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xMatters Integration

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Integrate xMatters with AI SRE to synchronize on-call schedules and escalation policies.

On-call synchronization only

xMatters integration supports on-call synchronization only. Unlike PagerDuty and OpsGenie, xMatters does not provide runbook actions. Use xMatters to import schedules and on-call groups, then manage incident response within AI SRE using other integrations.

Use cases​

Use the xMatters integration to:

  • Import on-call schedules from xMatters
  • Synchronize on-call groups as escalation policies
  • Maintain schedule consistency between xMatters and AI SRE
  • Migrate from xMatters to AI SRE on-call management

Prerequisites​

  • xMatters account with administrator access
  • xMatters API user credentials or API key with read permissions
  • xMatters instance URL (e.g., https://yourcompany.xmatters.com)

Configure the xMatters integration​

Set up the connector with these steps:

  1. Go to Project Settings, then Third-Party Integrations for AI SRE.

    Third-Party Integrations for AI SRE

  2. Select the connector you want to use or create a new one.

  3. Provide your xMatters credentials:

    • Instance URL: Your xMatters instance URL
    • Username: API user username
    • Password: API user password or API key

  4. Test the connection.

  5. Save the integration.

Alternative: on-call sync approach

You can also configure xMatters directly in the On-Call section for schedule synchronization. Go to the On-Call section, select the Sync from 3rd Party tab, select xMatters, and follow the sync wizard to import schedules and on-call groups. This approach is specifically designed for bulk importing on-call data. Both approaches use the same connector but the On-Call sync provides a guided workflow for importing schedules, escalation policies, teams, and users.

Available actions​

xMatters does not provide runbook actions. The integration is limited to on-call synchronization.

On-call synchronization​

xMatters synchronization imports the following entities:

Schedules​

Import rotation schedules with shifts and time zones:

  • Daily, weekly, and custom rotation patterns
  • Shift assignments and handoff times
  • Time zone configurations
  • Schedule overrides

On-call groups​

xMatters on-call groups are mapped to AI SRE escalation policies:

  • Group members become escalation levels
  • Rotation patterns are preserved
  • Notification preferences are imported when available

Teams and users​

Import team structure and user information:

  • User groups mapped to Harness User Groups
  • Contact information (email, SMS, phone)
  • Team membership and assignments

Use xMatters in AI SRE​

After synchronizing schedules from xMatters:

  1. Route alerts to imported escalation policies
  2. Manage incidents using AI SRE incident management
  3. Use other integrations for runbook actions (Slack, Jira, PagerDuty, OpsGenie)
  4. Re-sync periodically to keep schedules up to date

Synchronization workflow​

Complete the on-call sync in these steps:

  1. Connect Source: Configure xMatters API credentials
  2. Select Entities: Choose which services/groups to sync
  3. Invite Users: Select users to invite to Harness
  4. Configure Rules: Set sync strategy and conflict resolution
  5. Start Sync: Monitor import progress
  6. Verify Import: Review schedules and escalation policies

Post-sync configuration​

After completing the initial sync:

  1. Verify user mapping: Ensure users are correctly mapped by email
  2. Review schedules: Check rotation patterns and time zones
  3. Test escalation policies: Verify escalation rules work as expected
  4. Update service ownership: Assign teams to services in the Service Directory
  5. Configure route alerts: Route alerts to imported escalation policies

Handle time zones​

xMatters schedules may use different time zone formats:

  • AI SRE automatically converts xMatters time zones to IANA format
  • Review imported schedules to verify conversions
  • Manually adjust time zones if needed

Hybrid approach for runbook actions​

To use runbook actions while keeping xMatters schedules:

  1. Sync schedules from xMatters to maintain on-call rotations
  2. Configure PagerDuty or OpsGenie for runbook actions
  3. Route alerts to xMatters-imported policies in AI SRE
  4. Use PagerDuty/OpsGenie actions in runbooks for incident management

This approach keeps xMatters as the schedule source while enabling automation with other platforms.

Integration comparison​

FeaturexMattersPagerDutyOpsGenie
On-call sync✅✅✅
Create incidents❌✅✅
Add notes❌✅✅
Acknowledge alerts❌✅✅
Update status❌✅✅
Trigger escalations❌✅❌

Security best practices​

Follow these practices to secure the xMatters integration:

  • Use dedicated API users with read-only permissions
  • Rotate API credentials regularly
  • Restrict API user access to necessary resources
  • Audit sync activity regularly
  • Test sync in non-production before production

Next steps​