database, in the sdeskattachment table. That table holds no file content.
  • The attachment files themselves are stored on the SDP server's disk, under the FileAttachments folder in the SDP installation directory. The database records only a relative path to each file.

Because the database holds metadata only, a pg_dump or a cloud database backup has only the attachment list but not the files.

  1. Take the database backup described above.
  2. Copy the whole FileAttachments folder from the SDP server. It sits in the SDP installation directory by default (C:\Program Files\ManageEngine\ServiceDesk\FileAttachments); if it has been moved, use the folder path configured in ServiceDesk Plus.

If Cortex is not installed on your SDP server, the FileAttachments folder must be copied onto the Cortex server so Cortex can read it. See Send Us Your ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Export for the transfer details.

Password-protected attachments​

If your SDP instance has Enable password protection for all file attachments switched on, every stored file is a password-protected ZIP archive and Cortex needs that password to open the original file.

Set the password in Cortex on the ManageEngine data source, in the Attachment Encryption Password field.

  • With the password configured, Cortex decrypts attachments as they are served, so users can preview and download the original files.
  • Without it, Cortex still lists the attachments and serves the encrypted archives as .zip downloads, which users can extract manually if they know the password.

Attachment Root Directory​

Cortex serves ServiceDesk Plus attachments from the attachment folder on the ServiceDesk Plus server, reading it from the default install location:

C:\Program Files\ManageEngine\ServiceDesk\FileAttachments

If your SDP installation keeps its attachment folder somewhere else - it was moved during install, it lives on another volume, or it is a mounted path - set Attachment Root Directory on the ManageEngine tab of the data source editor to the full path, for example:

D:\ManageEngine\ServiceDesk\FileAttachments
  • The folder is read by the Cortex server, so it must be reachable from there and readable by the account Cortex runs under. A folder that only the SDP server can see will not work.
  • Enter a full path. Leaving the field blank - or holding a value that is not a full path, such as the historical relative FileAttachments - uses the default ManageEngine location instead.
  • Test Directory checks whether the Cortex server can read the folder and reports which path it tested, including when it tested the default. The check does not block the editor while it runs, so a slow or disconnected network share will not freeze it.

Connection String​

When configuring a ManageEngine data source in Cortex, use the following connection string format:

engine=postgres;server=server-hostname,5432;uid=username;password=the-password;database=servicedesk

The ManageEngine data source type automatically sets the engine=postgres option. The key fields are:

  • server — the hostname or IP address and port of your PostgreSQL server
  • uid — the PostgreSQL username
  • password — the password for that user
  • database — the name of the ManageEngine database

Prerequisites​

  • ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus installed and running
  • PostgreSQL database (the database ManageEngine stores its data in)
  • A SQL login with read-only access to the ManageEngine database

What Cortex Can Do With ManageEngine Data​

Once connected, Cortex provides:

  • Browse — navigate records by major object categories (Requests, Changes, Problems, etc.) and lookup tables
  • Search — full-text and filtered search across ManageEngine records
  • Record forms — native record detail view with two-column layout, status and priority badges
  • Saved searches — browse and run saved searches from the source system
  • Attachments — view and download attachment files stored on the SDP server, including password-protected attachments once the attachment password is configured
  • Worklogs — view time entries and notes associated with records
  • Relationships — navigate related records
  • Database Inspector — diagnostic tools for troubleshooting and inspecting the ManageEngine database schema

Troubleshooting​

If you encounter connection errors:

  • Verify the PostgreSQL server is running and accessible from the Cortex server
  • Confirm the login credentials are correct
  • Check that the database user has db_datareader (or equivalent SELECT) permissions on the ManageEngine database
  • See Troubleshooting for more help